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<  16ga. Guns  ~  Purchase Question about a Browning Sweet 16
wscato
PostPosted: Sun Mar 26, 2006 6:34 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 26 Mar 2006
Posts: 22

I'm in the market to purchase one sometime and had a few questions. I was looking for some advice on which one to get. I'm not really wanting a collector. I'm wanting one to shoot with but still looks good. Any suggestions?
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Brad6260
PostPosted: Sun Mar 26, 2006 6:59 am  Reply with quote
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Joined: 14 Oct 2005
Posts: 252
Location: Louisville,KY

WSCATO ,

I'm a doubles guy so I'm sure you will get feedback from others on this site far more qualified than I on the a-5 auto's but I do know that you need to be aware that many of the earlier sweet 16's were not chambered for modern 2 3/4 shells.I believe they were 2 9/16 chambers ?
I want to say they changed over in the late 50's but you'll need to be sure or you will find yourself shopping for short chambered loads .

Like I said I'm a doubles guy but the sweet 16 is one of the best swinging and balanced guns I ever picked up.

Good luck.

Brad
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mdoerner
PostPosted: Sun Mar 26, 2006 8:28 am  Reply with quote
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Joined: 17 Jan 2005
Posts: 138
Location: Parma, OH

Also, if you don't need a Browning specifically, you could get a Remington Model 11 ( or 11-48 ) or a Savage 720. Same gun (a little more weight, like 6-8 oz) but no big price tag......

Mike Doerner
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XVIgauge
PostPosted: Sun Mar 26, 2006 8:29 am  Reply with quote
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Joined: 29 Mar 2005
Posts: 333
Location: Central Florida

I believe they switched to 2 3/4" chambers in the mid 1930's. I had a sweet 16 A-5 w/ a 2 9/16" chamber that I traded to a gunsmith just a few months ago. (I got a nice Model 12 16ga w/ a 2/3/4" chamber in the deal)
I loaded some 2 1/2" shells for it and it fired fine, but it was the weird safety that I could not get used to. It was a lever inside the front of the trigger guard that you had to push forward w/ your index finger. When a bird would come up, I was always fumbling w/ the safety and sometimes never even got off a shot.
Anyway, the gunsmith converted it over to fire 2 3/4" shells and sold it to another customer 3 weeks later. The point is, even if you find an early 30's gun, it can be converted to 2 3/4" fairly easily and inexpensively if you can live w/ the safety.
XVI

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"Terror lies not in the bang, but in the anticipation of it."
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CitoriFeather16
PostPosted: Sun Mar 26, 2006 8:47 am  Reply with quote
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Joined: 09 Dec 2005
Posts: 989
Location: Las Vegas

Wscato: If you're not looking from a "collector" viewpoint, I would look at the later model Japanese version with the Invector choke tubes. They give you a little more veratility with the chokes and you can shoot steel shot through them.

Matt
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popplecop
PostPosted: Sun Mar 26, 2006 7:06 pm  Reply with quote
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Joined: 09 Jun 2005
Posts: 885
Location: Wisconsin

I have a Belgin Sweet 16 and for an auto it is a great shotgun. I prefer SxSs, but use this gun on pheasants. I don't use steel in it, nor does it have tubes. It is a 28" Mod. aND ii REALLY DONT FEEL HANDICAPPED WITH IT. i'VE EVEN SHOT DUCKS WITH BISMUTH SHOT. If you get the Jappense made one it does have tubes and can use steel shot in them. The other A5 16 and it's clones (Rem,Sav) don't have the feel or grace of a Sweet 16. My humble opinion.
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