Shotgunworld.com

Heard various thoughts on this... just curious if there is a consensus...

I have 7, 16 gauges and none of them are dead. I shoot a 16 gauge quite often. Probably more than any other gauge.

The 16 is definitely dead. definitely deadly that is. I have 6 so far with another on the way. the 16 is about perfect between weight, handiness, and payload, plus its different. there are several nice 16's available new and many more used.

I think the 20ga. put the 16ga. out to pasture.
I have one 16ga. SxS, I will keep it for the times I just feel like shooting it. Plus my grandfather gave it to me, it is my only possesion from him. I don't think I could part with it, and I like 16's.
When I was a kid they were quite common. Many a pheasant folded to that gun.

We all better call the undertaker.

They are alive and well among shotgunners who appreciate fine guns.

Probably a conspiracy among the gun makers, ammo makers and trap organizations to deal with one less guage, saying "the 3"20 and 12 put the 16 out of business. POPPYCOCK!!! Load for load, gun for gun, a 16 will out pattern a 20 any day. Jack O'Conner said the 16 is the best all around field gun." And, yes, I own 20s also.

The 3 inch 20 gauge shell put a damper on it.

It's simply a misfit. There's no real use for it in the clay games at all (no 16ga events in Skeet) and a 12 can do anything that a 16 can but better in Sporting or Trap. The 12 has a shorter shot column that allows for less deformity of shot, so the 12 patterns better. In the field often times a 20 or a 12 (with larger payload) is a better choice. You couple this with 16 ga ammo being more and more difficult to find over the years and eventually the 16 slips into extinction.

JMHO!

http://tronspace.com/default.aspx

The 16 gauge is not dead but it is having a hard time.The light weight 12 gauge and the 3 inch 20 gauge have helped to make the 16 gauge less popular.The light 12 and 3 inch 20 are capable of the same pay loads as the 16 gauge and the cost of shells in most cases are cheaper.

16 still have its place. Upland is one for sure. Classic SxS in 16 - nothing can be better IMHO. Ammo is scarce, but I resolved it buying several cases of full brass shells.

I agree; a 12 patterns better than a 16 for the same reason a 16 patterns better than a 20. The 20 has a larger payload?? Maybe I missed seeing, but as far as I know the largest payload; 1 1/4 oz can be had in 20 or 16. And I'd bet a 1 1/8 oz. in 16 is just as potent as a 1 1/4 oz in a 20 because of the shorter shot column and more pellets on target.

Randy go it right. It was the 3 inch 20 gauge magnum that took its place in the market beginning in the late 60's. I personally love the 16, but marketing during the 3 inch magnum craze almost killed it.

To those who are in denial and who have their 6 or 7 16's (made back in the day), please tell me then why Browning stopped the very limited run of their 16's then? Also, why Beretta does not make 16 today? Does Benelli make a 16? Didn't think so...

Let's not have insecurity issues here and try not to ignore the fact that for every manufacture out there that is making a 16, there are 10 that make only 12 an 20's. If you don't know the answer to a question, please feel free to move to another post -- thanks to those who actually answered the question. The 3" 20 seems to have hurt the 16 in many ways like the 3.5" 12 hurt the 10.

Why do you suppose there hasn't been a 3" 16 developed? Maybe because it would send 20 and 12 ga. sales on a downhill slide.

The availability of lighter 12 gauges.
The availability of lightweight 20 gauge 3" magnums.
Advertising touting both of the above.
Gunwriters touting both of the first two.
The desire of manufacturers to reduce the number of different gauge models.
A lack of dedicated 16 gauge receiver/frame sizes in anything but used or expensive models.
The lack of development of higher powered 16 gauge loads. (Face it - look at the 3-1/2" 12 gauge, we are a nation of "bigger is better", need has nothing to do with it.)
A real dearth of non-toxic shell loadings.
The desire of a lot of shooters not to have to buy another gun that really couldn't do anything either their 12 or 20 couldn't do.
There are a lot of 16 gauge lovers. There is nothing at all wrong with the 16, but I do not think they are winning converts as fast as they are losing members.

I couldn't care less what guns benelli makes, they have none that I would own. I've been hearing from the nimrods all my life about how the 16 is on the way out. Well it's still here and doing fine. The gun was never as popular as some would have you think but they are still popular enough for several of the more expensive no-tox shell makers to offer a variety of loadings for it. And 3 of my 16's were made in the '90's and there are company's building new ones every few years. I shoot from .410 to 12 gauge. Just because some of you can't afford to shoot a variety of guns or match the size of the gun to the game you are after don't think the rest of the world feels the same as you.

"Just because some of you can't afford..." That has to be the most ignorant ASSumption I've ever heard on this site... absolutely hilarious. You take the gold in the ignorant category (mens unlimited).

But hey, who am I to stop 'ya, keep drinkn' the kool-aid!

No one has answered my question of why a 3" 16 wasn't developed.

The 16 is operating at a handi-cap being shut out of clay competition and the refusal to develope the 3". A 3" 16 would obliterate 20 ga sales and really hurt 12s.

And the weight issue doesn't hold any water. 12s, 16s and 20s all can easily be had at under 6 lbs. Don't know about you but 6 lb. is light enough for any of those guages. I have a Garbi 12 that weighs 5 lb 14 oz, a 16 sxs Sauer that weighs 5 lb 11 oz.. No heavy loads goes off in those guns.

Yeah OK.

Nothing killed the 16ga!!!! I own 2 & will buy another Remington 11-48 16ga next week. My Remington Model 31 16ga goes grouse,pheasant & small game hunting with me every year. I do have a Emilio Rizzini 12ga O/U & a AyA 12ga SxS. Same here for shooting the 16ga more than the other gauge.


A500R

In a way you guys illustrate the problem/issue. One of you has seven, another has 2 going on three, one fellow has one, but it sounds like the rest of us maybe have zero. I can't speak for anyone else, but I have never been tempted by one. I have shot some very sweet 16s, but I didn't see where they were any sweeter than some comparable 20s. To each their own.
And I forgot one - not a gauge class in skeet for the 16.