On Barrel Length: How long is long enough?

[Mike Franzen]

The longer bbls give me a bit more confidence when im shooting. Maybe it’s because it puts me a little closer to my target. The longer bbls give the gun a sleeker look imho. A 30 or 32 inch bbl on a twenty gauge Parker is the epitome of gun design.

[Bill Murphy]

My 34" Parkers are about the limit of "sleekness". My 36" guns are eight gauges and not so sleek and don't handle all that well. I think it's time to put them out to pasture. My 34" 20 gauge SC is about the epitome of sleekness.

















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[Mike of the Mountain]

Bill, those 8g guns with 34"-36" barrels and weight of 12+ lbs are not conducive to a smooth swing!! It takes a lot of schwoop to get them going.

[Randy Roberts]

Gaucho had his opinion on long barrels. If you believe everything he wrote the 34" 8 pound guns " are only for large strong men, no others need ever to expect to derive any benefit".....

[John Allen]

Reggie and Randy have touched to something I have believed for years. You have to match the barrel length to your body size. I am 5-8 and have tried 32" and 34" guns. They just do not balance for me. They also react slower for me. Now I understand that has to do with my reaction time personally, but I am quicker and smoother with a 28" gun than any other. That goes for side x sides and over/unders.

[todd allen]

Originally Posted by Randy G Roberts

Never pictured you for a brain surgeon, my apologies Todd, you're obviously gifted. I'll buy you a beer in Vegas.

Thanks Randy. I'll take you up on that!
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[James L. Martin]

Talk about sleekness here's my 12ga 34" VH

[Reggie B]

James I like it!

[Double Lab]

James, what frame?

[Stan Hillis]

This is something I have mentioned before on other forums when discussing barrel length preferences, and is only an observation that I made for myself. If it applies to others it may make some sense to them.

Whan a taller person, i.e. a person with longer arms, places the front hand on the forearm and barrels they normally do so at a location farther away from the action. This little difference of a inch or so increases the leverage that one has to swing the gun, regardless the direction of movement. It's like changing the moment of inertia. Greater leverage, by having the front hand farther out, has the effect of making the gun easier to swing. The opposite happens when the hand is placed farther back, or closer to the action.

I believe this is one reason why taller people prefer longer barreled shotguns more often than people of lesser height. I'm 6'2" and consider 28" barrels short. My dedicated quail/woodcock double has 28" barrels, but the best woodcock day I ever had was when shooting a 30" barreled FAIR Verona 28 ga. O/U gun.

I shoot .410s at doves a good deal. Most of them are 5 1/2 to 6 lb.+, 30" guns. One of them is a 28" barreled S x S that weighs less than 5 lbs. I can shoot it well if i remember to place my front hand farther back towards the action than I usually do. It has a dramatic effect on swing moment, IMO.

Different horses for different courses as they say.