Home Forums Reloading 16 Gauge Society 1938 3 Shot Browning

Picked up this gem over the winter. It’s a 1938 3 shot unmarked Sweet Sixteen. I stripped and refinished the stock. I also repaired a crack int forearm and recut the checkering. The stock was cut when I got it so I added the pad to get it back to the correct LOP.

That looks great!

Thanks

Very nice!

That’s a unicorn of sorts. I almost took a scrapper 68 sweet, and put a 3-shot tube/forend on it.....was going to send it to Turnbull for case coloring the receiver and complete restoration....just to be different. That’s when Doug Turnbull told me that he and his company would NEVER work on semiauto firearms of any sort, and I could take that to the bank and my business elsewhere. Wasn’t long after that he started offering case colored 1911s and ARs. I guess the ‘bank’ became a bigger priority. LOL

I took me a long time to finally find one. I got it for a great price off Gunbroker. The seller had no idea what he had. As far as Turnbull it’s crazy that they wouldn’t do that for you. I was going to contact them about restoring another Auto 5 since Arts Gun Shop won’t do a rust blue. I guess it’ll go to Glenrock

One of my uncles had a three shot Remington Mod 11 16 ga . After he died my aunt asked me to clean his guns. The Mod 11, Mod 8 30Rem, Savage 22 semi auto, and Savage 32 auto were all loaded. She gave me a couple knives and all the ammo, and said she would let me know when she decided what to do with his guns. Christmas day eight months later she let slip that she sold them. I really wanted that Mod 11. I have a 12 ga, but that three shot 16 just felt perfect in my hands. You have a great piece there , Enjoy.

Heck, Turnbull looks like he’ll work on semis of any sort now.....he’s even building ARs. LOL......just ask him what changed his ‘principles’, if you call him.

Rumor was he was in the ‘you don’t need semis to hunt’ 2A camp....at least until it either hurt him and/or the $.

How do you ID a 3-Shot? Length of mag and fore arm?

Here's a couple of pics of my 1930 vintage A-5 16 Ga 25" Vent Modified. Its been altered by Browning to shoot 2 3/4" Shells.

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/galleries/15948163#Post15948163

The easiest way is to see if the forend is stamped

Beautiful gun sir

No engraving? I had assumed they all were.

I’d have to look but I don’t think engraving was standard until 1947. I have a couple that don’t have engravings

I learned something new. I don't see pre wars that often, so that is probably why. I never really noticed. I only have one and it is engraved.

Love that shotgun STW. I need to find one myself. Great find.

IIRC, Grade I was plain until post war, then Grade II basically became Grade I....typical scroll work and lettering most are used to.....except for super light and Acier/FN/Euro models, which stayed ‘plain’. Only Browning U.S. market models went by ‘grade’....again, IIRC. I can look all this up in Mr.Shirley’s book he gave me later.

Interesting. Were there more or less Grade I produced than Grade II?

Here is my 1939 "Grade II"... 28" Mod, solid rib. Fantastic gun.

I can see if he has the production numbers noted between the two.

I have one of the "American Browning" 3-shot 20ga shotguns, made by Remington during ww2 when the fn plant was shut down. It is marked also on the forearm "browning 3-shot".

Haven't been able to find any info of how many they made, in this configuration.

According to THE book (HM Shirley/Vanderlinden), 3-shot Auto 5s showed up as early as 1932, and the plain receiver grade I was replaced with the former Grade 2 engraved receiver in 1935.....both earlier than I recalled. No distinction on production numbers of 3-shot vs 5-shot, that I can find.

No records of 3-shot guns being produced after August 1947, or from 1940-after 1945. FN still made them into the 70s, but Browning didn’t sell them.

Thanks hh4whiskey, you just saved me a lot of research. I refer to “the book” as the Bible. So much great info in it

Did he state why?

No….but the way he said it intoned some serious derision for semi-autos and those that owned them. Made me doubt his ‘convictions’. Lol

I mean, he hung up on me after making the statement.

For sure. I don’t know that I could ‘technically’ call Mr. Shirley a ‘friend’, but he sure was good to me over the several years I got to know him. HE was THE source, for sure. He sent a signed first edition to me years ago, when I was in the thick of my A5 craziness.