My Dad won this FN from Montgomery Wards in '62-early '63, he doesn't remember for sure. It's a 1S prefix(1961), solid ribbed barrel and is choked IC. He told me that it was raffled off because it had rust on the barrel and that they couldn't sell it as new. He had completely forgotten about it until a friend told him that he had won it(Mom and Dad didn't have a phone at the time). I suppose the friend told him this before he could be notified by mail. He removed the rust and cold blued the barrel and it surprisingly matched the receiver pretty close.I started hunting with it at the age of 13-14 years. It was always returned when I was through using it and for the most part in the same condition as I borrowed it. There are a few dings and scratches here and there but when you are making your way through briar patches looking for quail I think that is to be expected. I've had it in my possession for the last 25-30 years, never returned it the last time I borrowed it. He asked the other day if I still had his Browning, told him it was home in the safe. He laughed, "just checkin'" he says. I think he was reminding me about who the owner really was.

Neat gun, and neat story...thanks for sharing both!

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John

What a beautiful Browning Shotgun.....& I love the family history on it you shared.

I've never owned an A-5, but if I ever do, it would be a "Sweet 16" with IC or MOD barrel.

Thanks for sharing the pics and story behind it.

Don

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Laus Deo! <><

Beautiful gun! What a great history behind it too. I actually have written down info on how I acquired every gun I own. Every few years I go back and refresh my memory. I love the A-5's in particular the Sweet Sixteen. In the early part of the 2000's I went on a search for one. Finally put a want ad in the Raleigh News and Observer and got several interesting responses and saw some neat guns. I bought one in super condition from a guy that was selling his too make repairs on his Rolex. Bought it for $900. It is too nice to hunt with so put another ad in the paper looking for one I wouldn't mind to scratch up. This time a guy called me and said he had one and I could check it out at his beauty shop in an old money part of Raleigh. He had decided to get into deer hunting and didn't need the Sweet Sixteen anymore so he was selling it to buy a rifle. I carried my deer rifle with me to see if he wanted to trade but realized this was the last gun my father had bought me when I was a teenager. Ended up buying it for $600. This was Pre-Marriage years when I had more money to blow than I do now! I bought a spare barrel off Gun Broker and sent it off to Briley and had it shortened to 26" and had choke tubes installed. Pretty fun quail gun.

Forgot to mention they have to have the round knob or they aren't near as pretty!