Browning A5: A History
Will Poston for SPLIT REED
Presented by Browning Firearms
Few shotguns have the tried -n- true pedigree of Browning’s humpbacks. And even fewer firearms—for that matter—have been more or less manufactured for over a century. John Browning produced the Auto 5 back in 1902, making it the first mass produced semi-automatic shotgun in the world. John Browning went on to continuously produce the famed scattergun—with several gun makers—until 1998. And just when people thought the humpback platform that they grew up on or inherited by their waterfowl mentors was a thing of old, Browning re-introduced the humpback platform in 2011 with the A5. And while this model would sport the ever-recognizable humpback design, the new A5 is packed with modern technology and features.
Follow along as we explore the Auto 5’s history, ranging from the trenches at the Somme in WW1 to your grandfather’s duck blind. The Auto 5 has seen it all and handled everything without skipping a beat. The older Auto 5’s just flat-out performed, and the newer A5 will not quit on you either.
Origins
Back in the late 19th century and early years of the 20th century, John Browning developed quite the reputation for himself. He designed, improved, and manufactured many firearms for Winchester, including the famed Winchester Model 1887 (the old lever action shotgun). He was a tinkering genius with firearms, always finding ways to improve a firearm platform.
Well, as legend has it, John Browning had developed the Auto 5 and planned to offer the design to Winchester and then Remington. Winchester refused Browning’s offer (allegedly they were offended by the terms of the contract). Then, after the failed Winchester meeting, Browning was on his way to the Remington factory, when he received word that the then-Remington President had died of a heart attack. So, John Browning with patent in-hand, sought to manufacture the Auto 5 himself. He began churning out shotguns with a Belgium gun-maker in 1902. To quote the great firearm writer, Phil Bourjaily, “In a career of great gun inventions, John Browning’s Auto 5 stands out as perhaps his greatest.” It was completely original. The legendary Auto 5 was born.
Resume
I am by no means a gun nut nor firearm historian, but it is my understanding that shotguns do have the most direct military-law enforcement-civilian-sportsman overlap. 100 years ago, this held true. The Auto 5 saw use in both World Wars by Allied soldiers. The British Army relied on the Auto 5 in several anti-communist campaigns in the 1950s throughout Southeast Asia. Additionally, while the Auto 5 was not an official weapon of the US Military during the Vietnam War. After doing some further research on the Auto 5’s history I came across this story on a forum. Take the story with a grain of salt, and don’t wager your new A5 on it but:
“According to at least two different sources I have, the Browning A5 was used in Vietnam. One person I remember talking to, said that on basically his first day there, they were having some kind of party, or something, and him being new had to do guard duty that night, and was handed a Browning A5 for that duty, that night.
However, these guns, used by U.S. servicemen during that time may have been sent from home, by parents or others on request of the serviceman. That is the story I got from my most creditable source, who went over as an advisor, during the early part of that war. He was a lifelong friend of my Dad's and was in the special forces. He volunteered this information to me, many years ago, before I even had an interest in A5's.
He said that shotguns were not real easy to come up with and the guys would have their parents send them one. And apparently in his unit the A5 was popular. He said that ammo was not a problem, but getting the guns was. He didn’t use a short barreled shotgun. The gun he swore by had a 30 inch or longer barrel, actually I think I remember him saying his had a 32 inch full choke barrel, and they used a 00 buckshot load, in a brass case, that held 15 pellets.”
Like I said, I wouldn’t hold it as an undeniable fact, but it is definitely an interesting story and speaks to the Auto 5’s history and dependability.
With such an impressive service record, the Auto 5’s reliability could never be questioned, making the shotgun one of the premier waterfowl guns. Millions of Auto 5’s were sold, and consequently, it’s safe to assume that at least a billion shells have cycled through that hard yet reliable, action. It’s no wonder why so many waterfowlers of years’ past swore on this line of shotguns. The Auto 5 just screams “Old Timer.” and the older ones have such a grittiness to them, that for waterfowlers is appealing.
That uniquely gritty look of the old wooden humpbacks—your grandfather’s Auto 5s—has given way to the new, modernized A5. The same dependability that service members and our old waterfowling mentors relied on has not faded, however. The new A5 is less than a decade old but has rave reviews, and its modern timelessness cannot be questioned with features such as the Inflex II Technology recoil pad, Back-Bored Technology, an Invector-DS choke tube system, Speed Load Plus, and a 100,000 round guarantee.
“This ain’t your Grandpa’s Auto-5. In fact, the iconic humpback-shaped receiver is the only thing this new Browning autoloader shares with its legendary namesake. The all new Browning A5 is built to be the most reliable, fastest cycling, best performing and softest shooting recoil-operated (yes, recoil-operated) autoloader on the planet.
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