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Subject: Browning Auto 5 Shotguns

What are quirky secrets to keep them sweet?

Autumn is here and Dove hunting season draws near as hunters gather up and check over their favorite shotguns.

As expected, the ever-popular Browning Auto 5 Shotgun holds its place as one of the most successful gun designs ever to emerge from Grandpa’s gun vault (or closet). This fine old shotgun will again be cradled lovingly in the grateful hands of a new generation of shooting enthusiasts. 

Despite the evidence that technology has bypassed this fine piece of workmanship, a product of the late 1890’s, it remains a favorite with its handsome, rugged and long-lasting design.  The squared off receiver guides the eye down the barrel better than any other shotgun design. This feature will help new shooters bag their quarry in short order.

For those aficionados who prefer the best of both eras Browning created a shotgun a few years ago combining the original rugged appearance of the Auto 5 with current state-of-the art technology in the A5.  This resurrection of the original retains the same attractive design of the original 1890’s model.  With the A5 shotgun you have both of the best features. The action design and the materials are state-of-the art.  Issues regarding Its quirks will be address in a future article.

About those quirks with the Auto 5:

1.       The lever on the left side of the receiver is a magazine cut off. Flipped forward shells can be fed through with the magazine flipped to the rear.  This is a single shot shotgun that feeds and ejects once shell at a time through the ejection port.  This was a useful feature that many guns also had of that period (think 30-40 Krag 30-03, 30-06 Springfield) that allowed a person to slip a slug in for a deer while dove hunting!   Hunting rules were quite different back then. 

2.       If the magazine cut off is not engaged, as the first shell is thumbed into its magazine tube, it will be fed into the chamber and the bolt will quickly close automatically, faster than you can think about it.  There is no design faster to resume running if you have gone dry.  So, do make certain that your finger is off the trigger and that the barrel is pointing downward in a safe direction as occasionally a particularly well used gun will let the hammer follow the bolt, making the gun go BOOM!

NOTE: This presents a compelling reason to have that Auto 5, (most of which are over 60 to 70 years old and many are over 100 years old), checked over by a competent gunsmith to assess the condition of the gun after that many years of wear and tear.

3.       Remember to shoulder the shotgun tightly or it may not cycle as it is recoil operated. Do not worry about the “double shuffle” feeling on your shoulder, it is to be expected.

4.       The original manual instructs the shooter to use Sperm Whale Oil on the action and the bolt, however that has not been generally available since World War I, so regular gun oil such as Hoppe’s #9 Gun Oil may be used instead.

5.       Use a small dab of grease such as Hoppe’s #9 Gun Grease rather than oil where the barrel slides into the slot of the frame.

6.       On average, people who were living around the late 1800’s and early 1900’s were much shorter and smaller overall than the population currently living in this 21st century.  As a result these old guns were made to fit that population rather than today’s shooters* causing the length of pull be too short for many of us.  This problem can be alleviated by putting a slip-on pad such as “Limbsaver Gel Pad” on the butt of the stock to increase the length of pull. This will also help lighten the recoil. You will feel the recoil more than you would with a comparable modern gun.  Just remember to take the slip-on pad off when you get home to keep the wood looking nice.

7.       Take care that you do not crack/split the forearm when taking it on or off.  If a crack or split does appear, you can use Epoxy to repair it.

8.       The slot in the bronze bushing on the magazine tube is supposed to be there.  It’s not broken. It allows the bushing to compress and to create controlled friction on magazine tubes.

9.       Do not use gun oil or grease on the  bronze bushing of the Auto 5*, it’s too thin to be used on that area.  The right oil is for that area would be a 30 weight non-detergent motor oil. A 30 weight detergent motor oil is OK, but do not use a multi-grade oil. (Think about the technology when the Auto 5 was developed in 1898, and the patent in secured in 1900.

* You will find that the A5 will have a longer, more comfortable fit

Follow the directives in the figure below and the tips presented above.  Soon you will have that auto 5 working great.