Gentleman, I hope you can help me out, I just bought a nice Belgium Browning A5 12 gauge with the barrel stamped special steel, it has a full choke. question #1, can I shoot non toxic ammo through it. question #2 can I have the barrel bored out to accomandate screw in chokes? I did not pay alot for this gun and it will be used for hunting.
Thx for all your support.

I wouldn't recommend #1. I shot steel shot through my old Rem Mod. 11 for years. You probably won't wreck the gun, but I suspect you might put undo wear on the choke. For #2, I'd look into buying an extrabarrel threaded for choke tubes rather than convert a factory barrel.If your gunsmith doesn't thread the muzzle perfectly, you might not get the choke tube perfectly aligned with the barrel, which will throw off your point of impact. And then there's the collector's value of a nice Belgian Browning.

DO NOT shoot steel shot from it!!!!! Yes you could have the barrel reamed & threaded for choke tubes. It may be necessary to use tru-choke or tru choke thinwall however.

I too would avoid the use of steel shot, but bismuth shot is non-toxic as well, and it is soft enough for your barrel.

A5's are getting more and more expensive. A quick way of dropping the value is to have a adjustable choke installed.I know I wouldn't do it.You can date the gun thru browning website.

Good advice BC.........

The barrel OD is too small to properly put chokes in it for steel, it needs to be at least .825" for a steel safe choke to be installed. My 1926 A5 has a solid rib and Full Choke, with #7 lead it patterns really well, so I would say Bismuth or Classic doubles would work just fine. The problem is, a seasons worth of shells will pay for a new barrel.

Best bet is find a fixed choked Mod barrel, Belgium or Japan, and shoot the snot out of #3's or #4's. I know a person who shoots an 66 A5 mag with a Belgium Mod barrel and reports not one scar.

I found an Invector + barrel NIB for $250 for my '26 Standard A5, they are around, you just have to hunt for them. I have a 66 Light 20 with a Belgium Mod and Japan Mod barrel with Tru-chokes installed, and I just bought a Invector + barrel for it.

Thx for the advice, I will try to find another A5 barrel with the invector chokes, I put a WTB message in another section of this web site. If you know of anyone or place that sells them E-mail me at [email protected]