Skeet and 16 gauges

[George M. Purtill Member #28]

Scott
That is a great factoid.

[Bill Murphy]

Sixteen gauge was never disinvited. There is no time in NSSA history that the sixteen could not be shot. In the five class system, the 1 ounce class was inclusive of the sixteen, but heavily loaded twenties could shoot also. The twelve was unofficially eliminated from that class because no factory one ounce twelve gauge loads were listed in the "shell list". When the "Twenty Gauge" class was created, all 16 gauge shooters were in All Gauge because of the nomenclature of the "Twenty Gauge" class. Today, the sixteen will shoot with the twelve gauges regardless of shot load because no gun larger than a twenty can compete in the twenty gauge class, just as it has been since 1937 or maybe earlier. Remember, we have no rule books from 1935 and 1936. Shaughnessy's national championship was won in 1936, but we don't know what rules made him compete in the All Gauge category.