This is my first post on the 24 hour campfire forum. I just realized that this is probably in the wrong section, sorry.
I have to admit that I've never owned a 16 gauge, but feel that it is a shame that they aren't more popular.
A magazine article from some years back testing a reintroduced 16 gauge mentioned that 16 gauge guns were often or normally
made using either a 12 gauge or 20 gauge receiver. The author said that they tended to be overly heavy if based on 12 gauge receivers (so offered little or no advantage over buying a 12 ga). He said guns based on 20 gauge receivers were preferable.
So my question is this; what guns (newly manufactured or out of production) use 12 gauge receivers, which use 20 gauge, and which
ones use receivers that are 16 gauge only (if any)?
Off the top of my head, I'm curious about Stevens 311's, Winchester 21's and 12's, Remington autos and pumps (and equivalent Brownings/Savage autos); or anything else that you care to mention. :-)
Many thanks to anyone that takes the time to answer!
Jeff Marshall
Rural Indiana
16 gauge guns on the smaller frame are awesome! After starting with a 16 I later received a 12 gauge pump at 14. The gun and shells were bulkier with essentially the same ballistic performance as a 1 1/8 or 1 1/4 16 gauge load. Winchester Model 12 and Ithaca M37 16 gauge guns are truly everything that you need in a hunting shotgun, especially the solid rib version of each make.
