it was also widely used in Europe, Asia, and other parts of the world, solidifying its status as a global icon in the world of shotguns. The A5’s popularity wasn’t limited to the U.S. Its adoption by law enforcement agencies and its use in World War I and World War II further cemented its reputation. The shotgun's popularity soared in the United States, where it was widely used for hunting and sport shooting. This high number is particularly impressive considering the time period and the competition it faced from other firearms. Over its nearly 100-year production run, more than 2.7 million units were manufactured. The Auto-5's production and sales numbers are a testament to its popularity. The shotgun's reliability and durability made it a favorite among enthusiasts. It was offered in different barrel lengths and finishes, catering to a wide range of users from hunters to sports shooters. The Auto-5 was available in various gauges, with the 12-gauge and 20-gauge being the most popular. Its distinctive features include the long-recoil action, a humpback-shaped receiver and a five capacity magazine. The shotgun was initially produced by the Belgian firm Fabrique Nationale (FN) and later under license by Remington and Savage in the United States. Jim Tipton and I are good friends and with the constant examples of early Remington guns showing up, he feels that the Remington records that he researched for his article in 2000 were not complete nor accurate.John Browning designed the Auto-5 in the late 1890s, and after facing rejections from American manufacturers, he patented it in 1900. Sorry for such a long post but hopefully it helps. That is the initial order of 10,000 Auto 5's was produced and taken delivery of within the first year. 1903 when they entered into a contract with Remington to produce the weapons exclusively for the American market, long before 10,000 Auto 5's were produced let alone shipped to Browning Brothers Arms Company.Īlthough, Browning Arms and their historian still stand by what has been documented in their records. Vanderlinden's and Shirley's research showed that the importation of FN Auto 5's ended for all intents and purposes in Dec. When your gun was later returned to Remington for service (indicated by the numeral 3) it was stamped just like the diagram only there were no other date codes or inspector's marks to push it that far up the barrel so it was stamped directly preceeding the choke marking.Īs far a the remark about the "Mythical 10,000". It was located very near the breech or barrel extension. Your gun was produced much earlier than that and the only marking on the left hand side of the barrel when it left the factory was the choke marking (Full). Like my wife likes to tell me "you're not communicating well".įirst off the the "Date Code" diagram on the Remington Site only applies to guns produced in 1921 or later. It contains a great deal of information on the Model 11. PM me your E-mail address and I will be happy to send you a copy of the article. This accounts for serial numbers above those listed in the records for the individual years of manufacture and serial numbers not following the prior numbering nomenclature for the two Models such as the "S" preceding Sportsman serial numbers. Remington, although ceasing manufacturing, continued assembling and selling Model 11's from parts on hand, mixing parts for both Models. My 20 GA falls above the highest serial number listed as well. However, this doesn't mean the gun is not an original Model 11. The highest serial number listed for the 12 GA 5 shot Model is listed at 794,899 and the Sportsman Model is listed at 602,466. Manufacture of the Model 11 ceased in 1948. Tipton's article also notes Sportsman Models have serial numbers preceded by the letter "S". Neither of these guns have their original barrels, so the dates of manufacture of the barrels and receivers do not match. I own both a 3 shot 16 GA Sportsman Model and a 5 shot Model 20 GA. The barrel must be original to the receiver in order to date the manufacturing date of the receiver by the barrel code. In the article he lists both barrel codes and serial numbers for the Model 11. James Tipton did an article for the Remington Society on the Remington Model 11 several years ago.