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| Country |
USA |
| Type |
Shotgun |
| Manufacturer |
Browning |
| Introduction |
1898 |
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The Browning Auto-5 was a recoil-operated autoloading shotgun designed by John Browning. It was the first successful autoloading shotgun ever produced.
The Browning Automatic 5 was the first mass produced semiautomatic shotgun. Designed by John Browning in 1898 and patented 1900, it was produced continually for almost 100 years, with production ending in 1998. It features a distinctive high rear end, earning it the nickname \"Humpback\". The top of the action goes straight back on a level with the barrel before cutting down sharply towards the buttstock. This distinctive feature makes it easy to identify A-5s from a distance. A-5s were produced in a variety of gauges, with 12 and 20 predominating; 16 gauge (not produced between 1976 and 1987) models were also available.
John Browning presented his design (which he called his best achievement) to Winchester, where he had sold most of his previous designs. When Winchester refused his terms, Browning went to Remington. Tragically, the president of Remington died of a heart attack as Browning waited to offer them the gun. This forced Browning to look overseas to produce the shotgun. It was produced by FN a company that had already produced Browning-designed pistols starting in 1902. Remington would later license-produce it as the Model 11. It was also license-produced by Savage and Franchi. The Model 11 was the first autoloading shotgun made in the USA. Production in Belgium continued until the start of World War II, when Browning-marked examples were produced by Remington Arms in the United States. Unlike the Remington Model 11, the Remington produced Browning shotguns had magazine cutoffs. Some 850,000 Remington Model 11 shotguns were produced before production ended in 1947. In 1952, production returned to FN, where it continued to be produced until the end. However, the majority of production moved to Japan in 1975. Finally, in 1998, manufacture of A-5s ceased except for a few commemorative models created at FN in 1999. By that time, it was well-established as the number two-selling autoloading shotgun in U.S. history. |
