Andy, there was a time in the 80s-90s that 16g ammo was very hard to find. I couldn’t find it in any of our local hardware stores and gun shops. First time I found a quantity for sale was around 91-92 when Shawmut Distributors had some. I still have some of those boxes of hunting loads.

The 16ga would likely be my choice if I could only have one shotgun. (I sure hope I never have to pick just one shotgun.)

-Victor

My dad fell for that too. I still have a case of 1980s vintage Remington hunting loads. Plastic hulls with fiber wads. Too hot for my liking

All this talk about 2.5" 16s on the for-sale thread reminded me, I still have a Belgian Browning auto loader. That only takes 2.5 also. I completely forgot I still had that gun because I recall my son saying he wanted it. Being a southpaw, I never liked shooting them.

I believe that’s the first year for the 16 ga Sterlingworth, starting with number 350,000. The first shotgun I ever owned was 350,038. I only sold it because the stock was pinned. It was affordable to me at the time I acquired it.

Back in those days I was in Philthy going to school and all I owned was 20g. I am well aware of why it isn't as popular. In my mind all shotguns are to be loved : )

Between 1995-1998 I was living in Hampton, Virginia. One day I was in a local Wal-Mart with the wife, and I swung by the Sporting Goods section. There was about a dozen or so boxes of NOS 16-gauge Federal Field and Remington Shur-Shot loads in 7.5 and 8 shot.

I bought a couple of them, went back the next day and bought a couple more. Next visit they were gone.

You can still find 16-gauge loads in the local Wal-Mart where I live now. It is usually Remington Express or Federal Game loads in 6 or 7.5 shot.

The only shells we could find were those “booger breaker” game loads and they were snotty! (See what just happened there?) Most guys wouldn’t think of shooting them out of a vintage double. They’d most likely be fine for hunting. A few shots over the course of a day. But I wouldn’t subject old stocks to that pounding in a round of clays.

Edgar, are you're sure it's not 2 9/16" chambers?

I have so many 16's that unless I go to my files to check, I'd probably guess wrong. Let's just say at least 10 but maybe a tad over. For me it's' not the shell or it's payload, but the weight of the gun and its' handling qualities.

I sent a pristine CSMC RBL in 16 down the road because to me it was clunky. I also sold a Paker Trojan because it carried like a 12 to me and I just could not see myself ever picking it over some of my other guns to go hunting. I've also sold others; Foxes, LS Smiths, Masqueliers, Ithacas, Bakers for the same reasons.

Right now, my favorite 16's are a 3-gun battery of Foxes, an XE with 26-inch barrels, another with 28-inch barrels and a 28/30 inch combo custom gun I had built for me and engraved by Geoffroy Gournet that is as nice or nicer than any of the CSMC Foxes ever built. They all get used and run from just under 6 pounds to about 6.5 pounds. They are pretty, but it is the handling qualities that make them useful to me.

As far as availability of shells, all you need to do is get your wallet out and order up some RST's. Complaining is like owning a Bentley and whining about the price of gas.

Stan, the only thing I'm sure about lately is my name.
Took me a minute to find the gun, but it's marked 16/65 in an oval, which I take to mean 2.5". Double checking with the gauge, it measures 2.5" to the bottom of the rim recess.

Edgar, I'd be happy to take those shells off your hands.

The story of the 16 Ga Society is actually kind of sad. I joined sometime around 2000 (I believe; not sure exactly). They had started the Low Pressure group at that time, and you had to joint it separately. Somehow in the process, I recieved a black cartridge carrier bag made to fit the 16 boxes with a beautiful embroideried log on the top in multicolors. I am convinced that the Society was very influential in helping to resurrect the gauge. The Low Pressure group was probably the most influential group I was ever involved with.

I had always been a 16 gauge fan. My first shotgun was a BayState 16 single, my second an Ithaca 37 16 and my first quality double a late production (1948) Ithaca NID. Right now I own 15 to a little north or south of 20.

I was active in the group until around until about 2015 when I was 65 and got pulled over into BenchRest and devoted most of my time to this. When I next became reinvolved, I found that my membership was not working and nothing worked. The signup, shopping area and contact sectio were not working.

After most of a year, I got in touch with a person that was able to hack be back into the system. I found the whole org was a shamble. The low pressure group had moved to, I think, a Google group. They then moved to become a subset of one of the shotgun boards and the useage was way down. Apparently the man that started the whole thing was a regular kind of guy that got help from different people and ran it as an act of lovel deeply committed to the idea. He died suddenly, and his family was devastated. They apparently knew nothing themselves about the subject or bulletin boards but wanted to maintain control and keep it running as a tribute to the founder. They apparently had no expertise, contacts or resources to do this but refused all offers to take it over and run it. Their one concession was to allow one of the members limited access to watch over user credentials. He works full time and has limited time to work on membership. I have no idea who does the website work and solves their operating problems. I am amazed it is still operational every time I log in occasionalluy.

We’ve probably all read Allen Newell’s description of his inherited 16 gauge VH that his grandfather ordered new.
Granddad ordered it with so much drop that Allen could hardly shoot it, and the fact that it was so well worn Allen made the decision to send it to DelGrego’s for a complete restoration, including a new stock.
Allen sent me these pictures asking me to post them so that everyone could see the beautiful VH 16 that he cherishes so much.

With Allen’s permission…


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Del Grego?????

Doug Oliver started the 16ga Society in 2004; I joined that same year as soon as I was aware of it; I'm member #47. Doug was a fellow Kansan and he and I had numerous conversations early on. I volunteered to help and he said he's keep than in mind, but he really wanted it to be his baby and keep it a one-man show. Since Doug's passing a person who goes by s_long (listed as member #3; the first two are Doug himself) who I understand is a good friend of Doug's and the family has been keeping it going, such as it is.

Some folks there are frustrated about the way it's being run currently and there seems to be a push by some current members to expand the administration; a couple of them have been pretty vocal about it. As is typical, the loudest complainers want someone else to do something about it. It was suggested that a complainer start his/her own site if they are so dissatisfied but of course no one is willing to put in the time, effort and money to do that.

I have no inside info but I expect that it is the way it is because that's the way Doug wanted it. Frankly I find the site to be rather unwelcoming to some of us early members; in looking at the membership rolls I see only one or possibly two members who joined earlier than I who even post there anymore. I do check in regularly but rarely post; most of those are ignored, and if I'm honest I don't care much for most of the current posts.

Sites seem to come and go unless there's a strong organization (like this one :)) behind them. Sorry of this sounds petty but knowing Doug's vision for the 16ga Society and the site, it might be best to just let it fade away. JMHO.

My hat with the original society logo...

https://i.imgur.com/aLmlAiMl.jpg

???????? isn’t that what I wrote, sans the space?

At least I didn’t say Delgrecko…:shock:



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I had the black cordura 16GA Society bag but one day while shooting Skeet at my club I left it on a shelf inside the clubhouse like a lot of members do. When I finished shooting my round I came back inside and it was gone. It had measuring tools, cleaning equipment, four different size bore snakes and three boxes of RST shells in it.
That was one of the reasons I stopped shooting there. How could I ever leave one of my Parkers in the rack to go to the men’s room if there’s a thief lurking about?!?





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My go to Grouse and Woodcock gun is my Dads 1912 Ithaca Flues 16 gauge gun. 26" barrels factory choked Cyl/full. Weighs 5.9 Lbs. Gun is original and a joy to carry and shoot.

Craig, your opening post should have been saved for a Parker Pages article. It perfectly represents what has happened to that favored gauge and wasn’t too wordy at all, as one commenter indicated.
I love each and every 16 gauge Parker I have ever had. Sadly, and for no sane reason, I sold some that I never should have… *kicks self in ass* for a couple of them served me very well and brought the game to the ground when I did my part.

Thanks for that great lead-in to a topic that most all of us can relate to.





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I had one too; mine seems to have disappeared as well! I have a feeling it's around here somewhere but in several years of casual searching it hasn't turned up.

A shame about yours being stolen at your club; you just don't expect such things to happen when everyone there is supposedly somewhat like-minded. However, we did get an email reminder at my club to keep our cars locked; apparently some items were taken.

Dean, my understanding is that he didn't write that, it was copied off of Facebook. I said it was wordy as most things there are, but the spirit of his post is excellent. And I agree, an article on the 16 would be awesome.

As far as 16g Society, I've been a member a long while, but I also think that as more information comes out on other forums and the internet their relevance was maybe destined to fade? I wish it didn't. And that is a one of the coolest logos I've seen.

Bill, the restocking of my Parker 16 ga VH was done by DelGrego. Larry told me to come back in a year and the gun would be ready. And a year later it was.

So multiple guys are asking for a 16g article for Parker Pages.

SOMEONE NEEDS TO WRITE A 16G ARTICLE FOR PARKER PAGES!!

The deadline for the next issue is April 15. Just sayin'.

I went to Bass Pro in Foxboro today and bought out all of their 16 ga ammo. I wasn't sure if they'd let me do that but much to my pleasant surprise they did without comment.

I just wanna know who's writing the article now...

Allen, how much per box was the 16 gauge ammo you purchased? We will check at our local Bass Pro, which isn't too local.

$8.99 per box. I think that price include my veterans discount

Good luck Mike, it would be nice to see some new contributors/authors in PP.

EDIT! This post was supposed to go in Bret Trimbles thread of "Show your favorite 16ga" Could someone put it in the that thread for me? Sorry!

There's no way I could pick a favorite. They're like children to me. I love them all equally. I'll post a few.

First my Parkers.
GHE Skeet, 1939 gun with 28" barrels. This one sat in Remington's inventory until 1942+. I bought it at a local gun show 25 years ago at a bargain price.

Next set is a group of 3 other Parker 16's.
Top, is a PH that was originally a 12ga that was returned to have 16ga Titanic barrels and D grade wood installed. (bought this from a member)
Below that is a PH with 28" stub twist, Mod and Full chokes. (Got from Ben Loving)
Third gun is a Trojan 16 with 28" Mod and Full chokes. Purchased at a large auction for $450 plus shipping and buyer premium. All in, $600.

Fourth set is a Belgium made Nimrod hammer gun with 27" barrels choked Imp and Full. This gun is tiny, the water table hardly wider than my thumb.
It weighs in at 5lbs, 4 ounces.

Next in line is a French made gun with several reinforcement ribs on the stub twist barrels. It sports interesting silver geometric inlays on the receiver and and an under lever for opening, and a smaller lever under that to remove the barrels.

Then a Winchester Mod 12 16a pump with grade #5 engraving.

Last set of pics are a Francotte Model BB 16ga from 1899 26" barrels. This gun was also purchased from a member here. It is in like new condition. this gun was consigned to Abercrombie & Fitch by Von Lengerke & Detmold in 1900, then later transfered to Von Lengerke & Antoine in 1902 where it was sold. I was fortunate to purchase a VL&A leg of mutton case that fits it perfectly.

I Just can't pick a favorite, they each have something special to me about them.

The stock on my favorite 16, a 30" DHE. Apparently it's my daughter's favorite also, as I can't seem to get it back. John Frierson sold it to me, and he talks about it in his book "Memories Of A Carolina Bird Hunter".

French Walnut Edgar?
Beautiful grain!

I love John’s writing.





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Beautiful stock. Just wish it didn't have a sling swivel. UT absolutely beautiful stock.

Read his book, Allen. He hunted quail on horseback. The swivels letter, and they don't bother me.

That is the exact same gun that started me !! I still have it. It was my dad's gun. When I restored the wood, I found a happy birthday note from a lady who had bought it new for her (I assume) husband in 1952. I know the entire provenance of it. It has been around for as long as I could remember (I was born in 57) so I am going to make a fairly educated guess that my dad bought it from the original owner.

I recently restored the wood, put in new friction rings and recoil spring. The blueing is still good.

"Hits like a 12, carries like a 20" My favorite gauge if there is such a thing. My favorite is a 26" barreled 0 frame weighing just under 6#. A lightning bolt for quail hunting.

Nice! You're 10 years younger than I. My dad bought two identical guns, both in 16ga; my oldest brother got the other one. He gave his to one of his sons and tried for years to buy dad's gun from me for the other son, but I just wasn't ready to turn loose of it. I finally gave it to my nephew on a trip a couple years ago, and I regret that I didn't do it while my brother was still around to see it; he would have liked that.

Some pics to share:

https://www.jpgbox.com/jpg/75719_600x400.jpg

https://www.jpgbox.com/jpg/75720_600x400.jpg

https://www.jpgbox.com/jpg/75721_600x400.jpg

https://www.jpgbox.com/jpg/75722_600x400.jpg

https://www.jpgbox.com/jpg/75723_600x400.jpg

That’s cool to find a note like that -I’ve had that experience a couple times usually in the stock behind the butt plate.

http://i.imgur.com/UkclIeKh.jpg

The 16 gauge ammo solution. I ask for a flat for Christmas most every year from my wife.