Browning Auto-5 Sweet Sixteen
Browning Arms Company · Shotgun · Discontinued · 1937
Also known as: Browning A5 Sweet Sixteen, Sweet Sixteen, Auto-5 Sweet 16
Overview
The Browning Auto-5 Sweet Sixteen is a lightweight 16-gauge, long-recoil semi-automatic shotgun, a variant of John Browning's Auto-5 introduced by Browning in 1937. Distinguished by its gold-plated trigger and the marketing promise that it would 'carry like a 20 and hit like a 12,' the Sweet Sixteen paired the Auto-5's signature humpback receiver and moving-barrel long-recoil action with the trim balance of the 16-bore. Built by Fabrique Nationale in Belgium, it became one of the most beloved upland and small-game autoloaders of the 20th century.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 3175 g (112.0 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1245 mm (49.02") |
| Barrel Length | 698 mm (27.48") |
| Action Type | Long Recoil |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 4 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Tube |
| Muzzle Velocity | 381 m/s (1250 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 2030 J (1497 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 40 m (44 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 100 m (109 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | None |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 16 Gauge · primary — also known as 16 ga, 16 bore, 16/70
Features
- Firing modes: Repeating
- Feed systems: Tubular Magazine, Four Round Under Barrel Tube Plus One Chamber
- Safety mechanisms: Crossbolt Safety, Magazine Cutoff
- Features: Humpback Receiver, Long Recoil Action, Friction Ring Recoil Brake, Under Barrel Tube Magazine, Magazine Cutoff Lever, Gold Plated Trigger, Lightweight Sixteen Gauge, Bottom Loading, Bottom Ejection, Bead Front Sight, Checkered Walnut Stock, Takedown Design, Interchangeable Barrels
Base model
Production
Production years: 1937-1976
Manufactured by Fabrique Nationale in Herstal, Belgium as part of overall Auto-5 production exceeding 2.7 million units across all gauges.
Origin
Country of origin: Belgium
Designer: John Browning
Discontinued: 1976
Notes
The Sweet Sixteen name branded the lightweight 16-gauge Auto-5; Belgian FN production of the classic model ran until the mid-1970s. Browning later revived the name on a short-recoil A5 Sweet Sixteen in 2016.
Background
The Sweet Sixteen earned near-mythic status among bird hunters for splitting the difference between the fast handling of a 20-gauge and the pattern density of a 12, and its gold trigger made it instantly recognizable in the field.