Hi all, New to the site just got an old auto-5 in rough condition but looks to be salvagable. Looking to restore it but was interested in its age. Can some help me to understand its serial number it doesn't seem too clear? https://1drv.ms/i/s!Aqzwx9J1Y7i9hocPn_9T2q6sZ2H6vg Many Thanks Gareth
Hello Gareth, I believe it is a 1963 made for the European market. Does the marking on the barrel show Belgium or Belgique?
@Biz based on this "1958-67 - From 1958 serial numbers were preceded by the date of manufacture. 8M=standard weight for 1958. 8G=light weight for 1958. Example: 8M1000 = A 1958 Auto-5 standard weight shotgun with serial number 1000" maybe I'm misunderstanding but I would expect a M or G in the serial or am I misunderstanding? Thanks
Hello and welcome. You’re not misunderstanding anything, you just don’t have the full picture. “Brownings” were made by FN in Belgium, and later by Miroku in Japan. Browning Arms Company was the US importer, and since 1959 the US and Canadian importer of these guns. And after WWII, those guns were serialized differently than those sold on the world market. World market guns such as yours got a different system starting in the late 50’s, I believe. A better system, actually, with the year as two smaller digits preceding the SN.