New to me Sweet 16 (Auto-5)

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woodpuppy

Single-Sixer
Joined
Jun 1, 2005
Messages
161
Location
FL
Well, here's an example of what has caused me to stray from my Ruger habit- the Browning Auto-5. I now have a Light 12, Magnum 12 ('66), Light 20 ('67), and now Sweet 16 ('54). This one has lovely tiger-striped walnut, the "solid" rib, type 3 safety, modified choke 28" barrel. Also, these older guns were rust blued, so it is that soft gray-blue color. If it weren't for the light rust here and there, I'd give this gun a 95% rating. I traded a NAA .32 and a bit of cash, maybe more than I wanted to pay, but you'll see why:

sw16_forearm.jpg

sw16_receiver.jpg

sw16_buttstock.jpg

sw16_barrel_address.jpg
 

I_Like_Pie

Blackhawk
Joined
Aug 24, 2006
Messages
659
Location
Chattanooga, TN
I love the long cycle time of these guns...something special about it I just can't figure out. Very satisfying ca-chink between shots

GREAT gun!
 

deac45

Single-Sixer
Joined
Mar 14, 2005
Messages
447
Location
NW Georgia
+1 Pie! My Dad's Sweet 16 was the first shotgun I ever fired and later took my first quail with it.

Beautiful 16, Woodpuppy!

deac45
 

TnTnTn

Single-Sixer
Joined
Sep 27, 2009
Messages
113
Location
TN
That is a nice shotgun and the wood is beautiful. That tigerstripe walnut is hard to beat. And I like the 16==it seems to have a certain mystique about it. TnTnTn
 

woodpuppy

Single-Sixer
Joined
Jun 1, 2005
Messages
161
Location
FL
Looks like this shooter will have the same effect on me as the .45 acp did years ago - time to start reloading! My first case should arrive tomorrow, and it is surely more expensive than 12 or 20.

This weekend I performed a detail clean, something that hadn't been done in a very long time, if ever. A new action spring and friction piece and she's ready for dove. I'll also order a new plastic action spring guide, as the original is wood. Still intact, and I'd like to keep it that way.

Can't wait....
 

pete44ru

Hunter
Joined
Dec 6, 2004
Messages
2,176
Location
Rhode Island
My best friend (of 50 years) has the NIB/unfired Sweet 16 his dad bought for himself just before he passed away in 1968 - complete with an extra Buck Special 16ga barrel w/rifle sights in a fitted case for the whole outfit.

My friend's never even taken it out of the box/case. :cry:

.
 

sargents1

Single-Sixer
Joined
Apr 1, 2009
Messages
365
Location
Maine
I love it. I got my first ducks with a Browning Sweet 16. If I am not mistaken it was my father's Grandmother's gun. I also used her old Winchester 94 half-magazine carbine to get my first deer.
 

Quarterbore

Blackhawk
Joined
Mar 9, 2008
Messages
904
Location
Valley Forge PA
I grew up shooting one of these. It was my Grandfathers and it was kept in the barn and the poor gun had a rough life. Shot many pigons around the farm with it (many hundred), plenty of groundhogs, and a deer that came into buckshot range.

I was really disapointed to hear my grandfather had given it to a neighbor when he retired as while that gun was really not worth a whole lot as the wood was abused, it has surface rust everywhere, and it had many hard years riding on the tractor and sitting in the barn but it was one of the first guns I got to go "hunting" with although most of the shooting I was doing with it was far from hunting :wink:
 
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