Hello Panel Could somebody confirm my thoughts from serial as possibly a 1956 12 Ga 30" Full Standard Weight ? Version 3 Safety Guess from bible puts between 1951 to 60 window Pistol Grip Checkering crosses Has speed load Wood experts is the forend saveable with pinning and glue or too far gone? Thinking of buying and trashing for array of spare parts for my 38. Should have a narrow rail locking block setup but for 2 piece carrier all being before the major 1958 changes ?
Auzzie, from the serial number the receiver is a 1960 production date, indicated by the “60” in small font prefixing the serial number 19567 I have a world market Auto-5 with identical barrel script, raised rib, sling fittings etc from 1965, prefixed “65” in the same manner ahead of the serial number, with matching numbers on the barrel ring, stock and forend. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I’ve been down the “buy it for parts road”. You’ll get it home, clean it, and shoot it and it will be another piece of your collection. The wood is fixable but you will never be able to hide that crack. Buy it and shoot the shit out of it
Thanks Nigel that answers the question. That is why this site is so valuable. I have never seen one with prefix yr before LHS and found info in bible later. Yes price is right and would rather keep intact as is but only allowed one. Least this way would get enough post 58 parts and spare wood to keep the favourite going forever. Win thanks for opinion on forend
Auzzie, interesting your World Market model has the engraving favoured on the American market models. Mine is completely plain, much more common here in Europe. The two piece shell lifter/auto load is the most useful feature IMHO, not sure you can retro-fit those components to your ‘38 model if that’s an option you are considering, I think the shell lifter spring configuration may be different as well as the locking block from what I’ve read, but there are much more knowledgeable members here than me to advise you. Good luck! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Nigel is correct that the Carrier Spring is different on 1958 and later guns. But that doesn’t mean the old spring won’t work — Speed Load was added in 1953. Or you could swap out Trigger Plates, because that’s where the new spring resides. But if you did that, you may have to cut off the old spring’s mounting rivet. Ranger did that, but I’d rather not have Speed Load than mutilate my shotgun.
ok rudoplh31 your choice of words" mutilate" doesn't line up with any shotgun in the safe. A gun to me is one that's used for it's intended purpose. I don't and never will have a " safe queen". I see no purpose in owning something that your not gonna use, just my opinion, the real purpose of doing speed load for me was it makes it much more comfortable to use, with carpal tunnel in both wrist's, and when your a full time shooter at 40-50,000 rounds a year it makes a huge difference. I'm sure that none of my A5's are gonna make me rich, as I'm pretty sure yours isn't either so why not use them, instead of look at them.
Calm down. I used that word because once you do it, there’s no going back. Maybe I should have said “amputate”.
I was hopeful at first that the 1956 contained within serial might have meant yr 56 on world market numbering system.This from my understanding would have more direct interchangeable bits. Glad asked as learned something new yet again. Nigel I have never seen a receiver exactly engraved like this one either with the FN on LHS side. normally plain or US grade 1 with the bust is about it for here. There is Canadian guy comes on here bet he would know. Regardless anything potentially useful to keep favourite going is way better than trying to import bits
Absolutely plain receiver apart from the “Browning” script on my ‘65 I’m afraid. I was lucky, I bought it from a gun shop that knew nothing about the Auto-5 for £200, it wouldn’t cycle completely randomly and I thought I could fix it easy (we are always optimistic, right?) and when I stripped it the only problem it had was the centre strip of the safety spring had broken off, cost me £5 to fix it - result! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
It’s unusual that Auzzie’s gun has US style engraving. But neither gun has the bust of JMB. I’ve never seen that before.
Rudolph, I’ve only seen JMB’s bust engraved on one weapon here in the UK, and I’ll admit I’ve not seen many Auto-5’s at all here, and that was on one of the special edition models with the bright metal finish receiver with gold inlays - I guess it’s just one of the aspects of this great gun we find interesting - I just wish I could get out of the house and put some rounds through mine, Covid restrictions here in the UK mean I haven’t shot game in the last 12 months, a clay since April or flown a recreational aircraft for 14 months - not much fun at all Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I don’t see many WM guns, mostly those that were bought in an overseas PX. No engraving, but the bust is there. I can’t shoot either, my wife came down with the a mild case of the virus and we’re in self-quarantine. I flew last week, but it was my retirement flight. The river took the Citabria 2 years ago and I guess I’ll be renting or hopefully joining a club. I hear there’s one with a Decathlon...
Well, congratulations on your retirement, I bet you’ve seen some changes in commercial aviation over the years. I hope you can continue to fly recreationally as long as possible. I’d love to get some tail wheel time, have flown the the DH82a dual a couple of times but all my hours are on PA28, with a few on the AA5 and C152/172. Almost got as far as a CPL here in the UK but life intervened with marriage and a family Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I had to look it up, it’s a Tiger Moth. Very cool. I got to fly a DHC-1 once; you probably know that’s a Chipmunk. And a little stick time in a DHC-2 Beaver. Both very nice flying airplanes. Taildraggers are more fun.
Nigel ,nice looking gun for 200 quid you got a bargain plus there. I could never be that lucky. Never seen one completely plain receiver like yours. Reckon the parts wreck in my post will end up paying about that and it looks sad compared to yours. Covid is here too but they manage to keep under control and a tight lid on it allows semi normality although we had outbreak of uk strain yesterday which has forced a lockdown and cancelled our two day skeet comp this weekend.
Auzzie, yes I think I was lucky. All the bluing is intact, though the stock and forend finish was beat up somewhat, so I’ve had a go at stripping and oiling it. Have been following the Covid situation in Australia closely, my youngest girl was travelling in the Far East when the pandemic started and managed to get out of Japan on an overnight flight to Cairns, just as lock-down started in March. She had some wonderful and generous hospitality from a family in Cairns during the lockdown and has since travelled down to Sydney via Noosa and Byron and settled there. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Nigel your daughter will be pretty right in New South Wales. Victoria has been the hardest hit . NSW have had couple week lockdown at northern beaches area suburbs of Sydney to control a cluster but it gets lifted today. Sounds like she has passed through my neck of woods and done the standard English back packer stops as we call them. Reef ,Rainforest and Beaches.
