Hello. I inherited my grandfathers old A5 shotgun. It came to me in pieces and I am trying to put it back together (here is a thread relating to re-assembly issues I am having: http://browningowners.com/forum/index.php?threads/grandfathers-a5-isnt-going-back-together-again.5314/ ). I am trying to determine what year my grandfather's gun is so i can figure out if i have the right parts for it. I have attached a couple of photos that show a number stamped on the bottom of the receiver just ahead of the feed port. I also uploaded a picture of the proof stamps on the barrel. Looking at another post in this forum i found this link: http://damascus-barrels.com/Belgian_All_Proofmarks.html The information at the website gave me some insight but I want to make sure I am reading the stamp correctly on my grandfathers barrel. I believe the stamp (circled in red in the bottom picture) to be a sigma. I am looking for confirmation from somebody who has more experience than I at reading these stamps. I am also curious about the number on the bottom of the receiver, does it mean anything? Looking at this website: http://www.browning.com/support/date-your-firearm/auto-5-semi-automatic-shotgun.html I don't see any reference to a serial number with 5 digits. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. . Thanks.
Brian, Don't go back to the Browning website, it's full of errors and omissions. This is a much better reference: http://www.nramuseum.org/media/940941/serialization-date of manufacture.pdf From it we see yours was one of the first Light Twelves to get a "G" prefix, back in 1956. I can't make your date code look like any of the examples, but it might not be the original barrel. An early 1956 gun would probably have a barrel made in 1955. As to the right parts, the later Breech Blocks and Locking Blocks will fit a pre-1958 gun. The only difference is the width of the rail. It would be very annoying to have to replace a perfectly good Breech Block because the Locking Block failed, but it looks like your grandfather bit the bullet for you.
