doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com OT: Browning Light Twelve Question

Hey guys. The A-5 "Light Twelve" has recoil rings that fit around the magazine tube and these can be arranged in two ways, one for light loads and the other for heavies. I know how to set them up in both cases, but I've never figured out when to switch from one setting to the other. Can anybody tell me what constitutes a "heavy load" by Browning's standards circa 1960? I don't want to batter the gun needlessly by leaving it on the "light" setting when I shouldn't, but likewise, I don't relish field stripping the gun halfway through a CRP field because it won't cycle the shells on hand. (I'm off on a S.D. pheasant hunt Friday, with no time to test different loads before taking this gun as a backup loaner for my brother-in-law.) Any advice will be appreciated. TT

Trying to be helpful since I am the beneficiary of TTs generosity. You may have one of these already. According to the manual, start with the heavy setting (unfortunately I did not see a reference to what constitutes a heavy setting)

http://media.browning.com/pdf/om/auto5_light_om_s.pdf

i don't know exactly where the change is supposed to occur but in my 2-3/4" chambered guns 3-1/4 dram eq and 1-1/4 oz shot loads have to have the rings in the "light" configuration. i recall shooting some 3-3/4 1-1/4 loads long ago and i'm pretty sure i left the rings on the light setting for those as well but the gun may have functioned with the rings set on heavy with those. as long as i wasn't shooting 2-3/4" magnums i just set them on light and left them alone.

Well, back ib 1960, when things were simple, the "light" setting was for "low brass" shells, and the "heavy" setting was for "high brass" shells. Today, who the hell knows?!

The A-5 has been the quintesential "down east" duck/goose gun since John Mose Browning invented it. Have seen and worked on lot's of them. Generally speaking "light" means/meant, as Don pointed out, "low brass", up to 3.25 dram and 1.25 oz. of shot. "High brass" was anything hotter/heavier. Unfortunately today one must do a bit of trial and error as the ammunition folks have such a myraid of powders to play with so that their loads will operate gas guns and make $$$. Best, Dr. BILL

There are a lot of factors involved in the friction braking of the A-5's recoil. IMO, you should try the ammo to be used with the heavy setting. Use the light setting if you get failures to function. You have to test it before hunting with it.

I had a LT A-5 in my younger days. It had it's indigestion when changing brands of light dove/quail loads . I even had to use Breakfree (teflon lube) on the mag tube for some of the lighter loads to get it to work even with the friction ring in the "light load" orientation. Putting a high tech lube on the tube really made a difference in reducing the friction and allowing certain light loads to cycle.

one i had at the range recently was short-stroking. i didn't have any sort of lubricant with me. then i realized there were 4 quarts of the stuff in my car engine. wiped the oil off the dipstick and what little was on my fingers rubbed on the mag tube had it working fine and still was 100 rds later. not so high tech. i've had fewer cycling problems out of A5's than gas guns, particularly with reloads. in fact, the only reloads i can recall not getting to work in an A5 were some 1oz loads in a 3" magnum altho it did cycle 3-1/4dr 1oz factory stuff.

Thanks, guys. I'm setting it back to "light," as most of the stuff I'm bringing is 1 1/4 or 1 3/8 ounces ... no magnum loads. Anyway, it's not like we'll be putting a case of shells through it. I'll experiment at a later date to figure out what the heavy setting will and won't cycle with. TT