I've quit bashing the 16 ga., but have to agree with all your points, Ithaca5E.
JR
I do not agree with the point made by Ithaca 5E about 12-20 gauge overlap removing the usefulness of the 16 gauge.
In a nation of gun owners who are not satisfied with having no less than two dozen .30 caliber rifle cartridges, and who perpetually see some magic in also moving up or down a few thousandths of an inch in caliber, I'd say there is much more to the decline in popularity of the 16 gauge than cartridge or performance overlap.
I just bought a .32 rimfire falling block Hopkins & Allen rifle. No one is producing ammo for it and ammo that is available is both expensive and collectible. I'm trying to decide whether to keep it all original, or to open the chamber a bit and make a new link to convert it to a centerfire .32 S&W.
We don't have that sort of dilemma with our 16 gauge guns. And the only thing that will ever render them really obsolete is the efforts of anti-gun Democrats.
