Fabled Browning Brothers A5

[Fowlgunner]

Just received another oddity from the world of collecting Vintage Shotguns.

A 1923 Browning 16 ga Auto 5 that was one in the first US order of FN Auto-5's when Remington's exclusive US distribution rights ended.

Will

[fox-admin]

So Browning first sold the A-5 in 1905 and then withdrew from the US market until 1923? Why did Browning regain so much market share? You would think with Remington's substantial head start Browning would never be a factor in the US market.

[loggy]

The recent book “The Guns of John Moses Browning…” is an interesting read. It is more about his inventions and the marketing than a technical book on his guns. John

[Researcher]

So Browning first sold the A-5 in 1905 and then withdrew from the US market until 1923? Why did Browning regain so much market share? You would think with Remington's substantial head start Browning would never be a factor in the US market.

Browning marketed the A-5 in North America in 1903-4 and the Remington Autoloading Shotgun hit the market in 1905. From the November1903 issue of Western Field --

[Fowlgunner]

So Browning first sold the A-5 in 1905 and then withdrew from the US market until 1923? Why did Browning regain so much market share? You would think with Remington's substantial head start Browning would never be a factor in the US market.

Craig,

I don't know that I ever saw the entire story written down, however, with the 16 gauge production only at FN they decided to start re-importing the FN produced guns at the end of their agreement with Remington as sole manufacturers and distributors of the Auto-5 Patent guns in the United States.

Of course, Remington followed with a 16 and then 20 ga of their own around 1930-31.

During the time they started bringing them in 1923 until war halted production in Belgium there were around 161,000 12 gauges and roughly 100,000 16 gauges total produced by FN of which a portion of those were brought into the US from Belgium (according to Vanderlinden and Shirley's research). During WW2 Remington manufactured the Auto-5's for Browning Co. which was in St. Louis at the time. Shortly after the war ended Remington moved on to the 11-48 and discontinued the Model 11 production altogether.

I don't believe they gained "Favor" until they were the last man standing.

Will

[Researcher]

Checking the old Remington Factory Ledger from January 1923 to January 1940, Remington Arms Co. Inc. produced 191789 12-gauge autoloaders and from the July 1931 beginning of 16-gauge production to January 1940, 48853 16-gauge guns. Remington began producing A-5s for Browning in November 1940. During the 1920s when the economy was good Browning had the corner on 16-gauge autoloader production.

During my youth I recall many old gun cranks bemoaning the glossy finish on Brownings, and if they did get one stripping the finish and redoing it with an oil finish.

[Fowlgunner]

From Browning Bros. Catalogues

1905:

1907:

1914:

Will

[Fowlgunner]

Craig sorry I must have been sleeping, the numbers I gave earlier were "Total" FN production not just what was sent to the US.

I have edited that post.

Will