The death of the 16 Ga....Why?

[Gunner46]

Many Moon's, Season's ago the 16 Ga was an ever present and respected shotgun in the field. Today, it's nearly nonexistent.

WHY?

Allow the discussion to begin....

 

[Knight.54]

The 3” magnum 20 gauge.

 

[Slm864]

I didn’t know it ever really caught on. I thought people bought them to have every gauge shotgun in the safe. I’ve used my 16 a few times over the years and it’s not my go to shotgun by any means.
20 gauge - youth/small frame shooters
12 gauge - everyone else that needs a shotgun

I feel the 16, 28, 410 are more novelty shotguns. I like them but rarely get them out anymore. The fact you can buy a new 12 gauge for under 250 probably deters people from looking at the 16 gauge as well.

 

[Ridgerunner6901]

For me it was when my Ithaca model 37 malfunctioned as I was clambering a round to shoot a double causing the magazine tube to explode and scare the living shit out of me, never bought another. 16 gauge took alot of birds, bunnies and turkey for me, but that was before turkeys knew you needed super full chokes, 3.5" magnums and tungsten shot to bring them down.

 

[mdhunter]

All I remember when shooting a 20 gauge as a kid is that I wanted to be shooting a 12 gauge like the men.

 

[Guest member 25165]

There are no registered shooting sport events that recognize the 16 gauge. If you want to shoot it, you are shooting with 12 gauges. This is one of the biggest reasons why ammo is not top priority for manufactures that supply trap, sporting clays, or skeet shooters.

 

[jejack26]

Market decisions before my time, but on a side note found a bunch of 16 gauge trap loads now need a gun. 50 years from now someone will be asking why why odd calibers made a come back around 2021

 

[BrentD]

Many Moon's, Season's ago the 16 Ga was an ever present and respected shotgun in the field. Today, it's nearly nonexistent.

WHY?

Allow the discussion to begin....

I don't know WHY this topic even begins. But it does. Over and over and over again on countless forums.

The 16 is not dead. You can buy'em, shoot'em, sell'em, whatever. If that's dead, then so is the 12, the .30-06 and the .45 Colt. Let's get over this 'dead' thing and move on.
Anyone with a nice sleek, light, 16 gauge double for sale, please PM me. I'm in the market for one of these dead guns.

You do know that you started this thread at least 3 hrs too late? It is not April Fools Day anymore.

 

[grandejuan]

I've always wondered why Val Browning chambered the A-5 in 16 gauge (the "Sweet 16" ) and never chambered the Superposed in 16 gauge. Really doesn't matter now or then. GJ

 

[Panda Bear]

The 16 is not dead. You can buy'em, shoot'em, sell'em, whatever. If that's dead, then so is the 12, the .30-06 and the .45 Colt. Let's get over this 'dead' thing and move on.

and--still find ammo for them--

my husband would also argue the 16 is not dead. He bought a Browning A5 16 gauge a couple of years ago and loves it.

 

[OntarioHunter]

There are no registered shooting sport events that recognize the 16 gauge. If you want to shoot it, you are shooting with 12 gauges. This is one of the biggest reasons why ammo is not top priority for manufactures that supply trap, sporting clays, or skeet shooters.

There is nothing to stop one from shooting any of the range sports with any gauge they want. I shoot skeet every week with guys who use .410 or 28 gauge. No one uses 16 gauge because the hulls for reloading are very hard to come by. As to competition limiting ammo availability, I'm sure the manufacturers sell as much if not more field ammo for 12 and 20 gauge. Incidentally, Browning is now making 16 gauge trap ammo and I think Federal recently started doing same.

I think 16 gauge would be an excellent trap gun for ladies. Enough weight to not be whippy like 3" 20 gauge yet with enough punch to reach out there. For same reason I think it would be a great gun for pheasants. Personally, a heavy gun for uplands doesn't bother me that much. Swings better for me. I pack perhaps the heaviest 12 gauge auto ever made (31" Browning A5 Magnum Twelve). It is a chore some days but good exercise which I desperately need. I shoot it very well because it fits very well. I also have Model 12 in sixteen gauge (my very first gun) that I'd love to bring along for pheasants but besides being hard to find ammo, it has fixed full and that won't work on the refuge I sometimes hunt where steel shot is required.

 

[Ben Lamb]

The 16 is dead. Long live the 16.


The 16, 28 & 410 have solid followings, and they're prized by many upland hunters. The 12 & 20 are industry standard, because that's what people bought, so ammo manufacturers put their R&D where it belongs - with the best sellers.

The 16 hangs on because it carries well, especially in a properly framed firearm. It has significant punch, mild recoil & covers the ground between the 20 and 12 well. as an upland gun, you can't find a more suitable shell to chase grouse, pheasants, etc. The 28 is in that same camp - a more refined round for a refined palate. Not my speed, but the folks I know that shoot 28's are damned good wingshots & swear by them in terms of terminal performance.

Now, where's the 14 gauge? The 24? The 13? That's the real question.

 

[Guest member 25165]

There is nothing to stop one from shooting any of the range sports with any gauge they want. I shoot skeet every week with guys who use .410 or 28 gauge. No one uses 16 gauge because the hulls for reloading are very hard to come by. As to competition limiting ammo availability, I'm sure the manufacturers sell as much if not more field ammo for 12 and 20 gauge. Incidentally, Browning is now making 16 gauge trap ammo and I think Federal recently started doing same.

I think 16 gauge would be an excellent trap gun for ladies. Enough weight to not be whippy like 3" 20 gauge yet with enough punch to reach out there. For same reason I think it would be a great gun for pheasants. Personally, a heavy gun for uplands doesn't bother me that much. Swings better for me. I pack perhaps the heaviest 12 gauge auto ever made (31" Browning A5 Magnum Twelve). It is a chore some days but good exercise which I desperately need. I shoot it very well because it fits very well. I also have Model 12 in sixteen gauge (my very first gun) that I'd love to bring along for pheasants but besides being hard to find ammo, it has fixed full and that won't work on the refuge I sometimes hunt where steel shot is required.

I said registered events. There is no 16 gauge class. The only class a registered shooter can compete in if they want to use a 16 gauge is the 12 gauge class.

 

[MThuntr]

16 gauge is still around I bought a case of target/dove shells last year. I'd shoot them but now there are none to replace. I currently have 2...a newer Rem 870 rust magnet (I have some Federal Pheasants Forever ammo that just plain kills pheasants) and a Ithaca 1904 double. I keep threatening to get it inspected and honed out to 2-3/4 since it has been amateurly refinished and has no collector value...one day it'll happen.

New production 16s are often built on 12ga frames which negates a lot of the potential weight advantages...same goes for 28s being mounted on 20ga frames.

 

[OntarioHunter]

16 gauge is still around I bought a case of target/dove shells last year. I'd shoot them but now there are none to replace. I currently have 2...a newer Rem 870 rust magnet (I have some Federal Pheasants Forever ammo that just plain kills pheasants) and a Ithaca 1904 double. I keep threatening to get it inspected and honed out to 2-3/4 since it has been amateurly refinished and has no collector value...one day it'll happen.

New production 16s are often built on 12ga frames which negates a lot of the potential weight advantages...same goes for 28s being mounted on 20ga frames.

Model 12 sixteen and twenty gauge must have been on the same frame. They both take the same stock, fore end, and magazine tube.

 

[Rob55]

I'm in the market for a 16ga barrel for my browning A5 . Slug or full choke

 

[denverteacher]

It’s making a comeback https://www.outdoorlife.com/story/guns/the-rise-of-sub-gauge-shotguns-16-20-28-gauge/

 

[pwrwgn57]

Just bought the wife a 16 gauge for xmas and I’ve been finding ammo here and there even with the shortages. Cabelas had 16 ammo in stock when I was there last week.
Have a 28 that I love to carry for grouse too that replaced my 20.

 

[Tradewind]

@JLS @Ben Lamb

 

[1100RemingtonMan]

The 16ga is not used in Skeet and there is nothing a 16ga that a 12ga 20ga can do where a 16ga would be better. That’s the Reason there is so little interest.
Yes you can still buy one but the question is why ? Even when ammo was available it was not it much of a variety like the 12ga or 20ga.