I'm not saying they didn't exist but i've never owned - nor seen - an auto-5 with salt wood. but, every A5 i ever had was stocked in French walnut and it was the CA Claro that was cured in salt.
The only 3" mag i had was a very early gun with the dual recoil springs, one wound inside the other- essentially screwed together. that one, i removed one of the springs in spite of all the internet experts who've probably never even seen one telling me it was a bad idea. that one with just the one spring worked flawless with 2-3/4" shells and the rings set just like for a 2-3/4" gun, although it worked very slowly on the return stroke. But recoil was incredibly gentle. I know i ran some 1oz reloads that i'd put together for old British doubles. it was really slow, but worked.
the later guns with the single recoil spring, i don't know. My dad's had a magnum 20 since '69 or '70 and with the rings set per instructions for 2-3/4 inch shells it's likewise never malfunctioned. never. I'd assume Browning made 12's just as good as they did 20's.
BTW, on the old dual spring 12's, anybody who can't separate and re-join the springs doesn't need to be handling things like shotguns.
Roger
