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< 16ga. General Discussion ~ Gun Digest article- What happened to the 16ga.? |
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Posted:
Sat Feb 03, 2018 11:11 am
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Joined: 21 May 2010
Posts: 603
Location: Victoria BC Canada
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Posted:
Sat Feb 03, 2018 11:38 am
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Member
Joined: 18 Aug 2010
Posts: 399
Location: Ballymoney Northern Ireland
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Great article thanks for telling us about it. WJ. |
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Posted:
Sat Feb 03, 2018 2:26 pm
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Joined: 01 Oct 2007
Posts: 962
Location: Minnesota
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Was not the development of the 20 ga 3” a factor in the decline of the 16 ga?
Thanks for the article. |
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Posted:
Sat Feb 03, 2018 5:20 pm
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Joined: 24 Jan 2007
Posts: 467
Location: SC PA
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Mostly filler that's been regurgitated a hundred times by numerous sporting writers.
It would be nice if Wieland would point us in the direction of a few of those 16ga Superposeds he mentioned...
You'd think a writer at his level would know better. |
_________________ "A man who doesn't spend time with his family can never be a real man" - Vito Corleone
''Common Sense isn't common" -Lefty Kreh |
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Posted:
Sat Feb 03, 2018 6:02 pm
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Joined: 09 Feb 2015
Posts: 824
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Writers never mention trap like it was a game the 16 cant compete.well I shoot trap,ATA, and love playing games. I never felt handicap on shootoffs I take my share of the money. Usually cost me 5 to 12.00 dollars for a nights shooting. Many times I take as much home. Like I tell the people when they discover I'm shooting a 16.ga it's all in the mind. |
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Posted:
Sat Feb 03, 2018 6:05 pm
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Joined: 01 Oct 2007
Posts: 962
Location: Minnesota
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Upland Carpenter wrote: |
Mostly filler that's been regurgitated a hundred times by numerous sporting writers.
It would be nice if Wieland would point us in the direction of a few of those 16ga Superposeds he mentioned...
You'd think a writer at his level would know better.
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No kidding. I have bought all the 16 ga superposed guns that I have seen. |
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Posted:
Sat Feb 03, 2018 7:16 pm
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Joined: 31 Aug 2005
Posts: 1257
Location: Nebraska
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The article is an excerpt from the book mentioned on the page. I don't know how much more he speaks about the 16, but I don't own the book either. |
_________________ Bore, n. Shotgun enthusiast's synonym for "gauge" ; everybody else's synonym for "shotgun enthusiast." - Ed Zern |
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Posted:
Sun Feb 04, 2018 3:02 pm
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Joined: 15 Jun 2010
Posts: 1358
Location: Twin Cities, MN
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Singing the praises of the 16 gauge as the ultimate upland gun, of predicting its demise has been regular fodder for gun writers the last 50 or more years. These topics must sell books and magazines - at least someone thinks so. The small, but significant, increase in the use of 16 gauge shotguns the last 15 years is interesting, but can't can't be written about more than 20 or 30 times:)
Jeff |
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Posted:
Sun Feb 04, 2018 5:57 pm
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Member
Joined: 30 Nov 2011
Posts: 1698
Location: Minnesota
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The article is almost 5yrs old. We can only hope the author has since seen the light?? |
_________________ Great dog, Great friends,Great guns |
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Posted:
Mon Feb 05, 2018 2:39 pm
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Joined: 03 Sep 2014
Posts: 398
Location: Rochester, MN
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As much as I like the 16 gauge, I highly doubt that we are in for a major resurgence of interest.
Phil Bourjaily filed this report from last month's SHOT Show:
https://www.fieldandstream.com/shot-show-2018-gloom-and-despair
This info on the 16 gauge is toward the end of the article. His hypothesis is that any recent uptick in available 16 gauge guns/ammo is because manufacturers are trying to market to us baby boomers before we die.
In my small piece of the planet, I see much evidence supporting that hypothesis.
My father bird hunted with a Browning Sweet 16. My brother inherited it. I have two 16 gauge guns. I very much enjoy them. I probably shoot it so I can share some connection with my father.
I am the only shooter at 2 gun clubs that I regularly shoot at that use a 16 gauge. Nobody that I hunt with in recent years uses one except me.
BTW: I own a copy of Jack O'Conner's book: The Shotgun Book. It was published in 1972. He cites an older? survey conducted by the American Rifleman magazine.
The breakdown of shotgun sales in the USA is stated as follows:
12 gauge = 50%
16 gauge = 25%
20 gauge = ~17%
410 bore = ~4%
28 and 10 gauge = ~2%
At the time of publication, (1972) 12 gauge was just under 50%, 20 and 16 gauges shared about 20% of market share and the 410 had risen to about 10%, the balance was shared by 28 and 10 gauges. |
_________________ John Singer |
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Posted:
Mon Feb 05, 2018 4:01 pm
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Member
Joined: 06 Apr 2007
Posts: 3373
Location: The Great Northwet
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Many of my friends use 16's in the uplands, although it's possible I converted them. |
_________________ Gun art: www.marklarsongunart.com
Gallery art: www.marklarsonart.com
The man's prayer from the Red Green Show: "I'm a man, but I can change, if I have to. I guess." |
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Posted:
Mon Feb 05, 2018 4:09 pm
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Joined: 20 Jul 2011
Posts: 625
Location: Ohio..where ruffed grouse were
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I would say that Weiland’s advice of latching tightly onto any 16 gauge Superposed you find is good advice....difficult as that may be.
Good as well was just the slightest sideswipe of the odd square load concept re the 16.
I like the 16 gauge.....not had a lot of them, a very early and light 870 and a slick M12.
Both of those left.
Then a Fox of 1916 and a Sweet of ‘53’ -ish.
Both of those stayed.....cemented in, in fact.
Just something nice and comfortable and....pleasing there....not best as how boring that would be.
Just ...nice and .....just nice.
What I never understand is the joining of hands over any...best.
Be it a scattergun gauge, a dog breed or a boot.
And, I truly fail to swallow that folks really believe, for example, that an ounce of shot from a 12, 16 or 20 is somehow....different or better.
The need to defend or promote just about everything soon becomes .....old.
Anywho...what happened to the 16 gauge?
To me, Hunters and Habitat happened, along with Shooters and Steel and, Life, new again and next best.
Best...that lad has one heck of a lot to answer for, to me. |
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Posted:
Mon Feb 05, 2018 9:42 pm
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Joined: 16 Jul 2015
Posts: 2126
Location: Hudson,Wy
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To be harshly blunt, the 16 gauge basically got screwed by fate, ignorance, and public whim. Many of the article's points are legitimate. Could any of this be reversed? Maybe. A sketchy maybe at that.
As silly as it seems, a 3" chamber would be useful with steel shot, which is still the ammo of choice for water fowlers due to affordability. That would make the guns more versatile in the eyes of the Average Joe gun buyer. Versatility is a concern for a lot of people.
If public interest then went on the rise, ammunition choices would slowly increase, also helping things along. However, the recent introduction of the 3" 28 ga. looks like it may die on the launch pad. If so, manufacturers may be reluctant to go out on the 3" 16 ga. limb.
Clay games are likely to remain as they are, and that is the big money maker.
It appears that we will just have to accept what we have and hope to maintain that. Any positive press helps us toward that goal. As long as good guns are around and we can feed them properly, life really isn't all that bad. |
_________________ Only catch snowflakes on your tongue AFTER the birds fly south for the winter... |
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Posted:
Tue Feb 06, 2018 5:08 am
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Member
Joined: 08 Aug 2011
Posts: 1946
Location: Central CT
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I wouldn’t get all twisted around the axle......none of this is a surprise regardless of when the article was written .......and honestly I don’t give it a lot of traction.....why?
We have more companies making ammo, components and shotguns in 16 gauge than we have in years.....Perazzi just announced their version......
A bit out of reach for some of us? Yup but another new shotgun just the same........relax!!!
We are going to be just fine!
A few years ago I gave my son my A5 Sweet 16, Since he has bought a new Citori and a 1955 Model 37 both in 16. A new MEC 650 and a Sizemaster in 16 ga.
There are always little ways to help!! |
_________________ Mark |
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Posted:
Tue Feb 06, 2018 6:39 am
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Member
Joined: 08 Oct 2006
Posts: 1395
Location: Tappahannock, Virginia
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A couple of random thoughts.
Gun writers need something to write about. Merits of out of fashion calibers/bores are frequent topics it seems. Ive been hearing and seeing reports of the comeback of the 16ga for at least ten years now. I think Browning gets most of the crdit here by continuing to offer the Citori, BPS and now the new A5 in 16ga.
I'll agree the the choices in less-tox shot has helped as well.
Post-war changes in American gun production didn't help any. As factory line economics started to factor in cuts for effeciency and choices in the number of makers producing guns took a toll. |
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