doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Favorite upland gauge

Some like six pound guns and can shoot them well. Some shoot short barrels just as well as long barrels. One of the few guns I wish I had purchased was a Belgian sidelock, 16 ga with 32" barrels which could not have been six pounds. The engraving was nicely done and wood was very well done. It was not a named gun, just another Guild gun. I just missed buying it by a couple of hours the next day. I guess the one that got away will always be special in our minds but I suspect a long barrel 16 with tight chokes would come in handy for late season doves with a stout tail wind pushing them along.

Owen,
I think your guns are choked perfectly. I think that having a gun choked two constrictions from each choke is even more useful, and I really like the SKT/MOD combination.
Karl

You suspect right, Jon. I didn't let mine get away, though it took some serious finagling to make it happen.

L.C Smith 16 gauge Featherweight with 32" barrels and original full and full chokes, ejectors and Hunter One Trigger. Meet Susie:





She is bad news for those late season doves with 1 ounce of hard 7 1/2s. And makes her presence known with 1 1/8 oz. of number 4s or 6s when the crows are in the fresh dug peanut fields, too.





SRH

Very nice Karl. What length are the barrels?
Here are my two current favorites.
W.W. Greener FH35, 12Ga, 30" barrels




And my new toy, Ed Kettner 16Ga, 29.5" barrels

Stan,
Great photos of your gun with it's quarry. I love to see guns pictured like that. I suspect we've all let those once in a life time guns get away, hoping that the next one that comes along would be it's equal. It's what keeps us searching.
Karl

Bill,
The barrels on the two Browning BSS-SL's are 26", and because of shoulder surgery I shoot their short barrels well. My three Merkels are 28" but are balanced somewhat neutral allowing me to do well with them also.
I don't know how the side safeties handle, but I've always liked how the side panels of the Greeners looked especially opposite the safety. The carved fences and engraving on the Kettner is stunning. That would be the star at any SxS hammer event!
Karl

Love the Greener Bill! Still hunting one myself

Billk, beautiful rounded bar on that Kettner action, not to mention the engraving! I bet that rounded bar carries well and the weight is nicely forward with those long barrels.

Than you Karl, 67galaxie and J. Owen.
I have not taken the 16Ga Kettner hunting yet, but I have shot it a few times at sporting clays so far and it shoots and feels beautifully. It certainly raises some eyebrows and drops some jaws to the fellows who think all guns should have their barrels stacked vertically and be a 12Ga.
BillK

I did a quick tally and only counted when someone made an obvious choice of favorite (many chose 2 or more gauges and some were not clear on a favorite).

12ga.- 10
16ga.- 15
20ga.- 3
28ga.- 3

I realize it's an informal survey but still I was quite surprised the 20ga. isn't more popular.