Browning Automatic 5

[klatuveradanikto]

So picked up a old Auto 5 at the shooting show, took it out last week and gotta say I was well impressed, hardly missed a clay (which is unusual for me) really liked the feeling of the whole recycling process the gun did kick a little more than modern semi autos but I like that characteristic. I also have a 50's Double Automatic and they are chalk and cheese when it comes to recoil. So in the learning process now about my new classic, any of you chaps got any hints and tips regarding these guns. Cheers 

 

[oowee]

I fancy one of the older ones. 

[theshootist]

Like you I have both an auto 5 and a short recoil double auto made almost 50 years later. Do you find the double auto recoil worse? I find it more sudden and jarring. Both have very high buil quality.

I'm no expert but I would learn how to set up the friction ring for your choice of cartrige.

Edited March 3, 2018 by theshootist

[Wingman]

Yes as has been said, you need to adjust the friction rings depending on the loads your shooting you'll find numerous diagrams on the web.  It shouldn't kick you about mine is very easy to on the shoulder even with 36 Gram loads, you might need to consider changing the recoil spring.  I have a couple of these old guns and always replaced the friction rings, recoil spring, mag spring and action spring all the parts available from Brownells.

Lovely old guns and worth investing a bit of time and money getting i set up right!

 

Good luck

[saddler]

Them old long recoil Auto 5 guns are an abomination that should be scrapped rather than used, for the sake of the users safety.
With this in mind, if anyone has one of these old clunkers and needs it to be chopped up, shredded and generally "rendered unto Caesar" I'm happy to provide this service for you totally free of charge...but HURRY as unlike the DFS Sale,  this offer may end soon!!

Just drop your old A5 off at the Post Office, addressed to my RFD - in a prepaid box - and he'll pass it onto me for disposal

Especially keen to assist if you have a pre-war model/any with the type 1 safety catch or the type 2 safety catch, them awful Remington Model 11's, those horrible Savage 720 things, the very unappealing Police models, the fughly Buck Special version with 24" rifle sighted barrels, the frankly silly 20-bores, the even sillier 16-bores, etc.
...and for a limited time, I can scrap their accessories too: owners manuals, ephemera such as paperwork, shipping boxes, Browning gun cases, etc.

Do NOT hesitate, ACT NOW: After all, it's for the sake of the children...I do a lot for charity but don't like to talk about it...I'm only doing this so you can sleep at night, and/or, convince your FEO/wife/girlfriend/both/all three that you NEED that long recoil action sleek Italian shotgun for £2K instead of the old rusty abused antique Belgian designed finger masher. 

[oowee]

6 hours ago, theshootist said:

Like you I have both an auto 5 and a short recoil double auto made almost 50 years later. Do you find the double auto recoil worse? I find it more sudden and jarring. Both have very high buil quality.

I'm no expert but I would learn how to set up the friction ring for your choice of cartrige.

Whats the difference between the two? 

[Wingman]

Ah glad I found someone that will take this old wreck of a gun off my hands. Wonder if this would be the sort of thing you might want?

Edited March 3, 2018 by Wingman

[saddler]

3 minutes ago, Wingman said:

Ah glad I found someone that will take this old wreck of a gun off my hands. Wonder if this would be the sort of thing you might want?

The things those Belgians let out the door never ceases to amaze me! Using a knotty scaffold plank for a buttstock...

I'll dig the wood chipper out of the snowdrift & plug it in ready 

[klatuveradanikto]

Got the friction ring set up sorted, found a U. S. tip apparently they use a dab of heavy motor oil on the friction ring to give it more drag when it's cycling. 

3 hours ago, saddler said:

Them old long recoil Auto 5 guns are an abomination that should be scrapped rather than used, for the sake of the users safety.
With this in mind, if anyone has one of these old clunkers and needs it to be chopped up, shredded and generally "rendered unto Caesar" I'm happy to provide this service for you totally free of charge...but HURRY as unlike the DFS Sale,  this offer may end soon!!

Just drop your old A5 off at the Post Office, addressed to my RFD - in a prepaid box - and he'll pass it onto me for disposal

Especially keen to assist if you have a pre-war model/any with the type 1 safety catch or the type 2 safety catch, them awful Remington Model 11's, those horrible Savage 720 things, the very unappealing Police models, the fughly Buck Special version with 24" rifle sighted barrels, the frankly silly 20-bores, the even sillier 16-bores, etc.
...and for a limited time, I can scrap their accessories too: owners manuals, ephemera such as paperwork, shipping boxes, Browning gun cases, etc.

Do NOT hesitate, ACT NOW: After all, it's for the sake of the children...I do a lot for charity but don't like to talk about it...I'm only doing this so you can sleep at night, and/or, convince your FEO/wife/girlfriend/both/all three that you NEED that long recoil action sleek Italian shotgun for £2K instead of the old rusty abused antique Belgian designed finger masher. 

What a humanitarian, but I think I'll pass lol

[Wingman]

Don’t worry I saved you a job keeping me nice and warm. What do belgains know about making guns eh?

i’ll stick to my handmade Russian game gun thanks. Now that’s proper quality 

 

Edited March 3, 2018 by Wingman

[saddler]

3 minutes ago, klatuveradanikto said:

Got the friction ring set up sorted, found a U. S. tip apparently they use a dab of heavy motor oil on the friction ring to give it more drag when it's cycling. 

Easy way to remember the correct setting.

With the friction ring assembly JUST behind the barrel lug, as soon as the gun recoils the lug forces the ring over the friction parts to slow down the recoil impulse.
(This is the default setting to go with.)
With the friction ring assembly near the receiver, the barrel lug pushes the long action spring surrounding the mag. tube, which does a less efficient job of slowing the recoil impulse = which is what's needed for lower energy cartridges. Only switch to this if you find that the gun isn't ejecting/feeding correctly.

I use Castrol GTX on my A5's - works great and not something that I'll likely run out of

[klatuveradanikto]

1 minute ago, saddler said:

Easy way to remember the correct setting.

With the friction ring assembly JUST behind the barrel lug, as soon as the gun recoils the lug forces the ring over the friction parts to slow down the recoil impulse.
(This is the default setting to go with.)
With the friction ring assembly near the receiver, the barrel lug pushes the long action spring surrounding the mag. tube, which does a less efficient job of slowing the recoil impulse = which is what's needed for lower energy cartridges. Only switch to this if you find that the gun isn't ejecting/feeding correctly.

I use Castrol GTX on my A5's - works great and not something that I'll likely run out of

Sorted,  thank you. 

[Wingman]

Interesting, I tend to shoot mine dry. Only time I have applied oil is when I tried some 24gram loads. Cycled fine the only thing it doesn’t like is 65mm shells. Pretty much cycles anything 70mm

[theshootist]

11 hours ago, oowee said:

Whats the difference between the two? 

The Auto 5 is long recoil. It's barrel, together with the bolt recoil for the full length of the cartridge before the barrel is returned ejecting the shell, or rather stripping the barrel off the shell. In the double auto the barrel only moves back 1/4", but in doing so gives the bolt an impulse to move backwards stripping the shell out of the chamber. This is short recoil. Both are different to inertia operation.

11 hours ago, Wingman said:

Ah glad I found someone that will take this old wreck of a gun off my hands. Wonder if this would be the sort of thing you might want?

Ooooooh. Aaaaah.

Now that looks special!

 

[Wingman]

55 minutes ago, theshootist said:

The Auto 5 is long recoil. It's barrel, together with the bolt recoil for the full length of the cartridge before the barrel is returned ejecting the shell, or rather stripping the barrel off the shell. In the double auto the barrel only moves back 1/4", but in doing so gives the bolt an impulse to move backwards stripping the shell out of the chamber. This is short recoil. Both are different to inertia operation.

Ooooooh. Aaaaah.

Now that looks special!

 

I searched high and low for one in this condition and found it tucked away on the rack in a shop near Oxford. It’s a beaut 1936 vintage with a stunning stock. I bought a new forend for it though as the original was slightly  cracked. 

Dont use it as much as I should though to be honest!

[Gunman]

Mine now long gone was not happy with anything less than 1&1/16 loads .Loved the distinctive sound .Bang rattle clatter . 

[matone]

Every one I ever shot used to twang my trigger finger ! Best I had was a 60`s with 28" vent rib barrel & 1/2 choke ....bloomin` heavy tho` !