16 ga.
 

I refurbished an old Stevens sxs 16 ga with plastic stock & forearm. Hit 11 out of 25 at the trap range. Now I'm hooked. Why isn't the 16 ga more popular? It's harder to find and cost more than 12 ga. ammo.

Nicholas,

What bothered me more than the ammo for a 16 gauge being hard to find and expensive is that it is not appropriate for the gauge. 1 oz and 1 1/8 oz at 1300+ fps is not what I want. 7/8 and 1 oz at under 1200 fps is what I would like to find on the shelves.

Harry

I'm new to shotguns. A little over a year ago I didn't own any. Now I have a 12 ga 500A Mossberg, 16 ga Stevens, and a 10 ga sxs ext hammer Parker Bros.(1879).

Fiocchi Game/Target 16GT, 16 Gauge, 2 3/4", 1 oz, 1165 fps,

I have liked the performance of these for grouse and woodcock, I get them in #6, 7 1/2, 8 for hunting and clays, they are getting a little harder to find but a google search shows dealers, and I can still get them locally

although - they did miss a couple woodcock today

What year is your stevens?

I don't know what year it is. How would I find out?

Steven Date Codes
Collectors will find a date code stamped on every double-barrel shotgun in the Stevens brands produced between March 1949 and December 1968. Usually it is behind the hinge pin or ahead of the trigger guard on the bottom of the frame. It will appear as a small circle containing a number and a letter. The letters correspond to the years shown in the following table. Significance of the numbers is not known. It may be the month. If it does not have a code it is pre 1949.
A-1949 B-1950 C-1951 D-1952 E-1953 F-1954

G-1955 H-1956 I-1957 J-1958 K-1959 L-1960

M-1961 N-1962 P-1963 R-1964 S-1965 T-1966

U-1967 V-1968 W-1969 X-1970
These codes can be found in the Standard Catalog of Firearms.

William M. The barrel, frame & foregrip are all stamped alike. However, the letters stamped are A C B T, with circles around the A & C only, no numbers except on one lock plate which is 5100. Also I noticed that after every round or two of trap (25-50 shots), the stock needs to be tightened. It's that one screw that you need a long thin screw driver & a small pen light to see what you're doing. I always bring them to the range with me. There's also another mark stamped on the barrel. I'm guessing it's a proof mark. It looks like a triangle with a line sticking down perpendicular from the base, sort of like a Christmass tree. Then two curved lines near the top on each side like horns on a Viking helmet.

I shoot a lot of 16's including a VH Parker. I have been doing it for almost 50 years. The only really reliable answer to good availability of good shells is to load your own. The new 7/8 oz. Downrange wad is one of the best ever. The websight for the 16 Gauge Society has a tremendous amount of good information.

Thanks all. Since I've been bringing it to my local trap range, they've been stocking more16 ga. target loads. They are only about $2.00 more than the 12 ga. I guess the gun is pre- 1949 since I don't see the letter codes mentioned above.

Hello All,
I am a big fan of the 16 ga gun. I am waiting now for UPS to deliver a 1905 Parker to my FFL.
William,Larkin,Moore in Arizona stock low pressure,2.5" shells in 7.5 & 8s.They are made up special at Thunderbird Cart. Co.They also stock these in 12ga.& 20ga.
Shells are clean,uniform and great for clays.
Bill

Thanks William. My bigger problem now is improving my score. I could probably benift from a few lessons. I do slightly better with my 12 ga. than my 16ga. But the 16ga. is more fun.

I believe the Model 5100 may be pre 1949. Our member "Researcher" has a canned explanation of older Stevens and Savage double guns that he may post for you.

The Downrange wad , made in Hastings, Nebraska, is wonderful. I also load 7/8 for target shooting. Just order 16ga cartridges by the case from your local gun shop and you won't have to deal with availability problems, and I have worked out good prices from the store I frequent. All the larger manufacturers make 16ga loads. I like new Federals but lately I've been having so many problems with reloading soft brass that I'm going back to Remington hulls. Most of my shooting is 16ga.

Do you use the Downrange wad in Remington hulls with success?

yep. I was getting expanded brass in Feds and having to pull out too many stuck shells after the shot. I prefer the Feds for shooting but am now in the process of throwing away the Feds after shooting, and that was reloading with a MEC Grabber. Frustrating.

These were really light loads too. I'll still buy Fed 1oz 6shot for hunting loads though and then just throw them away. Its after reloading that the brass is sticking.