First Look: Blaser F16 Over/Under Shotgun

by
posted on April 5, 2016
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
blaser-f16-game-1-on-white.jpg

Set to arrive here in the U.S. at the end of April 2016 is the new Blaser F16, a shotgun that will be priced considerably lower than the German gunmaker’s highly regarded F3, but which offers many of the same performance features. Both Game and Sporting model variants will be offered. The suggested retail price is expected to be around $3,750. 

I’m part of a group that got a sneak peek yesterday afternoon, when Blaser’s Bernhard Knoebel stressed that the F16 was designed to prioritize natural pointability. To that end, it boasts the lowest receiver height of any 12-gauge over/under, just 60 mm. The resulting low center of gravity minimizes muzzle rise and aids speedy second-shot capability. Another top feature is its clean-breaking trigger, set at a 3.6-lb. pull weight, though the Sporting model’s trigger is user adjustable.

Blaser’s forte is innovative engineering, and this thing has it in spades. Its mechanical single trigger works with rotary hammers and angled firing pins, a system designed for fast lock time and maximum durability. The new model uses the same ejectors as the F3, which cock when the action is opened, and thus do not add resistance upon closing. For ease in maintenance (a concern to high-volume clays competitors) all lock parts are mounted on the lock plate and the firing pins are mounted on the breech block, both of which are readily accessible. 

The stock dimensions are geared to American shooters (apparently we’re a bit longer than Europeans) with a standard length of pull at 14¾”. The samples on hand for a launch event at Joshua Creek Ranch in Texas were quite handsome, with marbled walnut and clean, simple lines.

The receiver has a semi-round-body configuration, is sculpted to mate with the barrels, and wears a gray finish that contrasts slightly with the blued barrels. Knoebel said F16 designers were very conscious about how the gun would look, and he cracked that, “We can now agree that German guns aren’t as ugly as they used to be.

A group of gun writers and sporting clays pros are present to shoot clays and released birds with F16s today, and so we’ll file a follow-up report tomorrow.  

Latest

SW 1854 30 30 01
SW 1854 30 30 01

Smith & Wesson Model 1854 Now Available In .30-30 Win.

Smith & Wesson expanded its Model 1854 series of lever-action rifles with several .30-30 Win.-chambered variants, just in time for deer season.

Preview: Making The Enfield Pattern 1853 Rifle-Musket

In Making The Enfield Pattern 1853 Rifle-Musket, author Peter Smithurst details the tools and processes used to produce this historically significant firearm.

Gun Of The Week: Charter Arms Double Dog

For this Gun Of The Week episode, we’re on the range with a convertible wheelgun from Charter Arms, and it’s one that goes from .357 Mag to 9 mm Luger quickly and easily. Welcome to the Double Dog.

The Armed Citizen® Oct. 17, 2025

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

The Robbins & Lawrence Story: Pioneers Of Mass Production

The Robbins & Lawrence company of Windsor, Vt., was an early pioneer in the field of mass production, using machine tools and interchangeable parts to produce firearms for both the U.S. and British governments.

CMP Auctions Move To GunBroker.com

The Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) has moved its popular auctions to GunBroker.com, an online firearm marketplace that launched in 1999, to further support the future of the shooting sports and firearm ownership.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.