What are the most rare Sweet 16?

Answer 1

This is a very good question that may be of interest to many Auto-5 owners and collectors. As a matter of lore, it could be said that American Shooters have had a 'love affair' with the Sweet Sixteen. If you don't own one, you wish you had, or did. For those interested, the following text will whet your appetite. There are a number of "rare" and hard to find Sweet Sixteens that were produced by Browning over the years. In this case we are talking about Belgian Sweet 16's made between 1936/37 and 1976. Lets start with 1936. Several lightweight 16 ga guns dubbed "Sweet Sixteen's" were made by Fabrique Nationale in 1936 for what Browning called "Test Marketing". Sweet 16's were not offered to Gun Dealers or the public until May of 1937. Therefore, any Sweet 16 with a 1936 serial number would be very rare. All Prewar Sweets from 1936 to early 1940 are fairly rare and very collectable. Production stopped between May of 1940 and 1946 during WWII. Pre war rarities will include any Sweet 16 Skeet Gun. Barrel will be marked **$ for skeet choke and serialized to the gun. Any of these would be more special if it had a beavertail forend and cutts combination. The Browning 3 shot auto was available in a Sweet 16 including the 3 shot skeet gun, this is a very rare gun. The Sweet was never offered in Grade II, as it had the grade II engraving as standard in 1937. (In 1938, all grade I guns included the grade II engraving) Thus a Sweet 16 made in 1936 or 1937 is actually engraved with the same engraving as a Grade II and should be a prized gun in any collection. Any 16 ga gun made in 1940 would be extremely rare. The Germans invaded Belgium in May of 1940. FN in Belgium made less than a few hundred of the 16 ga. guns in 1940 prior to invasion; It is unknown how many of these were shipped to Browning, and if any were the Sweet Sixteen model vs. the standard weight 16. Grade III, and Grade IV Sweet 16's are very rare, and command top prices when sold. The High grades were not continued after the war. but there are a few rare exceptions. Sweet 16's did not have the script engraving on the receiver to identify them until the 1948-1949 time period. All of these pre-war guns were chambered for 2 9/16" shells. Other semi-rare options will include vented & hollow rib barrels and two barrel sets. Sweet 16 ribs are more narrow than other ribs that FN made in order to reduce weight. Special order stocks were still available such as straight grip, cheek piece, and flat knob, these would be very rare if they were factory installed. The next rare Sweet would be considered a post war gun made between 1946 and 1949 with an "x" preceding the serial number. These guns are not engraved Sweet Sixteen on the receiver and are the first 16 ga guns made for 2 3/4 shells. Up until 1952, all, or 'most-all' Auto 5 guns had a front trigger safety, and almost any Sweet prior to, is not as common as later production. A post war 3 shot Sweet 16 auto would be very rare; 1947 was the last year 3 shot models were produced; They were available in both 12 and 16 standard weight and lightweight guns. (1947 was the first year of the Light 12 model) From the 1950's and later, there were few 'rarel' models of Sweet 16's. Most were made standard to the same specs being "The Lightweight 16 ga Model". In 1962 Browning introduced the Buck Special. Different options were available besides the special slug barrel with sights. The Sweet 16 was available in the Buck Special, and if it had all the bells and whistles available, it would certainly be rare. There are many sweets out there fitted with a slug barrel, but options for the Buck included a swivel stud in the stock, a magazine cap with sling swivel and a 1" sling came with the gun. Since the barrels were not numbered to the guns in the 1960's, determining that a Buck Special Sweet 16 is original, would be difficult without the original box with it. Find a Sweet with the sling stud and cap swivel with the buck barrel and you will have a rare gun. Beginning in 1967, all sweets were sold with the flat knob pistol grip as standard. All other years are common besides the models described above. Remember that all Sweet Sixteens will have a hard butt plate. There was never a Sweet 16 that came standard with a recoil pad. Browning would install a pad at their service center, but it wasn't factory. Poly chokes are common, but fall into the same category as the recoil pads. Cutts Compensators are not standard on any sweets, however, like the beavertail forend on the skeet guns, many were ordered with the Cutts option, and the service center installed it, not the factory. Sweets were never offered in the Trap Model. Pads and poly chokes WILL decrease value. Like all auto 5 guns, options were available, like the pads and chokes, but they aren't rare. Personalizing such as monograms and flat knob caps could be ordered. Other options like custom stock dimensions, are not too common, but mostly not desirable. Individual Sweet Sixteen's that were custom ordered from FN are rare. Some of these guns had custom engravings and or special wood in the high grade styles. Keep in mind that all of this "answer" is about Browning Arms Company guns and does not include lightweight 16's sold by FN outside the US. Overall, perhaps it's not a small option that makes some Sweet Sixteen's rare, but the gun itself and the configuration it was originally made and sold in. For more information, see The Browning Auto-5 book by HM Shirley; It is the most diffinitive source of information on these shotguns. Thank you for asking this question.

Answer 2

This is a very good question that may be of interest to many Auto-5 owners and collectors. As a matter of lore, it could be said that American Shooters have had a 'love affair' with the Sweet Sixteen. If you don't own one, you wish you had, or did. For those interested, the following text will whet your appetite. There are a number of "rare" and hard to find Sweet Sixteens that were produced by Browning over the years. In this case we are talking about Belgian Sweet 16's made between 1936/37 and 1976. Lets start with 1936. Several lightweight 16 ga guns dubbed "Sweet Sixteen's" were made by Fabrique Nationale in 1936 for what Browning called "Test Marketing". Sweet 16's were not offered to Gun Dealers or the public until May of 1937. Therefore, any Sweet 16 with a 1936 serial number would be very rare. All Prewar Sweets from 1936 to early 1940 are fairly rare and very collectable. Production stopped between May of 1940 and 1946 during WWII. Pre war rarities will include any Sweet 16 Skeet Gun. Barrel will be marked **$ for skeet choke and serialized to the gun. Any of these would be more special if it had a beavertail forend and cutts combination. The Browning 3 shot auto was available in a Sweet 16 including the 3 shot skeet gun, this is a very rare gun. The Sweet was never offered in Grade II, as it had the grade II engraving as standard in 1937. (In 1938, all grade I guns included the grade II engraving) Thus a Sweet 16 made in 1936 or 1937 is actually engraved with the same engraving as a Grade II and should be a prized gun in any collection. Any 16 ga gun made in 1940 would be extremely rare. The Germans invaded Belgium in May of 1940. FN in Belgium made less than a few hundred of the 16 ga. guns in 1940 prior to invasion; It is unknown how many of these were shipped to Browning, and if any were the Sweet Sixteen model vs. the standard weight 16. Grade III, and Grade IV Sweet 16's are very rare, and command top prices when sold. The High grades were not continued after the war. but there are a few rare exceptions. Sweet 16's did not have the script engraving on the receiver to identify them until the 1948-1949 time period. All of these pre-war guns were chambered for 2 9/16" shells. Other semi-rare options will include vented & hollow rib barrels and two barrel sets. Sweet 16 ribs are more narrow than other ribs that FN made in order to reduce weight. Special order stocks were still available such as straight grip, cheek piece, and flat knob, these would be very rare if they were factory installed. The next rare Sweet would be considered a post war gun made between 1946 and 1949 with an "x" preceding the serial number. These guns are not engraved Sweet Sixteen on the receiver and are the first 16 ga guns made for 2 3/4 shells. Up until 1952, all, or 'most-all' Auto 5 guns had a front trigger safety, and almost any Sweet prior to, is not as common as later production. A post war 3 shot Sweet 16 auto would be very rare; 1947 was the last year 3 shot models were produced; They were available in both 12 and 16 standard weight and lightweight guns. (1947 was the first year of the Light 12 model) From the 1950's and later, there were few 'rarel' models of Sweet 16's. Most were made standard to the same specs being "The Lightweight 16 ga Model". In 1962 Browning introduced the Buck Special. Different options were available besides the special slug barrel with sights. The Sweet 16 was available in the Buck Special, and if it had all the bells and whistles available, it would certainly be rare. There are many sweets out there fitted with a slug barrel, but options for the Buck included a swivel stud in the stock, a magazine cap with sling swivel and a 1" sling came with the gun. Since the barrels were not numbered to the guns in the 1960's, determining that a Buck Special Sweet 16 is original, would be difficult without the original box with it. Find a Sweet with the sling stud and cap swivel with the buck barrel and you will have a rare gun. Beginning in 1967, all sweets were sold with the flat knob pistol grip as standard. All other years are common besides the models described above. Remember that all Sweet Sixteens will have a hard butt plate. There was never a Sweet 16 that came standard with a recoil pad. Browning would install a pad at their service center, but it wasn't factory. Poly chokes are common, but fall into the same category as the recoil pads. Cutts Compensators are not standard on any sweets, however, like the beavertail forend on the skeet guns, many were ordered with the Cutts option, and the service center installed it, not the factory. Sweets were never offered in the Trap Model. Pads and poly chokes WILL decrease value. Like all auto 5 guns, options were available, like the pads and chokes, but they aren't rare. Personalizing such as monograms and flat knob caps could be ordered. Other options like custom stock dimensions, are not too common, but mostly not desirable. Individual Sweet Sixteen's that were custom ordered from FN are rare. Some of these guns had custom engravings and or special wood in the high grade styles. Keep in mind that all of this "answer" is about Browning Arms Company guns and does not include lightweight 16's sold by FN outside the US. Overall, perhaps it's not a small option that makes some Sweet Sixteen's rare, but the gun itself and the configuration it was originally made and sold in. For more information, see The Browning Auto-5 book by HM Shirley; It is the most diffinitive source of information on these shotguns. Thank you for asking this question.