I bought my first Browning A5 at a local auction. I was pretty happy to see it had a very low serial number. I have read as much as I can on the first 10,000 made, but can not seem to find much history. The shotgun appears to have been commonly used, and its not very pretty, and not engraved, but the serial number is 32. I would be interested in finding out how often a low serial # like this shows up, and maybe what its value might be.
Welcome to the Browning Owners Forum Dr.Gary !! The Browning Auto-5 is a recoil-operated semi-automatic shotgun designed by John Moses Browning and first produced in 1902. With a low serial number of "32"...I would dare to say it was made in the first year of production. Value would depend on condition and what the market will bear... What did you pay for it at the auction...!? How about a few pictures of it...!? HISTORY http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Browning_Auto-5 http://www.browning-a5.eu/en/histo.html
Thank you for the welcome! I bought the shotgun for $600.00 at auction. When I did my background check paperwork at the gun shop, the owner said he had never seen an A5 serial that low in his many years selling guns. It actually looks better than the photos show. The action works so well, you might never know it is 112 years old. It is as tight and crisp as my almost new Browning Gold Hunter. I plan on keeping it, but I am sure curious as to a ballpark value.
Hello Dr. Gary, and congratulations on your find. The first Auto-5 was delivered on September 17, 1903. The last of 1903 was number 4121. The first 500 had the patent dates on the trigger plate, after that they were moved to the receiver. So your gun is incredibly rare. The history of the Auto-5 is detailed in the S/V book, available here: http://www.fn-browning.com/Browning Auto-5 Shotguns.htm Trust me, to understand your treasure, you need this book.
and thank you both!...I think that book would make a great Christmas present...need to forward this thread to my wife...
While you're waiting for Christmas, you might find this interesting: http://www.shotgunworld.com/bbs/viewtopic.php?f=53&t=216472