Johnny Morris’ Browning Auto-5 Shotgun

By NRAHQ

by Jim Supica, NRA Museums Director Note: This article was originally posted on NRA Blog

USA -(Ammoland.com)- At the entry to the NRA National Sporting Arms Museum at Bass Pro Shops in Springfield, Mo., a single-gun display features a well-worn shotgun. It’s a Browning Auto-Five. The second most popular semi-auto shotgun design in history, it was the first commercially successful self-loading shotgun that was introduced in 1902 and produced through 1998.

This particular A5 has been “rode hard and put away wet.” A worn rubber buttpad has been added, the cracked stock is held together by electrical tape, and the high tech sighting device is a ball of white medical tape wrapped around the muzzle.

This particular firearm doesn’t have fancy engraving nor is it a great rarity. It is, however, one of the most relatable guns in the museum. Stand by the case for a bit, listen to the visitors, and you’ll hear conversations alike: “Granddad had one like that,” or “I used one of those the first time I went hunting with my uncle,” or “My buddy had one; kicked like hell, but he brought down birds with it.”