John Moses Browning designed the Auto 5 in 1898 and it went into production in 1902. Over 120 years later, people are still arguing about whether it is the greatest shotgun ever made. I think it might be.
The long-recoil operating system is unlike anything in modern shotguns. The whole barrel moves backward when you fire — it is a violent, mechanical ballet that somehow cycles with absolute reliability. I ran slugs, buckshot, and birdshot through a pristine example and it ate everything without a hiccup.
The history behind this gun is as impressive as the engineering. Full story and range test on the channel.