doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Looking for custom 16 gauge O/U

I posted a similar question on another board but thought the crowd here might have some different answers.

I've been looking my choices in the O/U 16 gauge market for awhile now and am pretty sure I want to order a "bespoke" or custom gun. My question is what are my choices in a reasonable price range - reasonable to me being less than 25K or so.

I have looked the hardest at the Abbiatico and Salvenelli Excalibur so far but wonder what else I should be considering. I will want a 16 gauge (which leaves a few makers out) with 29" barrels and custom stock dimensions. This will be a hunting gun.

I'm not looking to spend David McKay Brown (or other English makers) type of money but I don't want a DeHaan or Huglu either. Anybody got any other ideas?

As far as I know there are no Spanish 16 gauges that come in O/U (Kemen doesn't).

Beretta keeps threatening to do a 16, at least that's what they told me 3-4 years ago at the NY store. Might be worth a call.

Maybe Rich Cole can put some 16ga tubes on a 20ga frame.

I had a client who orderd a new O/U action from Coles. he had them file off the small amount of lettering & polish to a 400 grit & send to me. I engraved same to clients request & shipped back to Client. I suppose you might be able to have one built this way. ken

Browning made citories in 16Ga not too long ago. I see them for sale still.

I have a friend who ordered a pair of 16 gauge 30" barreled Superposed Brownings from FN. They were true bespoke guns. The guns were ordered with custom chokes, engraving, barrel length and stock dimensions and they are beautiful. Call Litts in the UK. He ordered the guns from FN for my friend.

You might want to check to see if a new owner is building Francotte shotguns again. I have a 16 ga O/U 9/40E S-33 that is as nice a gun out there. I'm sure you could have a special order built IF they are again available. The S-33 was the highest grade boxlock Francotte made. They also made a sidelock O/U but I have never seen one. There is a 12 ga S-32 O/U for sale listed on a dealers website. You might find it on some type search mode. It will give you an idea of how they are made and how they look.

How can you go wrong with an A&S!!!
All the best

Wouldn't Galazan build one of his sidelock O&U's in 16 gauge?

gw, I think FAMARS is going to be the best gun for the range of money you're looking to spend.

Thanks for the comments guys. I'm not really looking to spend FAMARS range - would rather spend 10-15K but so far I can't find what I'm looking for in the price range. Maybe I'll get lucky and find a used gun but I've been looking for a couple years and nothing really out that meets exactly what I'm looking for.

I'll check out a couple of these leads but probably still leaning towards A&S.