Browning A5 old vs new
 

Hello, was looking at getting a semi 12ga shotgun. Can't decide between the new a5 or old Belgian a5. What do you guys think?

Depends on whether you want to use it and shoot it or is it "just for lookin' at".

I used to shoot one of the old Belgian ones in a 20 gauge when I was a kid hunting pheasants. It definitely kicked but was an extremely accurate and well made gun. I wish I still had it. I haven't shot or even held one of the new ones so couldn't comment on them.

Please tell me why that would matter?

I have a 1957 Browning A5 that gets a great deal of use...was my grandfathers (he bought it new) and it has got to have a bazillion rounds through it shooting trap and a few pheasant hunts...it's still as tight, clean and accurate as the day it was when it was new. I think the older guns are better built, they hold their value better, the wood on them actually has some character and they handle as well if not better than the new ones. I vote for an older Belgium built model, you won't be disappointed.

Having a gun that's been in your family for a couple of generations is one thing, there's a story in each scratch and mar. Buying a collectable shotgun at a collectable price and submitting it to the conditions that a field shotgun is exposed to is another. Chances are that it won't have choke tubes. Changing the friction tubes to accommodate light or heavy loads is a process. And, they are heavy. I agree that most of those old machined steel and walnut guns are much better made than most equivalents today, but they aren't immortal. They don't break often but parts do break. Replacing them isn't cheap. I really don't know what the price of a good A-5 goes for, but I'll bet it goes for close to what you'd pay for a new one. I've got an old Mod. 97 Winchester pump that I love shooting. But I do most of my hunting with my BPS that I'll put up against any pump gun.
It's great to use a classic gun, but it's also great to have an alternative that you don't mind getting all scratched up.

A good quality older A5 can actually be had for under $600 pretty much any given day...with the exception for some rare models, they are a relatively good purchase as many other older semi-auto models such as the Remington 1100/1187 and the Winchester Super X are more desirable and tend to run a little higher price-wise. I have a handful of newer shotguns...but my 1957 A5 and my 1957 and 1959 Browning Superposed shotguns more often then not get the nod to the ranger or field. I stand by my assertion that an older A5 is a better investment than a newer one. But that is my opinion. You can't go wrong with either, for many of the reasons wingbone states...it's more about what you want. Both will serve you well for many year at the range or in the field.

I have one of the old A-5's, it is a beautiful gun. The serial is 235,xxx. It has the last three numbers on the screw heads and the safety is an odd job in the front of the trigger guard. Round knob, made in Belgium with a St. Louis address. I do not use it any more, I am afraid that I will crack the forearm, which happened to a lot of them or scratch it. So I bought an old Savage pump to shoot. I look at the Browning and shoot the Savage. You could just buy an old Savage in good shape and use it, they can be had for less then $200 and do very well.

FWIW, I also have an old Belgian Browning A5 ... mine is the Sweet Sixteen. I purchased it new in 1966...my first gun purchase. It is a beauty ... and still functions perfectly.

You can't beat an old Belgian Browning and that's all I will say!!!

Browning's don't wear out, they wear in.

Get whichever one you like (fits) best !!!


You will have it for a lifetime and then some.......................