I stopped in a pawn shop last week and told the clerk I was a collector and asked to see the Auto-5 on the rack. He said it wasn’t very desirable as it was a 2 9/16 sixteen. I was pretty impressed that he knew that... Anyway, the wood was good and the blue about 80%. And I hurt myself dry firing it with my finger covering the firing pin hole. It’s a 1935, which is after the Browning bust was added but before the standard engraving. I don’t have one of those. I mean, I didn’t. I told him it was a $250 gun, then looked at the price tag — $450. I offered $300 out the door, thinking he’d turn me down flat. But he went to his computer and said they had $250 in it. That led to some joking about pawn shops paying retail prices, but he accepted the offer, which netted the shop about $27. I was going to pay cash, but noticed the worms had been at work on the butt plate, so the credit card came out. I took it apart — twice — the second time to install the firing pin that I’d forgotten the first time. All cleaned up it ran flawlessly at Skeet the other night, shooting up my paper hulled reloads. For once I didn’t need spreaders as this gun has a PolyChoke. Pictures when I get around to taking some.
Congrats. I soothes my innards when an older A5 finds a retirement home and gets an occasional exercising. And, I don't understand what possible worms in the butt plate have to do with switching from cash to an FTC? (This coming from probably the last person on earth that doesn't own/use an FTC.) No matter, congrats, and pics or it didn't happen.
You might not be alone, because I don’t have a clue what FTC stands for. But, as to using a credit card instead of cash, the vendor pays the card company a fee to process the transaction. And some cards refund a portion of that fee to the cardholder. So it worked out that I paid about $3 less, and the Pawn Shop made about $10 less. And, I didn’t have to go to the bank. Capisci?
In my working days as a deputy, an "FTC" was what cops called any Financial Transaction Card. Credit card, debit card, gift card, pre-paid phone or pre-paid debit/credit card, etc. One of the very few abbreviations were were authorized to use when typing a report was "FTC" rather than typing out the particular type of card it was in the narrative portion of the report. The term "FTC" just kind of stuck, and since most of the guys I hang around with are also cops/retired cops, FTC is common verbage. And I didn't know about the fees and such. I have a 30, 32 and a couple of 37's, but no 35. (However, at the rate I am dragging them home, it won't be long.)
The S/V book says it was around 1934 that FN applied the St. Louis address and Browning’s bust to US imports. But I have seen pictures of a 1932 made gun with them. Regardless, it’s unusual to see these markings in America on an un-engraved Auto-5, as engraving became standard by 1938 (S/V again.). Usually guns like this are World Market guns that came home with GI’s who bought them at an overseas PX. That’s because although FN did add the JMB bust, I don’t believe they ever had standard engraving. At least not on Belgian production. And, both US and World Market Auto-5’s lost their receiver addresses by 1949. So although it’s not exactly rare, it’s far from common.
Another thing I like about this gun is the PolyChoke. Most of my short-chambered guns have full chokes, and I have to load spreaders for them. With this gun I can skip that step. Notice this is the (early?) type without the bird cage. As I said, it ran flawlessly last week, though my performance was abysmal. I tried a slip on recoil pad that seemed to make it fit better, but ripped it off in disgust and shot a little better without it. I’m used to my Light Twelve.
Here is the worst feature. Too much Queen Anne Drill, I suspect. Underneath the plate are two lightening holes. In one I inserted a paper that says Rudolph31.
Rudolph31, what is the era that the poly choke without the “bird cage” was being installed? I ask because my 1904 has the same type on it
I don’t have a clue. I did a quick internet search, and someone said he thinks they debuted in 1920. That makes sense to me, but I can’t find any documentation. I will guess that the one on your 1904 gun isn’t original. Be sure to tell us what you find out!
My 35 has the same markings on the receiver. Mines not nearly as nice as yours. Looks like mine might have a barrel that somebody tried to make look original. It has the St Louis address stamped on the top of the barrel