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Beagleman
PostPosted: Sat Feb 23, 2019 1:00 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 04 Oct 2015
Posts: 280
Location: Clemson

3 swt 16's- '52, '59,, '65. The'59 is a modified choke and the other 2 are imp.cyl. I use these for rabbits and quail with the help of Polywad Doublewide shells. These guns were collected to be used. I also have a light twelve made in Japan with a round knob. I bought it due to it being inexpensive and only shoot it occasionally at sporting clays. I have plenty of guns to use, but I enjoy and use my A5's.

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Woodduc
PostPosted: Sun Feb 24, 2019 5:22 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 30 Oct 2013
Posts: 23
Location: Va

Greatest Shotgun Ever! My earliest hunting memories are of my Dad shooting a Blonde wood Light 12 for everything from Quail, waterfowl, turkeys to deer. He was a one gun man, me not so much I currently own the following ( all round knobs):
Jap 20 ga. light 28" invector-my skeet gun
Belgian standard 16 26"no rib poly choke-rabbit gun
Belgian Sweet 16 28" no rib Modified-dove gun
Belgian Light 12 28" vent rib invector-duck gun
Jap Light 12 28" vent rib invector-duck gun
Belgian Light 12 26" vent rib invector-back up duck gun
American Standard weight 28" no rib full-Safe Queen
Jap Mag 12 28" vent Rib invector-"The Goose Gun"

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my 16's
1930 Western Arms-mod/full
1936 Remington Sportsman-imp cyl
1937 Standard A5-poly
1947 Ithaca model 37-full
1956 Remington Wingmaster-imp cyl & mod
1960 "Sweet 16" A5-mod
2015 Browning Citori "White Lightning"
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tramroad28
PostPosted: Sun Feb 24, 2019 8:11 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 20 Jul 2011
Posts: 625
Location: Ohio..where ruffed grouse were

Cycles, gotta love 'em...gotta take advantage of 'em.

My Father had a LT 12 but it got away from me, my own fault. Embarassed
I am glad I bought my own LT12 and SW16 before this recent resurgence $$$ cycle of the ol' stutter-shucker took root.
Personally, I prefer plain barrels...just seems to work better for me with either gun.
Rare, old or special features?...eh, little appeal....not enough to search.
"Look at me" from gun ownership finds no traction here.

My 16 is a mid-50s and the LT12 an early 60s gun, as I recall.
Standard 28" M on the 12, with an extra 25" barrel someone shortened and installed tru-chokes. Oddly enough, feels good.
IC/26 and M/28 on the Sweetest 16.

I find the LT12 to simply be a workhorse, nothing setting it apart but looks and past and build, to me.

The 16 tho has a special something.
I miss with it...thankfully so and therefore, I am not sure where special rises but, special is indeed there.
Probably from some mix of the above three, my inept shooting style and a healthy dose of imagination, desire and personal esthetics.
From wherever special springs....we should never slam a door in a face or knock 'er off the stoop.

Enjoy the cycle's ride.
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bigboyd4466
PostPosted: Sun Mar 10, 2019 7:54 am  Reply with quote
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Joined: 01 Jul 2013
Posts: 324
Location: Brookville , Pa

I have a Remington wartime production 12ga with polychoke and a '59 Sweet 16 fixed full no rib . The 16 gets a few pheasants every year and a bunch of squirrels

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There's magic in a good , old honest shotgun . Give me a gun with a little character , and I'll try to honor it's history .
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dannypratt
PostPosted: Sun Mar 10, 2019 12:41 pm  Reply with quote
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Joined: 21 Dec 2005
Posts: 722
Location: Napoleon, MI

BigBoyD,
Yep...the wartime production "American" Browning Auto-5 is on of the true greats in vintage guns, but it's not as well known and often ovetlooked.

With its bead blasted reciever top, push button safety, and slight beaver tail forend, along with a mid production, tight radius capped grip stock, it was a real sportsmen's gun and a forerunner to today's autoloaders.

You've got a real gem in the American, those 16s too.

Good stuff!

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-Danny Pratt
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Chukar60
PostPosted: Mon Mar 11, 2019 7:41 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 31 Jan 2019
Posts: 55
Location: Idaho

OK I am new here or relatively new. Always wanting to learn something new.
Please do not take any of this as negative, just framing my perspective and looking for information.
I have never spent any time around an A5 in any configuration. They have never interested me, even when I was shooting auto loaders. The hump always seemed odd, out of balance etc.
I see them on the pawn shop racks around here and they languish for an eternity.
Then I come onto this site and find them heralded and revered. Once poster even mentioned it in the same sentence as my beloved Superposed!!!
So now my curiosity is piqued.
What is the attraction other than nostalgia? Am I missing out on something due to pure ignorance?
Help me out guys!!! I am looking for enlightenment.
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John Singer
PostPosted: Thu Mar 14, 2019 3:36 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 03 Sep 2014
Posts: 398
Location: Rochester, MN

I do not own a Browning Auto5. But I do own a 16 gauge Savage 720. It is an Auto5 clone stamped with John Browning's name.

I feel there are 2 reasons that I own it. First, my father owned a Browning Sweet 16. There is some nostalgia there. Second, I am really intrigued by the genius of John Browning. This design is the first successful semiautomatic shotgun. It works incredibly well. I want to have that.

To some, the gun is as ugly as homemade sin. I disagree.

It fits me and I shoot it well. I have shot my personal high score in sporting clays with the gun.

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CitoriFeather16
PostPosted: Fri Mar 15, 2019 9:06 am  Reply with quote
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Joined: 09 Dec 2005
Posts: 989
Location: Las Vegas

Solid steel, nice engraving, long sight plane, well balanced and, if maintained properly will never fail you. What is NOT to like about it?

Matt
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dannypratt
PostPosted: Fri Mar 15, 2019 12:21 pm  Reply with quote
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Joined: 21 Dec 2005
Posts: 722
Location: Napoleon, MI

C60,
I think a major reason they sit in pawn shops and the like is simply that the era of appreciation for them by the general public is waning, and more so in the last 10yrs. Older Brownings, Remingtons and Savages probably shouldnt see much steel shot as a rule..they can but really better in newer, chrome lined barrels.
The 12 and 20 gauge guns were generally built as 2 3/4 only or 3 inch only guns (you can shoot 2 3/4 shells in the 3 inch guns, but they may not cycle as well) and to some folks they want a gun that can take 3" shells (or bigger) and designed for non toxic shot.

Alot of hunters and shooters assume that with the square back reciever and recoiling barrel that they just wont shoot them well. Others have handled the Remington and Savage clones, but not an actual Browning, assuming they are all the same old style auto loaders. Remington and Savage clones are great (they are fully licensed copies) however, the 16ga Browning Auto-5 is on a very special sized, small receiver. They point, handle and shoot exceptionally well and are ultra reliable WHEN MAINTAINED PROPERLY. I stress the last point as there are multitudes of folks who claim theres wont cycle properly, recoils too hard, jams...etc. Another prime reason is folks seem to love gas operated shotguns. Alot. Period. They just wont even consider a different design. Or they are only interested in plastic stocked, matte finish, all utility current inertia style guns. Neither of these things are bad, not at all. It's just more of a trend for newer technology.
The fact of the matter is, the original Browning Auto-5, the Remington M11 etc, and Savage Automatic/ 720s etc, are workhorse guns, and in thier day were the top choice ofvwatetfowlers and serious pheasant hunters. The magic of the 16ga models is the fact that there have been very little changed in 16ga shells in the last 80yrs...so these older guns are 100% as effective as they ever were.

All of this said, I've never, and I mean NEVER, felt that my Auto-5 (or clone) was ever outdated or unfit for any of my hunting. In any of the gauges. All of them are beautifully machined guns, with alot of pride of work man ship present...they really are classics.

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-Danny Pratt
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Flues16
PostPosted: Fri Mar 15, 2019 2:10 pm  Reply with quote
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Joined: 07 Jan 2013
Posts: 398
Location: Virginia

Some good points made in these last few posts. For me, I have to admit that much of the appeal of the old A5 is nostalgia, although they still are good, functional guns, especially in 16 gauge. Personally I don't think they are ugly, especially the Belgian Brownings with their nice bluing, engraving and French walnut stock and forend.

I'll never forget the first one I saw when I was a 19-year old college student in the late 1960s. A guy from town came on campus trying to sell his Sweet 16 (can you imagine someone coming to a liberal arts college today to sell a shotgun?). It was in perfect condition with an extra barrel and a case for $150. I thought it was beautiful, but there was no way I could afford that much money for a shotgun.

As Danny pointed out, there are reasons why many hunters today chose something else. This has caused prices for the old A5s to drop, a few months ago I was able to buy a very nice 1959 Sweet 16 for $400. So if you've ever wanted one, this might be a great time to buy.

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