Well I got my A5 stock and forend finished and I am really pleased with the result. It took a long time, but I stopped after 3 (maybe 4 I can’t quite remember) coats of tung oil as I didn’t want the wood turning too dark. Overall the gun looks great and it was like Christmas morning yesterday as I woke early with the sun shining and headed out to the fields for my first outing with the A5. There is a short walk from the place where I park my car to the fields, so I loaded the gun when we were on private land with a single shell (36 Gram, No5. Shot) and set off on foot. About halfway in a pigeon swooped down towards the tree line, I raised the gun remembered to take it off safety and put the bead bang on the bird. I dropped that pigeon stone dead at about 35 yards, and the A5 smoothly ejected the spent hull and locked back the bolt. Unfortunately despite 20 minutes of searching we couldn’t find the bird as it had dropped into a dense area of thorny brambles, but me and my shooting buddy was 100% sure it dropped like a stone when hit. We got to the field and set up a camo net by a line of hedges and some decoys, this time I loaded the gun with 2 in the magazine and one in the chamber (unfortunately the max capacity for my UK shotgun license). Over the course of the day I took about 20 shots, with my A5 cycling flawlessly not a single hang up, jam or issue at all. I left the friction rings on the heavy setting and it even cycled 30 gram loads no problems, so for now I won’t be messing with the rings as its working perfect. I love the feel of this gun, the sight picture is great and despite it being a heavy beast to carry all day I don’t think I will be using anything else for bird shooting for some time!! I found that using the mag cut-off is a quick way to reload the gun, so when I put it down to take a drink I engaged the cutoff with 2 shells in the mag unloaded the chamber and then it’s just a simple matter of flicking the cut-off switch and a fresh round is swept into the chamber as if by magic, must of felt like something from the space age in the 1930’s!!! After spending many hours bringing this old gun back to life from a tired and unwanted gun in a dark dusty corner of a gun-shop, I am now entirely sure it’s been worth it and every penny I have spent on it (not that it’s been that much). I hope it will serve me for many years as it definitely a keeper for me, I only hope I don’t need any major spares to soon as they are virtually impossible to source in the UK now. Thanks to everyone who has helped me with advice etc so far, below is a pic of the old girl with refinished stock!
Nice one Wingman... Ive been reading all your threads.. I just got my first auto 5 yesterday and will be following a similar path to yours over the winter.. Ill be going for a nice shiny tru oil finish i reckon. I might even plump for a dembart set and bring the checkering back up to scratch. I can see a little tigerstriping in bright sunlight, so Im hoping it will pop once Im done. Ineed to source a new buttplate - I have family in florida, so Ill see if they can find me something at a gunshow
Hi Donald. Looked at the photos of your gun it looks in very nice condition so well done on getting it.. as for parts if you have contacts in the US you should be good however I have found donor guns pretty easy to find here in the UK. I have bought 3 "for parts only" receivers in the last few months and stripped them down I now have a good stock of spares to keep my two Auto-5's running, the most I paid for a receiver for spares was about 40 quid. Brownells UK stock most bits I would advise buying a spare set of springs (recoil, action & magazine) and a set of friction rings just in case stocks dry up. As for recoil pads I have a couple but there in very poor condition and I wouldn't put them on a gun as nice as yours. There's a place in the US that does identical copies of butt plates from plastic Midway's sell then and there cheap so worth a look. I replaced mine with a plain horn one I had in my spares box and with a bit of filing and sanding it looks great but obviously isn't original. What are you going to use your gun for?
I'll primarily be using it on clays until I get some rough shooting.. I have someone I can ask. I'm going to take it up to the clay ground and put a couple boxes through before I decide what I'm doing. I have the parts for the speed load. I have 2 spare friction rings. I'll see how she shoots. The friction ring that's on it rattles it's so loose so I'm envisioning a rough ride for my shoulder!! I'll definitely be refinishing the wood with tru oil and will do a full strip clean and relube.. maybe make up a delrin action spring guide.. I need to take a bit off the forearm where it's rubbing the barrel. That's about it... I just want it in good fun shooting condition.
Sounds nice! Let us know how you get on. Personally I wouldn't bother with speedload but up to you!! Enjoy
Actually just read your post again if you have a spare friction piece I would swap it before you shoot it if the existing one is so loose! No point risking damage to the receiver or bolt assembly through excessive recoil.. Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk
Good advice.... I'll do that. I'm used to shooting my dad's double auto so I'm used to the first shell chambering automatically.. I'll give it a bash but id definitely prefer it to speed load.
Wingman. I just acquired a Auto 5 myself. So what should I be looking for??? You mention in here about the friction rings being loose. How loose?? They should slide smoothly, I get that. But should they not be so loose that they bang against the magazine tube?? Is that the question at hand?? And the Mag cut off. Where is that?? Is that the little doo ma hicky on the left side of the gun, up near the forearm meets the main body of the gun??? I was wondering what that was for.
That was in relation to comment on post 7 where the OP said that his friction rings were so loose they rattled. That isnt right they should never be that loose. Mag cut off is the small t shaped lever on the receiver that enables you to unload the chamber but leaving the shells in the magazine.
It was mine that was loose Budzo. I discovered that if you rotate the spring clip on the friction piece, it tightens right up! No problems here now.
Best advice is to download the field service manual here This will give you detailed information on what tools you need and how to disassemble and inspect your gun. As with most things in life though, if you are not fully confident, take it to the proper tradesman or teach yourself on something cheap first. And the number 1 rule... use the correct tools - no 'goodnuff' substitutes!!
