What is Unboxing?: Unboxing originated with Unboxing.com, a site dedicated to helping people show off their new techie toys, favorite gadgets, consumer electronics, and more. As their tag line states "Vicarious thrills from opening new gear."

Now that grouse season is winding down and the snow is deeper, I thought I’d bring you all up to speed on how Big Green’s workhorse pump, the Model 870 Wingmaster shouldered this season. If the 870 didn’t perform as expect there was something wrong with the world. My experience with 870’s in 12 and 20 gauge goes back a few decades from well-worn 12’s that doubled as slug guns during deer season to light 20’s that were just the ticket for all-day bird hunts. The 870 in 16 gauge performed flawlessly as I expected it would. It loaded and unloaded easily and came to the shoulder like an 870 12 gauge with the recoil of an 870 20 gauge. This 16 gauge, as mentioned in the Unboxing post, is retrofitted to a 12-gauge receiver. Back in the day, guns were scaled to the caliber and it was quite obvious the size differences between a 12, 16, and 20 when compared side by side. The added weight of the larger 12-gauge receiver made this 16 gauge carry like a 12 gauge but on the other side of the coin the added weight absorbed recoil and felt like a 20. The glossy stock and gold plated trigger is about as American as you can get for a sporting firearm finish. I’ll bet I could shave using my reflection in the stock. Gunwriters predict the demise of the 16 gauge on a regular basis to sell magazines as well as remind manufacturers to build a few more 16s. Of course it does takes a smidge more effort to find shells. I typically can find 16-gauge shells at big box retailers and recently purchased a case at Dick’s Sporting Goods, a big box chain here in the northeast. Many times you have to settle for #6’s or #7’s but isn’t that what you were going to buy in the first place? As I alluded to with the Robert Frost quote in the original posting—the 16 makes good hunting partners. With a 16 you won’t have to worry about your buddies asking to borrow shells. I suggest you also refrain from allowing them to shoot your 16. Once they get a feel for it, they’ll be lining up to purchase one. It’s best to be polite and perpetuate the mystery around 16 gauges. Tell them the shells are hard to come by and you barely have enough for the season. Or tell them you don’t know what they’ll think about the recoil. So why go with a 16 gauge? Again another Robert Frost poem comes to mind:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-- I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.