New Browning A5 16 FTE

Munster927

Munster927

Well-known member
Have a question for all of you new A5 shooters on here. This weekend I shot my brand new A5 sweet sixteen and it appears to have some issues out of the box. I loaded it up with some federal game loads, and tried to cycle the gun through 3 shells. It shot once and then failed to eject the shell, the bolt opened and came back all the way but the shell was still in the chamber. I manually pulled the shell out, shot again, same result.

Thinking it was maybe a result of the lighter game loads, I put in 3 federal pheasant loads. Shot once, gun cycled normally, second shot, shell failed to eject.

The next day, I shot some clays with some mixed results. I shot a box of shells, and maybe every 4th or 5th shell I would have a failure. Anyone have any insight on my problem? I'm planning on calling Browning this morning but wanted to see if anyone here had any thoughts or similar issues.

For clarity, I did fully strip the gun and cleaned and oiled prior to shooting. So the gun has had a full cleaning out of the box.

I did some googling over the weekend as well and found people on forums a few years ago saying Browning knew of issues with the gun and sent people a new extractor which resolved their problems. They had photos of the old and new extractor and the extractor in my gun looks just like the extractor that people were having replaced. I did confirm via the serial number that the gun was manufactured in 2022.

Any help is appreciated.
 
Munster927 said:
Have a question for all of you new A5 shooters on here. This weekend I shot my brand new A5 sweet sixteen and it appears to have some issues out of the box. I loaded it up with some federal game loads, and tried to cycle the gun through 3 shells. It shot once and then failed to eject the shell, the bolt opened and came back all the way but the shell was still in the chamber. I manually pulled the shell out, shot again, same result.

Thinking it was maybe a result of the lighter game loads, I put in 3 federal pheasant loads. Shot once, gun cycled normally, second shot, shell failed to eject.

The next day, I shot some clays with some mixed results. I shot a box of shells, and maybe every 4th or 5th shell I would have a failure. Anyone have any insight on my problem? I'm planning on calling Browning this morning but wanted to see if anyone here had any thoughts or similar issues.

For clarity, I did fully strip the gun and cleaned and oiled prior to shooting. So the gun has had a full cleaning out of the box.

I did some googling over the weekend as well and found people on forums a few years ago saying Browning knew of issues with the gun and sent people a new extractor which resolved their problems. They had photos of the old and new extractor and the extractor in my gun looks just like the extractor that people were having replaced. I did confirm via the serial number that the gun was manufactured in 2022.

Any help is appreciated.
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We have trouble with light loaded shells now cycling when we're shooting sporting clays all the time. I don't know if the shells have less powder or are just made cheaper. All of us shoot autos only one shoots an A-5 though. I have trouble with my Tristar 20, my Browning gold 12, and my Super X2 12. If anyone knows what is causing this I'd like to know myself. I never had any trouble years ago with light loads/game loads hunting rabbits or dove but I do now. We never have any trouble with heavy loads though, just the low brass shells.
 
GW from Tenn said:
We have trouble with light loaded shells now cycling when we're shooting sporting clays all the time.
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With repeaters, the amount of recoil in the shell can make a big difference if the gun will cycle. 1 oz. of shot vs. 1 1/8 can be the difference, as well as how fast the pellets are pushed. If the gun isn't cycling, make sure to go for 1 1/8oz. and 1200 fps minimum. A clean action also helps of course. My fabarm L4s often has problems with anything slower than 1200 fps. And cooler weather also seems to cause more cycling problems.
 
Bob Peters said:
With repeaters, the amount of recoil in the shell can make a big difference if the gun will cycle. 1 oz. of shot vs. 1 1/8 can be the difference, as well as how fast the pellets are pushed. If the gun isn't cycling, make sure to go for 1 1/8oz. and 1200 fps minimum. A clean action also helps of course. My fabarm L4s often has problems with anything slower than 1200 fps. And cooler weather also seems to cause more cycling problems.
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This is essentially what Browning told me when I called them last week. I did however tell them that it wasn't cycling when I was shooting some 1 1/8 1400 FPS pheasant loads and they thought that shouldn't be. Their suggestion was to reclean the gun using CLP to strip everything off the action as I may not have gotten all of their anti rust coating out during my initial clean and try it again. I'll know more tomorrow when I get out in the field.
 
Goosemaster said:
The a5 from the 40s and 50s always work.Could be the spacers.
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The OP is talking about a new A5, not one of the older guns with the rings you need to move around.
 
Munster927 said:
This is essentially what Browning told me when I called them last week. I did however tell them that it wasn't cycling when I was shooting some 1 1/8 1400 FPS pheasant loads and they thought that shouldn't be. Their suggestion was to reclean the gun using CLP to strip everything off the action as I may not have gotten all of their anti rust coating out during my initial clean and try it again. I'll know more tomorrow when I get out in the field.
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I've never had a problem with my new A5 SweetSixteen. It has cycled anything I've put through it from 1 oz. target loads to heavy 1 1/8 oz. field loads. And I never gave my gun a super, duper cleaning when it was new. I think you might have an extractor problem.
 
Dakotazeb said:
I've never had a problem with my new A5 SweetSixteen. It has cycled anything I've put through it from 1 oz. target loads to heavy 1 1/8 oz. field loads. And I never gave my gun a super, duper cleaning when it was new. I think you might have an extractor problem.
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That's what I initially thought as well. There were problems with the earlier extractors but per Browning that was only on the 12 gauge.
 
Zeb, what does your extractor look like? The one on the left or right? It's not my picture but supposedly the 12 gauge extractors. The one on the left was the old one with supposed problems on the 12 gauge and on the right was the new ones sent to people with problems.

For whatever it's worth, mine looks like the one on the left that's missing the indent and a more forward position of the extractor.
 

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Had one failure to feed on the first box I put through mine has been perfect since then. Was using Browning BPT 8 shot 1oz.
 
Munster927 said:
Zeb, what does your extractor look like? The one on the left or right? It's not my picture but supposedly the 12 gauge extractors. The one on the left was the old one with supposed problems on the 12 gauge and on the right was the new ones sent to people with problems.

For whatever it's worth, mine looks like the one on the left that's missing the indent and a more forward position of the extractor.
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My 16 looks like the one on the left.
 
I've never had a single issue with mine. It too has the extractor type on the left in the picture.

Here is a link to an old thread where I ran it through a wide range of factory loads.

www.shotgunworld.com

Shot my Browning New Sweet Sixteen Today

www.shotgunworld.com www.shotgunworld.com

I would check under the extractor to make sure there is not something lodged there that is preventing the extractor from fully engaging the rim of the shell. If you are near someone who has a new Sweet 16 you could swap out the bolt and see it that is the issue.

Otherwise I would send it back to Browning ASAP and let them get it right.
 
Cass said:
I've never had a single issue with mine. It too has the extractor type on the left in the picture.

Here is a link to an old thread where I ran it through a wide range of factory loads.

www.shotgunworld.com

Shot my Browning New Sweet Sixteen Today

www.shotgunworld.com www.shotgunworld.com

I would check under the extractor to make sure there is not something lodged there that is preventing the extractor from fully engaging the rim of the shell. If you are near someone who has a new Sweet 16 you could swap out the bolt and see it that is the issue.

Otherwise I would send it back to Browning ASAP and let them get it right.
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Thanks for the info. The extractor looks and operates smoothly when I have it out of the gun. I cleaned the hell out of it last night and made sure the bolt, extractor and the rails are free of any grime and lightly re oiled it. I'm curious how it shoots tomorrow.
 
I always break in every new gun I purchase by shooting a box of heavy loads through it. Never have a problem shooting in light loads.
 
This is what my gunsmith told me as I was having some recycle issues as well.
" The new A5 particularly the 16ga will be needing more throughout cleaning than previous guns. It made be a breaking in period but always clean it after a good use. I cant tell you why that is"
 
Got a phone call from a friend to go out to a game farm this morning took the A5 16 out shot at three birds and three birds were in the bag. Just love the way that gun shoots.
 
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