[notbubba]

I was asked at work if they're still made.
Told him that I haven't seen one in a long time.

A lot of 12 & 20 gauges but no 16.
So are they still made?

[RNB65]

Yes. A few companies still make 16ga scatterguns, but they're not common.

I would love to find a good 16ga SxS that I can afford. It would be a neat gun to shoot clays with occasionally.

[ArmedBear]

Remington did last year (1100 and 870), but they may have stopped to make room for production of new models.
Stoeger makes a few 16 Gauges (SxS for sure, O/U I think).
I think Browning makes a few 16s.
Ithaca might.

There are some, but they're not common any more.

[zinj]

Remington did last year (1100 and 870), but they may have stopped to make room for production of new models.

They stopped them because they weren't selling very well. That is not suprising, as both of them were built on 12 gauge frames.

I think Browning makes a few 16s.
Ithaca might.

Browning just came out with a BPS 16 built on a proper frame. They have also done severalk production runs of Citoris in 16 (not sure if they are making one now).

Ithaca does produce a 16 Model 37, again on a 16 gauge frame.

[Bud Tugly]

Back in my youth (40+ years ago) the rule of thumb seemed to be that you used a 12 gauge for waterfowl, a 20 for upland game, and a 16 if you wanted to do a bit of both. These days the highest powered 20 gauge loads overlap with the low power 12's, so the need for the 16 to fill the gap has pretty much disappeared.

For that matter, the lightest low-recoil loads for the 12 are even making the 20 something of a rarity these days, too. The 12 gauge has become the do-it-all size for most folks since you can buy shell loadings that pretty much cover the whole range of possible uses.

[Anteater1717]

"For that matter, the lightest low-recoil loads for the 12 are even making the 20 something of a rarity these days, too."
Bud Tugly

Are you joking 20gauge is more popular now than ever. There are more guns available for it, more loads available for it, and more parts like chokes available for it, and most stores carry almost as much 20gauge as 12gauge. And the kicker is they both cost about $5.00 a box. I think the 20gauge is alive and well sadly the same can not be said for the 16gauge:( .

[Gordon]

I think the hot hook up is the older 16 gauges out there for cheap! They are suberb upland guns if you get one with 2 3/4" chambers and a looser choke than the common full.:)

[ACP230]

A lot of European makers produce 16 gauge shotguns in OU and SXS.

There's a neat side by side at a local gun store. Unfortunately it's $1,400 used.

[ArmedBear]

Browning just came out with a BPS 16 built on a proper frame.

...which weighs exactly the same as a 12 Gauge Wingmaster, built on a proper 12 Gauge frame...

There are several reasons why the 16 isn't popular.

Gun weight has gone down. An Auto 5 was heavy, even the "lightweight" versions. A modern Gold Superlite Hunter in 12 Gauge 3" weighs under 7 lb. with a 28" barrel. If you want a light gun with full loads, you can just get a 12 Gauge and be done with it. You can shoot 1 oz. loads in a 12 Gauge anyway, with good patterns. No reason for a 16 when modern 12 Gauges aren't so heavy. If you want a really light gun, 20 Gauge will also shoot 1 oz. loads if you want it to.

Lead is illegal for waterfowl. 12 Gauge handles the greater volume and pellet size of steel, and 20 Gauge works fine with "heavier than lead" alloys. AFAIK there's never been a 3" shell standard for 16 Gauge.

Multipurpose guns are not so desirable if the ammo is rare and expensive. You're not saving money if you have to pay more for ammo, and as I wrote above, if you load your own, a 12 Gauge will do anything a 16 will do anyway.

None of that makes the 16 a bad bore. It just makes it less likely that people will buy them.

[zinj]

...which weighs exactly the same as a 12 Gauge Wingmaster, built on a proper 12 Gauge frame...

True, but compared to the 12 gauge BPS that is a scaled down frame.

Otherwise, I think you hit the other points dead on, although I do think that light guns fetish is getting a bit extreme. It is funny how people buy a sub-7 pound 12 gauge and then drop more cash to add recoil reducing components.

[ArmedBear]

I do think that light guns fetish is getting a bit extreme. It is funny how people buy a sub-7 pound 12 gauge and then drop more cash to add recoil reducing components.

Agree totally.

The Citori "Lightning" 12 Gauge ain't so quick in the field at over 8 lb., but is the 6 1/4 lb. 12 Gauge Feather model really all that desirable, either? I guess it won't slam the shoulder quite as badly as Beretta's 5 3/4 lb. 12 Gauge Ultralight 687! But my 6 1/2 lb. 20 gauge O/U already takes conscious effort for me to swing smooth.

Aside... I shot one of the new Remington semiautos (105CTi), and at 7 lb. it is VERY easy on the shoulder. But that's a soft-shooting gas-operated semiauto with a specially-designed super-thick Limbsaver pad, and it's still 3/4 lb. heavier than that Citori.

But hey, I like having a choice. The more options, the better. Doesn't mean I'll opt for said choice, though.

[Gordon]

My 16 ga. Darne sxs weighs 6 pounds with 27.5" barrels. has a 1/2 and a 3/4 choke. It is killer on game from Pheasant to quail. Just about the perfect grouse gun IMHO with 1 oz loads of #7.5 hard plated. The Browning A-5 Sweet 16 was in deed that at just under 7 pound, I don't have one. I do have a nice old 1897 Winchester with 28" matted rib barrels which I had the full choke loosed to a loose modified and long forcing cone workk done on it to lengthen it's chambers to 2 3/4" as it was made in the late 20s. I am looking forward to shooting birds with it this year, I fired a couple rounds of sporting clays last month and it was fun and deadly! I used the Fiocchi #8 loads.If I can find a nice LC Smith 16 guage or a Francote for under a grand, I'd buy it.

[Bud Tugly]

Anteater, my favorite shotgun of the many I've owned in my lifetime was a SxS 20 gauge double. I 've always much preferred 20's over 12's all my hunting life. I'm just saying that when you page through the gun catalogues you'll see at least twice as many 12's listed as 20's. Same thing when you go to a store to buy shells - there'll be twice as many boxes of 12's on the shelves as 20's. That wasn't they way I remember it being 40 years ago, when nearly everybody I hunted with preferred a 20 over a 12.

Personally I think it's a shame, since IMO the only real advantage a 12 has over a 20 is in extreme long-range shots.

[okiebuckout]

I have a hand me down Rem 870 Wingmaster in 16Ga. My grandfather gave it to me a few yrs ago. It is an outstanding shooter. I wouldn't give it up for any 12Ga. It also rivals any common 12 when it comes to bustin' some clays.

[boomvark]

I don't know if this really counts, but apparently H&R still make at least one model of their single-shot in 16 gauge.