Need Help With A-5

[Mr. Ray III]

I have a 3" magnum A-5 that wont eject shells.  Tried a new recoil spring.  I have read the browning manual and made sure the rings are correct.  The barrel is ridiculously hard to push back/down, so I'm thinking there is an issue somewhere in there....I have been fooling with it for a while now, tried a ton of oil, tried very little (as manual states).  HOWEVER, I have not tried an actual magnum shell, but I didn't think there was much difference.  Today, I shot it and the very first shell, it ejected, but none after that.

[ChrisS]

The A5 has a release on the side, allows you to eject the round in the chamber but not the magazine, similar to the SBE. However, you said it ejects the first shell, does it cycle a second?

Big difference between a magnum round and a light.

[Mr. Ray III]

The A5 has a release on the side, allows you to eject the round in the chamber but not the magazine, similar to the SBE. However, you said it ejects the first shell, does it cycle a second?

Big difference between a magnum round and a light.

Well what happened was I put 1 shell in and shot it and it ejected...then I loaded it up with 3 and it never ejected.  So I put just 1 in again, and it didn't eject it at all.  I was shooting kent shells, but have tried others.  I have noticed with some other shells, it will sometimes eject the shell halfway, meaning that the shells started to pop out but got stuck in the action, meaning it didn't go back far enough/hard enough.  (empty shell was perpendicular to the barrel, caught in the action). 

I can work the action and it'll cycle shells out of the magazine and into the chamber just fine. 

Thinking I need to gain 20 pounds so my shoulder doesn't move as much....

[ChrisS]

You replaced the recoil spring, with the same or lighter (not sure if they make a lighter springfor that gun), also did you set the rings for light loads, I believe you supposed to arrange them in a certain way to shoot a lighter load, Im unsure the correct way as I dont own one.

One thing though, that gun was made to fire heavy rounds as they were cheap and plentiful at the time of manufacturing......sometimes, they just wont shoot a light round.

[Mr. Ray III]

You replaced the recoil spring, with the same or lighter (not sure if they make a lighter springfor that gun), also did you set the rings for light loads, I believe you supposed to arrange them in a certain way to shoot a lighter load, Im unsure the correct way as I dont own one.

One thing though, that gun was made to fire heavy rounds as they were cheap and plentiful at the time of manufacturing......sometimes, they just wont shoot a light round.

The rings are correct per the manual.  I'll get some mags and try them. 

[ChrisS]

How do you have the rings arranged?

[Mr. Ray III]

How do you have the rings arranged?

. I'll pull it open this afternoon.

[jack1747]

Well what happened was I put 1 shell in and shot it and it ejected...then I loaded it up with 3 and it never ejected.  So I put just 1 in again, and it didn't eject it at all.  I was shooting kent shells, but have tried others.  I have noticed with some other shells, it will sometimes eject the shell halfway, meaning that the shells started to pop out but got stuck in the action, meaning it didn't go back far enough/hard enough.  (empty shell was perpendicular to the barrel, caught in the action). 

I can work the action and it'll cycle shells out of the magazine and into the chamber just fine. 

Thinking I need to gain 20 pounds so my shoulder doesn't move as much....

The term is stovepiped. 

[bassman349]

One thing that helped my A5 a long time ago was to strip the gear off of the magazine tube , get a piece of crokus cloth and polish that thang until it is smooth as a baby's butt.  Polish while watching TV, sitting on the crapper, etc., etc. After many hours of polishing, it is possible to have solved the problem. It solved mine, or at least until one cold day I was goose hunting and it malfunctioned again, then I sold it and bought a Benelli. Problem solved.  I suppose the cold weather may have stiffened the grease on the tube and made it short cycle and not eject.  I also think that the ammo these days might not be as potent as the good old stuff.  My A5 would eject 3" handloads without fail, but not a factory load.  If I set the rings for a lighter load, then the 3" factory load was pounding the bolt too hard to the rear of the receiver. Finally just gave up on the whole thing.  If yours is coming very close to ejecting, then the polishing job on the tube might solve your troubles, or you may cut it up into pieces and use it for decoy anchors.  Good luck.

[Mr. Ray III]

One thing that helped my A5 a long time ago was to strip the gear off of the magazine tube , get a piece of crokus cloth and polish that thang until it is smooth as a baby's butt.  Polish while watching TV, sitting on the crapper, etc., etc. After many hours of polishing, it is possible to have solved the problem. It solved mine, or at least until one cold day I was goose hunting and it malfunctioned again, then I sold it and bought a Benelli. Problem solved.  I suppose the cold weather may have stiffened the grease on the tube and made it short cycle and not eject.  I also think that the ammo these days might not be as potent as the good old stuff.  My A5 would eject 3" handloads without fail, but not a factory load.  If I set the rings for a lighter load, then the 3" factory load was pounding the bolt too hard to the rear of the receiver. Finally just gave up on the whole thing.  If yours is coming very close to ejecting, then the polishing job on the tube might solve your troubles, or you may cut it up into pieces and use it for decoy anchors.  Good luck.

I'll rebuild all the internals before I sell it or chop it up.  A5's today are still sought after guns and very good ones at that.  I have a beretta that I do all my shooting with, but I still want the a5 to be operable.

[ChrisS]

Id love to have one!

[mdjohn]

 

[mdjohn]

good luck Ray

[Mr. Ray III]

Chris, it goes spring, spacer (black ring), then friction ring, spacer, spacer, friction ring, barrel.

[Mikie]

According to Browning, to shoot 2 3/4" loads in the 3" magnum gun the friction parts should be as follows:

This gun has been designed specially for the 3-inch magnum loads. However 2 3/4" magnum loads or 2 3/4" high velocity loads may be used if the recoil mechanism is adjusted as follows:
 
1. Remove the top friction brake and the top two friction rings as shown in figure 4. This is also the correct setting for all steel shot loads. The top friction rings and brake should be removed entirely and not simply placed under the recoil spring.
2. Be sure that the removed parts are placed in a safe place where they will not be lost. You will undoubtedly want to later readjust your gun to 3-inch magnum loads.

[reds]

Rings have to come out to shoot 2 3/4" loads.

3" magnum loads require the rings in.

[Mr. Ray III]

Should have stated, I have it set up for 3" shells, which is what I was shooting.

[reds]

Should have stated, I have it set up for 3" shells, which is what I was shooting.

Take the rings out, shoot it and see if then it ejects the shells. You stated in your first post you haven't shot any magnum shells. 3" used to come only in heavy loads. If that is not the case today then you need to play with the rings.

Take both rings out and shoot the 3", if they eject, try it with one ring in to see if that will work.

[Mr. Ray III]

Take the rings out, shoot it and see if then it ejects the shells. You stated in your first post you haven't shot any magnum shells. 3" used to come only in heavy loads. If that is not the case today then you need to play with the rings.

Take both rings out and shoot the 3", if they eject, try it with one ring in to see if that will work.

I'll try the magnum loads first.  I didn't want to damage anything with the rings out by letting the bolt come back too hard.

[ChrisS]

I wouldnt either, Ray

From Browning....

THE FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS ARE ONLY FOR 3-INCH 12 AND 20 GAUGE MODELS, NOT FOR THE 2 3/4" LIGHT 12 GAUGE OR 2 3/4" LIGHT 20 GAUGE AUTOMATIC. SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS ARE PROVIDED FOR THOSE MODELS IN A SEPARATE MANUAL.
 
Figure 3

 
A great deal of attention has gone into the design of the recoil absorbing mechanism to minimize the recoil of the big 3-inch magnum loads as much as possible. This recoil mechanism is specially arranged for those loads. As shown, it consists of a large spring, two friction brakes and three coned friction rings. (See Figure 3.)
 
1. With the butt of the stock down and the magazine tube pointing up, one friction ring is placed on top of the spring with the beveled surface UP, on top of which a friction brake is placed.
2. The second friction ring is placed on top of it with the beveled surface DOWN.
3. The third ring is then placed back to back, that is, with its beveled surface UP. The second friction brake is place on top of it. This is the correcton position for all 3-inch magnums loads.
4. The three friction rings and the two friction brakes are identical to each other and may be placed in any position for ring or brake within the prescribed arrangement.
 
If the correct position of all the recoil components is not maintaine you will get unnecessary recoil which will severly pound the mechanism of your gun.
 

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[reds]

I'll try the magnum loads first.  I didn't want to damage anything with the rings out by letting the bolt come back too hard.

It won't hurt it. Not a couple of shots.

I was trying to find the amount of powder we used in the 3" in the 70's but no luck.

 I remember the 3" 2's had 1 3/8 oz of lead shot but can't remember the powder charge.

[Mr. Ray III]

Ok so the rings are set up correctly for 3" shells.  Today I polished up the mag tube and it seems to slide a little bit easier.  Like I said, I'll try the magnum shells before I fool with the rings. 

[reds]

Ok so the rings are set up correctly for 3" shells.  Today I polished up the mag tube and it seems to slide a little bit easier.  Like I said, I'll try the magnum shells before I fool with the rings. 

I used to shoot trap with a guy that used a 3" Browning. He took the rings out and shot double A trap loads in it.

The rings make all the difference. I don't think it's the tube.

[Mr. Ray III]

Thanks Mike.  I'll fool around with it.

[shortstack]

never saw this section before.  so, a year later, i doubt anyone cares, but, i had the same problem with my A-5 and the solution was a light coating of lithium grease on the tube.