The September edition of GunBroker.com’s Top Selling Report, presented by GunGenius.com, stands as a testament to the genius of John Moses Browning and his invention of the original autoloading shotgun. The design became known as the Auto-5, or A5, and more than 125 years after it was conceived, that shotgun is still holding steady on the used market in the number two spot for used semi-auto shotguns.

That’s an impressive feat considering that the design almost withered on the vine. Today, we take semi-automatic shotguns for granted. You can find all sorts of different makes and models readily available on the market today. However, it was a radical new concept in 1898; it was a pioneering idea at the end of the 19th century.

When Browning came up with the idea for an autoloading shotgun – the very first of its kind – it led to the end of his Winchester partnership that had lasted for decades. Without the company that had bought literally everything he presented to them, he took the idea to Remington. Though very interested, the company president died of a heart attack while Browning sat waiting for their meeting. Once again, he was left without a manufacturer and the gun’s future was uncertain.

An ocean away in Belgium, Browning’s relationship with Fabrique Nationale breathed new life into the shotgun in 1902. They jumped at the opportunity to make it and production began almost immediately.

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This revolutionary new shotgun worked with a long-recoil method of operation. The barrel and bolt stay locked together during recoil, compressing the recoil spring. The bolt then locks to the rear while the barrel is forced forward by the spring. The bolt stays at the rear of the action until the barrel returns to its original position. During this operation, the spent shell is extracted and ejected and then a new shell is lifted into the receiver from the magazine. Upon completion, the bolt is released and forced closed by the recoil spring. At this point, the gun is ready to shoot again.

The new shotgun was distributed worldwide by FN – except in the United States. Tariffs were prohibitive, so Browning worked out a deal with a domestic manufacturer: Remington. Instead of the Auto-5, they called it the Model 11 and it, too, was a smash success.

Overbuilt from steel and wood, the Auto-5 would eventually be made in 12, 16, and 20 gauge models with varying barrel lengths, rib options, and ‘light’ or ‘heavy’ configurations. Production of the Browning Auto-5 ceased in 1998, a full century after the gun was originally conceived. That’s some serious staying power.

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While you can no longer get a new Auto-5, Browning gave a nod to the original design when they introduced the A5 in 2015. Visually, the gun retains the same iconic humpback receiver profile, but the similarities stop there.

The Browning Auto-5 developed a cult following with a deeply loyal base of shooters. Perhaps that’s why the gun is still going strong on the used market.

Top Selling Guns Sold in September 2024

Source: gungenius.com/top-selling/

To learn more or shop for any of the guns listed, visit Gun Genius at www.gungenius.com/top-selling.

Editor’s note: In the report, guns are rated from one to five within each category, with the number one gun being the most popular that month. The numbers are color-coded to show any changes in the ranks from the previous report.

Black = Steady
Green = Up
Red = Down

Source: gungenius.com/top-selling/

To learn more or shop for any of the guns listed, visit Gun Genius at www.gungenius.com/top-selling.