I recently picked up a Beretta Silver Hawk, it is a 16ga, 28" tubes, very nice condition. I did some poking around online to learn about the Silver Hawks, as I know next to nothing about them, and couldn't help but notice a total lack of 16 ga guns. Have you guys run into any/many? Why do they seem to be so few and far between?

Is yours a 409 Silverhawk ?

They are kind of scarce, may be by the time they we being built the demand for the 16 Gauge had waned?

I have a circa 1959 409 Silverhawk in 16, nice gun, except for the single non-selective trigger that mine has, and the lack of ejectors.

They also seem to have a problem with ribs lifting.

Rockie, I think ALL Silver Hawks (except the modern incarnation 470/471 guns) are actually 409's with some modifications for the American market. You should find 409 stamped on the underside of the forend wood.

Storms, I think Rockie is correct. By the time the Silver Hawk came along (late 50's, I think?), the 16 was out of favor. American manufacturers had made it an orphan by touting the 3" 20ga, and by making most American 16's still in production on 12ga frames.

Pretty nice guns, although prices have gone up lately.

Look up Ron Overberg on the 16ga.com site. He's got a fleet of those guns, mostly 16's.

Thanks guys. So the only difference between 409s and 470/1s is when they were made?

One difference is that the 409s are all extractor guns.

I have a fetish for the older Beretta SxS 16ga guns. The 409PB was first made with the cross bolt and later external cross bolt went internal. I'm sure there is a more technical term for this change. I am in the process of trading a 16ga Silver Hawk for a 20ga 410 mdl.Beretta. The 16ga. seems to be priced with the same as the older 20ga Beretta Silver Hawks. I have seen asking prices in the $2000 to $2200. range. They stay listed for a long time at these prices. The ones I see sell are around $1500 to $1800 and in good shape, most with double triggers.I hope you enjoy yours as much as I enjoy mine.
Best,
Ron

Ron, have you had rib problems with any of yours ?

I have never had a rib problem with any SxS Beretta I have owned. I am not an expert in spoting a hot blued gun over a rust blued one so I am probably just lucky up to this point. My SxS collection ranges from a 1933 16ga mdl. 1010E to the 1970's with the GR2 and 426 in 16ga. I also have a couple 20ga's with no problems.
Best,
Ron

Thanks for the help guys- I have the 409.

It has double triggers, but a beavertail- which I am not a big fan of. May take her out to the range tomorrow.

I wish mine was a DT, they are really decent solid guns.

No. Sorry if I conveyed that impression. The only similarity between a 409 and a 470/471 (other than both being Beretta products) is the name Silver Hawk, which they assigned to both--thus confusing the issue. The 409 version of the Silver Hawk was available in both DT and ST versions, but all were extractor guns.