Page 2 - 16 Gauge Firearms at Western Gun Store

16 gauge has generally fallen out of favor in the USA due to the 20 gauge 3” chamber offering which overlap the 16 gauge performance. However the 16 gauge still has a small loyal following with many fine serviceable guns in circulation. Although guns are no longer commonly manufactured in the US they are still produced by fine makers in Europe and ammunition is still in production world wide. The camber length is 2 ¾” with no known 3” offerings. The most common load is one ounce. Shotgun "gauge" originally meant "number of round balls to the pound, so a round 16-gauge ball weighs once ounce. Fans of the 16-gauge argue that it is thus the most balanced shotgun load with a short shot string.