Guns & Shooting
Does anyone have the Browning A5
7/7/14 @ 12:44 PM
Hi! Im looking at getting the Browning A5 3.5 chamber with a 28" barrel in camo. I would be using it for primarily duck hunting. I hunt till season closes. This gun will be used and abused through ice up. Does anyone care to offer their opinion. It's right in my price range and looks like a quality gun that I could hand down to my 2 year old son someday. Thanks
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My brother gave me a new A-5, 3.5 inch, 30 inch marshland camouflage browning 3 years ago just before he passed away from cancer.
I’ve been duck hunting for 47 years with everything from a double to many autos. Here’s my assessment on the new A-5.
love the feel of the gun, quick to mount, shoots excellent. Perfect plane to swing and find birds. Regular 3” low recoil. Gun functions well with no ejection problems. I love the feel of this gun with about 500+ rounds.
the bad.... I’ve sent the gun back to browning 2 times in 3 years. Gun will not fire first shell, no dent on primer, bolt completely closed. never fails after that. Browning found problem on second return. Now I always bring An extra auto loader in the boat just in case my new a-5 fails. I just bought a new browning gold 10 gauge auto, marshland camo, can’t wait to shoot it. I know it’s slower than the 12- 3 1/2’s, but I shot one for 10 years and loved it. I also shot a new Franchi 12, 3 1/2 infinity for a backup last 2 years, love this gun, same configuration as the a5.
Watch for the rebates, I’ve seen them go from anywhere from $1150-1500.
I had a older A-5 when I was young lad, I bought it from my foreman at the time and he really liked me so he gave me a deal I couldnt pass up. Then I had a gunsmith friend of mine put a new blue job on it. Really a pretty gun.everyone who tried it loved it, The problem was I couldnt hit the broad side of a barn with it. so I traded it to a buddie of mine dad who collected them 250 bucks and a remington model 81 in 300 savage.then I sold that for 200 bucks. all in all I made 250 when it was all said and done. But a fine gun it was and I still look at them when I see them. I love them.
I love my new 3.5" a5 as well, it cycles everything from the lightest trap loads to the heaviest 3.5" mags with ease. I bought my dad a maxus last year as well, and that gun is a shooter too, but for me the sight plane on the a5 just fits my eye better. In my opinion you really can't go wrong with either.
I do agree, the 3 1/2" is unnecessary. But for the hundred extra bucks, to have the option is worth it. (It's nice if you run out of shells and your buddy still has a hand full of 3 1/2" in his pocket) or to be able to buy whatever is on sale? I had a maxxis, didn't care for the location of the bolt stop, cleaning another gas op, and you couldn't add a extended tube to it (for the snows).....and that's only my opinion. But after seeing this thread, I had to go pull it apart and clean it. Think I could have ran another 500 threw it? Took a pic of the Briley oversized op handle, with the factory one in front of it. I also hunt till the end of the season and it's a must when you're shooting with large frozen gloves on.
I think it would be fine, I have a Browning Gold 12 ga.
I know it's preference, but I'd get a 26" barrel & a 3" chamber. If you ever need max performance just use the high $$, high density ammo.
You can also get an aftermarket choke & add an inch to the barrel. I like Trulock chokes, others are fine too.
I've had mine about a year now, great gun! As someone posted, before you buy it, try it. Put it up a few times, maybe even try something else that's equivalent, put that one up to your shoulder a couple times, then go back to the A5. Far as fine tuning, it comes with plenty of shims. For some reason, I did need to use a shim. Otherwise, a tad noisier than my SBE, but smoother, its easy to clean, and love the auto load function (need to get familiar with it, or it will get a finger). The only thing I didn't like was the charging/operating handle, a little small. So I switched it out with a aftermarket oversized one. It is so nice I switched my other ones out also. And to be very honest, I pulled it apart after the first two times out, just to take a peak, looked great, assembled it. Between the waterfowl season, pheasant farms and sporting clays, gotta have 500 rounds through it and not a glitch. That's everything from 3 1/2"-2 3/4". If it feels good on your shoulder, you'll love it.
The old A5 is kind of a bugger to clean. I don't know about the new ones but I do know as Ditto says that the internals are very different. I have a few Brownings and I love every one of them...however, that A5 doesn't fit me at all so obviously shoulder it before you get your heart set on it.
Displaying 1 to 15 of 16 posts
