High grade Browning Continental - around $10k - use the extra money to mount a scope on the rifle barrels and put choke tubes in the shotgun barrels. You never know when a pheasant shoot or clays tournament is going to turn into a pronghorn or mule deer hunt...

Gentlemen,

Having had more than 16,000 to spend, I did not purchase O/U, I purchased SXS double guns.
L.C. Smith #5, 16 gauge and 12 gauge guns, along with pre War J.P. Sauer Best 16 gauge Grouse guns. I would really love to own a L.C. Smith #5, 20 gauge gun, however you limited my choice to the $16,000.

I am a traditional Grouse & Woodcock hunter mostly, I do shoot some clays with my O/U guns every once in a while, now that I am older, however not like I did as a younger man. I will not spend over $4,500 on a O/U gun, never have.

Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man

There was a game version of the F3. It is a full two pounds lighter, more inline with field guns. Sad they took them out of production

Eibar,

Since you want this new gun to be mainly for upland hunting forget about any over/under. A side by side with an English stock and double triggers is a much better choice.
A good SxS is lighter and a much nicer gun to cradle and carry while walking miles and miles and when your bird flushes it is very fast to the target and you have an instant choice of two chokes.
AYA, Piotti and a few other Spanish makers make guns to that criteria. Their quality is second to none and the gun can be built to your dimensions and choices wood, engraving, etc.

CT

Indeed, some years ago I spent a week in Eibar, Spain, and visited every shop (taller). I ended up having a pair of Garbi made. Garbi and Pedro Arrizabalaga were the best Spanish makers at the time. I still keep those two guns, I chose the engraving, wood, etc. Nice guys, five partners working at the small shop.

Eibar,

There you go, you have your answer.
A fine SxS is as perfect and elegant for your need as it gets.

CT

$16,000 in my pocket and I would instantly hand it over to my divorce attorney. People who say money can't buy happiness haven't hired the right divorce attorney.

Like Pine Creek/Dave, I have $16,000, and like him I bought a gun.
It has been a while now, but I think maybe the last one I bought was
a Mossberg 500 compact. Now there is a gun that points. yea it
points, You hear a lot about how good a gun points, Well this one
points. Also it crushes targets. You hear that pretty often also,
"this gun just crushes targets". The gun did have a heavy trigger
though and I had to replace it with a 4 pound Mcarbo spring. So maybe
I got screwed paying $400 for this gun then having to fix it with
a 10 dollar trigger kit, when I could have saved that expense by
getting some $16,000 gun. Maybe next gun I will spend $16,000.
Do you believe that? I don't.

The pleasure of owning a fine gun is worth a lot to some people (nothing to others , but what do they know?). I think everyone has a breaking point.

The only question is where on the spectrum is that point.

JoeCool,

Thanks for the laugh buddy, the problem with an entry level $400.00 gun is the quality for longevity shooting or hunting. I do get your point however, the real expensive trigger package must have been devastating.

Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man