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My Dad never scrimped on ammo, not for hunting, anyway. His A5, which, I own now, never jammed while he owned it, and hasn't in the time I've owned it. A few years after I got it, I put one of the Browning Stalker stock sets on it, and replaced the springs and friction piece. I can't say for sure it was needed, I just did it, as the gun is a 1952 model, and I figured it was time. I've shot this gun A LOT, usually in really foul weather. No problems. I have two Hastings barrels for it, and have never had a problem with cycling when using either of those. I have heard of people struggling to get aftermarket barrels to work, but, haven't had the problem myself.
He also had the first version of the Benelli SBE, also stuck in a safe at my house. The directions we have for it are in Italian, and it is marked Heckler and Koch, so, it is an early one. Somewhere in the directions, it makes the point about not using less than 1 1/4oz loads.
If you do that, it doesn't jam. But, we needed the directions translated before we figured that out. My Dad thought he would be able to run any 12 gauge load in it. Which, you can do, if you aren't concerned about the second round clearing and the gun returning to battery. We did struggle with the gun a long time, trying to make it work with the wrong ammunition. But, it seems OK, now. I don't hunt much that needs 1 1/4 oz of anything, however. It is a light gun, and it lets you know when a 1/4oz load, or larger, round has gone off
He shot a lot of greasy promotional loads, one at a time, at the club, in his SBE.
I haven't shot it much.
We used to own a few 1100s, and after we figured out we needed a few O rings on hand, we didn't really have trouble with them, either.
My Dad was big on cleaning guns before you sat down to eat, after a trip out, and I think that had a lot to do with our reliability.
Autos aren't my first preference for anything, but, most of the trouble I've seen wasn't really the gun's fault.
Like a lot of car trouble. Happens to the same people, all the time, it seems to me.

Best,
Ted

I had a problem with my wife's Rem. 1100 LT-20 a few years ago. It always seemed to cycle fine with her, what little she shot it, as long as it was clean and oiled properly. When my oldest grandson, Jackson, wanted to try a 20 ga. "semi" I got the wife's LT-20 out for him. Well, it wouldn't cycle, with any 7/8 oz. load I tried, for him. I could shoot it and it would cycle perfectly. I couldn't understand that because it is a "gas gun", operating solely off of the gas bleed off. I even opened the gas ports one wire drill size, to no avail. He was pretty small,at the time, and about 9 yrs. old. I put it up and he continued shooting the 20 ga. SKB 200E for another year or two. A couple years later (after he had grown a lot) he wanted to try it again. Well, it went too work with the same loads, perfectly, and has never missed a lick.

Moral of this story ....... some gas guns work better when there is some substantial resistance behind the buttstock. You can take the same gun right now and hold it in your hands, off the shoulder, and shoot it and it will not cycle, won't even kick the empty out completely. Snug it to your shoulder and it works flawlessly.

SRH

Inertia single triggers can do the same thing. A soft recoil pad can cause single triggers to act up as well.

I liked those 1100 LT-20s, back in the day. But, I had been bitten by the double bug, and never got around to buying one. I liked the 20 gauge version of the A5 also, and the last time I looked, the prices were pretty high for what they are. More than likely not going to be getting one of those.

Best,
Ted

Funny you should mention that Ted.

I just now got back from a pleasant day chasing skeets, and shot the final 100 targets of the day with a A5 mag 20. I just bought it from an old buddy who is getting on in years and gave me a chance to acquire what was his first skeet gun. It's a 2 barrel set with a 'buck special' barrel and an IC 26" VR. I even found a period correct Hartmann 2 barrel case for it.

It cycles my standard target load perfectly. I loaded 2 shells 50 times today, it fired and cycled it's little pogo stick heart out for me. The gun weighs the same as and handles exactly like a Sweet 16.

I also have a 'Light Twenty', and it's a tad whippy. It works, but requires a short leash where the mag 20 just seems to point itself.

One of the funnier auto stories... I bought an early HK Benelli field model, the one with the plastic stock and the 3" chamber. It's light and reliable. A very good duck gun, and it will cycle my 1 oz. target loads if I load to 1250 fps. I figure if you can't do it with a 3" 12, you can't do it.

So, a genius at the club liked my gun and went out and bought one just like it. This guy considered himself a 'gun writer' although where he might have been published remains a mystery.

It seemed to recoil a bit so he added weight. Guess what happens to an inertia gun when you add weight. It becomes a single shot.

This was somehow my problem to solve. Sheesh.

I figured that out with an 11-87 in Argentina trying to show off hip shooting for the bird boys. That's what usually happens whenever I try to show off...Geo

I was having a great afternoon in C�rdoba one day and said to my bird boy "Ver este". I dropped my 20 ga. 687 SP II to the hip and smoked 4 straight. Then I bet I missed 10 straight before going back to the shoulder. I ignored the most important lesson, about shooting, of them all ........ "always quit while you're ahead".

SRH

Weren't the Browning mag 20s only supposed to be fed magnum ammunition? Dad also owned a Japanese mag 12, and I seem to remember reading in the directions it was a magnum only gun, or, words to that effect. I don't remember Dad having success with light loads with the gun.
My Dad sold it, like new in the box, to a neighbor kid to fund his SBE purchase. I doubt the thing has been fired since that day.
The Browning A5 20s have become really expensive.

Best,
Ted

They have. I corrected my last to clarify that I have both the mag 20 and a 'Light Twenty'. The one variation I don't have is the mag 12.

The 20 mag will cycle any standard 20 gauge load. The Browning brochure from 1967 was included with my gun and that was the whole sales idea with the mag 20.

There is an internet article by Wakeman to the contrary, but my gun works perfectly with a standard skeet load. I shot 75 more today.

There are two friction pieces and associated rings. For the light loads, use one friction assembly on the muzzle side of the recoil spring and store the other between the spring and the receiver. For heavier loads, stack both friction pieces on the muzzle end of the spring.

Both the 20's are good handling guns, but the mag 20 really is just like a Sweet 16.

If you find a mag 20 Ted, it's worth playing with. It's really a hoot.

When my Dad's gun came to me, in addition to the work I already described, I purchased a lefty Browning 12 gauge safety. At that time, the lefty was only available for the 12.
If that is still the case, it is going to save me a bundle of money on sweet 16s and 20 gauge A5s, that I would otherwise be tempted to chase.


Best,
Ted

Midway says they have one for 'all gauges'. $16.

Your bank account is doomed!