How Do I Swap My Browning A5 Barrel?
The Browning Auto-5, also known as the A-5, was the world's first semi-automatic shotgun. When a shell fires, the recoil drives the barrel back, cycling the action. A recoil spring then pushes the bolt and barrel forward, strips a new shell from the magazine and chambers it. Later-production A-5's have threaded, replaceable choke tubes, but earlier ones do not. The entire barrel must be changed to change choke sizes. The barrel must also be removed when servicing or replacing the recoil friction rings.
Instructions
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1
Empty the magazine and pull back on the charging handle to retract the bolt and lock it in place. Insure there are no live rounds in the chamber.
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2
Stand the gun on end, with the barrel facing upward. Grab the barrel and push down slightly to compress the recoil spring.
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3
Unscrew the fore-end cap and remove the fore-end, then ease pressure off the barrel to unload the recoil spring. Pull the barrel forward out of the action.
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4
Align the new barrel's guide ring over the magazine tube and push the barrel into the receiver, compressing the recoil spring. Align the slots in the receiver extension with the track guides inside the receiver as you do this.
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5
Keep the spring compressed and install the fore-end, then screw and tighten the fore-end cap. Release pressure on the barrel.
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6
Manually cycle the action to check for proper operation.
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Tips & Warnings
The bolt must remain locked back during the barrel swap. It the bolt is allowed to spring forward without the barrel in place, it could damage the receiver.
