Affinity for the 16 gauge

[clang]

I've only got one 16 gauge shotgun left - a Remingtom Model 1900 with 28" barrels. Cylinder & Modified from the factory - The person who ordered this gun back in 1907 must have had a pointing dog or maybe he was a grouse hunter.

 

[YaNi]

I picked up a 1950's J.C. Higgins 16ga bolt action shotgun last week. I already love it, aside from the 4 hours it took to clean all the years of gunk out of it. Modest recoil and I just have a thing for bolt guns. It really makes skeet interesting.

 

[scchokedaddy]

1 FN ,1BELGUM SWEET 16, 1JAP SWEET 16,2 1148,1 1100,1 870,1 MODEL 37, 1 STEVENS SINGLE SHOT, 1 DOUBLE W 30IN FULL AND FULL (GREAT SQUIREL GUN) ,1 DOUBLE 28IN F&M,1 28IN M&M, . Yes I LOVE the 16, use it for everything from clays to deer. Ammo is getting pricey but been shooting them for 40 some odd years and its hard to put them down. As of late have to switch to 20 gauge more for skeet and clays. AHHH THE NOSTALGIA. ps thanks for the tip on 16 gauge group

 

[avenan]

Hello, Red Label.

Im from Brazil. Im an IPSC and Trap shooter.

MVB member (Brazilian NRA)
Army reg nº 51512

I have an auto-5 fn-browning sweet 16.
It doenst exist ammo for this gun in Brazil. Only 16ga with 2-3/4 and nothing else.
To import ammo and supplies from other countries are impossible becouse of Brazilian law. I arrives here (if it does) about 5 times the original price.
So, what I figure is that I have to manually convert the 16 2-3/4 shells in order to fit in my sweet 16 with 2-5/8 chamber.
Was wondering if there is another metod, way... I love to shoot it.

 

[avenan]

Can anybody help me with my gun dating?
serial number is 69103, FN Herstal-Browning, auto-5, 16 sweet (2-5/8 chamber)

 

[Moose23]

My first shotgun was (is) an old 16 gauge, exposed-hammer Stevens single-action that my uncle gave me when I was 13 & "old enough" to hunt on my own. My dad bought that gun new as a kid, eventually gave it to his kid brother (my uncle), who in turn eventually gave it to me. I gave it to my younger brother, who eventually traded it back to me for another one of Dad's guns. Standing rules are: You can give it to any (preferrably younger) member of the family, but never sell it. My daughter will get the same speech when it gets passed on to her.
Took my first doves, quail, rabbits & squirrels with that old gun.

 

[scchokedaddy]

avenan, by the serial number youir weapon was built in 1929. INFO FROM BLUE BOOK OF GUN VALUES volume 27. Also it is pretty common to either have gunsmith lengthen chamber or send it back to browning to get it done. I have seen several changed to 2 3/4 chamber. The shorter chambering comes from european origin. Was their standard length over there, but americans wanted 2 3/4 length. Good luck happy shooting

 

[avenan]

Hello, scchokedaddy.
Thanks a Lot! I´m a gunsmith myself. Always thought about opening the chamber, however, I like my guns all original. Using a lathe, i could open the chamber easily, but it will never be the same anymore...

Tell me, theses guns you´ve seen with changed chambers.... do they ever had any kind high pressure wound? Do people use regular 16 (2-3/4) shells on these ones or they reload the ammo with 16 (2-5/8) reloading parameters?

Avena

 

[Virgil47]

I got my start in shotgunning using a 16 gauge Ivers Johnson single shot. Darn thing kicked like a mule. My dad still has it.

 

[scchokedaddy]

avenan, have seen them usede for everything from small shot to buckshot with no problems at all.

 

[avenan]

Thanks scchokedaddy

Gonna put the barrel on the lathe and see if i can get propper aligment.
Maybe i´ll open it...

sorry for the poor english.

thanks

Avenan

 

[BBroadside]

You know what's funny? I remember thumbing through gun catalogs as a kids in the early 1980s. Never saw a 16-gauge. I thought three gauges were twelve gauge, twenty gauge, and "four hundred and ten gauge" (I was just a kid!) So I was surprised to hear of them when I started really reading about guns, and decided they were on their way out.

I think I was wrong. The 16-gauge isn't going anywhere. You can't be "on your way out" for 25 years! 16-gauge has its hard core of fans, and reloaders.

 

[avenan]

Shotguns
10, 12, 16, 20, 28, 32 and 36Ga

 

[tactikel]

My buddy had a 16 ga 870 it was really a great gun. To be honest, once 20 ga 3" guns became common the sweet 16 was doomed! you get a lighter, faster gun, that takes commonly found shells. I loved his 870, but I own 6-20ga guns and 0-16 ga.