NRA Gun of the Week: Browning A5 Sweet Sixteen Shotgun

by
posted on June 10, 2017
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **

Making its debut as the Automatic-5 in 1903, Browning’s A5 is a classic. But the current model is not your granddad's Auto-5. The current Browning A5 Sweet Sixteen, while it retains aesthetic cues that memorialize that original, long-recoil action, is built on a scaled, 16-gauge receiver, and utilizes Browning’s Kinematic Drive system. A rotating bolt engages the recesses within the 28” barrel’s receiver extension when in battery. And a tubular magazine feeds the aluminum receiver up to four shells. A pistol-grip-style stock and fore-end made from walnut is gloss-finished over a dark wood stain.

Visit browning.com for more information, and watch this week's NRA Gun of the Week video hosted by American Rifleman's Kelly Young.

Specifications:
Manufacturer: B.C. Miroku (Japan)
Importer: Browning US
Model: A5 Sweet Sixteen
Action: inertia-operated, semi-automatic shotgun
Gauge: 16; 2 ¾” chamber
Receiver: aluminum; black-anodized finish
Barrel: steel; deep-blued finish
Trigger: 5-lb., 12-oz. pull
Magazine: tubular; four-shell capacity
Sights: fiber-optic pipe at muzzle, white bead mid-barrel
Stock: walnut, pistol-grip-style
Weight: 5 lbs., 8 ozs.
MSRP: $1,700

Latest

firing a musket rifle
firing a musket rifle

Today’s Makers of Yesterday’s Firearms

Original firearms from the American Revolution era are valuable and best preserved for posterity. For those who want to shoot them, several modern makers offer quality reproductions.

Left Turn (Bolt): Tikka's New Left-Handed T3x Ace Rifles

Lefties of the world unite and rejoice, as Tikka has announced left-hand versions of its award-winning T3x Ace chassis rifles.

The Armed Citizen® Sept. 14, 2026

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

Skills Check: Rifle Standard Delta 2

Carbine performance is all about maintaining control. The Rifle Standard Delta 2 is a drill that pressures recoil control, visual discipline and cadence as distance decreases and time compresses.

Gun Sales Up for the 7th Month in a Row in 2026

The National Shooting Sports Foundation’s (NSSF) estimate of last month’s gun sales was up 2.2 percent compared to August 2025.

Caring For & Feeding Your Cap-and-Ball Revolvers

Compared to pistoleros of the 19th century, today’s handgunners have it easy. It's not enough just to get an old-school, cap-and-ball revolver. You also need to acquire everything to shoot and clean it.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.