rbernie
Contributing Member
What does the 16ga do that a 12ga or 20ga doesn't?
Why a 16ga?
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surfinUSA
Member
Carries like a 20 and hits like a 12.
kentucky_smith
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Less shot string than a modern equal 20, with its' square load. My 16 gauge m12 is a great upland gun, almost carries as easy as my light 20 A5.
TrapperReady
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hy·per·bo·le Audio Help /haɪˈpɜrbəli/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[hahy-pur-buh-lee] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun Rhetoric.
1. obvious and intentional exaggeration.
2. an extravagant statement or figure of speech not intended to be taken literally, as “to wait an eternity.”
Okiecruffler
Member
I does everything a 20 or 12 can do, but it does it with style.
kentucky_smith
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Back in the day, the 12 was considered a market gun, the 16 was enough for waterfowl and a better all around choice.
redneck2
Member
When I was a young'un, 16's were probably as popular as 12's. I suspect the wide variety of 12 gauge loads that started becoming available in the 60's and 70's did away with the "need" for the 16. Also, with the 3" 20 gauge, you could throw more shot from a smaller gun.
I still have the 16 single shot I got from my granddad. Killed a LOT of rabbits back on the farm. Trap loads in 5's or 6's.
I still have the 16 single shot I got from my granddad. Killed a LOT of rabbits back on the farm. Trap loads in 5's or 6's.
Tijeras_Slim
Member
They carry easily, shoot well, and are classy.
axeman_g
Member
It shoots well in my hands.
kentucky_smith
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Browning is selling 16 gauges in several iterations.
Bud Tugly
Member
Back when you could use lead shot for waterfowl the 16 was the compromise gauge for the guy who wanted to do everything but could only afford one gun. Enough clout for ducks and geese but lighter to carry in the field than a 12. Lots of my hunting buddies back in the 60's carried a 16.
Heavier loads for the 20 gauge and lighter-weight 12's plus a wider range of loads have created more gauge overlap than the old days, so the niche of the 16 got blurred. They're still just right for lots of people, and it's a shame that the shells are fairly expensive and anything but a few common loadings are hard to find in most gun shops.
Heavier loads for the 20 gauge and lighter-weight 12's plus a wider range of loads have created more gauge overlap than the old days, so the niche of the 16 got blurred. They're still just right for lots of people, and it's a shame that the shells are fairly expensive and anything but a few common loadings are hard to find in most gun shops.
Jim Watson
Member
Shoot an ounce of shot at standard velocity with black powder.
Black powder is less flexible than the wide range of nitro powders now available. There was not the wide variety of shot weights and muzzle velocities back then. If you wanted more lead in the air, you got a bigger bore. If you wanted a lighter gun to carry, you got a smaller bore.
As Bud says, progressive powders let the light 12 and the heavy 20 overlap into the 16's performance niche. But a few purists hang on, enough to keep some guns coming.
Black powder is less flexible than the wide range of nitro powders now available. There was not the wide variety of shot weights and muzzle velocities back then. If you wanted more lead in the air, you got a bigger bore. If you wanted a lighter gun to carry, you got a smaller bore.
As Bud says, progressive powders let the light 12 and the heavy 20 overlap into the 16's performance niche. But a few purists hang on, enough to keep some guns coming.
MMCSRET
Member
I have seen new Remington 1100's in 16, also a lot of imports are now offered in 16 and 28.
Kalashnikov
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Aren't Sagia's offered in 16 as well? If not they should be.
Two things seriously dimmed the success of the 16 gauge.
1) It is not one of the gauge categories in skeet shooting.
2) The emergence of the 3" 20 gauge.
A 16 gauge was the first shotgun I ever fired many moons ago. It was 30 years before I fired another so I'm not one of those guys who gets all misty-eyed and nostalgic over the 16 gauge. There's nothing wrong with the gauge but it is much harder to find shells, reloading components, presses, etc. than either the 12 or 20.
At best the 16 gauge is on life-support.
1) It is not one of the gauge categories in skeet shooting.
2) The emergence of the 3" 20 gauge.
A 16 gauge was the first shotgun I ever fired many moons ago. It was 30 years before I fired another so I'm not one of those guys who gets all misty-eyed and nostalgic over the 16 gauge. There's nothing wrong with the gauge but it is much harder to find shells, reloading components, presses, etc. than either the 12 or 20.
At best the 16 gauge is on life-support.
dagger dog
Member
Whoever heard of a Sweet 12 or Sweet 20 ?
Okiecruffler
Member
A sweet 20 is fine, a sweet 12 will get you 10-20.
Everyone speaks of the 3 inch 20ga as the demise of the 16. I've owned several 20ga's in various flavors, none of them have patterned 3 inch shells very well. And' purple is pretty.
Everyone speaks of the 3 inch 20ga as the demise of the 16. I've owned several 20ga's in various flavors, none of them have patterned 3 inch shells very well. And' purple is pretty.
oneounceload
member
at one point, the 16 WAS a skeet gauge...the 3" 20 patterns like dog doo compared to a 16..........the 3" 20 patterns like dog doo compared to MOST other choices......
Okiecruffler
Member
The 16ga has been on life support for decades, someone doesn't want it to die. I firmly believe it's God.
12s are lighter than they once were, and 20s are more versatile than they once were.
In the 16's heyday, 2 1/2" shells were all there were. 2 3/4" was the newfangled magnum back in the 1920s. The old double guns were heavy as all get-out in 12 (except for the really high-end ones), and 20 packed less punch than a 28 does today. So, a 16 was powerful enough for ducks and pheasants. 12 was too heavy, 20 was too limited.
All that changed, many years ago. Lead is illegal on ducks, 20 Gauge shoots 1 oz. loads just fine, and 12s don't all top 8 lbs. any more.
Jim Watson is right:
I just bought a 16. It's 82 years old. I like it. However, I don't see much sense in buying a new 16, other than some European doubles maybe, if my budget someday allows.
Browning's guns offered in 16 tend to be overweight in 12. Both the BPS and the Citori weigh too much in 12. I'd rather not buy a Browning at all; Browning's obesity problem was solved by other companies decades ago. The old humpback Auto 5's were also beasts in 12; they were much nicer in 16. Again, it's been years since that mattered.
Remington briefly offered the 1100 in 16. Again, it's an overweight gun. Beretta's 12s usually weigh less than the Remington 20s.
In the modern world, there's little reason for a 16. And 3" 20s are irrelevant. 20 Gauge shoots 1 oz. loads quite well from 2 3/4" shells. Anything more than an ounce, shoots better in a 12 Gauge. There's no compelling reason not to get a modern, lightweight 12 Gauge instead of a 16.
When people talk about shot string, that's BS, too. If someone cared about shot string, they'd shoot 6/7 oz. in a 12, like International Trap shooters do. Take a look at the sizes of shot, bore sizes, and choke constrictions, and ask how much difference any of that makes -- especially considering that even the longest shot strings will pass over a bird in a couple milliseconds at worst.
But some of the old 16s are pretty neat.
chas08
Member
Hmmmm...the two in my safe seem perfectly healthy.
I enjoy shooting all the standard gauges. The 16 was my Grandfathers gauge of choice, probably because he could only afford one shotgun. In his era there were more choicesof ammo to cover a broader spectrum, he used his for everything from doves to geese. Nowadays the ammo manufacturers offer such a limited selection, there is no incentive to consider a 16 ga. This handicaps the arms manufacturers because most folks are going to stay with whats popular at the moment, and what's easy to find any kind of ammo for. (we can build it, but they still won't come) As for an answer to your question ,"What does a 16 ga. do that a 12 ga. or 20 ga. doesn't?" Nothing...It just does it all with style and grace.
Style and grace?
I just checked out a Franchi Renaissance Elite in 12. With 28" barrels, it weighs 6 1/4 lbs., and it's gorgeous. Prince of Wales grip, fancy walnut, engraved and inlaid. Balance is excellent.
Like I said, I like my old 16. But "style and grace" aren't something defined by a shell that's a few hundredths of an inch bigger or smaller.
I just checked out a Franchi Renaissance Elite in 12. With 28" barrels, it weighs 6 1/4 lbs., and it's gorgeous. Prince of Wales grip, fancy walnut, engraved and inlaid. Balance is excellent.
Like I said, I like my old 16. But "style and grace" aren't something defined by a shell that's a few hundredths of an inch bigger or smaller.
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