Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Browning Citori 16 gauge

Are these rare?

Somewhat but not extremely. I know of two for sale.

Browning made a new run of five versions last summer/fall. Right now they are plentiful - check GunBroker, several there. Bill Hanus birdguns has a listing of the various models (the prices on GunBroker are less).

http://www.billhanusbirdguns.com/browning16.html

I wish I had bought a 16 ga Citori Upland Special when they were available a "few" years ago. Dang.

A friend of mines wife called me recently and was getting
ready to buy a used one for him. I had never heard of a
Citori in 16 gauge. Thanks for the info.

Browning has made "runs" of these in the past also. My Brother and I both have one from a special run made for Scheels. Nice guns, light and easy to carry. Mine came with four choke tubes. I paid in the $1500 range for it. I found my brother's gun for him, used, for just over $1000. Both have 28" barrels, listed on the box as the "Lightning Field".



Sorry for the sideways photo:



Kaiser Norton

Kaiser, those are nice looking shotguns. Mine is a "White Lightning" from the current run (came with three invector chokes, I have since bought three more). My wife bought it for me from a local gunshop back in January as an early Valentine's gift. The dealer had three in stock then; a minty Citori from a earlier run (in the 1980's or 90's per the dealer), a Citori Feather Lightning from the new run (since sold), and the one I got.

Now, if we could just get Browning to make a run of the Sweet 16
I'd be one happy camper!!! No pun intended.

I had one a few years ago and they are really beautiful guns. Like Odessa mine was a white lightening. I only sold mine because it didn't really fit me very well and I didn't shoot it well. I had always wanted one and finally found it only to be disappointed that I could not hit with it. A friend offered to bend the stock but I didn't want to take the risk as if it cracked finding a replacement would be a bear. If you get one I am sure you will be pleased with the style and quality.

I started to buy one but already have three shotguns in 16 ga , Browning BPS, CZ Ring Neck , and LC Smith. I decided to go with the Winchester Belgium Supreme Sporting Clay with Ported Barrels and Invector Plus Choke Tubes. I still may get one in the future but prefer the SXS when it comes to 16 ga. I purchased the BPS 16 because of it being totally Ambidextrous

I bought one out of the last run. I think it is in my column in the latest issue of Shooting Times. It has oil-finished wood that is far prettier than I expected when I ordered it, and they're built on 20 gauge frames. I really like the gun.

I have a grade III from 1980s production, I believe. It gets some field time on pheasants and is a real nice gun.

Yes, Greg, your article is in there. I've read it. They are nice to carry on long walks - plus there is something about hunting with the purple shells (federal). Fiocchi's load kick the snot out to the birds, too. I'd like to get my hands on some good No-tox stuff and use the 16 for ducks. My only gripe (with the citori) is I wish the rib were a bit wider. Petty of me, I know. My local Scheels has one from the latest run for $1699.

My other 16s are a Remington M11 and a Winchester 1897. Fun gauge......vastly underrated.

Kaiser Norton

My wife and I have guns from the 80s: her's is a 26" barrel gun that I got at an estate sale for $500; mine is a 28" gun that I bought new for $950. I sold my Sweet 16 and M12 16 ga guns to friends, and bought a MEC 9000 loader for 16 ga. And a case (5,000) of the Win 1 oz wads while they were in production.

Ah, the good old days...jim

Downrange DR16 wads look like WAA16, but different color. The gas seal is for straight-walled hulls, if I recall. Available 16 gauge hulls tend to be straight-walled, probably a good decision by DR.

They must have come along in 2009, based on these 16 gauge group posts http://www.16ga.com/forum/viewtopic...amp;sid=db9d40bfb032f55c610d682b425d638f .

You guys got me fired up about mine again. I am going to take it out and shoot it tomorrow.

GregR are you positive they are built on 20ga frames? I was under the impression that they had their own frame size.

According to the guys at Browning, the last run of 16s are on 20 gauge frames. I didn't ask if that has always been the case, but that's the case with the latest run.

I have a White Lightning 28" from a few years ago. I like it a lot, it is my primary bird gun.
One odd thing about the Browning choke tubes that I found out after buying a good barrel gauge - the tube I have that is marked " skeet" has between 1 and 2 thousandths of an inch more restriction than the one marked IC. The full choke is ridiculous - so tight I can't get it to pattern with any normal load. I have used the IC/Modified tubes to kill a lot of game.
When I compare mine with a 20 ga. Citori it looks like the frame is nearly identical with a few minor modifications. It handles like a 20, kills like a 12, just like a 16 should!