Difference between revisions of "Browning Auto-5"

Revision as of 14:24, 15 March 2013

Remington Model 11 / Browning Auto-5
Remington Model 11 Shotgun
Type	Semi-automatic shotgun
Land of Origin	USA
Specifications
Length	variable by barrel
Barrel length	20", 26", 28", 32"[1]
Weight	variable by barrel
Gauge	12 gauge, 16 gauge, 20 gauge
Action	Semi-Automatic
Feed	3 to 5-round tube magazine
Service History
In service	Remington 11: 1905–1947 Browning Auto-5: 1902-1999
Used by	various law enforcement, military, and private citizens
Production History
Designer	John Browning
Manufacturer	Browning, Savage, Franchi, FN, Remington and others
No. Built	3,000,000 (Auto-5s built by Browning) 850,000 (Remington 11)
Variants	see article

The Browning Auto-5 was a recoil-operated autoloading shotgun designed by John Browning. It was the first successful autoloading shotgun ever produced. It was originally produced in the United States as the Remington Model 11. The name of the shotgun designates that it is an autoloader with a capacity of five shots, four in the magazine and one in the chamber.

In 1999 Browning issued the "Final Tribute" version featuring engraved scenes of John M. Browning, the F.N. Factory and the Browning Brothers first store. Only 1,000 of these were produced in a high-grade wood. Production of the famous "A-5" ceased after this final tribute.

History

The Browning Automatic 5 was the first mass produced semiautomatic shotgun. Designed by John Browning in 1898 and patented 1900^[2], it was produced continually for almost 100 years, with production ending in 1998. It features a distinctive high rear end, earning it the nickname "Humpback". The top of the action goes straight back on a level with the barrel before cutting down sharply towards the buttstock. This distinctive feature makes it easy to identify A-5s from a distance. A-5s were produced in a variety of gauges, with 12 and 20 predominating; 16 gauge (not produced between 1976 and 1987) models were also available.

Production

John Browning presented his design (which he called his best achievement)^[3] to Winchester, where he had sold most of his previous designs. When Winchester refused his terms, Browning went to Remington. Tragically, the president of Remington died of a heart attack as Browning waited to offer them the gun. This forced Browning to look overseas to produce the shotgun. It was manufactured by FN (a company that had already produced Browning-designed pistols) starting in 1902. Browning would later license the design to Remington, who produced it as their Model 11 (1905-1948). The Remington Model 11 was the first auto-loading shotgun made in the USA. Savage Arms also licensed the design from Browning and produced it as their model 720 from 1930 to 1949, and their model 745 with an alloy receiver and 2-shot magazine from 1941 to 1949. Browning's long-recoil design itself served as the operating system for subsequent Remington (11-48), Savage (755, 775) and Franchi (AL-48) models.^[3]

Production of the Auto-5 in Belgium continued until the start of World War II, when Browning moved production to Remington Arms in the United States. The Auto-5 was produced by Remington along side the Model 11 until FN could resume making the gun after the war.^[4] Unlike the Remington Model 11, the Remington-produced Browning shotguns had magazine cutoffs. Some 850,000 Remington Model 11 shotguns were produced before production ended in 1947. In 1952, production of Browning models returned to FN, where it continued to until the end. However, the majority of production moved to Japan in 1975. Finally, in 1998, manufacture of A-5s ceased except for a few commemorative models created at FN in 1999. By that time, it was well established as the second-best-selling auto-loading shotgun in U.S. history, after the Remington 1100.^[3]

{See table below for more information)

Design

Browning Auto-5 in 20 gauge magnum (Made in Japan)

The Browning Auto-5 is a long-recoil operated semi-automatic shotgun. Shells are stored in a tubular magazine under the barrel. When a chambered shell is fired, the barrel and bolt recoil together (for a distance greater than the shell length) and recock the hammer. As the barrel returns forward to its initial position the bolt remains behind and thus the spent shell is ejected. Then the bolt returns forward and feeds another shell from the magazine into the action. While this may seem a little humdrum today, this type of long recoil action was amazing at the time, being the first of its kind and patented in 1900 by John Browning.

To load the weapon, shells are fed into the bottom of the action, where they are then pushed into the magazine. Most A-5s have removable plugs in the magazine which prevent more than 3 shells from being loaded in at one time (two in the magazine, plus one in the chamber) to comply with Canadian and U.S. Federal migratory waterfowl hunting laws, as well as some state hunting regulations. With the plug removed, the total capacity is 5 rounds. If the chamber is open (the operating handle is drawn back) the first shell loaded into the magazine tube will go directly into the chamber. The bolt then closes, and all further shells fed into the gun will go into the magazine.

The A-5 has a system of friction rings that control the rate of recoil. Setting these rings correctly is vital to good shotgun performance and to ensure a long life to the weapon, by controlling excessive recoil. The friction rings are set based on the type of load to be fired through the gun. Different settings can be found in the owner's manual (see links below).

Resources

Gun Owners' Resource has the following relevant documents available for free download for the Browning Auto-5 and/or its variants:

• Auto-5 Light owner's manual
• Auto-5 Magnum owner's manual
• The Auto-5 Field Service Manual
• An older Auto-5 owner's manual
• Further information can also be found at the Browning and Remington websites.

• 

  An exploded of a Browning Auto-5 with parts list.

• 

  An exploded view of a Remington Model 11 shotgun, with parts list.

• 

  Another exploded view of a Remington Model 11 shotgun (parts list in image to the right).

• 

  The parts list for the image to the left.

Other data

References

1. ↑ Fjestad, S. P., "Twenty-Third Edition Blue Book of Gun Values", Blue Book Publications, Inc., 2002, p. 1141.
2. ↑ Harold Murtz. Gun Digest Treasury (DBI Books, 1994), p.194
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2} Murtz, ibid., pp.193-4
4. ↑ Firearm Model History - Remington Model 11

This article is part of a series on the works of John Moses Browning
Semi-automatic pistols	FN M1900 · Colt M1900 · Colt M1902 · FN Model 1903 · M1903 Pocket Hammer · M1903 Pocket Hammerless · M1908 Vest Pocket · FN Model 1910 · M1911 · Colt Woodsman · Baby Browning · Hi-Power
Rifles	Winchester Model 1885 · Winchester Model 1886 · Winchester 1892 · Winchester Model 1894 · Winchester Model 1895 · Remington Model 8 · Remington Model 24 · FN Trombone
Shotguns	Winchester Model 1887 · Winchester Model 1897 · Browning Auto-5/Remington Model 11 · Remington Model 17 · Savage Model 520 · Browning Superposed · Ithaca 37
Machine guns	Colt-Browning M1895 · Browning M1917 · Browning Automatic Rifle · Browning M1919 · M2 Machine Gun
Cartridges	.25 ACP · .32 ACP · .38 ACP · .380 ACP · .45 ACP · .50 BMG