Browning A5 Choke tubes. UPDATE WITH PICS!

[brokenvet]

Mongo can you post pics of the gun.

[Mongo Hunter]

Mongo can you post pics of the gun.

Sure later tonight ill take some and get them up tomorrow. Curious of how old it is? I'm not even sure I should run the serial and check.

[brokenvet]

On the Browning north America website they have a chart, check there to see the manufacture date.  It's under support / date your firearm

[Mongo Hunter]

Here's some pictures. I checked the serial and it has an 8V prefix so it was made in 1958 and is a Magnum. Sorry for the PDFs I can't get this place to upload jpegs.

[Mongo Hunter]

also new mystery. I took the shotgun apart last night to check for function and make sure it was safe, clean and well oiled. after I got the forgrip off I notice the recoil springs...yes 2. All the research I have found so far on the magnums and rebuild kits only show 1 spring but 2 brass compression rings.

so in short I have 2 recoil springs, 1 brass compression ring and 1 beveled compression ring.

now I'm really confused. luckily all the other firearms were strait forward.

[brokenvet]

My A5 has 2 recoils springs as well, so that is good to go.  On the rings, you should have 2 brass & 3 of the beveled steel compression rings.  Your gun is set up for dove or light target loads at the moment, for the magnum or duck loads you will need the rest of the rings.

I just got back from shooting slugs out of mine.  Winchester BRI Sabot slugs, FPS is 1350, 1 oz.  out of a Hastings Paradox rifled barrel, at 70 yards I got 1" groups with open sights.

You can obtain the rings from Numrich gun parts or Midwest Gun Works (MGW), MidwayUSA 

[Mongo Hunter]

Choke tubes fit! good call guys. I now have mod choke and a turkey choke.

[CP]

I've never seen 2 recoil springs, interesting.

Here's the ring setup FYI -

[brokenvet]

I think that the second spring is a replacement and instead of discarding the old spring the gun owner just added the other spring thinking that it may help with the recoil, especially if it is an older gun and shooting magnum loads.

Bought my Auto-5 with two springs and I just left it there.

[CP]

Maybe a modification to cycle light loads?  My A5 mag will not cycle anything lighter than what they used to call “high brass” duck/pheasant loads ( 1¼ oz shot).  Wasn't designed to do so.

My A5 light does just fine with loads down to 1 oz.

[Mongo Hunter]

I've never seen 2 recoil springs, interesting.

Here's the ring setup FYI -

I have never seen it either but from what I have seen this does appear to be a mod. I was unable to find the other rings for while I was digging around. my guess is this is what you did if you lost the "magnum" set of rings. Ill have to research more however.

[Mongo Hunter]

Alright so after a little research, what I have come up with is that the recoil system with 2 springs is wrong. I contacted Randy Wakeman whos with an outdoor and shooting website who did an article on the A5. Don't know how or why people did that but its not right. I went ahead and got on Mid West Gun Works mailing list to let me know when a Magnum rebuild kit becomes available. for $65 its a good piece of mind knowing the gun will be operating like it should and I wont be "that guy" that destroys a family heirloom.

[CP]

 

That's the right move.  Keep them properly tuned and they are sweet shooters.  You might try Brownells for the parts:

http://www.brownells.com/shotgun-parts/receiver-action-parts/recoil-spring-parts/recoil-springs/recoil-spring-sku149005375-3839-9414.aspx

[brokenvet]

Went to Browning website and sent them a question regarding the two recoil spring.

On other forums, people say that older Auto 5 magnum 12's should have two recoil springs. 

Let's see what Browning says on this.

[huntinguy]

I know where there is an A5 has two springs. It also has one bronze that is about a half inch wide and one that is about 1/8th.

I have talked to more than a few A5 aficionados and they all say that none of the A5's ever had double springs. But, I have talked to several folks who have the older Belgium made guns and on the 3" guns it doesn't seem to be uncommon.

I wonder if it was a European thing and the double spring guns were not made for the U.S. market?