16ga.com ~ View topic - value of 16 gauge browning white lightning

Member Joined: 26 Apr 2005 Posts: 743

Their website must not be up to date. It shows 16ga Aurums available, but doesn't give a weight for them--only the other gauges. Also, per the website, the 16's are all fixed choke guns. That'd be a plus for the FAIR and Citori fans, if you like choke tubes.

Guest

Looks like if the William Larkin Moore site is correct, the true-frame B.Riz guns have arrived. But, as Larry noted, fixed chokes (IC/M). Nothing wrong with that, of course, for upland use.

I think Larry's already nailed it ... the good buy among the F.A.I.R.s are the 400s and 500s, when they can be found.

If someone told me right now they wanted a true-frame 16 O/U, I'd think I'd tell them:
(1) Look for a Citori, if Citoris float your boat.
(2) Otherwise, consider the dedicated frame B.Riz if they are indeed as billed.
(3) If you find a F.A.I.R. 400 or 500, grab it ... but wait for the price to come down on the 900s.
(4) The B.Riz Aurum Light might not be a bad alternative if you don't mind the alloy-receivered 12 ga. frame.
(5) And there's the Merkel 2016 ... but it takes some serious cash to take one home.

Member Joined: 26 Apr 2005 Posts: 743

Used Merkel 200's and 201's tend to be fairly reasonable too--especially in comparison to the new ones! And you'll occasionally find a Francotte or Belgian-made Charles Daly OU in 16. If it says Francotte, you'll probably pay for the name, but you might get lucky and find one priced close to what a Merkel 200 will run.

Joined: 15 Oct 2004 Posts: 787 Location: Indiana

Larry, you are fortunate to live not too far from the Scheels stores in Iowa and within long driving distance of Cabela's at Owatonna, etc. We just don't see either used Merkels or Francottes in this area unless we drive over to Jaqua's at Findlay, Ohio, or to the Cabela's at Dundee---these are a good 3.5-4 hours away...either that or I'm not looking in the right place.

Been looking for the right 16 ga. Model 21 Winchester for awhile now but they are hard to find around here.

Wolfchief, Cabela's in Owatonna does tend to have "oddball" as well as the more common stuff. Scheels less so (there's a new store in West Des Moines, pretty close to me, as well as the one in Iowa City which is about a 2 hour drive), because they have some restrictions on what used guns they can and can't handle. I found a Francotte OU 16 at a gun show in Des Moines a few years back--not marked Francotte if I recall correctly, although it had the AF proprietary proofmark. Kinda regret letting that one go. If you're near a Cabela's, the Gun Library people--especially if you get to know them--are usually willing to have guns shipped from any of the other Cabela's stores if you ask them. Gives you a chance to look at a lot more stuff you're interested in before you buy.

I've only been to the big gun show in Louisville once, but there were a lot of guns there to look at. Expect that's not too far from you. There are a couple good ones a year down in Kansas City that I hit from time to time.