I was in a local gun store the other day when a man came in with a shotgun he wanted to sell. It was from a gentleman who recently passed on. The seller said that for as long as he could remember the gun had been in the gentleman's gunsafe, taken out once a year to be oiled down, but never fired. The store owner bought the gun. A little later on I asked to see the 20 gauge A5. The owner said it wasn't a 20, it was a sweet sixteen, and it was unfired. I looked it over and it was pristine, 100% just like the day it came off the factory floor. I removed the forend and the mag tube, spring, and friction rings (installed upside down) still had cosmoline on them. It has beautiful blonde figured wood. It has a 25.5 inch plain barrel choked IC. Well, it's in my gunsafe now. Couldn't pass up a 53 year old, UNFIRED Belgium Browning A5 Sweet Sixteen. Don't own any 16 gauge shotshells, and not planning on buying any. Will post some photos in a couple days. Rod
Quite a find. But if she were mine, I’d shoot her. They were built to last forever, and you won’t hurt it in the least provided you don’t drop it or something. And, if and when you sell it, you will never be able to prove it “has never been fired”. Not without the original box, papers, and preservative on it. I have a like new 1924 16 and shoot it at least once a year. Your IC barrel will do better at Skeet than my Full Choke does.
