The sixteen was never America’s favorite gauge Even though all our makers built 16s, the gauge that was most popular with us was the twelve. There’s a simple reason for this: versatility. Most American shooters were opportunistic. They shot everything from waterfowl to rabbits and upland game. A twelve could handle all this action.
But the sixteen always had lot of fans – and for good reason. For an upland game it’s hard to beat. Slightly larger than a standard 20, it handles a bit more lead if required. It’s also feel better in your hands (at least it does in mine).
Of all the America makers, Lefever made the fewest 16 gauge double barrels. Daniel Myron Lefever was one of the geniuses of American gunmaking. Born in 1835, he started making firearms under his own name in 1857. In 1880 he formed the Lefever Arms Co in Syracuse, NY. The company was only around until 1919, and in that time they only built around 65,000 shotguns. I’m not sure how many of these were 16s, but I bet the number is under 10%.
The 16 gauge Lefever you see here is a G or an H grade, probably made around 1897. The G and H grade were the lower end of the SxS shotguns Lefever made, and they compared to L.C. Smith’s #2 and Parker’s GH grade doubles.
Here’s more about this Lefever from the seller:
Lefever Sidelock 16 GA: 28″ damascus bbls, Full & Full chokes, double triggers, 14″ LOP, 6 1/4lbs. Metal has little finish remaining but bores remain excellent. Lockup is tight and solid. Wood has darkened with age and forend has a filler peice added. Sidelocks have cockimg indicators and mechanical function is excellent! Price: $1,199.99
