Hello, I'm back in Germany again and just picked up a really cheap Auto 5 16 Gauge on egun.de. It's in pretty rough shape but I need a good restoration project. The serial number is 485761. The 61 is smaller than the other numbers. The barrel and receiver numbers match. It has a single piece lifter and the barrel is marked FN Acier Special and the receiver says Browning. Any idea what the date of manufacture is?

I believe that's a 1961 gun. I thought the smaller digits for the date came before the S/N, but I'm not an expert on World Market Auto-5's.

I am curious, how do you buy a shotgun in Europe? And, how do you bring it back home? Seems like it'd be a paperwork nightmare.

Thanks, common sense tried to tell me that the small 61 meant it was manufactured in 1961 but I just wanted to check with the forum. I was thinking it should have had the two piece shell lifter in 1961, I wish it did.

It is quite a process to buy guns in Germany and bring them home. In Germany you have to have a need to purchase a firearm. The need is met by either having a hunting license or a sport shooting license. Neither of which are easy to obtain. I have a hunting license from when I was over here before. I had to take a bunch of classes and take a test, it was actually a pretty cool experience getting to learn about all the German hunting customs. Then to bring them back to the US you have to get ATF import permits, no big deal just takes time.

I'm constantly seeing posts from Europeans who buy classic Auto-5's for a song. I guess the reason is that restrictive laws make for a small market. Still, it'd have to be one heck of a bargain for me to put up with all of the red tape.

I'm surprised your gun doesn't have Speed Load. The S/V book does say that after 1953 many guns were sold without it until the old parts were used up; one would think that would have occurred by 1961. They probably concentrated on the American market first, as it was invented by Val Browning and not by FN engineers.

Germany does have the 4th highest gun ownership per capita in the world but I do think they prefer to buy new over used. There are lot's of good deals to be had.

If the speed load came around in 1953 it is hard to believe that a 1961 gun would not have it. I'm wondering if was in fact built before 1961, maybe the small 61 in the serial number doesn't designate 1961?

I doubt it. They probably had many thousands of the one-piece carriers to use up. It's also possible your carrier was replaced somewhere along the way.

I had a Sweet with sn A48 that had the 2 piece, and I believe it was a 1953.

You really know how to muddy the water, Slim. A48 could be 1953, but it could also be 1958. I think I know enough to tell the difference, but you've sold it, haven't you?

BT99 Micro Adjustable sn 02xxxMP171....

I have a 20 gauge citori serial # serial number 18795PP1C3 i The"1" threw me off when I looked it up and I could not find what the "1" meant, however I checked it 3 times and it is a "1" not a "J" or anything else. I did find a note from Browning stating that due to the many special runs and etc, that every configuration may not be included in their database. The best I could determine is the serial # is 18795, the date of manufacture is 1988 as indicated from the PP, The C3 indicates it is a 20 gauge skeet model. But what the "1" actually indicates is a mystery to me, anyone have any information on this? Thank you

I have found the Browning site very frustrating. I like this one better:

http://www.nramuseum.org/media/940941/s ... acture.pdf

Configuration Codes all have 3 characters, and 1C3 is the code for 20 gauge Skeet.

I have been trying to date two A-5's, I have been on Browning site and also the Browning A-5 Book. One has FN above H and 5630 below the H. It is a 12 gauge 2 3/4 chamber. Next one has serial number OM9930. Any information will be helpful thanks.

If you follow the link in the post above yours, you’ll find that both guns are standard weight 12 gauges. The “H” prefixed gun was made in 1953. In 1956 the “H” was changed to an “M” prefix, and in 1958 they added a single digit date code. So 0M9930 was made in 1960.

Can anyone give me a hand with dating a Superposed 410 with serial number 9J39. It is a round knob long tang. Thanks for your help.

According to the NRA site, the 28 and .410 Superposed debuted in 1963. The .410’s serial number had a “J” suffix and a one or two digit year code. A “3” by itself would indicate 1963, “69” 1969. “39” shouldn’t appear.

http://www.nramuseum.org/media/940941/s ... acture.pdf

Tried to find the chart that used to be on post one and Browning have deleted it .
Can anyone post it here please?

I am also having problems. A friend just bought this and was asking me since I am his gunsmith and FFL but I am no expert on Brownings. I thought it was a pre war model because of the SN but the barrel says St Louis and Montreal. Maybe mismatched? SN is on the bottom in front of the loading gate and reads 71G over 57386. It has a mag cut off. The safety is on the right rear of the trigger guard. I think that is the safety, I am going by pictures. It has a gold plated trigger and appears to me to have blonde wood but it may just be very light walnut. Any help would be appreciated. It has some surface rust but most of the blueing is intact and would clean up nicely. Wood is in good condition, no cracked forend.

71G = 1971 Light Twelve

But I thought I read that the post war guns didn't have the mag cut off. Maybe I misunderstood.

The magazine cutoff was on all but the first year (1903 and some 1904) Auto-5’s.