Hi Guys I do quite a bit of "rough" shooting on some farmland near where I live. Basically this involves walking the fields and woods with my shotgun looking for various quarry species usually pigeon, rabbits and the occasional pheasant. I usually use my OU double and keep it loaded but broken which is the safest way as there are often a couple of my shooting buddies with me. I have my first trip planned on Sunday and want to take my A5 so I was looking for some advice on how you guys carry your A5's in the field when hunting? I was thinking of loading the magazine and then engaging the mag cutoff. I believe that with the bolt locked open when I release the mag cutoff the gun should automatically load and chamber a round from the mag. Not sure though if this feature is available on the earlier guns with single piece lifters (my A5 is 1930's era). Or Load the mag and then keep the bolt pulled back but with a round in the chamber then just push the carrier release to chamber the round. As always safety is my first concern, we go through some quite dense woodland and I dont want he gun loaded and ready at all times in case I slip and fall. I also dont trust safeties 100% as the gun is old (although its been serviced) and that is what I was taught by the Military!! Any help guys is appreciated and happy to keep these A5's bringing meat to the table in the UK!
Does this post mean that you're gun is fixed? If so, I'd like the details. As for carrying in the field, I believe most guys rely on the safety. The cutoff will work, but good luck getting off a fast shot. Leaving the bolt open with a shell chambered may work, if it doesn't fall out of the ejection port. I think if you're going to hunt with your Auto-5, you'll end up using the safety and being careful to keep the muzzle up. A lot of guys learned to keep their muzzles down in the service but it's not a good idea if you're hunting behind dogs. Kumpe hunts, time for him to speak up!
Thanks Rudolph31 appreciate your comments! As for the gun, I took it to a local guy that knows A5's from his days in South Africa and he has stripped it completely cleaned and lubricated it all. Its had a replacement carrier latch, new action spring and follower and he gave me a recoil spring which was not new, but close to the 9.25" recommended length. I havent fired her yet but plan to take it out on Sunday hence my question. The only problem that still remains is the half moon runner on the locking block on the bolt is worn (see pic) and he didnt have a spare so its gone back in for now. It seems to work and he was convinced that it should be fine. Looking forward to trying her out in the field and then I'll be going to work on the woodwork to refinish it, rest of the gun will be left original.
I am a stickler for safety above all. I usually carry mine unchambered while I go into the forrest to get to the field. Once I am in my location, I will go ahead and chamber a round, then engage the safety. I do not feel uncomfortable walking around within my location with a round chambered, and if I see a bird when I am wandering about, it is nothing for me to shut off the safety, aim, and shoot. If, by chance, I have a crossing to pass such as a fence or creek, I will unchamber, pass, then rechamber. Safety first, but like Rudolph said, it is extremely difficult to chamber and engage a bird when one pops up unexpectedly... expecially a quick flying quail or dove, or that wise old turkey who likes to taunt hunters juuuuust outside the killbox.
Here's a picture of the Locking Block from my 1947 12 gauge: Another view: I thought it looked broken but Art said it was OK. Yours is going, but it looks to have a lot of life left in it. Don't you have a spare in your parts gun?
The one in my spare gun is the same slightly less worn but still worn nonetheless. That said it's a useful spare and it's good to know that Art says it's still useable!
This is when the Mag Cutoff comes in handy. Instead of cycling all the rounds from the gun, engage the cutoff and just take the one round from the chamber. The manual talks about quickly substituting a goose load for a duck load, but I wonder if that ever happens.
Exactly. It is the handiest thing that I have used a total of maybe twice in my life. Though I rarely use the cut-off, it is nice not having to unload the firearm completely for such crossings. As far as quick load changes from goose to duck... I would not see that as beneficial as traversing rough terrain or fencelines. Don't recall a situation where I would ever have benefitted from changing between such loads... and rarely even carry more than one load when I hunt in the first place. Perhaps the advancements in modern 12g ammunition, calls, and choke tubes have all but eliminated a problem that existed a hundred years ago (thus a need for the cut-off at the time of design)?
This is an interesting and current question for me as well. Until now this hasn't been a problem for me since I haven't done any rough shooting or similar hunts simply because there wasn't any suitable game to hunt that way. But now we are starting to see both rabbit and pheasant on our hunting ground, so we have been discussing trying it out for next season. I always envisioned myself using my O/U for safety reasons, but I tend to shoot better with my Auto-5 so if there is a possibility to use it then why not? So far I've only used it when there are no one standing next to me, and when standing mostly still. Using the mag cutoff doesn't sound like a good idea though. I've tried practicing this a couple of times, and it's hard to flip that switch quickly even when you don't have to keep your eyes on what you hopefully are about to shoot at. I would probably just rely on the safety and always keep the barrel in a safe direction. I have thought about trying what you discussed with keeping the bolt open and a round in the chamber, but I would instead put a spent shell (or similar object) sideways in the ejection port and close the bolt jamming the shell in the port. Whenever you want to shoot you just yank the shell out of the port and let the bolt slam shut. It might be slower than keeping the bolt open and using the release button, but this way you won't risk the round falling out of the chamber when you point the barrel up, and the gun is a bit safer if you were to trip and fall for instance. The bolt could easily close if something like that were to happen... And I still think it will be quicker than using the cutoff. Just an idea, and like I said I haven't tried it yet...
I typically carry into the woods with the chamber empty and the bolt in battery. It doesn't really take any more time to pull the bolt back and chamber a round than it does to hit the release... but keeping the bolt open with a shell jambed in could invite debris to get into the chamber. The only drawback is that racking the bolt makes a little more noise, but again, I only do this when I am going into or exiting the woods. I hear ya! When I bought my first Auto-5, I thought the cut-off was locked up. It is difficult at best to operate in the field... unless you have gloves on, then it is pretty much impossible. Apparently Browning learned their lesson, and relocated it to a much easier to reach, much easier to operate trigger style on the A5. Jealous! I wish we had pheasant down here in Tennessee. Well, there are farms that will take you on a "hunt". You get to pay an inflated price to have some "guide"/farmer take you out to a field where he opens up a cage and kicks out some poor little ringneck for you to shoot. Sorry, but that is not hunting, it is just killing! I prefer hunts that require at least a little more skill than that of a sous chef chopping the head off of a penned chicken for the soup du jour. It is well worth it to make the trip to Indiana that actually has good pheasant hunting than to kill a "pet bird". Still, I love hunting such game with an over and under. I know I lose capacity, they are heavier, can be awkward for some people to swing, etc., but there is just nothing like it hunting with a trusty wood stocked over and under, golden retriever, and a pipe of Borkum Riff whiskey flavored tobacco (yeah, I am old school). Plus, having a double gives me the advantage of being able to stuff two different choke tubes into one shotgun, thus allowing me to hit up close as well as reach out when his buddies decide to flee.
I think you're confusing the cut-off with the safety, Rob. The cut-off, (not a Browning invention, by the way) was introduced in 1904 and never moved from the left side of the receiver. The safety was moved twice. From inside the trigger guard to the front of the trigger guard in 1904. And to a cross bolt design in 1951.
Didn't know that the cut-off was not a Browning design... learn something new every day. Interesting. No, the new A-5 (current production) has a trigger in front of the trigger hoop, just behind the loading gate/tongue. Although I do not have experience with the new A-5, from my understanding from Browning, this bolt latch serves as the cut-off. There is still a manual safety in the rear of the trigger hoop.
Sorry for the confusion, I suppose I sould have mentioned "Kenematic" A-5, or "2013+" to clarify. I just have always referred to the original friction ring guns (1903-2000) as the "Auto-5", and the Kenematic guns (2013?-current) as the A5.
Now I get it. I spell out Auto-5 also to differentiate it from that new gun that Browning calls an "A5". John Browning's prototype and the first year's production didn't have the cut off. This is a shot of my 1903 gun.
Well, due to the bad weather yesterday I didnt get out, so will try it out next weekend hopefully. Weather in the UK at this time of year is always erratic we had 22 degrees and sunshine last week but this weekend it was around 9 and raining! Having said that I got to work on my spare stock which had been drying out after a few days soaking in an acetone bath, I am really pleased with how its turned out, the pic is after the first coat of a high quality danish oil.
Wow!, very cool piece of history, you've got there! Just at first glance I would have thought it was a Remington Model 11.
