JavaScript is disabled
Our website requires JavaScript to function properly. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser settings before proceeding.

RUGER AR 556 or BROWNING A5

  • RUGER AR556

    Votes: 29 60.4%
  • BROWNING A5

    Votes: 14 29.2%
  • Other, explained

    Votes: 5 10.4%

  • Total voters
    48
I have to agree with the consensus; Belgian Browning? Get the A5. Store it if you don't shoot it because they seem to hold their value extremely well. But, with the current political environment in this legislature, we don't know what the Honorable(?) Mr. Prozanski and Ms. Burdick can convince Kate Bloomberg into pushing through to ban AR's. I have to agree here, too. Get the AR while you can. And Nammac said it straight, man, "buy both. Still under a grand." If you can push the cost, I don't think you'd regret it.
 
I had a Belgian A5 as a teenager and took more birds w it than any other shotgun I have owned. Great shooter for me. It's one I wish I had kept.

That being said, I now use a 870 ,3" magnum, w 2 barrels. One for Defense and one for birds, which I seldom do anymore.

And unless I was bird hunting a lot I would say get the AR. But really you need them both. And great choices. :)
 
It it is going to be kinda hard to convince her she needs a S&W 500. :p

My wife shot mine once. Of course she knew what she was getting in for and I'm not the a$$hat that puts full power ammo in a gun for an inexperienced shooter.

My wife's cool like that.:D
 
+1 I had a Belgian A5 that was the best bird hunting machine I ever shot!!!! It just seemed to fit me. And although all my other shotguns, about 10 of them, had vent ribs the A5 still shot the best on ducks and pheasant.

That said, if I was shooting 16yd trap or personally launched clays, I get a 26" pump. If I planned to shoot 27yd trap, I'd get a single barrel or an O/U. If I was planning to shoot Sporting Clays, I'd get an O/U with screw in chokes. If I was shooting Skeet, I'd get a 20ga O/U.

So you see, shooting clays is not just one thing. :)
 
First I have to admit I am not a shotgun guy but do agree if it is a Belgian made it is more valuable but only if you keep it clean and not abuse it. I also agree that with the AR prices being low and the state pushing a ban it might be a time to get one.

If you plan on using the guns and beating them up a bit then the resale of the A5 will go down and not be as collectable so my question is what is your plan for either gun will it be a lot of shooting and a truck gun or a collectible.

When money permits I like others feel everyone needs a good shotgun and a good battle rifle but for me even though I have both I will put several thousand rounds through my AR per year but only a couple boxes total of shot shell/slugs (50 rounds)between my 5 shotguns.

I am not a bird hunter and never got in to shooting clays of any kind so the only time I play with my shotguns is when friends come over and they want to shoot them.

My shotguns are plain I have 2 HR single shots one in .410 and one in 12 then I have a semi auto Savage 755A (there version of the A5) my dad's old 1898 Marlin in 20ga and a 18in 870 home defense that I had threaded for chokes to keep the pattern tighter.

The 870 gets the most use followed by the 755A. They are fun but not my thing.

So the question is what is your reason for the gun then buy the AR as that is what I would do. LOL

Have fun with whatever you choose.
 
Thank you all for your responses! I believe I will have to go with the Ruger AR 556. The price is right and I don't want to miss out on that. I will really only be shooting targets, but it will be there if need be for defense. Also, the A5 was an accidental purchase made by my father, who knows I really want it, so it's pretty much on hold. The A5 is pretty beat up and has a modified choke that was popular in the 50's for bird hunting, and looks heavily used for that. Not really collectors grade, imo. I'll have both eventually, but I think I should get the AR556 first, while the market is low. Plus I like the idea of building up the AR556, which I assume can easily be done right now.
Thanks again for your input!
 
I would get the AR if only one choice, but since you plan on both choices, I think the A5 is cheaper and might not be there next month or whenever, so it would be the first of two given two choices.

I own three shotguns and don't like any of them. I have shot a A5 and would buy it even as a non- shotgun liking person. Just too nice, like a Colt Python only cheaper.

The Ruger AR-556 is not a bad economy choice, it is not what a "Operator" would consider for a "Hard use" weapon. It is cheaper, not bad but lacking some of the detailed attention of the high dollar AR's offer. The Ruger will serve you well, but the AR bug is liable to bite, and you will want this and that different. At that time just roll your own.....or buy a Colt
 
FIY for the future... Modified choke = ducks over decoys, pheasant, grouse, maybe quail w/o a dog, 16yd trap. When you do come into possession, I hope you treasure it even tho it is beat up... because it was your dad's.
 
I will treasure it, but my dad bid on it accidentally while trying to zoom in on it. I'll treasure his 1911 army issues and webley's a lot more than this A5. LoL
I'm just hoping to get the Rockola! XD
 
"The Ruger AR-556 is not a bad economy choice, it is not what a "Operator" would consider for a "Hard use" weapon."

What's an "operator"? Is that like a 411 call for directory assistance?:D
I got pregnant by an operator once,, she reversed the charges on me!:s0112:

For the record I was an "operator" (operating engineer) before "operators" started calling themselves "operators". Should have trademarked the term.. :D

E
 
You can find plenty of both but pay as little for shotguns as possible. You'll find another one at the next gun show.
And the a5 doesn't raise any status,it's just another shotgun
A gun smiths said they're ubiquitous,they're everywhere,nothing to get excited about.
But for me ,neither are ARs,lol
 
I love the term operator cuz I am one, I operate CNC machines, I operate my tractor, I operate my phone yep I am an operator. O-ya I operate ARs, AKs and a number of handguns as well.

I hate to say it but I have seen Daniel Defense, Colt, LWRC and a few other name brand guns go down hard during 3 day rifle courses to a point where they had to run back up rifles and yet I have seen MP sports and Delton rifles and older (Non American) WASR AKs not fail at all so to say Ruger is not a gun for an operator is not actual fact but opinion. There are several reasons Colt lost the military contract to FN and one of them was quality issues.

There are things I would prefer it had like chrome lined barrel but sense it is not full auto it will last a very long time even in a lot of harsh conditions. I usually add a donut to the extractor but that is a preference not a requirement and the fact it has a proprietary front site and delta type ring means parts are not as easily replaced if needed unless you free float the hand guard. I tend to use my guns hard so many of mine are not pretty but I do keep them maintained.

Ruger's are good guns and so are the others but all guns are mechanical and anything mechanical can and will break no matter how expensive they are.

For day to day fun and home defense they are great but like any gun I get I will always run 3 to 5 hundred rounds through it then take it down and look for problems and if I see none then I trust it completely.
 
I didn't vote before nor did I state a preference, but I would chose the Ruger 556 long before other gun. The Browning A5, especially if a Belgium gun, may increase in value, but not much. I have a decent shotgun for the uses I want and a long barreled, old school Browning holds less appeal for me than most Browning designs. Heck, I'd take my old Remington Autoloading Rifle back before the A5.
I'm not a huge AR fan, but I know enough about Rugers that you get a damn reliable gun for little money.

Ruger AR556 for me.
 
Well seeing as your choice is already made, this is a bit late, but I'll share anyway. That A5, if Belgian made, would certainly be nice to have in the collection, but in the current political climate, I am of the opinion that we need as many AR owners out there as possible. So, for someone that supports gun rights and doesn't yet own an AR, I would encourage getting one, especially now while they're easily available, the prices have dropped and you can get lots and lots of standard capacity magazines.

I see the AR as the ultimate F You to the gun grabbing anti-gunners out there. Of all the guns we can own, the AR represents to them the pinnacle of their hatred. The "evil black rifle" is the icon of what they truly despise - our freedom to keep and bear arms. Add to that, the more AR's out there, with standard capacity 30-round magazines, the more 'common' they become. And the more 'common' they are, the more likely they, and we, are to be protected in court battles. To that end, we need as many gun owners out there as possible to own AR's - even if they're not their favorite gun, even if they don't treasure them, even if they don't shoot them often, we need them out there - I can think of no other gun that fires up the the anti's more than the AR-15, and anything that gets at them, works against them, is good with me.

So, congrats on your choice. Enjoy that evil black rifle. And down the road, grab that A5 if it presents itself again.
 
Last Edited:
I would get the AR if only one choice, but since you plan on both choices, I think the A5 is cheaper and might not be there next month or whenever, so it would be the first of two given two choices.

I own three shotguns and don't like any of them. I have shot a A5 and would buy it even as a non- shotgun liking person. Just too nice, like a Colt Python only cheaper.

The Ruger AR-556 is not a bad economy choice, it is not what a "Operator" would consider for a "Hard use" weapon. It is cheaper, not bad but lacking some of the detailed attention of the high dollar AR's offer. The Ruger will serve you well, but the AR bug is liable to bite, and you will want this and that different. At that time just roll your own.....or buy a Colt
:s0140::s0140:
And you know all this 'operator' stuff because??
AND have you ever 'run' (my pet peeve) a Ruger AR for an entire day or battle? Or any AR in battle?
I mean I'm just qualifying the source :s0092:
I'm a retired 'operator' and I'd buy the Ruger and trust my life on it......if my 308 battle rifle wasn't available,lol:s0068:
 
Operator, well could you help me place this call?
See, the number on the matchbook is old and faded
She's living in L.A. with my best old ex-friend Ray
A guy she said she knew well and sometimes hated

Isn't that the way they say it goes ? Well let's forget all that.
 
:s0140::s0140:
And you know all this 'operator' stuff because??
AND have you ever 'run' (my pet peeve) a Ruger AR for an entire day or battle? Or any AR in battle?
I mean I'm just qualifying the source :s0092:
I'm a retired 'operator' and I'd buy the Ruger and trust my life on it......if my 308 battle rifle wasn't available,lol:s0068:

Same with my S&W sport would trust it all day long. I have friends with high dollar AR's and are fighting jambs and miss feeds. When and if the SHTF you might not be able to choose your ammo. ;)
 

Upcoming Events

Tillamook Gun & Knife Show
Tillamook, OR
"The Original" Kalispell Gun Show
Kalispell, MT
Teen Rifle 1 Class
Springfield, OR
Kids Firearm Safety 2 Class
Springfield, OR

New Resource Reviews

New Classified Ads

Back Top