Browning A5 Sweet Sixteen

Hawkeyebowhunter said:
Hoping for some more first hand reviews on the new A5 Sweet Sixteen.

Local Scheels has a '59 Belgium Made Sweet Sixteen, but they are asking $1650 vs $1499 for the new A5.

Ability to change chokes is a biggie for me, steel not so much as I'd shoot Bismuth or HW13 from it regardless of what I'm chasing.

Would primarily be an upland gun, my SBE2 is the ugly camo and is my duck and waterfowl machine.
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I have the new Sweet 16. Bought it last Fall at the Cabela's in Mitchell, and I really like it.
At 5 lbs 13 oz, it's a pleasure to carry all day. Since it's light in weight, it will thump you pretty good with pheasant loads.
I've always been a Remington man, but the new Sweet 16 fits me much better than my 1100. Couldn't be happier with it.
 
roadscholar said:
I have the new Sweet 16. Bought it last Fall at the Cabela's in Mitchell, and I really like it.
At 5 lbs 13 oz, it's a pleasure to carry all day. Since it's light in weight, it will thump you pretty good with pheasant loads.
I've always been a Remington man, but the new Sweet 16 fits me much better than my 1100. Couldn't be happier with it.
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Thinking I'd load up some Bismuth, or HW13 in #6 or #7 in the one ounce variety so shouldn't be awful I'm thinking.
 
"Shotgun Report" has an interesting discussion on felt recoil, shell load and gun weight. There seems to be a big jump in recoil from 1 0z to 1.125 as well as a 10% increase in recoil, with a lighter-weight gun.

Recoil table I looked at indicated: 7# gun, 1oz load = 21.5 recoil. Same gun with 1.25 load - 27.6 recoil. This is for 16ga. gun. Stands to reason, lighter gun = more kick...
 
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jonnyB said:
"Shotgun Report" has an interesting discussion on felt recoil, shell load and gun weight. There seems to be a big jump in recoil from 1 0z to 1.125 as well as a 10% increase in recoil, with a lighter-weight gun.

Recoil table I looked at indicated: 7# gun, 1oz load = 21.5 recoil. Same gun with 1.25 load - 27.6 recoil. This is for 16ga. gun. Stands to reason, lighter gun = more kick...
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So what's the recoil factor in a 6 lb. gun?
 
According to Bruce Buck, Shotgun Report, about a 10% increase - give or take. At least that's what I took from his article and explanation. Biggest change in recoil seems to come from the various shell loads one uses.

With my gas gun, I can tell a big difference in recoil, from 1 oz. to 1.250. It's a good article...
 
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I've shot enough 3.5" 2 ounce turkey loads from my SBE II that I'm not worried about recoil from a 16 gauge honestly.

Wouldn't be high volume outside of shooting a box of clays a couple times a month anyway, and those would be 7/8 oz anyways.
 
I have looked at the A5 16ga at Cabelas and Runnings last week. The A5 with 26 inch barrel feels to light and it would be hard to make crossing shots with it.
I was tempted to buy the the A5 16ga wiih 28 in barrel or a closeout on a Browning 525 16ga for $999, but I passed on both at Runnings.
I was concerned about gun fit with A5 and firing pin problems with the 525.
I ended up with the last 12 ga Browning Maxus Hunter in the store with 26 in barrel at Runnings for $1274. before tax.
 
Thanks. You'll like the Maxus, especially the magazine cutoff feature - wish they would install that on every gun. I almost bought the Maxus, but passed for the new hump Browning Stalker. Had some issues at first, but it now seems to work fine.

I'm still considering a Browning A5 20 (used)...
 
It was the last Maxus Hunter with a 26 in barrel in the display case. It was missing the choke tube wrench and owners manual that is why it was priced lower than the other Maxus shotguns they had in the store.
I can download and print the manual from Browning's website and the choke tube wrench from my Winchester SX3 will work for the Maxus.
 
Dakota you hit the nail on the head. As good as the new ones may be they are as much a sweet sixteen Auto 5 as I would be a pro hockey player by merely putting on a jersey..
No offence to anyone but I would not replace my 1950's sweet and my 1969 mag 20 for anything. Between these two guns I have pretty much retired all my others.
I was always a pretty good shot,they have made me into a great shot both on birds and clays I would have not thought possible.
 
I too, am a browning fan - Auto 5, (1941) and still working, although not shot very often.

Checking Auto 5, 20 ga: very few available, some on line, but expensive. Was wondering if you have had any problems finding parts for your 20 ga? Looking at Brownsville and Midway USA - no listing for 20's.

I did see an Auto 5. 20 ga., brand new, listed at $4900!
 
jon, many of the 20 ga. parts are interchangeable with the 16 ga. parts. Browning came out with the 16 ga. first and the 20 ga. was then based on the 16 ga. frame. At least that's what I have been told and what I was able to ascertain in my research.
 
I get the sentimental value with the older guns made in Belgium, however the local scheels wants $1600 for it.

If it used to belong to my grandfather or something, obviously that is a different story.
 
OK...thanks.

Yesterday I visited a local gun shop that usually has a large inventory of used guns - the supply now quite low. I asked if they see used Auto 5's in 20 ga? Maybe one a year was his response. Would assume the 16ga has the same demand and are high priced.
 
jonnyB said:
OK...thanks.

Yesterday I visited a local gun shop that usually has a large inventory of used guns - the supply now quite low. I asked if they see used Auto 5's in 20 ga? Maybe one a year was his response. Would assume the 16ga has the same demand and are high priced.
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Yeah I suppose. The gun is mint, but I'm not a fan of fixed choke's, especially mod. may work well considering I'd use Bismuth or lead which should respond well to the mod choke?

@ that price, I'll buy a brand new A5 SS and a case of Fiocchi GP
 
Installing choke tubes isn't that expensive, especially if one already has the tubes for another gun; assume the tubes are interchangeable from 20 ga to 20 ga..

One 20 ga gun I viewed had a poly choke arrangement @ 28". Would assume one could cut it down to 26" and install tubes.Gun priced at $700.
 
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