16 gauge pics

[BarkeyVA]

Mavracer,

Your suggestion to take dad's 20 ga. Model 37 out shooting on dad's birthday each year and then my brother and I take turns taking it home is a good one.

My brother lives in California, I live in Virginia and our sister lives in Illinois. Maybe we let her keep it, and we all three shoot it when we get together for a visit every summer.

 

[drcook]

The bottom 2 guns are 16ga Ithaca 37's

The bottom gun is one of the guns I built for my wife. Has a 1952 buttstock, a 1970 receiver, a barrel from a few years later, parts from a late 40's/early 50's gun, a pre-war forend.

The barrel is a 24" vent rib, with screw in chokes.

I bought the empty receiver from Numrich and proceeded to acquire parts. Ithacas are the Lego/Erector set of the shotgun world. If you do a little research, a little asking and some studying of the parts, then a person can put together a unique, one of kind gun.

The one above was not finished yet. I was still fitting the buttplate and getting ready to refinish the stock.

I had bought it for parts, but when I saw what I bought and did some measuring, well, I realized another gun for my wife.

The top gun is my wife's 1100 20ga youth/lady model. You can see I built the 16's to the same size. They weigh within a couple ounces of the 20ga and they don't hurt her, so I must have got them correct !

 

[BarkeyVA]

Very nice!

 

[Steve C]

My Sweet Sixteen passed down to me from my father.

 

[DM~]

DM, nice pic !

The 16ga is the perfect middle gauge. There is a little that 20's and 12's are better than 16's at.

I have repeatably said I keep thinking about getting an Ithaca 37 20ga, but the answer I keep coming up with is Why ? I have Ithaca 37's in 12ga also and a Stevens 77 in 20ga but they just stay at home. The various 16's that I have either built or restored cover most every situation I need them to.

Thanks DR,

My old 16ga. was "proofed" in Oct. of 1935, I've owned it since the early 1980's... It's my "go to" gun!

Here's my slide in adapters, so if I want, I can shoot 20ga. ammo in it,



DM

 

[drcook]

How about all you 16ga folks join the party over here ?

http://www.16ga.com/forum/

dc

 

[BarkeyVA]

My "go to" upland bird gun is a 16 ga. Marlin Model 90 with 26" barrels. It is 4th from the left in this photo (next to the Skeetking).

 

[Frostbite]

Absolutely stunning work. I now understand better why so many of you guys are into older guns.

 

[drcook]

You are a sick man posting up pictures like that. Are you trying to get me in trouble with my wife ?

That is an absolutely stunning collection of O/U shotguns .

 

[huntsman]

View attachment 196957

16 gauge Fulton.

This was my grouse getter for close to 20 years but sadly it been gone almost 15 years,

 

[loose noose]

huntsman I do believe I see a timberdoodle there also known as a woodcock. If so nice shooting.

 

[BarkeyVA]

drcook,
I appreciate your comments. However, I describe them as an "accumulation" of Model 90's since I consider all of them "shooters," even the Skeetking. I have "accumulated" a total of 15 Marlin, Ranger and JC Higgins Model 90's over the years, of which 7 are 16 ga. (all shooters).

My other 16 ga. guns include a Utica-Fox Sterlingworth made in 1939, a Husqvarna Model 20 sxs hammer gun made in 1932, a Tula model B sxs hammer gun made sometime between 1917 and WWII, a Springfield-Stevens No. 215 sxs hammer gun (bought new by my dad in the early 1930's) a Lefever Nitro Special made in 1928, a Remington Model 48 semi-auto, a Winchester model 37 single shot and a Mossburg Model 190 bolt action.

I told my wife I needed to buy each one because I didn't have one with that serial number!

 

[drcook]

BarkeyVA,

I too shoot all my guns. I have an "accumulation" of single shots, Shiloh 1874 Sharps and CPA Stevens 44 1/2's. Everyone gets used, as do all of my Ithacas.

I only have 3 guns that don't. Both were/are my dad's but I got them before the vultures who would have simply sold them off. One of them is a mint, 1956 Marlin 39A "Mountie", the other, a mid-50's Great Western SAA .22 built on the 45 frame. The other is an ancient American Bulldog that was last used to dispatch the family dog when my dad was a child. The dog ran off and came back home with rabies and had to be dealt with.

I still can admire your "collection" whether it is a shootin' group or not. In my opinion, your choices reflect your exquisite taste in firearms.

There is something to be said for blued steel and walnut. While lots of guns are blued steel and walnut and put in a rack together, just are bunch of guns, you have a "bouquet" there buddy.

There are a lot of "monied" collectors that just don't "get it" like you do.

By the way, Cabelas in Wheeling has a Marlin 90, 218 Bee/.410 Bore

 

[mavracer]

Maybe we let her keep it, and we all three shoot it when we get together for a visit every summer.

Sounds like a plan, one of my greatest memories is hunting with my grandfather's Model 10 Remington, I didn't get to hunt with him so it's a close as I'll ever get. I swear I could hear him laughing behind me on a long crossing pheasant I wiffed at a couple years ago.

 

[huntsman]

huntsman I do believe I see a timberdoodle there also known as a woodcock. If so nice shooting.

Yep that was a mixed bag day, I loved the timberdoodle as they held so well for the dog but at times could be more of a shooting challenge than Ole Ruff.

 

[BarkeyVA]

By the way, Cabelas in Wheeling has a Marlin 90, 218 Bee/.410 Bore

Couldn't find it on their web site, so I sent the Wheeling Cabelas an email asking if it is still available. Probably have to take out a second mortgage to afford it!

 

[drcook]

Hopefully this just isn't a "ghost" web page still hanging around

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Marlin-Model-Combination-Gun-Bee-Bore/1642113.uts

I was running Google scans looking for Marlin 90's and found that.

 

[BarkeyVA]

Got a reply back from Wheeling Cabelas that it has been sold. Not surprised because the listing price was not out of line given how rare it is.

Just as well, not sure I could afford to shoot it given the price of .218Bee ammo. (About $80 for a box of 50 when it is available)

 

[drcook]

Another Ithaca 37 16ga. This one was made in 1957, I bought it because I turned 57 this year and was born in '57.

This is actually the one that has the barrel that needs welded up. This one is what is termed a "Deluxe Standard Grade". It has a different stock and forend than the standard grade guns.

The last picture is a standard grade, made in 1956. It was my first 16ga and started me down this road.

I have actually customized all my guns in some manner. I have acquired old style magazine caps and barrel yokes, different magazine tubes, etc. All of them have had new screws put in the receivers and I changed the most critical spring (the one behind the spring (left side) shell stop). Some of my guns wear non-period correct buttplates. Right now there are buttplates (new old stock) from the King Ferry era readily available for less than 10.00. These have plenty of size on them to finish to the wood as most of the old ones have shrank and leave the edges of the buttstocks exposed to be chipped.

 

[BarkeyVA]

My Tula Model B sxs hammer gun.

 

[drcook]

My Tula Model B sxs hammer gun.

Now that is an undoubtably cool gun. I have a friend that is a professor at a college that hunts with a SxS hammer gun. 16ga of course. One of the kind folks over on the 16ga forum sent me a box of paper hulled shells for him to use to reload it with.

He strictly loads black powder in it (Damascus barrels) and plastic shells don't work the best with BP.

 

[amflyer]

A poster above recommended staying away from the Browning BPS. It is scaled correctly in receiver for a 16 gauge, if that was the sticking point. I bought one as a left-hander's first shotgun. Until that one is old enough for the gun, Dad gets to "break it in." I find it light, balanced and well-made.

 

[drcook]

as far as "left-handers" go, you can convert an Ithaca just by swapping the safety. prices at the store seem to be creeping up a bit. If anyone is contemplating a new OR old Ithaca 37 in the future and are left handed, it probably would be a good investment to pick a safety up

http://ithacagun.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=5&products_id=77

they are really easy to install. all the tools needed are a set of pin punches and a hammer. I use a nylon one to avoid any marring. The pins are not in tight.

here is a link to the field maint guide for the 37's/87's. I would save a copy for future use.

http://stevespages.com/pdf/ithaca_3787.pdf

 

[mavracer]

Hey speaking of which I have a lefty safety for a 37 if anyone needs one. I'm putting it on GB in the next day or two when the right one shows up. (pun intended)

 

[PabloJ]

A poster above recommended staying away from the Browning BPS. It is scaled correctly in receiver for a 16 gauge, if that was the sticking point. I bought one as a left-hander's first shotgun. Until that one is old enough for the gun, Dad gets to "break it in." I find it light, balanced and well-made.

While the receiver is different from those used for 12ga and 20ga this does no good the gun being heavy and slow handling when compared to old vintage Ithaca 37s and the 16ga Model 12. While old Wingmaster with plain barrel and fixed choke was made on 12ga frame it is slightly better handling then the 16ga BPS. The 12ga 3.5" BPS is the finest wildfowl pump ever made besting legendary 3" Model 12. There is little doubt about that.