IMO, 28ga. 26" Repros are under-valued and 28ga. 28" Repros are a little over-hyped. The mantra has been the 26 inchers are whippy -- mainly because they're so light, some theorize that a beavertail forend to the 26" guns adds enough weight to counteract the whippiness. The 28" barrel length is a cure-all. I don't buy any of that. I maintain it's the way one shoots the gun that carries the lions-share of difference regarding any whippiness and feel of the gun. I own and shoot two different 28ga. Repros, a 26" IC/M, SG, SPL, DT single-set carry gun for hunting and a 2-bbl. set 26" Q1/Q2, 28" M/F, PG, SPL, DT gun for targets. (I prefer a straight grip over a pistol grip as a carry gun and I prefer a PG over a SG as a target gun). Over the past several decades I estimate that I take ~500 shots at a clay target for every shot I take at a game bird and have found that if I shoot like I'm on a turret, swinging and rotating strictly as one unit from the waist up, I have no preference of barrel length -- 26" and 28" barrel lengths feel about the same. It's when I get armsy and handsy will I notice whippiness of a light and short barreled gun. In addition, for those hunting woods birds will find that a 26" Repro will be handier, lighter and nothing short of pure joy to carry.
YOMV.
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Wild Skies
Since 1951
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