doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com popularity of 16 guage shotguns

GF1 is absolutely right. RCC, your light 12s aren't much different in breadth than your 16s because of variation in chamber wall thickness that's not generally seen in barrel wall thickness along the length of the barrels to the muzzles. Those 16s look to have thicker chamber walls than that 12. It's along the barrel length that the slimmer 16 ga. profile is easily seen, more consistently reflecting the difference in bore diameter. Even if a 16 has a thick breech, unless the entire barrel is overly heavy the trimmer profile will be apparent nearer the muzzles.

I've never heard a discussion on the aesthetics of chamber wall thickness.

Jay

Are you sure the 14 bores are not the ultimate in the compromise of weight, slenderness, shot handling ability, etc. ? Does the 14 seem to have the best of all worlds?

The point is that with a 16 you can built light barrels with thicker walls than an equivalent light 12-bore, as well as making the action smaller.

There isn't one of you who have said a single thing I would argue with, except 16s looking slimmer than a light twelve from across the room. If they do, you all have far better eyesight than my 20/20.

But once again, the implications so often presented that the difference between most 16s and light 12s is so huge as to imply that all 12s are a blunderbusses and 16s are all lithe, little darlings, one so undesirable and inferior to the other, to which I say BULL.

Is the 16 becoming more popular? It sure seems that way. I see them at the range more often, and on gun racks as well, not to mention all the chatter on the internet about them. This thread is a testament to that as well, at six pages and still going.

I have a 30" 6.6lb lightly struck damascus Lefever 12, and a 30" heavy struck steel barreled 7lb Lefever 16, originally a duck gun. The 12 is lighter than its 16 cousin and slim for a 12, but still feels slightly larger than the 16. There's just no way around that. The 16, even at 7lbs, is my go to gun because it just feels right in my hands. I shoot it better than my 5.7lb 16 hammer gun as well, even though that gun is a very light little wand. Probably due to the long slim sighting plane and excellent follow through from the heavier barrels.

There is no denying that light 12's are very effective, but there is also no denying the "goldilox" just right subjective handling qaulities and effectiveness of a slim 16. And, with 16 ammo readily available to anyone who cares to look for it, I see no particular advantage in a light 12 over a similar weight 16 when shooting 1oz. loads.

Currently have 5 16 gauge sxs. One Merkel 122E (very hard to find gun), one Fox A grade (5 lb 10 oz), Two Fox Sterlingworth (30 and 32") and a Parker CH (1 frame) 28". The heaviest is the Parker. The Merkel is built on a true 16 gauge frame. 28" barrels and weight dead on 6 lb 7 oz.

I like them more then any other gauge. Interestingly enough, after swearing off on 12 gauge sxs, I now have 4 in the inventory. Can't figure how these things keep multiplying.

All the above said, my go to grouse gun is a Sterlingworth 20 gauge ejector with a beavertail. Looks weird, but man can I shoot that gun well. Its heavy for 20 with the beavertail. 6 lb 7 oz.

Nor is there any particular advantage in a 16 over a light 12 when shooting 1 oz loads.

The real advantage to light 12s is that there is so many more truly fine guns available in light 12s than there are similar quality 16s. A second advantage is that those 12s usually do not suffer the inflated price of the smaller bore.

I won several of each, and when the seasons end each year, my journal shows that I hunt more with those 6 pound 12s in my safe than I do with any of the 16s.

Why? Because the light 12s I own are really nicer guns than the 16s I have found. That's not to say they are not out there, but those I have seen were priced far above what a similar quality 12 in my safe cost.

Early on in this thread, I said I had L.C. Smith's in 16 ga. from hammer gun to Specialty Grade. I had forgotten about another, this one is a 1924-27 Fabrique Nationale d'Armes,16 ga. with 30" Krupp Steel barrels. It has side clips, Greener type cross bolt, fine 24 lpi checkering, Deeley type for-end release, and a raised cheek-piece stock. It weighs 6 lbs. 1.8 ozs. and is choked light mod/imp mod.(.016/.024) Chambers are 2 9/16" and bores are 17.0mm or .669.
A great gun to carry in the field and is deadly on pen raised chuckers and pheasants with light reloads. One of my favorites to use.

I have only one 16 gauge, but it is a nice one! Fun to shoot and a pleasure to look at. It is the best high grade SxS I have ever seen,of any make or grade, and a "one of a kind".
Click on my Photobucket link below to get a slide-show.

http://s1244.photobucket.com/albums/gg569/longlist1/?albumview=slideshow

21

WOW
Beautiful 1894
SWEET!!
Thanks for showing
Mike

my current favorite 16 is