A5 production history

[farmbif]

ive read stories about John browning and how he traveled the world selling the rights for production of his A5 design to lots of factories after the president of Remington died and they could solidify a deal. I think ive come across one of these guns. I cant find much info on it at all. its a very nice example of an A5 shotgun in 20 gauge with very nice gloss finished walnut and hand scroll work on the receiver. it balances perfect and works flawlessly. it is marked auto-pointer on receiver and on barrel it says Yamamoto firearms kochi Japan
does anyone know anything about the production of these

[Winger Ed.]

They went from production of the Auto 5 in Belgium to Japan in 1975.
Several other models were already being made there from the late 60s on.

People poo-poo on the Japanese ones, but most people in the know regard them as being a little better.

[pietro]

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It's an example of an infringement on Browning's patents.

Barry Mendelson was an attorney in NY who represented Browning when Yamamoto tried to back door the Auto Pointer into the US.

Yamamoto intended to use Golden Eagle, Sloans and, perhaps Marubeni to front the deal.

It was always suspected that Miroku was behind the whole operation, but this was never proven.

It was Sloans that actually brought some Auto Pointers into the US, and that's when Mr. Mendelson got into the legal battle.

Unlike US and European gun companies, Japanese companies at that time tried any and all paths to infringe on US patents and distributor agreements.

They would co-mingle their companies to that end.

In one case, they even built O/U shotguns in a factory for some time and then tore the place down, leaving no records, just an empty lot - the reason that records of many of these guns are not to be found today.

Browning and Winchester spent a lot of time in court with a host of these companies.
They never proved that Miroku was behind all of this and the A5s and Citori's were doing so well on the US market that the whole lawsuit was finally abandoned, with the Japanese saving face - but agreeing to not go forward with their master plan.

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