Browning Auto-5
| Factions | Weapon | Icon | Classes | Ammo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 US |
 Browning Auto-5 |
 |
Special Loadout Zombies |
4+1 / 24 |
| Damage Base | Headshot × | Chest × | Stomach × | Leg × | Arm × | Bayonet | Rifle Grenades | Reload Speed | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Partial | Empty | ||||||||
| 27×6 | ×2.5 = 67.5 | ×1.5 = 40.5 | ×1.25 = 33.75 | ×0.9 = 24.3 | ×0.85 = 22.95 | YES | NO | Seconds | Seconds |
| Designation | Weapon Type | Fire Modes | Fire Rate | Bullet Spread ° | Range Modifier | Muzzle Velocity | Projectile weight | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [[]] | Shotgun | Semi | 240 RPM | 9° & 3° ADS | 0.85 | 403 m/s | 0.7 g (10.8 gr) | 3.6 kg (7.94 lbs) |
| Full name | Caliber | Place of Origin | Date | Manufacturer | Barrel Length | Total Length | Weapon Script Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FN | 12 gauge | United States of America | 1902 | Browning | in ( mm) | in ( mm) | weapon_auto5 |
The Browning Auto-5 is a recoil-operated semi-automatic shotgun designed by John M. Browning and produced in several gauges, most commonly 12 gauge (with other gauges offered over its long production life). It is best known for its long-recoil operating system and distinctive “humpback” receiver profile. The Auto-5 is widely regarded as the first truly successful semi-automatic shotgun design, remaining in production for decades across multiple manufacturers.
HISTORY
John M. Browning finalized the Auto-5 concept in the late 1890s and patented its long-recoil mechanism in the early 1900s, creating a shotgun in which the barrel and bolt recoil together before cycling the next shell. Production began in the early 1900s at Fabrique Nationale (FN) in Belgium for Browning, and the design’s reliability and speed of fire quickly made it popular with hunters and sporting shooters. Over time, closely related versions were also produced under other names and makers, but the original Auto-5 pattern remained recognizable for its recoil-operated action and high-backed receiver.
In the Vietnam War era, the Auto-5 was primarily a civilian and sporting shotgun rather than a standard-issue U.S. combat shotgun. Shotguns did see extensive field use in Vietnam for close-range fighting and clearing positions, but official issue was dominated by pump-action models, with only occasional privately obtained shotguns appearing in the field. As a result, an Auto-5 would be more plausibly encountered as a personally acquired weapon than as a routine, issued infantry arm during the conflict.
Sources
- Browning — Auto-5 Semi-Automatic Shotgun (production history/date information)
- NRA National Firearms Museum — Browning Auto-5 Semi-Automatic Shotgun
- American Rifleman — Browning Auto-5: The First Successful Semi-Auto Shotgun
- American Rifleman — Combat Shotguns of the Vietnam War