Bob Peters
Well-known member
I found this info on another site.
"ANY Auto 5 is a quality gun made back when things were built to last. The fit and finish are beyond pretty much any run of the mill auto made today.
By the 50s, Browning had refined the Auto 5 with popular features not available on the older guns. In 1953, the 2 piece carrier and speed load feature came along, which meant you didn't have to hold the button to feed shells into the mag tube. The ever popular "Light" versions became common around the 50s. The Sweet 16 really became popular. The Magnum 12s came out in 58 and proved popular with waterfowl hunters. In the 60s they changed to hot dip bluing which is more black than the classic rust bluing used prior. For the reasons above, the 1950s guns are considered the "best" examples made in Belgium."
The other thing I found was in the early 50s they got rid of the funky safety, and come in with the good cross bolt safety we all love and know.
"ANY Auto 5 is a quality gun made back when things were built to last. The fit and finish are beyond pretty much any run of the mill auto made today.
By the 50s, Browning had refined the Auto 5 with popular features not available on the older guns. In 1953, the 2 piece carrier and speed load feature came along, which meant you didn't have to hold the button to feed shells into the mag tube. The ever popular "Light" versions became common around the 50s. The Sweet 16 really became popular. The Magnum 12s came out in 58 and proved popular with waterfowl hunters. In the 60s they changed to hot dip bluing which is more black than the classic rust bluing used prior. For the reasons above, the 1950s guns are considered the "best" examples made in Belgium."
The other thing I found was in the early 50s they got rid of the funky safety, and come in with the good cross bolt safety we all love and know.
