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

EAA XXX 01
EAA XXX 01

EAA's Witness2311 CMX XXX & SC9 XXX: A More Practical 2011 Design?

New for 2026, EAA Corp. is downsizing the Witness 2311 CMX design with the CMX XXX and SC9 XXX, two handguns that are built around an entirely new magazine.

Lessons Learned About Long-Distance Shooting at FTW Ranch

At the SAAM/Impact Precision Advanced Course offered by FTW Ranch, students learned a few important lessons about long-range shooting that others might overlook.

I Carry: Springfield Armory SA-35 Polished in a Falco C631 Gorham Holster

In our latest episode of "I Carry" above, we're taking a closer look at the details of the new Springfield Armory SA-35 Polished, and we're packaging it with a high-quality leather holster from Falco Holsters, along with a new EDC knife from Work Sharp.

ATF Suffers Major Cybersecurity Incident

On Aug. 27, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives announced that an outside group had breached its systems in what it termed a "major incident."

The Armed Citizen® Aug. 28, 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.

A Conversation About Gun-Making in America

Recently, a paper titled “The American Tradition of Self-Made Arms" written by Joe Greenlee, director of NRA-ILA's Office of Litigation Counsel,was cited by a court in an important ruling on frame-or-receiver litigation.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.