16ga a5 double safety

bought a 16ga a5 close to 40 yrs ago . Took it to a gunsmith to have him go over it and when I went to pick it back up he asked what I paid for it . Told him $125 from a friend and he offered me double for it cause he'd never seen one with a double safety on it . Told him I didn't want to sell it as I wanted to quail hunt with it . Now after 40yrs and a lot of quail later my poor old butt has a hard time taking the trash out . Son still hunts a lot so decided to get the old boy fixed up . Checking the serial number it was made in 1948 but from what Ive read the rear safety wasn't introduced until 1953. This one has both the front safety and the rear one . Seen one on a website made in 1937 which said it was rare but it was a sweet 16 and this one is a regular A5. Figured I give this forum a try and see if anyone knows more about it . Id post a picture but can't seem to get my Mac pad to get it done

I have seen one like this before. I thought someone posted it on here

That would be me; https://browningowners.com/forum/index.php?threads/restocking-my-1904-browning-auto-5.11763/

Couldn't get my mac to cooperate with a photo so used it for my avatar

I’ve seen that before, and not just the one posted by Biz. Someone on Shotgunworld had one, and it was determined that the gun had been modified.

Cross bolt safeties work by blocking the trigger from behind and require a trigger with a tab at the back to work.



Trigger guard safeties slide under a shelf at the front of the trigger.


The gun featured on Shotgunworld had the original trigger with a tab soldered on the back to make the cross bolt work. Yours seems to be similar.

Plan on doing a disassemble when I can find some new wood for it and I'll take a closer look at it . Thanks for the info

Do both safeties work?

No . Just the rear one

Did anyone get to the bottom of the double safety’s? The reason I ask is I looked at two Auto 5’s today at my LGS and sure enough one had two safety’s . I’m pretty sure it wasn’t an option at any time but it’s weird that with the two posted here recently and the one I saw today that’s three in the last month. Can they all just be modified?

Lots of people don’t like the front safety, when the cross bolt safety appeared in 1951 I’m sure there were gunsmiths offering to modify existing shotguns.

As a south paw I love the front safety. I only have two guns with cross bolt safeties

Me too, especially when they’re gold. I’m still looking for that Stealth Light Twelve.

Didn’t you pass on one that I found for you?

I did, but I’ve forgotten why. Probably asking too much.

What do you mean by a stealth light twelve?

The rear safety was a service center or gun smith alteration.