There is something about a stately old shotgun that lures us in and tempts us to pick it up, shoulder it and dream of where it's been. Worn bluing and scarred walnut gives a hint of the days in a duck blind, grouse woods or a trap and skeet field. Posted on 11/26/2018 5:03:54 AM PST by w1n1
There is something about a stately old shotgun that lures us in and tempts us to pick it up, shoulder it and dream of where it's been. Worn bluing and scarred walnut gives a hint of the days in a duck blind, grouse woods or a trap and skeet field.
Most of those venerable shotguns started out in factories and on gun shop racks, and hunters and shooters across America chose the ones they thought were best. Eventually, the greatest guns stood out. Here are 10 shotguns that I believe must be considered among the classics.
BROWNING AUTO FIVE
Many would consider John Moses Browning a genius, a point to which the Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR), the Browning .50-caliber machine gun and the Colt 1911 pistol can attest. Browning also designed the Automatic Five shotgun (four in the magazine, one in the chamber) in 1898 and first took his idea to Winchester, a company he had done business with on many other projects. Things did not work out at Winchester or Remington at the time, and Browning next landed at Fabrique National. Soon after, the Automatic Five shotgun was first made in Belgium in 1902 (hence the moniker “Belgium Browning”).
Browning later secured an agreement with Remington in 1905, and the newly rebranded Remington Model 11 became the first autoloading shotgun made in America. Many will tell you that the A5 is known for kicking like the proverbial mule. To some fans of the A5, it will always be known as the “Humpback” due to its trademark squared receiver. Most who shoot the A5 say that the gun shoulders very nicely and is quick to get on target.
REMINGTON MODEL 31
Remington trotted out an elegant firearm in 1931 that many would consider a gold standard for pump shotguns. The reason for this was the intricate hand fitting of parts that contributed to the smooth action of this pump gun. The Model 31 appeared in August of that year and retailed for $48.50 (roughly $750 in today’s market).
Remington aimed at pushing Winchester out of the pump shotgun market, and the company called upon a couple of in house gun designers, C.C. Loomis and John Pederson, to do it. Both men had learned from John Moses Browning. From the start, the Model 31 pump gun was known for a slick action achieved by hand-fit parts.
This system was neither fast nor cheap. In the end, the wonderful, clock like workings of the Model 31 may have been its downfall.
BROWNING SUPERPOSED
Val Browning, son of John M. Browning, finished the work on his father’s last firearm. John Browning died while working on his revolutionary concept for a double barrel shotgun in 1926. The elder Browning decided to superimpose the barrels one on top of the other instead of the traditional side by side, and this configuration became known as “superposed.” This elegant but moderately priced shotgun hit the market in 1931 with a retail price of $107.50. That was a lot of money back then, but a working man could afford one if he scrimped a little. Val Browning perfected his father’s design, and a few years later, the Superposed was equipped with a single selective trigger. Read the rest of best shotguns.
He’s special, that’s for sure. We need to always treat him fairly about everything all the time. :)
I have the Savage clone of the A5 that was passed down from my father. It’s the only shotgun I’ve ever fired that left my shoulder bruised after just half a box of low brass 7 1/2 shot target loads.
I guess I’m just a wimp.
The Humpback can leave a mark on an uneducated shoulder.
+1
Browning Belgium 16, rumored to be taken from the German SS after D-Day. Can’t prove it other than the grandpappy was in D-Day.
Still a sweet swinger (pun intended) and a dead-nuts on rabbit/dove shooter.
Been shooting A5s, 20 and 12 ga since I was 10.... for 62 years. You got to set the friction rings correctly for the load you are shooting and keep tube and friction rings free of oil, dry or it will kick really hard.
We have the Mossberg 500 tactical but the first shotgun I ever shot was my dad’s Browning pump. Kicked like a mule.
The tubular magazine under the barrel has a five-round capacity, and there is no disconnector in the fire-control system, allowing the shotgun to be slam-fired. Holding the trigger down and pumping the slide will fire the gun as the bolt locks into the breech. This feature has been discontinued in modern shotguns, but it ensured the ’97’s popularity as a military trench gun.
Great way to burn through some ammo, and great fun. :->)
Good point.
I generally shoot 2 3/4 high base shells.
Got an old 97.... thought it would have been on the list. Still shot it in cowboy matches and was my dove and squirrels gun for years... Slam fire make it great for cowboy and steel matches.
I love my Mossberg 930 SPX. Something about 8 rounds semi-auto that just gives me a thrill. For those who mistakenly think the sound of chucking a round will cause your attacker to crap their pants and run away all I can say is do you really want to bet your life on it? If you don’t already have a round in the chamber so all you have to do is flip the safety, aim, and pull the trigger you will probably die. Its as dumb as going conceled carry witjout a round chambered. When the SHTF most people get rattled. Only frequent training and a fully prepared to fire weapon will help you overcome an attacker.
I think that's overstating things a bit. If you want to keep one in the chamber you can do so with either a pump or semi - there are arguments for both ways. Whether to go pump or semi is merely a matter of personal preference both are fine shotguns.
I, too, have a LC Smith 20 ga FG double. What a sweet shot when squirrel hunting. I also have a Remington Model 11 of Browning A5 heritage. I inherited both from my father and he from his father. Both guns are still used as they have been over 100 years. Gotta get the Model 11 fixed, the firing pin dropped out.
And if the A5 were all that great, it still would be being manufactured and Browning wouldn't have tried to build two (2!) successors. It's time has passed. I own Belgian and Japanese A5s in ever gauge they were made in and I'd rather shoot 100 rounds through my gas-operated 12-gauge Browning Silver Hunter than run one box of shells through any of those other mare's legs.
The MPs said "Sergeant, these are the property of the people of Belgium..."
Got my first A5 16 ga. for Christmas in 1953. Also have 3 other Brownings, 12 ga. superposed, one for hunting 2 for trap. Love my Winchester model 12 also Gotcha by a few years but bet you love your A5 as much as I love mine. So many great memories hunting with my dad, mom, aunts and uncles too.
You are a lucky man! I am so jealous.
12 ga... ahhhh my mouth is salivating. Ugh!
I have Remington 870 (left hand) and a Mossberg 590A. That Mossberg is a sweet piece of black, tactical, scary shotgun.
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