![]() The original A5 was, after all, the first commercially successful semiauto shotgun and the firearm design that John Moses Browning called his “best achievement,” which is no faint praise from the man who invented the Colt 1911. When Browning announced plans to rerelease the Auto-5 semiauto shotgun in 2012, hunters and shooters were thrilled. (Photo courtesy of Brad Fitzpatrick) A Brief History of the (Modern) Browning Auto-5 Today the Browning Sweet Sixteen family continues to grow, and once you’ve spent time behind these shotguns, it’s easy to understand why. Dubbed the Sweet Sixteen to honor its Belgian ancestors, Browning’s semiauto single-handedly started a 16-gauge renaissance. Browning shocked the shooting world by releasing a 16-gauge version. The smaller, lighter bit was correct, but not the chambering. Many expected that the second A5 chambering to come through the factory doors would be a smaller, lighter 20-gauge version. Not long after the current A5 12-gauge was launched in 2012, its smaller sibling appeared. A decade after its introduction, the new A5 remains one of Browning’s biggest hits. The A5 shined in those tests, and it was an immediate success with shooters. Prior to releasing these guns, Browning put over a quarter-million rounds through pre-production A5s to be sure that the operating system and internal parts could hold withstand a life of hard use. Browning has produced some outstanding shotguns in their history, but the current Auto-5 (or, more simply, A5) might be the finest of them all. ![]()
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