16g | Dogs and Doubles

This week’s 5 doubles you don’t want to miss ….

January 20, 2019 by Gregg

James Purdey Bar-in-Wood 12ga/30″ Hammergun (2 1/2″ Chambers): Serial #120XX — If you are looking for a high-quality hammer gun in excellent condition look no further. This gun is good and tight with modern shooting dimensions and what appears to be the correct case. 30″ barrels are choke CYL/CYL (.002″/.002″) with original 2 1/2″ chambers proofed 1 1/8″. This is a very nice gun overall. Price: $9,750

16 Gauge Fox Special SPE SXS: Extremely rare Fox 16 gauge SPE. I am told only about 48 SPE Foxes were made in 16 gauge. This gun SN 303359 has 26″ barrels with very good original blue and excellent bores. There is one minor ding on the left barrel near the muzzle. Straight grip stock with a 14 1/8″ LOP to the end of a worn leather covered pad. This Fox weighs 6.48 lbs on my digital scale with a DAC of 1 5/8″ and a DAH of 2 3/4″. The single trigger and BTF ejectors all function properly. This is a very nice gun. Price: $6500

Rizzini ~ Artemis ~ 28 Gauge ~ OU ~ Game Gun: New with original case. Manufactured: Circa 2017, Caliber: 28 Gauge, Chambers: 2 3/4″, Metal Condition: New, Wood Condition: New, Bore Condition: New, Barrels: 28″ Blues Steel with Ventilated Rib, Triggers: Single Selective Trigger with Ejectors, Stock: Deluxe Checkered Walnut Round Knob Butt Stock , Stock Dimensions: LOP: 14 3/8″, Fore End: Checkered Walnut, Butt Pad: Wood Butt Plate, Weight: 5 lbs. 10 ozs., Sights: Single Brass Bead, Chokes: Rizzini Choke Tubes: Full, Improved Modified, Modified, Improved Cylinder & Cylinder. Price: $3,999.99

Browning Citori Lightning Gr. 3, 16 ga., 28 in. barrels: Invector chokes (3). Used but extremely great condition with Box & Manual. Beautiful Wood & Engraving. Price: $3275.00 Shipped

BERNARDELLI GAMECOCK 28GA SXS EXCELLENT: A very nice game gun ready for field or range. Gun is good to go with no issues and in Excellent condition! Chambers: 2 3/4″, Condition: EXCELLENT, Metal Condition: EXCELLENT, Wood Condition: EXCELLENT, Bore Condition: EXCELLENT, Barrels: 25 5/8IN (65MM), Stock Comb: 1 1/2IN, Stock Heel: 2 3/8 IN, Butt Pad: ORIGINAL, LOP: 14 1/4″, Weight: 5LBS 11OZ, Choke Left: MOD, Choke Right: IMP/CYL. Price: $1895

Rare gun alert: 16g Winchester Model 21, TWO TRIGGERS + ejectors…

January 28, 2016 by Gregg

Winchester Model 21 16 Gauge FIELD SxS: 6LBS 7OZ, SPLINTER, EJECTORS, 2 TRIGGERS

I know what you’re thinking: What’s so rare about a 16 gauge Winchester Model 21? If that’s all this double was, I’d say “nuttin”.

But this SxS has three important important features which push it in the holi-cr@p-that’s-hard-to-find category: double triggers, ejectors, and very shootable dimensions.

The Winchester M21 was produced for 60 years: 1931 to 1991. In that time, Winchester built around 30,000. By the time the M21 hit the market, pumps and auto loaders were taking over the American market and SXS shotguns were on their way out. Fortunately, enough shooters preferred classics like this and kept the M21 in production for so long.

Winchester Model 21 16 Gauge FIELD SxS: 6LBS 7OZ, SPLINTER, EJECTORS, 2 TRIGGERS: #6012, Year 1941, 16 Gauge, 6lbs 7oz, Side by Side.

Barrel Length: 28″
Chokes: .007/.025 IC/F factory marked M/F
Bores: mirror
Bore Diameter: .671/.669
Wall Thickness: .025/.025
% Blue: 100%
Chambers: 2 3/4″
Ribs: tight
Sights: front

Action: tight, slight left of center

Ejectors or Extractors: ejectors, excellent, timed
Case Color: blue 100%
Screws: excellent
Engraving: 0
Trigger Type: rare double trigger
Trigger Guard Color: 100%

Type: pistol grip, splinter forend; nicely figured

LOP: 14 1/4″
LOP To End Of Wood: 14 1/16″
DAH: 2 1/2″
DAC: 1 9/16″
Cast: 0
Checkering Condition: excellent
Butt Treatment: factory plate

Auction Alert: Per-war 16g Winchester M21, 26″ WS1/WS2 & 30″ F/F…

May 4, 2015 by Gregg

Here’s an interesting Winchester M21. It’s up for auction now Gunauction.com at No Reserve and the listing ends May 10, 2015 @ 17:09:00 PT. I can’t imagine Winchester made many 16g 21s like this. Sixteens were never very popular, especially after the first World War, and by the time this gun was made 20 gauges were catching on as the preferred smallbore to own.

WINCHESTER ~ MODEL 21 SKEET…PRE-WAR SxS 26″ WS1/WS2 + 30″ F/F…SST, AE…Mfd 1937: NO RESERVE!! Here’s a nice, honest pre-war Model 21 Skeet grade 16-gauge with two sets of barrels. It left the factory in 1937 with the 26″ Skeet barrels choked WS-1 (right) and WS-2 (left). The 30″ barrels are choked Full & Full and were fitted at the factory a couple years after the gun was originally made. Both sets of barrels have 2-3/4″ chambers. The gun is factory fitted with a single-selective trigger, automatic ejectors, and a non-automatic safety. The gun features a pistol grip stock with checkered butt, and a beavertail forend. The LOP measures 14″; the Drop @ Comb is 1-9/16″; Drop @ Heel is 2-1/2″.

Overall condition is quite good and the gun retains most of the original factory finish. There are some normal handling marks, some finish wear to the bottom edges of the receiver, some thinning to the lower tang, and some finish wear to the rear of the Skeet barrels at the carry point. There is a tiny bit of very shallow pitting at the rear of the left skeet barrel (I need magnification to see it), but no significant deep pitting anywhere. I’d grade the original finish at about 90% on the receiver, about 90% on the skeet barrels, and about 95% on the full choke barrels. The stocks are in very good shape and are free of cracks, chips, or repairs. There are some normal handling marks, mostly to the left side and bottom of the butt. The checkering is all in good shape, not worn, and the stocks have never been sanded or refinished. This shotgun is in good mechanical condition with only one minor issue noted. When the right skeet barrel is fired by itself, the automatic ejector works more like an extractor and does not kick the shell clear (it makes the right sound, the shell just doesn’t eject). The left skeet ejector works fine and when both barrels have been fired, both shells are properly ejected. No issues with ejection on the full choke barrels. The single-selective trigger, and the safety both work properly. Bores are bright all the way around.

Included is a Cody Museum letter that verifies the configuration of the gun and that it was manufactured in 1937. The second page of the letter notes that the gun was returned to the factory in 1940 and the Full/Full barrels were tested. A very nice, very desirable Pre-War Winchester 21.

Auction alert: a 16g Browning Citori O/U shotgun…

April 15, 2015April 14, 2015 by Gregg

Here’s a nice looking over-under that you may be able to get a deal on. It’s on Gunbroker.com and the listing ends 4/18/2015 @ 11:54:33 AM ET.

Browning 16-gauge Citori with a 28 in bbl and 2¾ inch chamber: Made in Japan in 1987, according to serial number search. All stock dimensions, length-of-pull, etc. are factory set and no modifications have been made. It has the factory plastic butt pad. Browning choke tube wrench and nine (9) chokes included: (6) Browning invector – 2 full, 2 mod, 2 improved cylinder. Three (3) Briley flush fit chokes – 1 light mod, 1 skeet, 1 improved mod. Has a red fiber-optic sight, with a steel mid-bead. I bought this gun used in 2007. The previous owner had stored the gun in a wet case and caused damage to the surface – rust and light pitting on barrels, and oil stains in the wood – all was cosmetic with no effect on the performance. I refinished the stock with Birchwood Casey stock refinish. I also removed the rust and polished the pitted spots out, touching up with Brownell’s Oxpho blue. If you are buying this gun as a showpiece, please reconsider – this gun is meant to be hunted with and any bird hunter wanting a practical 16 gauge over/under would be happy with this shotgun. The action locks up tight and the bores are perfect. Functionally, this gun is in 95%+ condition, cosmetically, it is about 85%. No box or papers.

Auction Alert: A 16g FAIR – I. Rizzini O/U shotgun…

April 8, 2015April 8, 2015 by Gregg

FAIR I. Rizzini 16 gauge 28" barrels — FAIR I. Rizzini 16 gauge 28″ barrels

Back when I first got into doubles, I visited a shop called New England Arms in Kittery Point, ME. At the time, New England Arms was the best gunshop in the world, and sitting in its racks were hundreds of shotguns: Purdeys, Holland & Hollands, Fox XEs, Francottes and on and on. I was impressed — blown away, really — so much so that four months later I quit a great job in the corporate world to go work there.

This was back in 1999, and at that time New England Arms was introducing a new line of over-under shotguns to the American market. These O/Us were made in Italy for NEA by Fabbrica Armi Isidoro Rizzini (F.A.I.R) and the 16 gauge you see here is one of those guns. It’s on Gunbroker.com now and the online auctions end 4/13/2015 @ 12:42:41 PM ET.

The NEA/FAIR O/Us are solid, reliable doubles. The sixteens were built on true 16-gauge frames, and that’s why they’re pretty lightweight. This one comes in at 6lbs, 3oz, – pretty trim for an O/U with 28″ bbls and a 14 1/2″ LOP.

FAIR I. Rizzini 16 gauge 28″ barrels: Excellent condition 16 gauge O/U. 28″ barrels. 14.5″ LOP. 6 pounds 3 ounces. Comes with Briley Chokes: SK, IC, LM, LM, M, IM. The gun has been fired less than 1000 times.

Good gun alert: A great looking 16 gauge Merkel O/U…

March 28, 2015March 27, 2015 by Gregg

If you’re looking for a nice O/U, here’s a 16 gauge German double that deserves your attention. This Merkel was made in 1951, and even though it’s 60+ years old, it looks pretty much new. These older Merkel over-unders are solid and incredibly well made. Even though they look a little beefy, they are surprisingly nimble shotguns.

This one weighs just over 6lbs — lighter than a lot of modern 20s — and with 28″ barrels, double triggers, and high dimensions, it would be perfect for upland hunting.

I think Merkel introduced their 200-line of O/U shotguns right after WW2. The 200s were built on triggerplate-style, Blitz actions and used double Kersten locks (with no underbolt) to lock up. The E in 200E stands for Ejectors. Even though the 200 were one of the least expensive O/Us Merkel offered, they were still pricey. Comparable models offered in the ’20s cost as much as a new 12g A.H. Fox XE. Personally, I think the Merkels were the better shotgun.

Merkel 16 Gauge 200E O/U Shotgun: Circa. 4/51 Proof Date. Overall in Excellent Condition.
Both blue and case color remain at 98-99%. Bores are in perfect condition. Chokes at Mod and Full with a weight at 6 lbs. 3.3 oz. make this an easy to carry pheasant gun with the performance to take care of the task.

Gauge: 16 gauge

Barrels: 28″ w/orig. 2 3/4″ Chambers & Solid Rib

Chokes: Mod & Full

Action: Merkel-Kersten Lock

Stock: European Walnut

Butt: Packmayr Pad with Leather Face

LOP: 14 1/2 to hinged front trigger

Weight: 6 lbs. 3.3 oz.

Stock Dimensions: 1 3/8 x 2 3/8 x 14 1/2 with 3/16 cast off

Good gun alert: a nice looking 16g Webley & Scott Model 700…

November 14, 2014November 13, 2014 by Gregg

I’ve raved about Webley & Scott’s Model 700 shotguns a bunch of times. Rugged and dependable, the M700 was introduced in the 1950s as an entry-level shotgun and it went of to become one of the most popular side-by-sides ever made. While 12 gauge Model 700s are easy to find, 16 gauges are not. The one you see here is on Gunbroker.com now and the auction ends on 11/16/2014 3:07:58 PM ET.

The Brits were never big fans of 16s. But here in the US, a small number of upland hunters have preferred them. Sixteens tend to weigh less than twelves, and they push more than enough lead to drop any grouse, woodcock, or quail.

Webley & Scott model 700E 16ga M/F: Scarce 16 gauge English shotgun by Webley and Scott Birminham England. Gun is 98% original finishes, tight as the day it was made. Nice color case frame and perfect dent free barrels with bright bores. Factory marked 2 3/4 chambers proofed for 3 1/4 tons ejectors are timed and work flawlessly. Wood is a nice grade of English walnut, double triggers 14 1/2 over checkered but. 1 3/8 comb 2 1/8 heal. slight cast for right hand shooter. Auto safety 6lbs-1/4 oz Chokes are .011/.035 both bores are .662.

Manufacturer:	Webley & Scott
Model:	700-E
Barrel Length:	28 inch
Gauge:	16
Capacity:	2

Auction alert: 16 gauge Winchester M21s, 16g Valmet O/U…

July 30, 2013 by Gregg

Eldred’s Auctions in East Dennis, MA, is having an Americana & Paintings auction tomorrow, July 31st, at their gallery in Cape Cod. Along with a bunch of nice decoys, they also have these decent looking shotguns coming up.

16g WINCHESTER MODEL 21 SKEET SIDE-BY-SIDE SHOTGUN
Serial #19261. Highly figured walnut stock. Replaced butt pad. Blued finish with moderate wear. Barrels chocked full and mod. Length of barrel 28. Length of pull 14¼”. Includes matched set of extra barrels choked at skeet and skeet. Also includes a leather gun case. Overall good condition, though it is missing a screw on the forstock, and there is signicant wear forward of the trigger guard. Leather case with surface wear. Original blueing. Slight rust. Serial numbers on barrells match. Estimate $5,000 – $10,000.

WINCHESTER MODEL 21 FIELD GRADE SIDE BY SIDE SHOTGUN 16 ga., Serial #28667

16 gauge WINCHESTER MODEL 21 FIELD GRADE DOUBLE BARREL SHOTGUN
Serial #28667. Blued finish with moderate wear. Choked at skeet and skeet. Length of pull 14.” Condition: Surface nicks and dings throughout. Length o f barrel 28. Chokes opened up. Original chokes were full and mod. Estimate $2,000-$3,000

16g VALMET MODEL 1950 OVER AND UNDER SHOTGUN
Serial #4341. Minor wear. Length of barrel 26½.” Estimate $200-$300.

This week’s good guns: powered by Gunsinternational.com…

June 23, 2013June 23, 2013 by Gregg

JOSEPH MANTON 16 BORE PERCUSSION BALL & SHOTGUN: 32″ twist steel barrels, stepped at 22 1/2″ from the muzzle and intended for ball as well as shot. The barrel legend reads “JOSEPH MANTON & SON, 6 HOLLES STREET, CAVENDISH SQUARE, LONDON”. Serial number 10651 and listed in the Manton book with a full description including the stepped barrel. Cased in a magnificent pigskin lined oak box by John Dickson & Son’s for Charles Gordon around 1890. It is in mint condition with all of the accessories that include both shot flask and mold. Price: $24,500.00

Parker DHE 20 Ga Double Barrel Shotgun: Ser. No. 229262. 20 Ga.- 26″ barrels choked .010″/.020″. PG, SF, rear position SST. 13 5/8″ pull to a skeleton butt.- drop- 1 1/2″ to 2 1/4″. A wonderful bird gun. Price: $12,500.00

Winchester Model 21 – 16 ga – 2 Bbl Set – 26″ and 30″ – Cased – – Provenance to Carnegie Family: 1937 –

Winchester Model 21 – Skeet Grade – 16ga, 26″, 2-3/4″, WS-1 / WS-1 AND 16ga, 30″, 2-3/4″, IC / F. Original LOP is 13-1/4″ with Drop of 1-9/16″ to 2-7/16″, Weight 6 lbs. 12 oz. Metal is absolutely original – not reblued. Finish on wood appears original. Includes a period A.H. Hardy case – set up for 26″ and 30″ Barrels. Price: $9,500.00

ITHACA GRADE 5 ENGRAVED DOUBLE BARREL 12 GAUGE SHOTGUN: Boxlock, 32” barrels, excellent bores, full coverage engraving in floral motifs with pheasant and partridge scenes on the sides and a bald Eagle on the underside. Fancy checkering on splinter forearm and pistol grip buttstock. Deluxe walnut generally very nice with a couple of coats of lacquer having been added, some chips of finish have been knocked off buttstock from use; original hardrubber buttplate. Considerable darkened receiver case colors present, most gold wash remains on double triggers, 90%+ blue on barrels. Overall, a fine gun. Price: $ 6,500.

FOX A GRADE Double Barrel Shotgun LATE STYLE ENGRAVING 12 GAUGE WITH EJECTORS AND 30″ BARRELS: A nice late syle engraved Fox A Grade 12 gauge. This gun has 30″ barrels with perfectly timed ejectors. Gun has good original condition. Barrels as original with right barrel at .723 bore and 20/1000 choke (Modified) and Left at .724 bore with 34/1000 choke (Full). Tight on face. No Loose ribs. Solid gun. Weight is 7 LBS 13 OZ. Shipping is $35. Stock dimensions follow. LOP – 14 3/8″ to non-original buttplate. Drop at Comb – 1 3/4″. Drop at Heel – 3 3/8″. Price: $2,500

Auction alert: a 16 gauge Purdey double barrel shotgun……

June 21, 2013 by Gregg

16 gauge James Purdey & Sons Double Barrel Side-by-Side Shotgun

Auctions are exciting. You never know what you’re going to find, and you never know who is going to show up to bid. Can you get buys at them? Yes. But you can also get burned.

Affiliated Auctions & Realty in Tallahassee, FL, is having their Fine Art & Military auction this weekend. There are a few shotguns in the sale, including this decent looking Purdey.

From what I can see, this shotgun looks like it’s in decent, original condition. But there are a few things about the shotgun that worry me: the right-side lockplace tooks proud to the metal and the wood around it looks too worn. The bbls look a bit sketchy, too.

I reached out to the auctioneer for more info on this stuff, but they never responded to my emails. This makes me give this sale 4-stars for Buyer Beware. If you want this gun, be sure you take a good, close look at it. If you’re brave and want to bid online, remember this: New bbls, done right, cost at least $12,000.

Here more info about the shotgun, as provided by the seller:

James Purdey & Sons Best 16 gauge Double Barrel Shotgun: With ties to the well known Welaunee Plantation of Leon County, Florida. 26 inch barrels with solid rib. barrels marked “J Purdey & Sons Audley House South Audley Street London” on left barrel, and “Made of Sir Joseph Whitworth’s Fluid Pressed Steel” on right. Marked “Made in England” under fore end, and numbered “1” and marked “WN” on inside surface of actual fore end piece. Serial number 24019 marked on lower tang behind trigger guard, on each barrel under fore end, and on inside surface of fore end. British crown over “V” proof on water table, as well as well as more proof marks on barrels on either side of lug. Action and side plates have an extensive tight English scroll and rose engraving, extending to blue break lever, trigger guard, trigger guard plate and forearm hardware. Side plates boast the “J. PURDEY & SONS” name on each side. Tang mounted safety with gold “SAFE”, and break lever engraved with a “1”. multi point checkered walnut forearm and grip with tear drop flats. Escutcheon on bottom of stock is monogrammed “MF” from the original owner, Margaret Fleischman of Welaunee Plantation, who gifted the gun circa 1960 to the grandfather of the seller. Bores are bright and clean, and bluing on barrels is about 85-90%, with some thinning and fading from handling. Most of case coloring remains visible, but slightly dulled on receiver. Stock shows significant handling, under dark patina, with what appears to be light moisture damage to finish near butt plate. Gun is in overall good condition, retaining the classic elegance of a fine sporting gun, and an intriguing journey from north Florida sporting plantation history. This lot has a reserve. EST $13,000-$18,000

A king of condition: 16g Fox Sterlingworth Deluxe, New in Box

May 24, 2013 by Gregg

16 gauge Fox Sterlingworth Deluxe, New in Box

Fox Sterlingworths used to be one of the best buys in American shotguns. Hunters realized this and made it the company’s best seller. From 1910 to about 1940, the A.H. Fox and then the Savage Arms Company shipped around 140,000 of these great side-by-side shotguns to shooters throughout North America.

Most Sterlies were used hard for years. Swept across barbed-wire, smacked into rock walls by wincing owners, and carried with hope through rainy openings-days. Other Sterlies their stock cut down to fit a kid a brother and their blueing rubbed away by October after October of grimy, sweat-soaked leather guns. Not that the guns minded.

But today’s collectors do. So even though thousands of Sterlies have survived, few are in the kind of pristine condition that makes collectors crazy. That’s what makes the 16g Fox Sterlingworth Deluxe you see here so special. It’s also why it sold within a few hours of appearing online.

Fox Sterlingworth Deluxe 16 gauge, New in Box: A Utica-Made Sterlingworth Deluxe 16 gauge, 28″ bbls, Mod & Full. Featuring factory double ivory beads and factory Jostam pad. The shotgun shows very light handling marks and was used little if at all. Nearly all of the original case color and barrel blue. Includes original box and packing material. Any Fox shotgun in this condition would nearly impossible to upgrade. Price: $4,000.00

See more pics at Ironmen Arms & Antiques.

Auction alert: Fox, L.C. Smith, Winchester & Charles Daly O/Us & more…

March 15, 2013 by Gregg

Auction time! Here are a few shotguns from Montrose Auctions 3/16 sale that caught my eye. BTW: There are a lot more decent doubles in this sale. To see all the shotguns going off tomorrow, go here.

A.H. Fox Sterlingworth 16 gauge Side-by-Side Double Barrel Shotgun

A.H. Fox Sterlingworth SxS Shotgun: 16ga Serial # 366415, 28″ bbls. Good overall condition with traces of case coloring, barrels retain a smooth brown patina, LOP 14 3/8, with extractor, CHOKE improved cylinder, improved MOD barrel.

Winchester 101 O/U Shotgun: 28ga Serial # K225300 Excellent overall condition slightly thinning blue to trigger guard, LOP 14″, CHOKE MOD & improved cylinder, light dings and handling marks to wood barrel 26 1/2″ bbls.

Charles Daly O/U shotgun: 20ga, Serial # 68135, Barrel 28 inch, DOUBLE TRIGGERS. Modern, Very good condition with vent rib, choked modified/full, 3″ chambers and 14 1/4″ LOP.

L.C. Smith Field 20 gauge Side-by-Side Double Barrel Shotgun, 28" barrels — L.C. Smith Field 20 gauge Side-by-Side Double Barrel Shotgun, 28″ barrels

LC Smith Field Grade SxS shotgun: 20ga, Serial # 10019, Barrel 28 inch, C&R, Very good overall condition slightly thinning blue on barrels, vivid case coloring on receiver ,MFD circa 1919. Choked full/full, 2 3/4″ chambers and 14 5/8″ LOP.

Savage Fox Sterlingworth SxS shotgun: 16ga, Serial # 371661, Barrel 28 inch, C&R, Very good overall condition, with revarnished wood, receiver polished, slightly thinning blue on barrels, with extractor, MFD in 1934. Choked improved cylinder/modified, 2 3/4″ chambers and 14″ LOP.

16 gauge Belgian-Made Charles Daly Over-Under Double Barrel Shotgun

Charles Daly Belgian O/U Shotgun: 16ga Serial # 5210 Very good overall condition with case colored receiver, LOP 13 7/8, with straight grip English stock, CHOKE improved cylinder/cylinder, with ejectors barrel 26″ bbls.

On Gunbroker.com now: a real early 16 gauge Lefever double barrel shotgun…

February 13, 2013February 13, 2013 by Gregg

16 gauge Lefever E-grade Thumb Lifter Shotgun

Daniel Myron Lefever was one of the geniuses of American gunmaking. Born in 1835, he started making firearms under his own name in 1857. Fifteen years later he was working with machinist Francis Dangerfield. Together they patented a doll’s head, thumb lift locking mechanism for breechloading shotguns.

In 1883, Lefever used part of this design on his new barrel-cocking hammerless shotgun, the first of its kind created in the US. The 16 gauge Lefever Arms Co. E grade you see here is built on those two patents. Made around 1886, it’s one of the first sixteens that the Lefever Arms Co. produced. From what I can see, it looks like it’s in pretty original condition. The only issue I can see with it is with the bbls: They’re short (26″) and possibly cut. Other than that, this125+ years old side-by-side looks like it in excellent shape.