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Belguim Browning Auto 5 made in 1910. What choke?

Member Joined: 27 Jun 2005 Posts: 1545 Location: Michigan

Yentzen, I don't know. But if that's the straight stocked 16 you just bought. They are probably all wrong for you. I'll take it off your hands. Wink

Member Joined: 25 Jul 2006 Posts: 781

I cant do it from where I'm sitting but you need to take the difference in mm and convert it to inchs in thousandth's That will tell you the choke in thousandths.

But the right thing to do is shoot it and see the percentage as all my early Browning A5's that are marked CHOKE throw damned tight pattern no matter what the proof mark numbers are!

The only old gun that I have that does not throw a cloud of shot the size of my fist is factory marked CYLINDER....and it's a barrel from the 1920's

Jeff

Member Joined: 15 Mar 2005 Posts: 358 Location: Houston

16.8mm = .6614 in
15.7 mm = .6181 in

The difference = .0433 That's TIGHT!

Member Joined: 18 Nov 2005 Posts: 398 Location: S Fl

Depends on which set of numbers you work with, but let's assume the larger set of numbers is more recent.
16.9 / 25.4 = .665
15.9 / 25.4 = .626
= choke of .039 !!

Yep, it's rigor mortis alright.

Pete

Member Joined: 15 Mar 2005 Posts: 358 Location: Houston

You're right, Foursquare--I hadn't even seen the other set of numbers. Why would they have opened it up only .004???

Member Joined: 28 Oct 2005 Posts: 665 Location: Louisiana

Just for the heck of it----measure the bore and choke internally (or have it done) currently it appears you only have some speculations.
On a gun of that vintage the stampings on the barrell only tell you what someone did at one time and not what may have happened in the interim with other owners. Who knows, you may have a pleasant surprise in store. Wink

Member Joined: 16 Nov 2006 Posts: 1338

Member Joined: 28 Oct 2005 Posts: 665 Location: Louisiana

yep-sounds likely

Member Joined: 25 Jul 2006 Posts: 781

If I remember the rules for Belgian proofs the second set of numbers is the barrel inside diameter measures 8" from the breech and muzzle...or something of the sort.

It's all about marking the gun with the actual measurements at the time this particular barrel was PROVEN. That way you can measure the gun later and see if it was honed inside which may take it out of "proof".

Yentzen, welcome to the club of straight stocked 16 ga A5 owners, just two of us that I know of...

http://web.4girards.com:8080/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.ShowItem&g2_itemId=13461

Top one is a 16 ga.

Jeff

My '52 A5, which has a full choke barrel, had .043" restriction before I had it opened up. It appears Browning may have used about this much restriction for most if not all of their full choke barrels. The full choke invector tube that came with my Citori was even tighter! Shocked

Dennis

Member Joined: 25 Jul 2006 Posts: 781

I have had A5 and Parker barrels measures with 43 thou constricitons. It's tight as hell but it works.

Jeff

Yentzen
Are there any other proof marks on the barrel ?

Given that there is not I would say that the gun was proofed 15.7 over 16.8
the proof mark to the right looks like an inverted eLG over star the next letters are the EL provisional proof.the last numbers 15.9 over 16.9 looks as if the barrel was sent back to be refinished but there is no reproof stamp or final proof stamp. I can't find a reproof stamp in the Belgian proofs.
I can only say that after the inital proof the internal finish was not good enough to release from the factory so it was re-honed and proofed.
good shooting
sbs470