Home Forums Reloading 16 Gauge Society SxS advice for modern ammo

Hey guys, any thoughts on 16ga SxS guns to shoot 1oz loads at 1250fps?
I am an Ithaca/SKB guy that has been shooting O/U for years, now dabbling into the SxS world only to realize that SKB never made 16ga guns.

I have a couple flats of game and trap loads that I want to burn up, and don’t shoot my model 37’s as much as I used to.

Thanks!

Guess I should be a bit more specific, lets start with budget! Under $1500

Looking for a shooter, not wall hanger. Will shoot clays and upland birds, no steel or heavy loads.

POW style stock, 2 3/4" chambered, prefer older guns to new. Just not sure when older turns into unsafe.

A tough find without this requirement and about hens teeth with. A BRNO sidelock is a well built piece and can be had for a lot less than $1500. I gave $350 for mine in 2005. Most will have a standard pistol grip and a cheek piece. Mine has a straight grip and no cheek piece and, short of opening the F-F chokes, has been spot on. My youngest son with it a few years ago.

Nice Ed!
Pistol grip would be just fine too, just not looking for any more straight stocked guns

Wow, y'ain't askin' fer much are ya! LOL!

My suggestion, depending on where you are, would be to hit every gun show, podunk pawn shop and flea market I could find. Advertise in a newspaper, Thrifty Nickel, electric co op newsletter.
What you're asking for isn't impossible, just hard to locate.
My very first "gun show" was in Houston's "Astro Hall".
HUUUGE!
We three gun store employees were sent there by the owner to locate a Win M54* in .257 Rbts. (*forerunner to the M70). We found THREE!
What you're looking for is out there
Don't give up!

IN THE MEANTIME:
Educate yourself on the preeminent makers. Winchester, Stevens, Savage, L.C. Smith, etc, etc...
Also, learn to identify "Damascus" steel barrels. Get someone to educate you on grading bore conditions, blueing conditions.
Learn the differences in "box lock" and "side lock".

ALSO.....learn to know when a "clunker" just might be a "fixer-upper" well worth the money*....and vice versa!

Good hunting!
Good luck!

*found a beat up Win M12 in 16 gauge. Real clunker!
Were talking black electrical tape holding magazine to the barrel bad!
Walked out for a $100 bill! Tax, title and license!
Eighty bucks worth of parts from Nu-Line custom guns and I have a really nice Win M12 in 16 gauge with a set of Cutts Comp tubes! Total investment $200 (extra Cutts choke tubes)

It's out there! Don't give up!

Seems like there are a couple double guns in that price range like Stevens, Savage Fox, Sauer, even some LC Smith field models.
How new do they have to be for regular use? 40’s? 70’s?

Too bad you don't like straight grips and splinter forends because here's a nice one in your price range:
https://www.doubleshotguns.com/fair-iside-gun15700.html

One of the shops in town has a rack of those, all straight stocked.
Might need to push the budget up to 2k

I'm curious, what shop in MT has a rack full of 16ga doubles?

Not sure if they have any 16ga, but Bob Wards in BOZO has 6 or so FAIR double guns for sale.

Another consideration would be some of the German/Belgium guns from the 20's and 30's. Granted most of the chambers are short but if you are selective there is usually enough steel to allow for enlarging the chambers and forcing cones (short shells are available but you said you have a good supply already). Usually choked very tightly which can also be corrected.
They are generally lightweight. Many have cheekpieces which you may not like but also correctable.
I've got two that I've used for many years after extending the chambers/forcing cones and choking IC/Mod.
My opinion they are well made and of stronger design than a lot of currently available guns.
Certainly within the budget you've mentioned.

I just purchased what you are looking for, at an auction here in Canada. A Gaspar Arizaga (Spanish) Sidelock, non ejector with prince of whales grip, ic/mod chokes 28" barrels and raised matted rib. Double triggers of course. I thought I had a "perfect" match to my needs but it needed some gunsmithing on the locks. Three of the screws holding the bridle to the right hand lock plate stripped and had to be replaced. And I had my smith correct a defect in the cocking mechanism which was a little stiff. I also had the stock bent to my measurements. All in I was under your budget but it took years of looking and was not without some challenges when I got it. The right gun exists, but often you must be patient and prepared to fix some minor issues.
As mentioned previously, the Czech Brno ZP47 guns were very well built, and are worth searching for. If you can find one and if it fits you, you won't be disappointed.
You mentioned you like Ithaca guns. I had a Ithaca Flues 16 ga. for a while that handled nicely, but was not built very well. Not a strong action. And short chambers. I'd suggest you pass on that model.

Sounds just about right, and I don't mind having a smith make it ready for use either.

Oh well, down the rabbit hole we go...

Ithaca NID; Fox Sterlingworth; Ithaca Lefever; a fair number of German guns like Simson and various guild guns should all fit your price point. SxS shotguns seem to linger a long time on dealer's shelves and 16s have an ammo availability issue in the current market.

This little French Robust went TOO cheap. I wish I hadn't missed it, but I have one similar, a Robust No. 4 16ga. The Simpson Ltd gun is in better condition than mine. Someone stole it @ $550.00!

https://simpsonltd.com/fusil-robust-brevete-sxs-shotgun-d34041/

This man knows his doubles; and also the value of a dollar. I’d add that the Sterlingworth 16 may cost a bit more, assuming good condition. The NID is a sleeper and seems a fantastic value in Field Grade. The Ithaca Lefevers are basically NID’s under a different name. I avoid the Ithaca Nitro Special model, as it seems too rough for me. For the patient buyer, these will cost less than a Browning BSS 20, and maybe not much more than a new Turkish gun. The flip side is that they will more likely gain value rather than lose as the years go by.

Built like a deck post, but a Winchester Model 24 should oughta stand up to whatever you wanna throw at it. Well within your price range. Stevens 311 would fit the bill, too for on the cheap.

Would contact Simpson's for a euro 16 shooter.

Would contact Simpson's for a euro 16 shooter.

Picked up a LC Smith 12 ga Featherweight made in 1940 today.
Now gotta find that 16…