Opinions please

**kurly** · 30-03-2010, 18:05

Hi guys

You know the saying, it never rains but it pours? Well it's poring for me

I have been in search of a shotgun that is looking for a caring home for a while and now within the space of a week I have been offered 2

Firstly I was offered a 12ga side by side made in Belgium, not sure of make but guessing it could be a Browning, by a friend of a friend. And today I was offered a 2 shot semi auto Browning with interchangeable skeet and trap barrels by the friend from above. I am yet to see either of the shotguns but fortunately they will both be at the same address when I do.

I am looking for opinions on 2 questions, the first question being the more important;
1. How difficult will it be to license the semi auto with interchangeable barrels compared to the side by side? and
2. If licensing wasn't an issue which would you choose?

Thanks
Kurly

**Stan K** · 31-03-2010, 10:55

Hi Kurl
As a skeet and hunting gun I would chose the semi auto. Perhaps you could chop one of the barrels to make it a defense gun. If its a Browning Auto 5 then I would shoot it first before i bought it with many different loads 24 -32g to see what works and what doesnt. I got burned with my 3" A5, it was unreliable and worked best with the most potent magnum loads that were horrible to shoot so IMO the browning A5 is a piece of **** but I have only seen and shot the one model.

**Stan K** · 31-03-2010, 10:57

Oh I sold the A5 and got a M3 Benelli and i am very happy with it.

**Sean Murphy** · 31-03-2010, 11:10

Stan, did you try to adjust the A5. It is adjustable for different loads.

Sean.

**Stan K** · 31-03-2010, 11:17

yes sean tried different friction rings but still didnt cycle

**Sean Murphy** · 31-03-2010, 11:21

You do not usually need to change the rings, you just set the amount of resistence/friction by turning the bushing to different settings. I have used one of these guns and this worked well for us with normal 28gr trap loads.

Sean.

**Stan K** · 31-03-2010, 11:32

turning the nut didnt help so I removed some of the friction rings to get it to cycle 8 out of 10 times, but eventually gave up. Didnt like the design, its vintage compared to modern semi auto shotguns and after waiting for alicense then struggling to get it cycling I just got fed up with a clumsy design of the A5. the Benelli inertia blowback is light years ahead.

**ikor** · 31-03-2010, 11:50

The auto is probably a Browning Double Automatic...great little shotgun but they have not been made since 1972, so parts are pretty much nonexistent should you need any. (They made both steel and alloy receivers as well as a 20ga version) The extra barrel is a plus, no doubt and I have seen guys in the dove field who could hold two shells between the fingers of their support hand and get 4 aimed shots off from one of these as fast as any pump gun. Can't speak to licensing but depending on condition and price if I was looking for a decent hunting shotgun I would definitely consider one.

There are good Belgian side by sides and junky ones as well. I doubt the one you have been offered is a Browning, although it could be. If it is, grab it quick but if not be careful. Parts for most older SxS guns, especially the many 'no-name-specials' out there, are impossible to find and must be hand made. Steel can be soft and barrel soldering may be good or really bad. Even the top line doubles were hand fitted, and while there are still 'smiths in SA who can and will do great work on the good ones they ain't cheap! I would be really careful with this one if it was not a brand name shotgun.

If you want a 'tactical' shotgun, give both of these a pass and get a good Remington 870 pump IMO.

Stan;

The 3in A5's will only work reliably with 3in or 2 3/4in magnum or very heavy field loads. You can adjust them but the 'low' adustment still only sets them up for 2 3/4in heavy field loads. The A5 Browning is quite possibly the single best shotgun ever built...certainly it is the best semi auto ever built...and the Benellis need not apply for that position as good as they are. The guy you bought it from should have told you all this but maybe he didn't know himself. The only real problem with the A5 apart from normal wear is that they are SO well made they will continue to work even when broken, thus making the eventual trip to the gunsmith even more expensive. Tear one down and clean it every year or two, change the springs every year or two and they last forever.