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Barrell Length PRO's or Con's

2K views 14 replies 13 participants last post by  JoeBerg 
#1 ·
Most shooters prefer the longer barrels due to the extended sighting plane and some feel the 34" barrels swing smoother than the 32". (In a single barrel break open gun). However, it's still all personal preference and has nothing to do with performance of the gun. I, for one always liked the 34" barrels. However I recently switched to a 32" unsingle on my Beretta 682 and love it. It was used and belonged to a fellow shooter, who allowed me to shoot the barrel for about 200 rounds. This is the key. Try out various barrel lengths in the type of gun you prefer and see which feels best. Most shooters at your local club will allow you to shoot a round through their guns, so you can compare. Good luck. Ed
 
#2 ·
Hafta agree with Ed.

"Most shooters prefer the longer barrels due to the extended sighting plane and some feel the 34" barrels swing smoother than the 32". (In a single barrel break open gun)."

Some make such claims of the longer sighting plane, then, they turn the other direction and tell us they never see the beads or anything except the bird? Sorta confusin huh?

28 to 35 makes no difference in breaking ability at trap distances. Hap
 
#3 ·
To me it's all in the performance when test driving. I've managed to be delighted with 30" O/U barrels but also have a set of 28" barrels with choke tubes for skeet and sporting. I've used both at trap doubles and find no difference in performance. My single is a 34" but admit I was buying new at the time and decided the most popular would be the choice in case a re-sale could arise. I personally don't buy the "extended sighting plane" theory for the exact reason Happy opines. I know "sighting planes" have no bearing on my two O/U barrel sets.....Bob Dodd
 
#4 ·
The shorter barrel is,of course, much better for the fast shooter who must swing the gun quicker. I think long is better for the handicap yardage where the gun is moved more methodically.Thats the reason you will find few, if any, long barrel guns on skeet and clays ranges.
 
#8 ·
Hipshot 3, quote: "The shorter barrel is,of course, much better for the fast shooter who must swing the gun quicker. I think long is better for the handicap yardage where the gun is moved more methodically.Thats the reason you will find few, if any, long barrel guns on skeet and clays ranges."<br>
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Actually, the current trend in sporting clays is towards longer barrels. Some sporting clays guns are so close to trap guns that they could be used for either sport.<br>
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It was first assumed that sporting clays, being similar to skeet and upland hunting, would ideally use shorter barrels. Over the years, that idea has become obsolete.
 
#9 ·
All of this was sorted out prior to the turn of the twentyth century and it became clear that 30 inch barrells properly balanced with the gun was the best that could be had. If you lok back you will find guns out there in that period with 36, 28, 40 inch and more and they came down as far as 25 inch.

If you look at most of the 32 inch english guns of the early 20th century you will find that they get paper thin at the muzzle as they try to keep the weight right and the balance right.

Most of this frog shit gets down to manufacturers having to promote something new to get you to put your favourite gun at the back of the gun safe and invest in the latest fad, it keeps the factorier rolling and the profits coming in.

Most of this origaniates in the good old USA, the land of the big sell and for some idiotic reason the rest of the shooting faternity seem to get swallowed up in it.

In a few years time when we shift back to 30 inch barrells those long tom barrelled guns will be about as desirable as a 28 inch gun is today.

A properly weighted and well balanced 30 inch gun will perform better than any of these latest long barrelled guns and will always be desireable.

Just my observations
 
#10 ·
I don't think there is any appreciable difference in the performance inside the barrel, but for me personally shorter barrels seem to be "whippy", longer seem to swing smoother. I will admit that any short barreled shooters were field guns & much lighter than my trap shooter, maybe that was the difference.
I'm gonna guess that personal preference has more merit than anything else.

Mike
 
#11 ·
The most significant difference in longer v. shorter barrels, IMHO, is that the longer barrels will result in higher velocity over the chronograph. BTW, that 34" barreled single barrel of mine? Love it but it sure finds a way to scrape itself on places I'd prefer it didn't....breakemall....Bob Dodd
 
#12 ·
I have three barrels. One 30" Full, one 28" Mod, one 26" Mod Improved Modified. I use the 28" Mod for most of everything except handycap from the 24' line. The 26" is Doubles and 16's. 30" full for the 24 yard line and beyond. My scores will show my ability with these when I can get started again. When I stopped because of the onset of this diseas I have got were not to shabby. I had just moved from the 24 to the 25 line. Moved from class c back to class B where I started. I was only in class C at 16's for about 6 months. Stayed class B on doubles. So I was in 1985 B-25-B shooter. All in one year.Rich.(inPeoria,A.Z.)


P.S. The 26" was on a Remington 1100 to shoot doubles and singles. The 30" and the 28" were on an 870.
 
#13 ·
"The most significant difference in longer v. shorter barrels, IMHO, is that the longer barrels will result in higher velocity over the chronograph."

CMIIW but I believe each additional inch of barrel length results in only about 1 additional fps of velocity so I think this is pretty much a non-factor.
 
#14 ·
Satch, first that was somewhat tongue in cheek for it's considerable importance however, I see quite a bit more difference in more obvious changes in length. Like 28" vs. 34" and so on. I've never held much seriosity in a "rule of thumb" like you quote. The choke will also affect the results of chronographing. I have one set of barrels that come very close to printed data on a box of new, factory shells and that is a 28" set of K32 O/U barrels with Briley skeet chokes installed. When I run the same test with the 34", Imp. Mod. K-choke in the single barrel, the results have been from 30 to 50 fps faster....breakemall....Bob Dodd
 
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