A5, Model 11, or ?

[Mike40-11]

Friend of mine has a shotgun that belonged to his grandfather. It's in the vicinity of 50 years old and looks like a Browning A5. He'd like to get it running again.

BUT. It has no barrel. I can't seem to find any identifying markings on the receiver other than the serial number.

An A5 barrel will assemble to the gun, but the ejector mounted on the barrel interferes with the bolt returning forward. The bolt appears to be cleared for a single ejector that would fall between the double prongs of the Browning ejector.

Anyone know how I figure out what this is so I can find a barrel?

 

[tbotts]

the Rem Mod 11 has a single ejector. "Remington" and "Model 11" should be written on the left side of the reciever.

 

[Jeff Mulliken]

There are several guns that it may be....tell me where (on the reciever) the serial number is located and what the number is and I may be able to give you a positive ID on the reciever.

Jeff

 

[Mike40-11]

Serial number is located just in front of the loading port on the bottom. SN is 69983. Safety is inside the trigger guard.

Oh, here's another interesting bit. I pulled out the wooden magazine plug and it is stamped "BROWNING PAT PEND"

 

[Barber2678]

Sounds to me like it is an early production Browning Auto-5. The later versions (Remington 11 et ux) had the later style improved safety I believe. I thought all the barrels from early to new were interchangeable, but it may not be the case with the early production guns. See if you can find an early production barrel and then try it.

If someone has their bluebook handy, they can check the SN with Browning dates and see when it was produced.

As a side note, I have one of the early Browning's without any engraving.

 

[Jeff Mulliken]

Mike,

A couple of things, if it is a Browning it should have the manufacturers name on the reciever: Fabrique Nationale. If that name is not there it is probably one of the other guns Browning licensed the patent to, either Remington or Savage.

I don't have my reference materials with me here at work but if it is a Browning I believe that an A5 in the 69,000 range would have been made before 1920. I'll look it up when I get home.

Regarding the safety, please help me figure out which version it is.

Is it a sliding button that is built into the front of the trigger guard so it is pushed back from outside the trigger guard and pushed ofrward from inside the trigger guard?

Or

Is it a small switch on the underside of the reciever and always inside the opening in the trigger guard?

My guess is that it is not a Browning and that it has the second type of safety.

Jeff

 

[Barber2678]

A-5 (AUTOMATIC 5) SHOTGUN -12 ga.
Year Ser. # Start Ser. # End

1920 47299 47718
1921 48951 53500
1922 53501 58150
1923 58151 62600
1924 62601 69300
1925 69301 79150
1926 79151 88000
1927 88001 106250
1928 106251 127650
1929 127651 154500
1930 154501 177100

Based on the above numbers, if it is an FN/Browning, it was made in 1925.

 

[Mike40-11]

Thanks for the input guys.

Safety is entirely inside the trigger guard. You disengage it by pushing it forward with your trigger finger. I believe that this type was on early Remingtons. They switched to a cross-bolt safety in the late 20s. I don't know if Browning or the others used this style.

Spoke to my friend again and it was actually his GREAT-grandfather's. So it's definitely an early production something-or-other.

I looked again and I can find absolutely no markings of any sort on the receiver other than the serial number. There are some numbers sloppily hand engraved on the strap behind the trigger guard but I'm guessing those were done by the owner.

 

[Jeff Mulliken]

Browning used that design in '03 and '04. All early Browning recievers were marked Fabrique Nationale.

Remington used it on the Model 11 for a long time. As I remember it thier early recievers were not marked.

IMO it is a Remington Autoloading Shotgun or Remington Model 11. It was the same gun, but they changed the name in 1911.

Jeff

 

[Mike40-11]

Thanks Jeff.

Yeah, I'm thinking it's a Remington made prior to 1928 which, IIRC, is when they changed the safety.

Now, if I can just find a Model 11 barrel. Anyone need a 37 year old unfired A5 barrel?

 

[ZeroJunk]

I just stumbled on this thread and went and got a model 11 out of the gun cabinet.I had never paid any attention but there is no writing on the receiver.It has the safety as you describe.The barrels are not hard to find but you can almost buy a used Model 11 for what some of the dealers want for a barrel.There is one on eBay if you don't mind a poly choke.