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| < 16ga. Guns ~ sweet 16 info |
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 Posted:
Tue Mar 06, 2007 8:45 pm
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Member
Joined: 23 Nov 2005
Posts: 435
Location: Illinois (in the burbs of St. Louis)
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Gentlemen:
Turns out the Dad of one of my colleagues has a sweet 16 (no not for sale  ), but we are looking for expert info. I was told:
**Special Steel-16 gauge shells 2 3/4
3S 8737 (serial number?)
Browning Arms Co St. Louis MO and Montreal PQ
Made in Belgium
"Sweet Sixteen"
No vent Rib, but top of barrel has been etched to eliminate glare.
I assume matte rib and the two ** mean mod barrel, but how about date of manufacture and value 
My guess on date of manufacture is 1963
thanks for any and all info.... |
_________________
good shooting.....
Dr. 16 Gauge |
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| Posted:
Wed Mar 07, 2007 6:07 am
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Joined: 18 Nov 2005
Posts: 398
Location: S Fl
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Correctomundo, Modified and 1963.
As to value? 100% gun likely in the 1200-1500 range.
If it has the box add 50%.
The guns from the early to mid 50's are more desireable, IMHO, but this is still from the round knob era, which is good.
Pete |
_________________
" .......you have learned patience and stubbornness and concentration on what you really want at the expense of what is there to shoot. You have learned that man can as easily be debased as ennobled by a sport....." |
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| Posted:
Wed Mar 07, 2007 7:45 am
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Joined: 25 Jul 2006
Posts: 781
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It was made just as they were moving to caustic blue and the plastic (fullerplast) finish on the wood. Hopefully it has the earlier more elegant finishes. If not it's still a great gun, just not as pretty.
Good but used condition Sweets sell regularly in the $600 to $800 range.
By the way, the plain matted barrel is the best. It saves 4 oz of the front of the gun making the handling even sweeter. The ribs are just window dressing on a humpback.
Jeff |
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| Posted:
Wed Mar 07, 2007 6:18 pm
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Member
Joined: 01 Jan 2007
Posts: 1043
Location: Bozeman, MT
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I have the exact same gun from the exact same year and I almost sold it on this site a month ago until some men wiser than I told me I best keep that fine classic..... enjoy it! I'm learning to enjoy mine (dyed in the wool side by side nutcase).... it's a different breed of cat, but I'm slowly getting the hang of it....
britgun |
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"Life is what happens to you while you're making other plans"....... anonymous |
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| Posted:
Fri Mar 23, 2007 11:27 am
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Joined: 15 Jul 2006
Posts: 17
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Jeff,
I beg to differ with you on the value of a 'rib' on a Sweet Sixteen, or any "hump-backed" Browning.
My dad bought me a Sweet Sixteen when I was 15 years old and when I went hunting I always picked up his 16ga L C Smith instead. I never liked that 'glob' of a front sight on the end of a bare barrel. I used it a little but never really liked it, mainly because of the transition between the barrel and the front sight.
I recently had that same Sweet Sixteen sent to Simmons and had a rib put on it. (40 years after the fact)
It makes a world of difference to me! I even enjoy the gun now and.....I can hit something with it too! |
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| Posted:
Fri Mar 23, 2007 2:31 pm
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Joined: 25 Jul 2006
Posts: 781
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As many people that swear by ribs they must work great..........and on an O/U or SBT I agree they do but on a humpbacked gun when your focused on a target all you (should) see of a barrel rib or bead is the silouette. In silouette a rib and the block/bead are identical.
But hey, if they work for you more power to you. Viva la difference!
Leave the plain barrels for me!
Jeff |
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