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Work order — Browning Auto-5

Taking the firearm apart for a job such as refinishing, and putting it back together to specification. Generated from the Pew-Takedown entry last updated 2026-10-29. Confidence: medium.

Shop difficulty: Tier 3 of 3

About 91 key-numbered parts, a long-recoil action with a link-and-carrier relationship that must be mated as the bolt goes in, the locking-block latch and action-spring plug each held against spring force while a pin is driven, and a trigger plate full of small detents (safety ball, safety sear plunger) that fly. 91 parts (Complete shotgun (Japanese-made Auto-5 Light/Magnum/Sweet 16 list), key numbers 01-91; this page's 173 rows repeat many keys once per gauge variant). Pew-Takedown's rating, not the manufacturer's.

Bench time: strip ~90 min, rebuild ~135 min (estimate). Actual: strip ______ rebuild ______

Special tools:

• Menck corkscrew magazine-spring tool — Controlling the long magazine spring as the retainer comes out
• 3/32 in. and 1/8 in. punches — Action spring cross pin, latch pin, firing pin stop pin and hammer pin
• 0.060 in. punch — Trigger spring crosspin on newer trigger plates
• Leather strap and grips — Seized magazine cap
• Rubber-faced dead-blow mallet — Stubborn buttstock

Watch for:

• The locking-block latch sits on a spring under the bolt; on reassembly it has to be pressed down against that spring while the latch pin is pushed through receiver, latch and bolt, and on disassembly it pops out when the drift is withdrawn. (both; War Department)
• The action spring plug, spring and follower in the buttstock tube are under compression and must be held against the spring while the cross pin is driven out or in. (both; Gun Tests)
• The carrier is held by left and right carrier screws with lock screws; the screws are side-specific and the lock screws will not line up if they are swapped, and the carrier spring can fly off its stud. (reassembly; Gun Tests)
• Stripping the trigger plate frees a safety-sear follower and spring that shoot out of their hole and a loose safety ball under the trigger spring; the trigger spring must be held depressed while the crosspin goes in. (both; Gun Tests)
• Rebuilding the trigger plate means holding the in-battery safety's spring-loaded detent down with a finger while the safety drops in, with a loose ball detent under the trigger that falls out if the plate is tipped. (reassembly; McCluskey Arms)

1. Clear and make safe

1. Point the muzzle in a safe direction and keep your finger off the trigger.
2. Engage the safety.
3. Pull the bolt handle rearward to eject any chambered shell and lock the bolt open.
4. Cycle the action repeatedly, catching each shell as it ejects, until no more shells feed from the magazine tube.
5. With the action open, inspect the chamber and look up the magazine tube with a light.
   Warning: The chamber AND the tube. A shell hung up in the tube is easy to miss.
6. Physically confirm the chamber is empty and remove all live ammunition from the work area.

2. Disassemble

Field Strip

1. Complete the Clear and Make Safe procedure.
2. Unscrew the magazine cap from the end of the magazine tube.
3. Withdraw the forend forward off the magazine tube.
4. Note the exact arrangement and orientation of the friction ring, friction piece, and barrel return spring on the magazine tube before removing them.
   Warning: Photograph or sketch the arrangement. Getting it back wrong is how Auto-5s get damaged.
5. Pull the barrel forward off the magazine tube and out of the receiver.
6. Pull the bolt handle out and withdraw the bolt assembly from the receiver.

Remove the butt stock and trigger plate group

1. Remove the barrel and fore end, then hold the operating handle, press the carrier latch button and ease the breech bolt forward.
   Warning: Do not press the carrier latch button and let the breech bolt spring forward after the barrel is removed; ease it forward against the action spring.
2. Remove the tang screw locking screw.
3. Remove the tang screw from the underside of the trigger plate tang (the rear screw in the tang).
4. Pull the butt stock to the rear off the receiver and the action spring tube.
   Tip: If the stock is hard to withdraw, remove the trigger plate pin, press the carrier latch button to release the carrier, and press the forward end of the trigger plate upward slightly into the receiver.
5. Remove the trigger plate pin locking screw from the lower left side of the receiver, near the center.
6. With a pin drift, drive the trigger plate pin out from right to left.
7. Remove the trigger plate screw from the lower rear corner of the left side of the receiver.
8. Pull the trigger plate group downward out of the receiver.

Remove the carrier

1. Press the forward end of the carrier spring from under its retaining stud and remove the spring from its pivot stud.
   Warning: Be careful the spring does not fly out when you disengage its forward end.
2. Remove the carrier screw locking screws from the right and left sides of the receiver.
3. Remove the carrier screws, the largest screws in the sides of the receiver just to the rear of center.
4. Lift out the carrier.

Remove the action spring from the action spring tube

1. Press in the wooden plug at the rear end of the action spring tube.
2. With a pin drift, push out the cross pin.
3. Holding the plug with a finger against the force of the spring, withdraw the drift slowly and ease the plug and spring to the rear out of the tube.
   Warning: The spring is under compression; let it out slowly.
4. When the spring is fully expanded, pull the plug, spring and spring follower to the rear out of the tube.

Remove the breech bolt and link

1. Move the recoil spring, friction piece and friction ring forward on the magazine tube.
2. Move the breech bolt until the locking block latch pin lines up with the hole in the left side of the receiver to the rear of the shell stop.
3. With a straight pin drift, push the pin clear through the breech bolt and receiver from right to left.
4. Withdraw the drift slowly while holding the locking block latch down against the force of its spring.
5. When the drift is out, ease the latch upward and remove the latch and its spring.
6. Swing the rear end of the link downward to clear the operating slide.
7. Move the breech bolt forward out of the receiver with the link attached; the operating slide slides out of the bolt as its handle strikes the forward edge of the ejection opening.

3. Refinish

The components the procedures above separate. Coating, masking and cure are outside this database; follow your coating system's instructions. A part the manufacturer marks "factory fit" should not be swapped or reworked.

No manufacturer statement of materials or finish is recorded. Identify each part's material before choosing prep and cure.

The manufacturer's full parts list (173 parts) is on the reference page.

4. Reassemble

Remove the breech bolt and link

1. Reverse the steps of "Remove the breech bolt and link".

Remove the action spring from the action spring tube

1. Reverse the steps of "Remove the action spring from the action spring tube".

Remove the carrier

1. Reverse the steps of "Remove the carrier".

Remove the butt stock and trigger plate group

1. Reverse the steps of "Remove the butt stock and trigger plate group".

Replace the breech bolt and link

1. Clean, lightly oil and lubricate the parts before replacing them.
2. With the recoil spring, friction piece and ring moved forward on the magazine tube, slide the link and breech bolt, link first, into the forward end of the receiver so the guides on the lower face of the bolt mate with the guideways in the receiver.
3. Move the bolt rearward until half of it has entered the receiver.
4. Holding the operating slide by its handle, slip its rear end into the receiver behind the bolt through the ejection opening.
5. Hold the slide parallel to the bolt and move the bolt rearward, mating the guides on the slide with the guideways in the right side of the bolt, until the slide is seated in the bolt.
   Tip: The link must point downward for the slide to mate.
6. Slide the recoil spring, friction piece and friction ring rearward on the magazine tube in their proper order and position, and replace the fore end to hold them.
7. Slide the breech bolt rearward until the locking block latch pin holes in bolt and receiver line up, and insert the latch pin through the left side of the receiver and the left wall of the bolt to hold it.
8. Replace the latch spring in its seat in the bolt and place the latch on top of it, long flat end to the rear and drilled lug down.
9. Press the latch down on its spring, line up its hole with those in receiver and bolt, and push the pin through latch and bolt until it is flush with both sides of the bolt.
10. Move the bolt to check that the pin does not interfere with the receiver.

Replace the carrier

1. With the receiver bottom side up, move the breech bolt forward and push the link toward the top of the receiver.
2. With the carrier dog up and to the rear, slide the carrier beneath the spring retaining stud into the receiver and line up its screw holes with those in the receiver.
3. Replace the carrier screws, catching the threads of both before tightening either.
   Warning: Be careful not to cross-thread them.
4. Turn the screws until the cuts in their heads line up with the countersinks for the locking screws, and replace the locking screws.
5. Slide the carrier spring onto the pivot stud in the left rear of the receiver so that its short leaf rests on the rear of the carrier.
6. Press down the long leaf of the spring and slip it under the retaining stud head just forward of the pivot stud, holding the spring so it does not slip off the pivot stud.

Replace the action spring

1. With the breech bolt forward, insert the action spring, follower first, into the rear end of the action spring tube.
2. Push it through the tube and mate the rear nose of the link with the indent in the follower.
3. Press the spring into the tube until the head of the wooden plug is flush with the end of the tube.
4. Turn the plug until its pin hole lines up with the hole in the tube and insert the plug pin.
   Tip: A pin drift may be used to hold the plug while inserting the pin.
5. Still holding the plug, push the pin through until it is flush with the tube.

Replace the trigger plate group and butt stock

1. With the breech bolt forward and the hammer cocked, press the trigger plate group, tang to the rear, horizontally upward into the rear underside of the receiver and adjust it until the pin and screw holes in plate and receiver line up.
   Tip: If the plate does not seat easily, retract the operating slide slightly to let the safety sear enter the slot in the link.
2. Insert the trigger plate pin from the left side and push it through until its head is flush with the face of the receiver.
3. With a screwdriver in the slotted head of the pin, turn the pin until the cut in its head lines up with the locking screw countersink in the receiver, then replace the locking screw.
4. Insert the trigger plate screw from the left side of the receiver, catch the threads and turn it down tightly.
5. Push the butt stock on over the action spring tube until it fits snugly and evenly against the rear face of the receiver and the tang screw holes in trigger plate tang and stock line up.
   Warning: Do not strike the butt on a hard surface.
   Tip: The stock may be seated by striking the butt smartly with the heel of the hand.
6. Replace the tang screw and screw it in tightly until the cut in its head lines up with the locking screw countersink in the tang, then replace the locking screw.
   Tip: If the stock is hard to replace, remove the trigger plate pin and put it back after the stock is on.

Reassembly

1. Insert the bolt assembly into the receiver and install the bolt handle.
2. Set the barrel into the receiver with its extension seated.
3. Install the barrel return spring, friction piece, and friction ring on the magazine tube in the arrangement correct for the loads you will fire.
   Warning: Light loads and heavy loads use different arrangements. Consult the manual — this is not a detail to guess at.
4. Install the forend.
5. Thread the magazine cap on and hand-tighten firmly.
6. Cycle the action several times and perform the function check.

5. Torque

No manufacturer torque values are recorded for this firearm.

Notes: The manufacturer's documents give no torque value. They say: "BE CERTAIN THE MAGAZINE CAP IS SCREWED COMPLETELY DOWN FORCING THE REAR END OF THE FOREARM INTO FIRM CONTACT WITH THE FRONT END OF THE RECEIVER." (Browning Auto-5 Magnum Owner's Manual (web))

Fit or check on rebuild

• Friction ring set-up for the customer's loads — Rings set for light loads with heavy ammunition batter the gun and crack the stock; the owner needs the correct arrangement.
• Carrier screws on their original sides — Swapped screws leave the lock screws misaligned.
• Safety detent feel (trigger spring centre leg) — The trigger spring's centre leg sets safety tension and may need bending up or down after reassembly.
• Function check: safety, trigger/sear release, disconnector and feeding with dummy rounds — Standard after any detail strip; a mis-assembled sear or disconnector can double or fail to fire.

6. Function check

• Verify the shotgun is unloaded — chamber and magazine tube — before each step.
• Cycle the action by hand and confirm the bolt locks fully into battery.
• With the hammer cocked, engage the safety and press the trigger. The hammer must not fall.
• Disengage the safety and press the trigger. The hammer should fall.
• Confirm the bolt locks open when retracted and releases with the carrier release.
• Load two dummy shells into the magazine and confirm they feed and eject one at a time.
• Confirm the magazine cap is tight.
• Confirm the barrel moves rearward and returns fully forward when the action is cycled by hand — long recoil is normal on this gun.
• Confirm the friction ring arrangement matches the loads you intend to fire.

If any check fails, the firearm is not safe to fire. Stop and see a licensed gunsmith.

Sources

1. Browning Automatic-5 Shotgun Owner’s Manual — Browning Arms Company primary
2. Browning Auto-5 Magnum Owner's Manual (web) — Browning Arms Company primary
   https://www.browning.com/support/owners-manuals/auto-5-magnum.html
3. Owner's Manual, Auto-5 Semi-Automatic Shotgun Light 12 and 20 Gauge — Browning primary
   https://archive.org/download/gunmanual_Browning_Auto5Lite/Browning%20Auto5Lite.pdf
4. TM 9-285 War Department Technical Manual: Shotguns, All Types — Section VIII, Remington Shotgun, 12-Gage, M11 and Sportsman — War Department primary
   https://archive.org/download/TM9-285/TM9-285.pdf
5. How To Disassemble The Browning Auto-5 — Gun Tests secondary
   https://www.gun-tests.com/surplus-collectible/how-to-disassemble-the-browning-auto-5/
6. How to Reassemble a Browning A5 (gunsmithing blog) — McCluskey Arms anecdotal
   https://okra-pineapple-bmtb.squarespace.com/gunsmithing-blog/how-to-reassemble-a-browning-a5

Educational guide only. Some information comes from non-authoritative sources. Always consult your manufacturer's manual and a licensed gunsmith. Verify your firearm is unloaded before every procedure. Full disclaimer: https://github.com/Fundamental-build-LLC/Pew-Takedown

Legal notice: this material is third-party information compiled from sources of varying reliability and is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It is not gunsmithing, technical, safety or legal advice, it is not verified or endorsed by any manufacturer, and it must not be taken as fact. Any work on a firearm beyond the routine field stripping described in its own owner's manual should be performed only by a licensed and insured gunsmith. You use this material entirely at your own risk. Fundamental Build LLC and the project's contributors make no warranty of any kind and accept no liability for death, injury, damage or loss arising from its use. Full terms: LEGAL.md.