16ga
 

I copied this from FB, what say u??:
The 16-gauge didn’t disappear because it failed. It disappeared because the hunting world got louder. Caught between the brute certainty of the 12 and the easy handling of the 20, the 16 never begged for attention. It simply worked, quietly, season after season, teaching balance long before balance became something people talked about online.
This gauge was built for hunters who walked, not those who counted payload. It carried well, pointed naturally, and delivered patterns that rewarded timing rather than panic. With a 16-gauge, you couldn’t rely on excess shot to clean up late decisions. You had to mount clean, swing smoothly, and commit when the window was right. Miss the moment, and the gun didn’t argue with you. It reminded you.
That reminder is why many old hunters never let theirs go. The 16-gauge sits in a sweet spot where power is present but never overwhelming. Recoil is noticeable enough to demand respect, yet gentle enough to stay honest. It doesn’t encourage rushing. It encourages rhythm. It doesn’t flatten mistakes with force. It exposes them with clarity.
As modern hunting drifted toward extremes, the 16 gauge stayed centered. It never tried to be lighter than everything or stronger than everything. It asked one simple thing instead: that the hunter meet it halfway. Good footwork. Clean mounts. Real patience. Those who learned on the 16 learned to value flow over force, and judgment over noise.
The 16 gauge isn’t outdated. It’s unfashionable. And that distinction matters. It represents a time when hunters chose tools that shaped behavior rather than inflated confidence. In a world chasing edges and excess, the 16 gauge reminds us that balance is not a compromise—it’s a discipline.
The 16 gauge didn’t disappear because it failed. It disappeared because the world around it simplified. Hunters were told to choose sides—light or heavy, 20 or 12—and the middle was quietly abandoned. Not because it was wrong, but because it didn’t shout for attention.
What defines the 16 gauge is proportion. It carries more authority than a 20 without demanding the bulk of a 12. The payload feels purposeful, not excessive. Recoil is present, but measured. In the hands, the gun balances naturally, especially in classic field guns built before “modular” became a selling point. Nothing feels forced. Nothing feels trimmed down to make a category.
In the deer woods, the 16 gauge shines in places charts don’t measure. It moves smoothly through cover. It settles quickly on target. With slugs or appropriate loads, it delivers clean results at realistic distances without the fatigue that often follows heavier gauges. The experience feels deliberate rather than defensive.
The reason many hunters never tried the 16 is simple: it requires context. It doesn’t dominate a spec sheet. It doesn’t promise extremes. Instead, it rewards hunters who already understand their distances, their angles, and their patience. The 16 doesn’t rescue rushed decisions—but it doesn’t punish thoughtful ones either.
This is why those who discover the 16 late often ask the same question: why did we skip this? Not because it outperforms everything else, but because it fits so well that it fades from focus. And when a tool disappears, judgment takes over.
The controversy around the 16 gauge isn’t about effectiveness. It’s about relevance. In a world obsessed with fewer choices, the 16 reminds hunters that balance used to be the goal—not a compromise.
Choose the 16 gauge if you want the steadiness of a 12 without its weight, and the handling of a 20 without giving up authority. It’s ideal for hunters who value proportion over popularity and performance over packaging. The 16 gauge isn’t forgotten because it’s obsolete. It’s forgotten because it refuses to fit into simple arguments. And that may be exactly why it still works.

Excellent Craig, I have 4 of them all doubles, had a nice model 12 until an I got talked out of it. my father always said, a 16 will kill anything that flies. They are my main waterfowl and pheasant shotguns.

Could have been said in less words, but yes, directionally correct. I shoot a 16, 90% of the time. I have never felt under-gunned.

My analogy would be to compare it to my truck. I drive less than 10K miles a year and about 4 miles to work each day. I don't tow anything with regularity and I live on the prairie, no hills. Yet, I have a corvette engine in my pickup. More is not better, it is just more.....

According to Parker pages Spring 2022, 50131 is a 16 gauge top action that weighs 5 pounds even and is the Lightest Parker ever reported. The arguement the 12 is heavy and the 20 is light has little merit to me and always has.

16GA S/Ss have been my favorite for a long long time.
Bob Jurewicz

I recently found out about the “16 ga Society.” I tried joining but there were problems with the website.
Any thoughts on this group?

Clark,

There was one person (admin/owner?) overseeing the site part time. He can apparently grant access to the site. His email address is floating around. Someone here may have it. I connected with him some time ago but was never able to register successfully.

Best,
Brett

FWIW, I’ve always loved the 16ga. Mostly because the frame size is so comfortable. Not so much about weight. Couple that with very efficient loadings and, to me, you have a great upland gun.

I used to be on the 16ga Society site but got dropped thru lack of activity. Friend contacted the administrator , still not able to get back on.

My love for the 16ga is fading. I now feel that 10ga guns are for waterfowl, 12ga guns are for clays (if desperate, waterfowl), and upland birds deserve a 20ga or, even better, a 28ga. 410s rock, and should be used whenever reasonable.

-Victor

Victor,

Cheers to you and I wish you many happy days afield with the bigger and littler guns!

Brett

I’m kinda of the 10 for everything school but I’ve pared a bunch of stuff off and my smallest gauge is a 12 :whistle:

I had a very nice VHE 0 frame 26” single trigger 16 that was a lovely quail gun , I had a quite nice VHE 1 frame 26” straight grip single trigger BT skeet gun that was a joy to shoot . But the best clays 16 I ever had was a DH 2 frame 32” gun that was of memory serves 39/1000’s in both barrels . Had a nice VH 1 frame 30” tightly choked that I killed a fair amount of December dove with . And last but not least I had a Grade 0 TL one frame 30” that did very well on the clays course .

I grew up shooting my grandfathers/dad's 16 ga Parker VH. Had Larry DelGrego restock it some 13 years ago. Still my favorite bird gun and it brings back so many wonderful memories

The 16 and wild roosters, two thumbs up!
 

I started hunting roosters out in Kansas in 2008. I had added a set of Merkel 16gauge barrels to my DT-PG-SF Parker reproduction 20 gauge. Galazan had them made and I sent my gun to them, and they fitted up a set and numbered them to my gun. These are great barrels be the way! Choke is very important for my rooster set up. I had them open the right barrel from mod to IC .009 and left the full barrel as it came. The full barrel is actually .031 or X-full in 16 gauge. I like them over the Kreghoff barrels because the full is only .024 of choke and that is .002 under spec for full choke in 16 gauge. This gun comes in at 6lbs-4oz with the 28" 16-s in place, SWEET. This gun fits me and swats down roosters.....(-: I shoot Fiocchi 5# HV and don't bother switching shells when we find Quail as the 5-s do a great job, have never shot up a bird with 5-s in the IC barrel and by the time I shoot the x-full barrel the birds are out there anyway. I have shot 2 true doubles on wild Quail in Kansas and a true combo of a rooster and a Quail. I do not think a lesser gauge would perform like my 16 does in Kansas on them tuff to kill roosters. Great news after several years of drought in Kansas the birds are back!!! I love those Kansas combo hunts with the wild quail. If Kansas has a good hatch and the weather cooperates, I will be out there tromping the fields with my two young setters this Nov/Dec 2026...(be the Lord willing). SXS Ohio

My 1913 Fox 16 gauge with 28 inch barrels has been my hunting partner for over 30 years across many Midwestern and Western states. It'll be in the in vault been I pass!!!

The old adage “ caries like a 20 and shoots like a 12” still rings true. Welcome to the dance

I admire the 16 for many reasons and have more than I need. For me it's a more direct link to the past...and it's sort of the "odd man out" in today's shooting world. I like that.

My Parker 16s include composite barrel examples in all grades up to BH (higher is above my pay grade). My most cherished is a Bernard barreled CHE built on the 0 frame weighing in at 6 lbs. It doesn't get out much to hunt, but it gets admired a good deal.

Long live the 16!

Sometimes a 16 gauge just belongs in the picture!

“Acknowledge the direct steal of Mr Romig’s signature line!”

I have always had a fondness for the 16 gauge. The last gun that I would ever part with is the slightly used, Ithaca Model 37 I obtained as a kid. I saved up for it and my dad filled out the paperwork (I was only 16), but I paid for it.

The last couple of seasons I have fallen for the 28 gauge, mainly because I lucked into a gun with a cast-on stock that fits and I shoot really well. It is my current Woodcock gun and did better on Grouse than I expected.

The 16 gauge is still relevant and a joy to own and shoot, provided it is an actual 16 and not a 16 gauge barrel on a 12 gauge frame.

I cannot imagine being at the point that I would want to use one gauge gun for all my shotgunning pursuits. I enjoy them all, with the exception of 24 and 32, from 10 down to .410.

While I'm sure I could take my 16s and do everything needed with them, I wouldn't enjoy the lack of variety as much as I do using them all. I enjoy matching payloads to gauges . . . . 1 1/4 to 1 1/8 in 12, 1 oz. in 16, 7/8 in 20, and 3/4 in 28. I make two exceptions to that. My Fox Sterlingworth Ejector regulates with 1 oz. loads at 1145 fps, and I enjoy using both 1/2 oz. (for clays) and 3/4 oz. (for doves and quail) in my .410s. Horses for courses?

The piece Craig posted above is very well written, but also verbose. I think the writer enjoys being flowery and lengthy with his prose. Kinda reminds me of other subjects people write about on the 'net.

I have a fondness for the 16.

I'm already having a love affair with 16's. If I had to have only ONE gauge that would be it.

My O frame, Damascus, Fishtail 16 had a wonderful 2025 season.

I'm spoiled. The first Parker I picked up was a 16. Maybe that's what hooked me. It's not a pretty gun - but what fun to break clays! It's truly a point and shoot gun. I took one lesson from a guy who had a Kreighoff. I think he was jealous of the Parker 16 sxs.

All those words in the original post to explain the simple phrase we've used forever.

"Shoots like 12--Carries like a 20"

What that post missed is the main reason for why the sixteen fell to the wayside is it wasn't included in the mix for competitive skeet shooting. For whatever reason at the time, it was determined that the 12, 20, 28 & .410 would be the official gauges and the 16 has been the red-headed step-child ever since.

Those of us who know & love the sixteen will always think of our step-child as the best of the bunch.

Personally: I've said for years." If I had to get down to one shotgun--it would be a sixteen gauge"

My first SxS was a 16. My favorite upland gun is a 16 whether it’s one of my Parkers or Lefevers. I’ve never missed a bird because of shooting a 16. To me they just feel right.

As for the article that Craig posted, I agreed with most of it except when the writer spoke of limiting choices. I’ll argue that choices for the majority of things in our world are increasing by design. As long as there is money to be made there will be a myriad of choices for us to muddle through. I will acknowledge that at one time 16g ammo was very hard to come by. Once again, the ammo manufacturers didn’t see profit outweighing investment. Fortunately that has changed, but it took a long time.

I like shooting all of my guns, but the 16 will always hold a special place in my days afield.

A handful of 26" guns on 0 frames for grouse and bogsuckers
A tightly choked Trojan for squirrels and creek ducks
A GH (a bit heavier) for pheasant
An A5 for three bird sporting
About 4-5 others just because....what else does one need?

I will agree to just about all the points made about the 16 by the previous posters. I have two 16's but they don't get shot that much. And the reason they don't get shot that much is the same reason I believe that led to their downfall. Lack of variety of good ammo. Even for us handloaders it's a struggle to find good components. Craig's post from FB sounds like it could be a Hallmark movie script. It takes a certain mindset to want to shoot these old guns and the 16ga is a subset of that mindset. If they had included the 16 in the game of registered skeet it might have had a chance. But the ammo and gun manufacturers only produce what people want. If you think your 16 is the best upland gun I certainly won't argue with you. I, like Stan, enjoy shooting different guns and the 16 is certainly one of them. But I'll admit it's third choice behind the 20 and 28 for me for just about anything that flies. YMMV.:)

I have read and studied each of these posts on this thread and, after much analysis, have come to the conclusion that God created the 16 to fulfill the need to accumulate more stuff to make shooting/hunting more fun.

(:

I've related my fondness for the 16 so many times and in so many places that it's become a cliche. My dad shot a Savage 16 - a "poor man's A5" - and when I got old enough to shoot a real shotgun it was that one. It was the only gun I owned and when years later I went in search of my first sxs shotgun it had to be a 16ga. And it was. I have 12's and 20's and even a little .410, but if I'm afield it's likely a 16 hanging in the crook of my arm. I've never lauded it as superior or cared what anyone else shoots; I just like 'em. I've got four now. and if I coulda ever found a 16ga SBT I'd probably be shooting it too. I've been a member at 16ga.com since its inception, but frankly I've never cared a whit whether the 16 lived or died. I've got enough ammo stockpiled to last my remaining days, so...

This is the gun that started it for me; thanks Pop...

https://i.imgur.com/JKc6xXql.jpg

It goes through periods of popularity or a brief resurgence and then is pushed aside in favor of something else.

As long as young folks keep getting involved in hunting and shooting, they will discover it and keep it alive. The 28 gauge would not be my first, second, or third choice for waterfowl, but with advancements in ammunition it is the "It Girl" of the moment.

Browning is still listing the 16 for 2026, so people are buying them.

I can find 16g ammo just fine. It's expensive and very testy so that pretty much rules out the vintage guns. With Longshot, Perfect Pattern and powders and wads available it isn't hard to grab a single stage press and load what you like, especially if you thought ahead and kept about six gazillion RST hulls like I did. That being said, BP usually has primed Cheddite hulls so the ammo argument never held water with me. If you're a competitive shooter perhaps but then again you'll usually have a modern O/U. As far as the 28g goes, I DO BELIEVE that is GOD'S preferred gauge. I love them. But I'm a sinner so don't have one (in a Parker) yet.

I have always loved the 16G, have a pair of Model 12s, Light and Heavy, two side by sides and have plenty of Ammo, One of the side by sides is 2-1/2" so got that when I purchased that gun. 8 Boxes from the prior owner and then from other suppliers and from Gun shows. I retired back in 1998 and the older gun shows had plenty of 16s for dirt cheap prices. Now at 82 I know my sons will have to carry some of the out of the gun room down the road.

I have had many 16ga guns over the years, killed many birds with them.I am down to only 2 at this time, A Parker GH 30" a real nice gun and my Merkel that I've had for near 40 years, she has 29 3/16 " barrels, weight of 6lb 7oz ,handles like a dream and has killed many grouse and woodcock over the years. I may be hooked on the 28-gauge at the moment but I still love the 16ga.

Here’s a couple of Parker 16s after a successful hunt.

Shot my 16 ga VH that I had Larry DelGrego restock a dz or so yrs ago. Received many favorable comments from the club members that I usually shoot skeet with. Some have asked me
to will it to them when I pass but I tell them it's a family gun and one of my 2 grandsons will get it when I pass. Oh this 16 brings back so many fond memories.

Out with my 1902 28” O frame VH 16g looking for some NY Woodcock this past October. Feel fortunate I was started young on a 16g as my first hunting gun. Life would be so strange otherwise .

I grew up shooting purple hulls in a hammerless Savage single shot. That thing would knock the boogers out of you. I still have it but seldom shoot it. I shoot a lot and favor the 12 over everything else. I change the payload accordingly. I love my 7/8 oz 7 1/2 load for the 12!

Knock the boogers out of you!! :rotf: Now that’s just funny right there!!