Auto-5 Light Twenty

About the Auto-5 Light Twenty

The Auto-5 Light Twenty is the lightweight 20-gauge variant of Browning's legendary Auto-5, the first successful semi-automatic shotgun ever produced. Introduced in 1958, it was designed by Val Browning -- son of John Moses Browning -- who scaled down the proven long-recoil A-5 action into a purpose-built 20-gauge frame rather than simply rechambering the larger 12-gauge receiver. The result was a trim, fast-handling autoloader that Browning advertised as weighing under 6 1/4 pounds, making it a favorite among upland bird hunters, women, youths, and anyone who valued a light gun in the field. Like its 12-gauge parent, the Light Twenty operates on John Browning's signature long-recoil principle: barrel and bolt travel rearward together for the full length of the shell before the barrel returns forward to eject the spent hull and the bolt strokes forward to chamber a fresh round from the four-round under-barrel tubular magazine. It retains the iconic flat-topped 'humpback' receiver profile that made sighting exceptionally natural, along with the adjustable friction-ring recoil brake surrounding the magazine tube that lets the shooter tune the action for light field loads or heavy magnum loads. The Light Twenty was built at Fabrique Nationale in Herstal, Belgium until 1975, after which production moved to Miroku in Japan; it remained largely unchanged -- save for a switch to the rounded pistol-grip knob in 1968 -- until it was discontinued in 1997.

For over fifty years the Auto-5 was a 12-bore gun, too heavy for many upland hunters who wanted an autoloader for quail, grouse, and doves. In 1958 Val Browning finally solved that by shrinking his father's masterpiece into a genuine 20-gauge frame -- the 'Light Twenty' -- a gun light enough to carry all day yet still cycling five shots on the classic long-recoil action. It became one of the most beloved bird guns of the mid-century and, alongside the 16-gauge Sweet Sixteen, cemented the Auto-5's reputation as a shotgun for every field.

Auto-5 Light Twenty specifications

The 20-gauge Auto-5 did not appear until 1958, more than half a century after the first 12-gauge Auto-5 of 1902, because Val Browning insisted on scaling the receiver and action down to true 20-gauge proportions rather than offering a heavy over-bored 12-gauge frame. A companion Auto-5 Magnum Twenty, capable of firing 3-inch shells, followed shortly after and used a heavier barrel and receiver. Belgian-made 'Light Twenty' examples from 1958 to 1975 are the most collectible, with early guns wearing a flat-knob grip and post-1968 guns the round-knob grip preferred by many shooters. The long-recoil action must be tuned via the friction-ring stack around the magazine tube -- arranged one way for light loads and inverted for heavy loads -- or the gun may batter its stock or fail to cycle. Barrels were offered in plain, matted-rib, and ventilated-rib configurations in lengths from 24 to 28 inches, all interchangeable thanks to the takedown design.