Hey Allen, at least it doesn't have a black polymer stock. Sounds like a good deal to me.

I have my fathers Browning A-5 20ga. 26" Improved cylinder as well. This is the early version with the round knob-long tang and reddish stock finish with the rust blued action. It was made in 1962(best era in my opinion). He bought me a later 1970's A-5 20 ga, when I was about 12. These Browning 20 gauges with the Imp. cylinder chokes were the perfect gun for all the coveys of Quail in southern Ohio we had back in the early 70's. The best part though was spending time with my father and brother in the fields with our great Brittany Jinx.

I have an auto five with a "skeet" choke tube screwed into it, and it is a Belgium gun. I have no idea what kind of a choke tube it is. No brand name on it.

THE Auto-5
 

I can't resist a really clean Belgian Auto-5 1960-1966. I guess it all started when my older brother got one for Christmas in 1964. I have my Dad's Light Twelve and will forever. Those WWII guys came back after being exposed to the semi-auto and full auto stuff and the side x sides just didn't do it anymore. I have several now, including the 3 shots and grades 2 and 3. They were made by the master and he did it well; just like everything else he did.

My father bought a new 12 gauge Auto 5 and did not like it. Dad said it was to heavy to carry in the field all day and he was staring into that "hump" every time he threw it up to his shoulder. He traded the Browning for a Remington 878 with a 28" modified choke and promptly had the barrel shortened. He never bought another shotgun. I never saw him miss a bird. That 878 rests in my gun safe, and will until I am gone. Unfortunately, there is no one else in the family that appreciates firearms that I can leave it to.

My dad had a 16 ga. A-5 with serial number 1912.I always thought that meant the date of manufacture when I was growing up. When my dad was in his mid 80's unfortunately, he sold it for $250 to a cousin of my wife. I was very pissed at both my dad and wife's cousin and tried to find out who ended up with the gun but never did. I ended up buying a 12 ga. A-5 that was made in 1927 about 5 years ago that was in great condition but later sold it to a coworker that wouldn't stop begging me to sell it to him.

My favorite squareback is a Model 11 Remington 20 gauge with a round top conversion and extended trigger assembly, probably made by Griffin and Howe or Abercrombie and Fitch. The stock was made to cover up the squareback, but I don't know why the trigger mechanism was moved back. I have seen one other like it, also a 20 gauge. No markings to identify the maker. Does anyone know what I have?

A lot of folks don't know that the round knob A5 20 gauge is the scarcest of the A5s. Browning did not start making 20s until 1958. In 1967,they went from the round knob to the square knob stock. So the round knob 20 was only made for 8 years. If you look on gunbroker or gunsinternational you will see 50 or 60 12s and sweet16s, but less than 10 20s and only one or two round knob 20s. Very hard to find.

Auto-5 12 gauge
 

This just popped up on GI. Although, it's been re-done, it has nice wood and it's a good looking pre-war gun. It looks like a grade II or a transition to the grade I. Browning may be able to provide a letter on it saying what exactly it is; grade II or grade I. If desired, Art can reestablish the missing engraving around the bolt release button and the zigzag border. Or just shoot it the way it is. Only $900 bucks. Toys...
X
https://www.gunsinternational.com/gu...n_id=103174312

I would have to check my Browning book for sure but I think the 20 gauge only had the rust blued actions from 1958 to 1963 and started Dulite bluing them after that. It took me years to find the rust blued version that was still new in the box. I should have never let this gun go but my brother wanted it to raffle in a quail unlimited banquet. If it had been choked imp. cylinder instead of full-I probably would have kept it.