.16 gauge Shotgun, Pros and cons.

psy-ops

psy-ops

Joined
Sep 27, 1999
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My father in law gave me an old .16 gauge shotgun. I have just shot it once to see if it still works. It shot great. Unfortunately it is a single shot.

Are there any other problems with a 16 gauge for home defense and possible back up survival gun?


Thanks

chris
 
the only problem with a 16 gauge shotgun is that the ammos is a little harder to comeby than the other more common 12, 20, ans even the diminuitive .410 gauge...that being said if you order in bulk off the internet you should be able to get a good supply
 
I agree with Rescue Riley. 16 guage is a great for survival small game hunting. Rabbit, pheasant, quail, duck at close range. A little small for geese at longer range. I might have a qualified gunsmith look at it if it is an older gun. There might be a problem with modern loads. As a home self defense gun, any shotgun should make a felon think twice. Practice reloading it (outside in a safe place)with extra rounds held between the fingers of your shooting hand. You would be surprised and how fast you can reload it.
 
Already Has Been Mentioned,16gauge Ammo Hard To Come By But If You Run Across It Can Be More Expensive Than Your Average 12/20ga Ammo.
 
Zman speaks the truth about fast reloading. A .16ga was my first shotgun and I hunted everything with it - can't see any negative aspects, beside the fact that it's only a single shot which might not be what you are looking for if it's a true defensive weapon.

D
 
Agreeing with all on the availability of .16 ga. My first shotgun was an old Savage .16, and it saw many a dead rabbit.

A FBI buddy of mine once told me that the best home defense you can get is the sound of a pump shotgun being racked. He said most crooks know the sound well, and hearing it in the dark, in someone else's home, is enough to drive most of them away. If they choose to stay after that, at least you've got a round of bird shot locked...
 
I suggest you keep your old single-shot 16 gauge to remember your father-in-law by. Get yourself anywhere from 25 to 100 shells for it (preferably some variety in shot sizes, including a little buckshot if you can find some), and then you'll probably have a lifetime supply for a good and practical backup gun. Keep it clean and oiled and it will be there, ready to do it's job if you ever need it.
 
I am working on the reloading speed. I have one of those stock ammo bands. Lots of moves to coordinate.

Actually, Ammo is readily available at Walmart. There were plenty of boxes on the shelves.


One day, I will upgrade, But these days there is alot of upgrading to do.

Thanks for replies.

Chris
 
Don't ever rely on birdshot to protect you. If you have to use 16ga against a man you're going to need a heavy load.

For small game 16ga is probably an excellent choice.
 
16ga was considered to be an odd sister even back when I worked in the gun store back in '73. I know it sounds stupid but its not a 12 and its not a 20. It apparently had much more relevance in the black powder days. Saying that, there is absolutely nothing wrong with it. It is not a gauge I would purposely go out and buy, unless there was something very special about it, but it is a very usable gun for all situations with the right load. Ammo can sometimes be harder to find or sometimes more expensive.

I agree that the fact it is a single shot is more pertinent to the issue than the fact that it is a 16 gauge.

KR
 
reload and load your own, order in bulk, and don't sweat it. it's a GREAT caliber, and single shot is fine. I can outshoot 98% of the bronco driving 1100 slop shooters on a dove line with a single shot .410 before I even have coffee. :D

if you really want to tweak it out, look into a screw on choke system and decent iron sights.

for home defense I wouldn't even bother with slugs, number 2 shot will do ya and not overpenetrate the walls (don't ask me how I know what it does to walls. I swear it was an accident)

checkitout-

http://www.16ga.com/home.html
 
SPXTrader said:
Agreeing with all on the availability of .16 ga. My first shotgun was an old Savage .16, and it saw many a dead rabbit.

A FBI buddy of mine once told me that the best home defense you can get is the sound of a pump shotgun being racked. He said most crooks know the sound well, and hearing it in the dark, in someone else's home, is enough to drive most of them away. If they choose to stay after that, at least you've got a round of bird shot locked...
Click to expand...

This doesn't help the discussion very much, but burglars have ruined my life on several occasions. No warning and no mercy for the first ones that I catch. What do they contribute to society? Every one of them ought to be full of lead.

I'll be picking up a shotgun shortly - the 16 is something to think about, though 12 seems better for my purposes.
 
I had a .16 gauge Remington 870 years ago, great jack-of-all-trades gun IMO, I ended up selling it and regretting it later.

Stores around here will not stock a lot of ammo for it, but if you have a reliable supply, enjoy your .16! :D
 
AfterTFD said:
Don't ever rely on birdshot to protect you. If you have to use 16ga against a man you're going to need a heavy load.

For small game 16ga is probably an excellent choice.
Click to expand...

Let's talk about that, without this winding up in PracTac.

There's always been healthy debate on whether buck or bird is better for home defense in a 12 gauge. The arguments I believe go very well for both sides, which is why it continues to this day.

But I haven't thought about 16 gauge, and it's a gauge I'm really unfamiliar with. I would have suspected you were going in the usual direction with the "buck versus bird" thinking, but the phrasing of your post suggests there's a deeper, thought-out reasoning well beyond the usual...and you sound like you've got some time in with a 16.

What have you observed with the 16? It's not a weapon I've ever thought much about until now.
 
I have shot several 16 gauges and I loved some of them and hated some of them. If they are built on a true 16 gauge frame or in the case of some of the more expensive ones, a 20 gauge frame, they are wonderful to shoot because they are nice and light. However, laziness has caused some companies to build 16 gauges on 12 gauge frames, which makes them useless. If you are going to carry a 12 gauge frame around, you might as well carry around a 12 gauge gun since the ammo would be cheaper and more plentiful as well as harder hitting. Part of the greatness of a 16 gauge is that it hits about as hard as a 12 gauge while being lighter to carry. If there is no weight reduction from a 12 gauge, the point of carrying around a 16 disappears.
 
I've often thought a 12 or even 20 gauge side-by-side coach gun would be good for home defense. The trick is finding one with exposed hammers so you can decide for yourself when to cock it.
 
I have a nice mossberg 16, its bolt action and has a 3 round mag, but its very hard to load the mag with the winchester ammo I was using, you need 3 hands to do it properly.
Anyway, it's a fun gun and I like shooting it. I was skeptical about bolt action shotguns but I liked it a lot.
 
kr1 said:
16ga was considered to be an odd sister even back when I worked in the gun store back in '73. I know it sounds stupid but its not a 12 and its not a 20.
Click to expand...

And if you think the .16 Ga. is strange, try on .28 Ga. for size. :)

It apparently had much more relevance in the black powder days. Saying that, there is absolutely nothing wrong with it.

KR
Click to expand...

And therein lies a problem, take the shotgun to a Gunsmith and make sure it is not a Damascus (twist) barrel which would make it unsafe to fire modern smokeless ammunition in. Otherwise, like Daffy Duck, you might find yourself picking your own face up off of the ground which is really rather unpleasant. :D
 
the selling point for 16ga used to be "power of a 12 kick of a 20" I'd love to find an old LC Smith sxs in 16. or maybe a Kreighoff Drilling in 7x57 mauser and twin 16's...
 
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