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

Women outside with rifle on rest
Women outside with rifle on rest

Three Hidden Joys of the Rifle

There is a particular jolt of joy when a shooter nestles behind a perfectly stable rifle and puts the ideal bullet exactly where intended.

New For 2026: Smith & Wesson M&P15 AXE

The new Smith & Wesson M&P15 AXE is not only the latest in the company's series of AR-style rifles, it marks the first S&W rifle to be chambered for the .300 Blackout cartridge.

The Armed Citizen® July 27, 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.

Making Sense of Conflicting Court Rulings on the AR-15

Various and often conflicting judicial rulings on AR-15s tees up this critical constitutional issue for the U.S. Supreme Court, which has agreed to hear cases challenging bans of these popular semi-automatic in the coming term.

Skills Check: The Meltdown Drill

Our drill this month trains you to acquire a multi-round-durable grip from the start and continually pressure-test it under time and transition stress, holding you to an all-clean-hits standard.

EAA Corp. Acquires Manufacturing Facility in Tennessee

European American Armory’s recent acquisition of a large manufacturing facility in Mountain City, Tenn., is further evidence that the firearm importer plans to establish a domestic manufacturing presence.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.