16ga.com ~ View topic - 16 Gauge bird guns

Gentlemen,

Having inherited many of our families bird guns I have numerous 16 gauge guns, everything from high grade Special Order 16 gauge guns, to entry level field grade guns, can be found in my gun safe. In fact I have 8 different 16 gauge bird guns, 4 L.C. Smith Hammerless, 2 Hammerless J.P. Sauer Best German Grouse guns, and 1 recently acquired 16 gauge Antique Crescent Hammer Gun. Also have an old M12 Winchester 16 gauge pump gun, C choked. I also gifted a L.C. Smith 16 gauge hammer gun and 1 Hammerless L.C. Smith 16 Field grade gun, and 1 Remington 16 gauge Model 58 Semi-Auto gun in the past few years. All my 16 gauge guns are used every year to bird hunt with, including the gifted ones.

Do you have numerous 16 gauge bird guns or do you have just one? Do you use your 16 gauge gun or guns every season to bird hunt, or are the guns wall hangers.

How many of your 16 gauge guns are hammer guns?

Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man

One of my 16 gauge L.C. Smith Hammerless Grouse guns, that gets used for Grouse hunting quite a bit.

Joined: 16 Jul 2015 Posts: 2124 Location: Hudson,Wy

A Fox Sterlingworth, a Baker Batavia Leader, a Lefever DS, an Ithaca N.I.D, and two L.C. Smith: pre 13 00 grade and Featherweight Field grade. Plan on an 870 someday and still eyeing an odd little Syracuse Arms double in need of surgery.

Joined: 01 Oct 2007 Posts: 962 Location: Minnesota

I have two 16s at this time. One is a 147E Merkel, the other a Citori Heritage.
I try to get each of them out hunting at least once a year. I go dove hunting 4-6 times a year, and that is generally where they get used. But I have shot pheasants with both and a few quail with the Merkel.
I did shoot several rounds of sporting clays this morning, with the Citori Heritage.

Can NOT help myself
YES

I have Sandhill Crane bird guns
I have Goose bird guns
I have Duck bird guns
I have Pheasant bird guns
I have Sharptail bird guns
I have Hun bird guns
I have Quail bird guns
I have Dove bird guns

Thank you for asking Smile

Mike

*Last edited by old colonel on Mon Jul 01, 2019 4:47 pm; edited 1 time in total*

16’s, 8 Doubles & 2 Singles

In the order from most used to least used last season
Purdey SLE-16ga
Manufrance BLE-16ga
Christophe SLE-16ga
Alex Martin SLE-16ga #1
Fox A Grade BLNE-16ga
Alex Martin SLE-16ga #2
Greener FH-50 BLE-16ga
Jules Bury / Britte SLE-16ga

Winchester M37 16ga (for strain gauge pressure testing)
Army & Navy CSL Single Barrel Hammer-16ga

Working on a trade of one of my last two 20’s for another 16 BLNE. (Trade completed, added a 16ga Reilly BLNE, very nice fit, finish and condition of replacement barrels excellent)

Eventually I will be near 16ga pure, minus one 12, 20, & a 24

Joined: 14 Oct 2011 Posts: 110 Location: Eastern Washington

16g Fox Sterlingworth and a 16g Merkel 200e. Both make it out for bird hunting. Sporting clays tomorrow with the Merkel. Both a joy to shoot! Shocked

Member Joined: 27 Jun 2012 Posts: 1113

More than one and although 5 of the SXS's get used most often, I try to get at least one hunt a season with each gun. No hammer guns.

I have, and I don't know how I came to have so many, 12 16 gauge shotguns. Obviously I can't shoot them all at once and many never got out at all last year.
My favorite to date is a Fausti DEA Roundbody, a SxS the way they should be built with an English stock, splinter forearm and two triggers. It weighs six pounds even!
Last year I hunted with that gun, a Merkel 1620, AYA 4/53, Manufrance Robust, and a Ugartechea Grade IV. The rest sat unused and I'm sure they felt, unloved in the safe. I just picked up a svelt French Guild gun that comes in under six pounds and a FAIR Iside EM that will see the field this year.

Joined: 29 Nov 2018 Posts: 23 Location: United States

Currently one, a bps field which I love. Buying a new sweet 16 next weekend and my only other planned purchase will be a browning O/U in the next few months. Then my wife will say I'm done.

Member Joined: 09 Jan 2013 Posts: 2168 Location: Florida

Lets just say I have several , I for the most part hunt and shoot clays exclusively with a 16ga guns , I do used my Ithaca Super 10 ( 2 7/8" ) on occasion for Ducks and sometimes on dove just for grins

After "thinning the herd" by selling eight 16 ga. shotguns over the past few years, I currently own 13.

6-Marlin Model 90's ( I seem to be addicted to Model 90's)
1-Sears JC Higgins 103-360 (Model 90)
2-Ithaca Model 37's
1-Utica-Fox Sterlingworth
1-Springfield-Stevens SxS Hammer Gun
1-Sears Eastern Arms 101.7 (Stevens 5100) SxS
1-Remington Model 48 with a Polychoke

Joined: 09 Sep 2006 Posts: 863 Location: NoDak

Here's mine. I use every one of them during the season. maybe only once, but they all get out.

16b John Wilkes, Best Grade SLE
16b Charles Hellis, Best Grade BLE
16b Charles Boswell, 2d Quality BLE
16b D. Gotobed, Hammergun
16ga Arrieta, 871 (Boss style engraving) SLE
16ga Garbi, 100 SLE
16ga Ugartechea, 1030 SLE
16ga FN, BLE
16ga Carl Goluch, Hammergun (made by Franz Sodia)

Best,

Greg

Joined: 22 Oct 2016 Posts: 11 Location: virginia

Just bought a Merkel 1620 EL. Loving it!
Sauer 16
Citori White Lightening

Joined: 13 Jan 2019 Posts: 2 Location: anchorage alaska

darne, lightweight high grade, made in the 20s - wonderful engraving - my wife loves this one

english stocked lorenzotti brescia hammer gun, also from the 20s

pre-war jp sauer, BLE, great balance, high condition

JP Sauer drilling 16x16x22LR- nice gun

halang and bachner drilling hammer gun16x16x45/70...useful here in alaska where there are large sometimes unfriendly mammals

and my favorite , high condition fox A grade, 16 on the 20 ga frame, weighs 5#13 oz

Joined: 13 Jan 2019 Posts: 2 Location: anchorage alaska

darne, lightweight high grade, made in the 20s - wonderful engraving - my wife loves this one

english stocked lorenzotti brescia hammer gun, also from the 20s

pre-war jp sauer, BLE, great balance, high condition

JP Sauer drilling 16x16x22LR- nice gun

halang and bachner drilling hammer gun16x16x45/70...useful here in alaska where there are large sometimes unfriendly mammals

and my favorite , high condition fox A grade, 16 on the 20 ga frame, weighs 5#13 oz