On Barrel Length: How long is long enough?

[John Davis]

I find the preference for barrel length an interesting subject. Is it practical or emotional? Sometimes it seems to be what’s popular at the time and like any fad tastes change. Wide ties vs narrow ties. Wide lapels vs narrow lapels. But there is certainly a practical side to it as well. For skeet, quail, grouse I would think 26 to 28 inches would be optimal. However I’m not a skeet shooter and have never seen a grouse, so what do I know. For sporting clays, pheasant, ducks seems like 30 inches is about perfect. Of course I’m pitiful at SC’s and most of the ducks and pheasants I have taken aim at had nothing to fear. I will say with some personal conviction that 30 inches is my preference for doubles trap, 32” for singles and 34” for handicap. And 5 to 6 feet seems a bit extreme but I wouldn’t be surprised to see Randy Roberts running the sporting course with such a gun now that he knows they exist.