Date Historic Information Serial Number Info 1903-1939 First 10,000 shipped to U.S. Marked with 'BROWNING AUTOMATIC ARMS CO. OGDEN UTAH-U.S.A.' Very few serial number records remain. Beginning with Serial Number 1 to approximately 228,000. Exact production figures are not available.

Feb 28, 2015  I have a 1969 Browning A5 20 gauge, The serial number starts 69Z-XXXXX. The 'Z' is the question, The browning site shows that a 'G' or 'M' should follow the mfg. Date indicating a Lightweight or Standard model.

Year of manufacture on Pre-World War II production is strictly a guess. 1940-1946 From 1940 to 1946 production of the Auto-5 was turned over to Remington. Serial number is on the side of receiver. 'ABC' for American made Version. (A=16 gauge, B-12 gauge, C=20 gauge) 1946+229,000-237,000 1947 200 1948 200 1949 200 1950 200 1951 300 1952 F.N. Took over production of the Auto-5.

300 1953 300 1954-55 Serial Numbering System changed. H=Standard Weight. L=Light Weight. H1-H83000 L1-L Serial Number designation for the Light Weight changed to G. H83001-H99000 G1-G Serial Numbering System changed again. M=Standard Weight.

G=Light Weight. M22000-M85000 G0 1958-67 From 1958 serial numbers were preceded by the date of manufacture. 8M=standard weight for 1958. 8G=light weight for 1958. Example: 8M1000 = A 1958 Auto-5 standard weight shotgun with serial number 1000 G85001-G99000 8G1-8G2000 M=standard weight G=light weight 1968-76 In 1969 Browning started using two digits for the date of manufacture which was followed by a four digit code that identified the type of Auto-5: M=standard weight G=light weight This was then followed by the serial number beginning with 1000.

Example: 69G1000 = A 1969 Auto-5 Lightweight 12 ga. Shotgun with a serial number of 1000.

M-standard weight G=light weight 1976-1997 In 1976 Browning standardized its serial number identification which it followed until 1998. Auto-5 Type 151=Magnum 12 gauge 161=Magnum 20 gauge 211=Light 12 gauge 221=Sweet 16 231=Light 20 gauge 2. Date of Manufacture is a two digit code Z=1 Y=2 X=3 W=4 V=5 T=6 R=7 P=8 N=9 M=0 3. Serial Number beginning with 01001 at the start of each year. Serial Number Example: 01001RT151 This would be an Auto-5 Magnum 12 ga.,manufactured in 1976 with the serial number 01001.

1999 The Auto-5 will be discontinued for 2000. To commemorate this historic event for the Auto-5, Browning released the 'Final Tribute' version in 1999. Serial Number beginning with 1001 at the start of each year. Date of Manufacture is a two digit code 2000 (distribution began in 1999) 3. Auto-5 Type FT='Final Tribute' 12 ga. Serial Number Example: 2000FT1001 This would be a Auto-5 'Final Tribute' 12 ga., manufactured in 1999 with the serial number 1001.

1930 is the correct year for the receiver. That's the easy part. Auto-5 serial numbers ran concurrently for the 12 gauge until 1957. After that Browning imports used letter prefixes to differentiate the various models.

Sometime after 1957 FN also changed how they marked World Market guns. But for any pre-1957 12 gauge or pre-WWII 16, this is a useful reference: I doubt the S-prefixed number on your barrel is the serial number. If your barrel has a serial number, it will appear in the barrel ring like this: FN stopped matching the barrel's serial numbers to the receiver's in 1953, and I believe later barrels had no serial number. They had numbers, but not serial numbers. Another way to date a barrel is with the date code. In the following picture you can see the letter 'h' in script. According to this source, my '1930' Auto-5's barrel was produced in 1929.

The ring on my barrel has a serial number matching my receiver, but I also have a number on the barrel that I cant explain using any resources I know of. I can date the gun and barrel with the serial, so the suggestion that the first two digits are a year doesnt hold up in my case. The markings which have me stumped are the ones on the face of the receiver, the number on the barrel as mentioned above, a '1' on the barrel and an 'infinity' or 'lazy 8' on the barrel and finally 'T196' on the barrel and barrel extension - Im making the assumption that this is a torque setting in Nm. Sorry Rudolph, my bad. I should have reread before posting. E prime serial number crack key codes.