With modern technology 12ga doubles are getting lighter and lighter, has the 16ga seen its day only to drift off into obscurity? Aside from various collectible guns are they really worth it?
I have more friends who take to the woods with the 16, now, than I did 40 years ago. Browning, among others, produces guns, and ammunition for the gauge. It handles an ounce of birdshot well, carries well, and is easier for women and children to warm up to than a lightweight 12.
The only gauge I have any non toxic shot layed in for is 16, the result of a happy accident of someone disposing of his 16s, and selling off the ammunition for it.
There is more than what a guns weighs. If all one does is hang around a trap or skeet field, you could come to believe the 16 is dead. But, if you are serious about chasing birds, a 16 still makes a lot of sense.
Best,
Ted
