Is it safe to shoot slugs through a 20 year old Belgium made A-5 with an improved cylinder barrel?

No, it is not safe to shoot slugs through a 20 year old Belgium made A-5 with an improved cylinder barrel.

The Browning Auto-5 shotgun is a long-recoil operated semi-automatic shotgun that was first introduced in 1898. It was designed by John Browning and was manufactured by Fabrique Nationale (FN) in Belgium until 1974. The A-5 was then produced by Browning Arms Company in the United States until 1998.

The A-5 shotgun was originally designed to fire 2 3/4-inch shotshells. However, in the 1930s, Browning introduced the A-5 Magnum which could fire 3-inch shotshells. The A-5 Magnum was designed with a stronger receiver and barrel to withstand the higher pressures generated by the 3-inch shells.

The improved cylinder choke is the most open choke available on the A-5 shotgun. It is designed to disperse the shot pattern over a wider area, making it ideal for close-range shooting. However, the improved cylinder choke is not suitable for firing slugs.

Slugs are solid projectiles that are fired from shotguns. They are typically used for hunting large game, such as deer and elk. Slugs generate much higher pressures than shotshells, and they can damage the barrel of a shotgun that is not designed to fire them.

If you want to shoot slugs through your A-5 shotgun, you will need to have the barrel fitted with a full choke. A full choke will restrict the spread of the shot pattern, making it more accurate for long-range shooting.