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< 16ga. Guns ~ New model Sweet 16 and Browning service |
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Posted:
Tue Mar 10, 2020 8:12 am
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Joined: 22 Feb 2020
Posts: 35
Location: United States
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I bought a new Browning Sweet Sixteen in January to hunt chukars. Six shots and the stock broke in half. I've read other examples of this happening. I was surprised to find that the Browning warranty policy is, well, doesn't exist. You send it in and they decide what to do. Seems kind of questionable.
I will say that they did turn my gun around fairly quickly. Three weeks or so. They fixed it, no charge, no questions asked. So I appreciated that. Some of the stuff I read online had me a little concerned. The lack of clear policy stinks but I felt I got good service.
I like the gun. It's fun to shoot and carries great when you are climbing chukar mountains. I don't think a longer sighting plane could be had in a gun. With the added spacers for the pad and a bit of cast right, using the provided shim, it's a perfect fit for me. I just hope it holds up.
Thought people might be interested in my experience with this gun and Browning service. |
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Posted:
Tue Mar 10, 2020 10:01 am
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Joined: 21 Mar 2019
Posts: 527
Location: Texas
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I have had several dealings with browning and never been disappointed. Shit happens, so who cares as long as they stand behind it. Kind of odd that the stock would break, but there is a lot that goes into the grain of the wood and how it runs in the wood. Maybe just a bad piece of wood. Glad to hear they fixed without question. |
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Posted:
Tue Mar 10, 2020 10:20 am
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Joined: 01 Oct 2007
Posts: 965
Location: Minnesota
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I had that happen to an A5 12 ga DU gun. It had very nice wood on it. Stock broke in half at the wrist on the third shot. It’s been 10 years. My recollection is that it cost me $200. They did put on real nice would. |
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Posted:
Tue Mar 10, 2020 10:21 am
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Joined: 13 Oct 2014
Posts: 254
Location: North Shore of Boston
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I bought a new model Sweet 16 just at the beginning of our Upland Season last fall, and I delayed my purchase due to comments I read on the '16 GA Society Forums' about the stocks cracking - finally I called Browning.
I made a point to speak with THE repair technician who would repair new model Sweet 16 broken stocks, and he really down-played the situation. In fact when I specifically asked I think that he said that he may have repaired one or two - so my take on this subject is that it has been 'talked up' to an excess.
I was told that the new model Sweet 16 has a five year / 100,000 shot warranty, but from my experiences Browning stands behind their products.
BTW I love my new model Sweet 16, recoil seems to be a little stout - but not significant. |
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Posted:
Tue Mar 10, 2020 2:29 pm
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Member
Joined: 15 Apr 2007
Posts: 9472
Location: Amarillo, Texas
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Hello Turkman
WELCOME on your first posting
Enjoy the site
Mike |
_________________
,
USAF RET 1971-95 |
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Posted:
Tue Mar 10, 2020 3:27 pm
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Joined: 22 Feb 2020
Posts: 35
Location: United States
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Thanks Mike.
The wood on my Sweet 16 may have been the issue. I picked it because the wood look more interesting than the others. The grain was not obvious and it had a gnarled look to it. Six shots and it was broken in half. I noticed the new wood has very straight grain and the wood in the stock runs exactly parallel to the length of the receiver.
By the way, I love old guns and was previously shooting a 50 year old Webley and Scott 700, made in Birmingham. I tried to get excited about looking for an older Sweet Sixteen but handling them both in 16 gauge was an eye opener. The old ones are pretty sweet, but the new ones are so light. It makes a big difference on the chukar hunts. They felt like two different guns when compared. |
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Posted:
Tue Mar 10, 2020 6:25 pm
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Joined: 21 Mar 2019
Posts: 527
Location: Texas
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I wasn’t a fan of the new sweet 16, but love my 69. Not a better gun made in my opinion. I handled a new one several times and thought how cheap this thing feels. I have a silver that is pretty light and it’s a good shooter. I guess my real problem with them is why they would use another manufacturer system. Why not come up with their own. Kind of did it for me, as I am a huge browning fan. Maybe this left shoulder starting to hurt will be the deciding factor. Maybe this lighter stuff is the answer. Maybe I need to shoot one, well maybe not. Don’t need another. All you guys having one makes me want one too. |
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Posted:
Wed Mar 11, 2020 3:16 am
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Member
Joined: 09 Jan 2013
Posts: 2172
Location: Florida
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Bill K wrote: |
BTW I love my new model Sweet 16, recoil seems to be a little stout - but not significant.
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I find that for such a lite gun that recoil is very mild even with stout 1 1/8 oz loads . |
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Posted:
Wed Mar 11, 2020 6:31 am
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Joined: 13 Oct 2014
Posts: 254
Location: North Shore of Boston
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RE: my comment about the recoil from my new model Sweet 16 -
First of all I am astounded by the lightness of the gun, it weighs less than my buddy's Beretta A400 in 20 GA.
I bought it, literally took it out of the box and assembled it in my club's skeet house, then we went out and did some informal shooting on the skeet field - and (using Remington Gun Club ammo) both my buddy and I were a little startled with the recoil. It wasn't horrible, just noticeable.
Then again I've carried it in the field and never noticed recoil - which goes to support the theory that you don't feel the recoil of shots fired at game.
Previously I had a vintage Sweet 16 which didn't do it for me, I MUCH prefer the newer model.
I am looking forward to this year's shooting season, when I hope to run a few hundred rounds through it. |
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Posted:
Wed Mar 11, 2020 8:02 pm
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Joined: 22 Feb 2020
Posts: 35
Location: United States
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I certainly understand someone preferring the older Sweet 16s. But as I get older, I want everything I own to be lighter. I love the way the new one feels. I've been shooting 7/8 ounce loads to bust clays (since my gun broke and was sitting in Missouri during the end of the chukar season). The recoil is nothing and it handles the light loads without a hitch.
I had been shooting a Citori Feather Lightning 16 for some time. It's a great and light gun. I fought the urge to go semi auto (classless in my mind) for a long time. But I 'm a convert and do really like the new Sweet 16. It's lighter than my Citori Feather. |
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Posted:
Thu Mar 12, 2020 11:32 am
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Member
Joined: 08 Nov 2005
Posts: 3440
Location: Illinois
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Browning has never had a good reputation for good customer service. |
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Posted:
Thu Mar 12, 2020 12:51 pm
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Joined: 26 Apr 2016
Posts: 369
Location: Vermont
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Turkman what 7/8 ounce load are you shooting in your Sweet Sixteen. Mine does not function with them at all. |
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Posted:
Thu Mar 12, 2020 3:21 pm
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Joined: 22 Feb 2020
Posts: 35
Location: United States
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Man, I need to do something about my record keeping. Anyway. It's Fiocci hull, sg16 wad, 18 grains Titewad, Win 209 (from an old BP 16 gauge manual). Although out of curiosity, I checked what my charge bar was dropping since it's been set up this way a long time. More like 19 grains. I've been shooting 9 shot at clays and those seem to want an overshot card. I think they are so small they settle lower than the 6s I shoot at birds. |
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Posted:
Thu Mar 19, 2020 1:40 pm
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Joined: 26 Apr 2016
Posts: 369
Location: Vermont
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Thanks for your reply. I've been doing a bit of load testing in a rifle I had re barrelled.
Since I CRS I have been marking the cartridges I'm testing with grain weight and powder ID so I understand record keeping! Anyway thanks for the info. Joe |
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Posted:
Thu Mar 19, 2020 5:10 pm
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Member
Joined: 30 Nov 2011
Posts: 1700
Location: Minnesota
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Turkman, That's the first load I remember anyone doing in a 16 with Titewad. Does the BP manual say what the velocity/pressure should be? |
_________________ Great dog, Great friends,Great guns |
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