5052 aluminum alloy sheets of 2mm thickness were butt welded using a continuous wave Nd:YAG laser with and without Ar shielding gas. Vickers hardness, transverse-weld tensile and bulge tests were carried out to investigate the effect of Ar shielding gas on the mechanical properties and formability of laser welds. Porosity in the weld metals was investigated using an optical microscope. Mechanical properties and formability of 5052 aluminum alloy laser welds were degraded compared to those of base metal. However, those properties were improved due to the reduced size and number of porosity when Ar shielding gas was used.