Well, I went and purchased a 916A.

[Miami_JBT]

All because of this stamp.

It was made in 1974.

Big Blue purchased the Noble Manufacturing Company and all their designs, which was right down the road in Haydenville, Massachusetts.

Noble was in the business of manufacturing a line of utility grade shotguns and rifles from 1953 to 1971. Noble made mostly low cost guns for the mass market which sold reasonably until they began to have quality control problems in their manufacturing process resulting in them going out of business in 1971.

They took the Noble Model 60, tweaked it as a LE marketed riot gun, and tried to corner the LE market and sell it as a competitor to the Remington 870.

It failed miserably.

The shotgun was plagued with issues. Mine so far works, haven't fired it, but it feeds snap caps perfectly well.

It is a single action bar design.

In the end, got it for the historical part of when S&W literally made everything for the LE market. Pistols, revolvers, handcuffs, holsters, ammo, shotguns, submachine guns, rifles (they imported the Howa 1500) gas launcher guns, etc.

 

[ko41]

Looks like a nice example of the 916A. I've always looked at the 916A at gun shows and on the used gun racks at stores but have never added one to my S&W shotgun collection.

KO

 

[Drm50]

The old Indian chief on Josey Wales movie had a piece of rock candy. He said it was for looking thru not eating. A S&W 916a is for looking not shooting too.

 

[1Shelby4guns]

I have a 916a and I have had good luck with it so far .

 

[sigp220.45]

Despite the urgent pleadings of the entire internet, I spent $75 actual American dollars on this 916.

For the first time in history, the internet was right.

I'm gonna turn it into a lamp.

I hope you got a good one.

 

[Miami_JBT]

Despite the urgent pleadings of the entire internet, I spent $75 actual American dollars on this 916.

For the first time in history, the internet was right.

I'm gonna turn it into a lamp.

I hope you got a good one.

The S&W worked flawlessly. Cycled smoothly and without issue. I know some of these guns were hit or miss, either they worked flawlessly out of the box or they were garbage and didn't work worth a damn. Mine worked fine.

 

[S-W4EVER]

... In the end, got it for the historical part of when S&W literally made everything for the LE market. Pistols, revolvers, handcuffs, holsters, ammo, shotguns, submachine guns, rifles (they imported the Howa 1500) gas launcher guns, etc.[/quote]

I had a S&W light bar on my '82 Dodge and used a S&W Breathalyzer every chance I got (in addition to carrying my S&W M28-2 & M36 & S&W handcuffs).

 

[charlie sherrill]

I have a long tube and short tube 3000. Very good shotguns. A couple of years ago I ran into a 916 at the Tulsa show for $100.00. I didn't have one so I bought it. I took it to my little range, loaded it, pumped one in, pulled the trigger and "CLICK". It had a broken firing pin. After two tries I found the right firing pin and it fired as it should. A friend wanted it and after telling him about the firing pin he bought it anyway for what I had in it. It now lives behind his bedroom door. A long tube S&W 3000 lives behind my door.