It is Sweet! Gift card spent on maple A5 version

[WNC2500]

After Christmas, so many of you were wondering what to spend the Cabelas/Bass Pro gift cards on. I decided for you. I knew what I wanted, just had to find it in stock. I kept watching both Cabeals, and BPS site to see if they had them. Sunday was a blessed day in more ways than one. I ordered it, had it shipped to SC, and picked it up yesterday. I have never owned a 16 gauge but have family that have the old A5's and have shot lots of quail with them when quail were very common.

This will be my 2nd A5, and I plan to break this one in on my trip to MT this fall as I will probably get some grouse/pheasant hunting in.

Why don’t some of you share your A5’s??

 

[dirtclod Az.]

It is hard to find them' purple shells,
Unless you are reloading.
Great gun, wish I had one!
I rely on the mule killr':12ga Single shot Topper!

 

[WNC2500]

@dirtclod Az. You are right about the shells. i took advantage of the fact that Cabelas had in stock, and so did Palmetto State Armory across the street. I am good for a couple hundred rounds.

 

[glass eye]

Late 70s Jap model.

 

[EastTNHunter]

Purdy

 

[flatcoat]

Buddies brand new maple A5 had its stock crack in half on the 5th shell through it. They're taking care of it but what a bummer.

 

[WNC2500]

Uh, oh. @flatcoat, Thanks for telling me, for sure, i will be on the lookout.

 

[Jmnhunter]

curious on your guys experience with the new sweet 16's? I was leaning towards a O/U but I love how light these are. My biggest concern is the reliability/cycling?

 

[WNC2500]

@Jmnhunter I have been pleased with how it feels. If you don't own an O/U, I strongly encourage you to get that first. I have not had any issues with cycling on the A5's. I own 2, one is a 16, and another is a 12. I have never had issues with the reliability. I did have an issues with something that was 100% my fault, and I was out in the middle of nowhere MT, and they next day aired multiple parts to me. They stand buy them

 

[Jmnhunter]

good to hear WNC-i did inherit a belgium 12 which I started to use last year for pheasants and ducks which I really enjoy, which is why I want another one but in the 16 and lighter!

 

[ImBillT]

I love A5s.

had a batch of 16ga Herters with wads that wouldn’t open up, or would have only one petal open. I didn’t pattern them, but my buddy was commenting on how I was even worse than normal. Then looking for one of his dove I found a wad that wasn’t open, so I started looking for more, and found that none had actually opened all four petals. I switched to an old box of Winchester and started doing fine. After some internet searches most people said that wads failing to open or open properly didn’t hurt patterns, so I took them out again. Couldn’t hit anything. Switched to other ammo and starred shooting like normal again. Like I say, I didn’t pattern them, but I couldn’t hit anything with them. Later Cabela’s offered a different load of Herters, so I bought one box. They had a different wad. I hit stuff, and all the wads I found on the ground seemed to have opened properly. Who knows. I sure liked the price. It was cheaper than reloading.

 

[jt13]

Mmm, I like the look of the maple

 

[DouglasR]

How've you been liking this?
Seriously considering getting a sweet 16.

 

[OntarioHunter]

Buddies brand new maple A5 had its stock crack in half on the 5th shell through it. They're taking care of it but what a bummer.

Yep. Maple is brittle. Definitely avoid birdseye. I've seen two birdseye rifles break through the pistol grip.

 

[WNC2500]

How've you been liking this?
Seriously considering getting a sweet 16.

I have loved it. No issues at all and has shot great on grouse, pheasant, etc!!

 

[OntarioHunter]

1961 receiver and trigger group with later choked Miroku barrel and aftermarket plastic. It's a 3" magnum. I shoot several thousand rounds a year and two sets of wood failed so I switched to plastic. The old A-5s were long recoil action (barrel recoils and ejects shells during cycling) while the new ones are inertia action. Long recoil and gas operated have much less felt recoil than inertia. If the gun is lightweight it will hit you as hard as a pump action and probably harder than O/U.

 

[DouglasR]

1961 receiver and trigger group with later choked Miroku barrel and aftermarket plastic. It's a 3" magnum. I shoot several thousand rounds a year and two sets of wood failed so I switched to plastic. The old A-5s were long recoil action (barrel recoils and ejects shells during cycling) while the new ones are inertia action. Long recoil and gas operated have much less felt recoil than inertia. If the gun is lightweight it will hit you as hard as a pump action and probably harder than O/U.
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Nice looking blower OT

 

[OntarioHunter]

Nice looking blower OT

It's a new acquisition. For many years I used a cheap hunter orange plastic whistle. Last fall I was calling back Puppy when a rooster that doubled back on her jumped up to my side. I swung and shot and got him but forgot to spit out the whistle. It was already cracked and a chunk broke off. The local 2nd hand store had this one in a showcase. It's a nickel plated 1930s Bird brand police whistle (bird logo engraved on opposite side). Very loud. Works well ... except subzero temps. I burned my upper lip the day I shot this limit. Note to self: Remember to spit out the Bird whistle before firing ... or purchase dental insurance before hunting season.

 

[DouglasR]

It's a new acquisition. For many years I used a cheap hunter orange plastic whistle. Last fall I was calling back Puppy when a rooster that doubled back on her jumped up to my side. I swung and shot and got him but forgot to spit out the whistle. It was already cracked and a chunk broke off. The local 2nd hand store had this one in a showcase. It's a nickel plated 1930s Bird brand police whistle (bird logo engraved on opposite side). Very loud. Works well ... except subzero temps. I burned my upper lip the day I shot this limit. Note to self: Remember to spit out the Bird whistle before firing ... or purchase dental insurance before hunting season.
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Us kids call guns "blowers". lol
Sweet gun!
Love the pics with the pheasant!

 

[Redmt]

I inherited 2 A5's. The first is a 1988 12ga. made in Japan. The second is my pride and joy. Don't hold me fast on these actual dates I'm working from memory that sucks. My other A5 is an all original 1925 16ga. with 2-9/16 chamber . Several things make it rare. Most of the 2-9/16 guns were converted to 2-3/4. This one isn't. It still has all the original matching serial numbers on every piece including the stock and forend . What really makes it special is that in 1925, John Moses Browning was working in Belgium and was test firing every A5 that was built personally. I don't remember the exact date of his death but this gun was built several months before he collapsed and died. So,,,,I have an all original A5, made in Belgium, that was test fired by Browning himself. It's pretty cool to me.