Browning A1 game reviewed 27 January, 2001

The Browning B25; in this case an A1 really needs little introduction. It was the first OU gun to be
made by mass production techniques. Testament to which is the fact that it is still made today in much
the same way, and to a design that has changed very little in that time.

John Moses Browning first conceived it, but most of the development work was done by his son Val,
as John died in 1925 and the first guns went into production in 1930.

Since then many thousands have been made in various grades and configurations; most of which are
probably still in use today.

This month’s second-hand gun test is on an A1 game gun. This particular gun is quite an old one. As
near as I can tell from the records that I have and the gun’s serial number, I would say built some time
in the early sixties. So it is certainly one of the very first guns produced. Although high-grade guns
were built at that time, A1’s were by far and away the most common.

And in the earlier days the gun was largely built as a game gun. It wasn’t until later that other versions
became available. Along side the game gun the next most popular version was the trap or more
commonly known at that time, the live pigeon gun. Sometime later came the skeet guns and it wasn’t
until the seventies that sporting guns really started to appear in greater numbers.

This gun was a classic of its time, with a straight hand stock and 26 ½ “ barrels; short by today’s
standards but in those days it was a fairly normal length.

The barrels are made on the chopper lump principle; in other word the two tubes are brazed together
with their lumps integral, rather than mono block where the lumps are a separate piece. The ribs are
solid side ribs; as we would expect to see on a game gun. On this particular gun the top rib is also
solid. It is quite unusual to see an OU gun with a solid rib these days, but again we have to keep in
mind, that in those days clay shooting was uncommon and so guns would rarely become hot enough
for the sight picture to become obscured by the rising heat from the barrels. However it was not long
before vent top ribs did start to become a feature both for faster cooling and it is surprising how much
difference to the overall weight of the barrels vents make.

Choking on the gun was ½ and full but that has been reduced to ¼ and ½ which is more acceptable
for most shooting circumstances. A feature of Browning B 25’s is that the chokes are very long
sometimes twice as long as some other guns. This has the benefit of giving very consistent and well
regulated patterns, which is a B25 benchmark, as up until a few years ago Browning would supply
sample pattern plates with each gun.

The gun is chambered for 2 ¾ “ cartridges; a useful feature today as it suits the majority of cartridges
on the market, but in those days most guns in this country would have been chambered for 2 ½ “.

A feature patented by Browning and still in evidence on guns made today is the sliding forend. This is
where the forend is permanently attached to the barrels. It is released by a catch underneath that
allows the whole forend assembly to be slid forwards, the cocking piece drops away from the action,
and opening the gun allows the barrel to be removed from the action for cleaning. It seems and
perhaps is a more complex forend arrangement but the thinking behind it is quite logical; we only have
two hands so it makes sense that to take the guns apart the shooter can do so easily and end up with a
piece of the gun in each hand.

It’s a practical solution to a problem, however there are a couple of minus points; one is that it is
difficult for the average owner to remove the forend completely to clean underneath. This can be done
by removing a retaining screw, but if in doubt leave the job to your gunsmith. In fairness, I have rarely
seen a B25 deteriorate under the forend, but I usually give them a light coating of grease to prevent
any rust that may be caused should water get under there. 

The other thing is that to be completely rigid when in position, the forend wood has to fit closely
around the barrel at the end; because of this when it is slid forwards over a period of time there is a
tendency for the wood to rub the blacking away over the distance of its travel. This is purely a visual
problem and is best lived with.

The action on this gun is double trigger and is very simple in its design, which speaks volumes for the
fact that B25’s have changed so little in the best part of 70 years of continuous production.

The hammers pivot from the bottom of the action, with the sears suspended above them. The sears
have lifters that connect them directly to the triggers. The safe works by blocking the upward travel of
these lifters. The safe itself is manual as is most common with the B25 in all its forms. They can be
converted to auto safe but it is a fairly complex procedure with an operating bar having to be custom
fitted to the particular gun in question. The action is plainly finished with border engraving and a black
finish. All the metalwork is finished in black on the A1.

The stock is straight hand and has fairly plain wood, which is standard on an A1. It has a small crack
running away from the top strap into the chequer but this appears to be a long standing repair, which
although is a minus point it seems to have been stable for a number of years and should give no reason
for concern.

The stock is 15 3/16 “ long including the addition of a 1” sporting pad. The type with a hard heel that
is a bit more forgiving and less likely to snag when shouldering. The gun also has a prominent left hand
cast, which has probably been added for the previous owner who I know to be left handed.

The weight of this gun is 7 lb; heavy for a game gun, but here is nothing flimsy about an A1.

Overall the condition of this gun is very good considering its age, and has probably not done as much
work as might be expected for a gun of its type. The blacking appears to be original and apart from
the earlier mentioned repair the woodwork seems to be little marked, with the chequer not having
been re-cut. Which with the fine chequer on a B25 this will wear down over the course of much
handling.

The price of this gun is £650, and it seems a reasonable price to acquire a piece of gunmaking history.

Faults to look for on a B25. Most serious is the side ribs coming loose but this can be easily rectified it
is just a fairly involved job and requires re-blacking.

Top lever springs can become weak but are simply replaced, same with main springs. Ejector slides,
particularly, will crack and break, as will extractors, but these can be replaced relatively easily.
Though this gun has the earlier type that were stronger, so no problem; makes you wonder why they
changed it?

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