Spring 2009 . . . the 2007 1000-piece production run on has been sold out and given the state of the economy, it is not likely any more 16 gauge guns will ever be made again. When these 16 gauge guns are gone, they’re gone forever.

I have M525 Field guns in both 26” and 28” barrel lengths in stock. The price is $1,595 plus $50 shipping to your FFL holder. These guns come with three standard chokes from Browning: IC-M-F and I furnish a bottle of Clenzoil.

Grade VII Lightnings . . . in 16 gauge are all sold out, except for a couple (8 at this writing) of 26” Blued receiver guns. Incredible wood like this usually commands a far higher price in today’s market place. Browning catalogs their 2009 12 and 20 gauge Grade VII’s at $4,769, so my $3,795 price represents a saving of almost a thousand bucks on an incredibly rare and never to be made again 16 gauge model.

This Grade VII Lightning shipped earlier this month.

Lots more good stuff happening . . . as you may know from reading my material, I am a long-term advocate for the 16 gauge (the original BILL HANUS BIRDGUN BY UGARTECHEA and the NEW BILL HANUS BIRDGUN BY AYA were 16 gauge guns); and for the use of small shot: see SPEED KILLS, et al.

Nick Hammack has put these two advocacy's into a shotgun shell, which I have given the working name of Screamers! The test flat of ammunition he sent is 3/4 oz. loads of #9 shot that go out the door at 1470 fps!

I also have a flat of Fiocchi 1 oz. #9 Game/Target loads with a 1165 fps velocity. My plan is to establish some sort of base line that will tell us: 1) what the effective range of #9 shot in a standard load is; and 2) if high velocity of a lighter load increases the effective range (and if it does, to what extent?). This in formation will be applicable across all gauges I suppose, but this opportunity to work in 16 gauge is irresistible (besides, if I don’t do it, who will?). A labor of love. A second flat of #7-1/2s with an even higher velocity (1600 fps?) is in the works -- designated Screamers II. More testing, more fun. And the search for a long range, high performance load for pheasant, sage hen, prairie chicken goes on. Stay tuned.

Times change . . . my friend Dennis Guldan, Publisher of BIRD DOG & RETRIEVER NEWS E-mailed me to let me know that he was switching from paper-and-ink to online publishing; echoing what’s been happening throughout the publishing industry. Dennis pioneered online publishing and has archived all his past issues. His site routinely gets a million hits a month. And it is so well organized that Dennis says you can get anywhere on his site with three clicks . So if you want to refer back to an article on dog training or health issues; or what Bill Hanus said about small shot -- click, click, click -- and there you are!

Back when my day job was business paper publishing (in the pre-computer era) I earned a somewhat precarious living writing advertising and sales promotion material for business and trade paper publishers to help them sell advertising space in their publications. As I used to say: “It may be WATER & SEWAGE WORKS to you, but it’s bread-and-butter to me.” Magazine titles like: PACKAGE ENGINEERING, HARDWARE MERCHANDISING, BUILDING SUPPLY NEWS, NATION’S SCHOOLS, NURSING MANAGEMENT, RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT rode trippingly on the tongue for years. The only blot on my copybook was my failure to secure SURGERY, GYNECOLOGY & OBSTETRICS as a client. I had suggested that the headline for the opening advertising program be:

SG&O is not a railroad!

Not a lot of humor down at the AMA in those days.

Big Bore Blasting . . . the 45-70 has long been a favorite of mine, so I was delighted to see Winchester do a limited run the 1886 Deluxe Take Down Model with an April sale price of $2,079.95.

45-70 Winchester1886 Deluxe Take Down has Grade IV/V oil finished walnut stock, crescent butt plate, 26” half round, half octagon barrel with 1:18” rifling. Total production in 2007: 501 pieces. Pieces remaining: 99.

FABARMS is trying to restructure their U.S. distribution system, but given the economic stress these days, without a lot of success. However, my relationship with FABARM is such that I can continue to supply 20 gauge Nobile II ($2,695) and Nobile III ($3,395) on a special order basis.

Nobile III, $3,395 cased

Woodcraft and the 28 gauge Sabatti Remington . . . please note that in the above discussion of Winchester’s limited production run of the 45-70 1886 reference is made to Grade IV/V wood. The Browning/Winchester wood grading system rests on the percentage of figure between the grip and the butt plate. Grade IV = 25-50% in the butt stock (one side); and Grade V = 50-60% figure (both sides). So, it’s pretty nice wood, although not as nice as the Grade VII Lightning, which Browning rates as Grade VI wood. Grade VII is the name of the model, Grade VI is the grade of the wood, which is defined as 60-75% figure on both sides.