Browning Auto-5

Landmark model
Out of production

Specifications

Maker: Browning
Type: Shotgun
Action: Semi-automatic
Era: Classic (1890–1945)
Produced: 1902–1998
Magazine: 5 rounds

Chambered in

12 gauge
16 gauge
20 gauge

Stock

Wood

What it is worth

$800–$5,150

Well-worn to unfired · priced 2026-08-05

Blue Book of Gun Valuesvalue guide$3,050–$5,150 2026-08-05
Blue Book of Gun Valuesvalue guide$800–$1,350 2026-08-05
Blue Book of Gun Valuesvalue guide$1,925–$2,800 2026-08-05

Indicative only. A second-hand gun is worth what its condition, chambering and provenance say — these are published figures, not an offer.

Chapter 01

Overview

The first successful semi-automatic shotgun, patented by John Browning in 1900 and made until 1998 — a production run of nearly a century. Browning considered it his finest achievement, and he was not a modest man about his other designs.

Chapter 02

How it works

Long recoil: barrel and bolt travel all the way back together, the barrel returns alone, and the bolt follows behind it. The friction rings under the forend have to be stacked correctly for the load being fired, which is the one piece of knowledge an Auto-5 demands and punishes you for lacking.

Chapter 03

In the field

Waterfowl and rough shooting for four generations. The squared receiver — the "humpback" — puts the eye on the rib without a bead, and the gun is heavy enough that a day of 3-inch magnums is bearable.

Sources

Written from: Browning Auto-5 — Wikipedia — read 2026-08-05

Cross-reference