I once asked a friend in the industry why gun makers gun makers don’t offer “dove specials” if dove hunting is so popular. “There is a dove special,” he said. “It’s called the 20-gauge Remington 1100.

When Browning introduced the 12-gauge A5 a dozen or so years ago, a 20-gauge seemed like a natural follow-up. Instead, some marketing genius at Browning realized a Sweet Sixteen version would be pure ...