On Barrel Length: How long is long enough?

[Mike of the Mountain]

Stan, that hand placement on the fore-end is one way to help shooters learn to break more targets. Lead hand placement is important. It doesn’t “drive” the gun, pivoting from the waist (tank turret) drives the gun. That lead hand provides balance and control. 👍🏻

[Stan Hillis]

I agree, Mike. But having it farther out the barrels does affect the swing moment. I probably did a poor job of explaining it. Thanks for the clarification.

[Randy Roberts]

Sliding the hand back on the forend is also an old sporting clays trick used for tight fast targets that require a lot of gun speed, works good with long barrels. It also makes tower shots and the rare shot well below your feet much more comfortable. Rare unless you are shooting at the Rock I suppose, right Mikey !

[James L. Martin]

Daryl it's a 2 frame from 1913. Arthur DuBray was the salesman. Chokes are full and full patterned with 7 1/2 shot,Straight grip, full comb,no safety with 4lb trigger pull. 2 5/8 chambers, 8lbs and 14 3/4 - 1 3/8 - 2. All per letter. It's been restocked at least twice, now it's close at 14 15/16 - 1 9/16 -1 3/4 and it's 8lb 3oz. Chokes are .030 and .036 with bores at .730 and .731.

[Mike of the Mountain]

Originally Posted by Randy G Roberts

Sliding the hand back on the forend is also an old sporting clays trick used for tight fast targets that require a lot of gun speed, works good with long barrels. It also makes tower shots and the rare shot well below your feet much more comfortable. Rare unless you are shooting at the Rock I suppose, right Mikey !

BINGO!! 😎

[Bill Murphy]

Mike and Stan have explained or, more correctly, debunked the old wives tales about long barrels and the problems that shooters experience when shooting them. My old quote seems to have some credence here. "Learn to shoot". I shoot Parkers with barrels from 17" to 36" and have difficulty or little difficulty shooting my average with any of them. Your success may vary.

[Mike of the Mountain]

Bill, a 17” Parker? Where did that come from?

[Bill Murphy]

It's my BH ten World's Fair gun. I have installed a set of #3 frame 32" ten gauge Titanic barrels until I can get an ATF exemption for the 17" set.

[todd allen]

Like many here, I have also shot competitively, and in regards to gun types, barrel lengths, LOPs, etc, have just let the gun(s) lead me to the right choice for the specific discipline.
The vast majority of my career was box birds, and a couple of guns evolved into winners for me.
The Perazzi P-gun was the "get it done" top choice, but there were a couple of Parkers that served as well. In Particular, a 30" Vent Rib GHE pigeon gun that was owned and used extensively (and modified extensively) by a fairly well known pigeon shooter from yesteryear.
Around 2001 I started shooting registered sporting clays. My first registered shoot was at the Nationals.
Started in C, and worked my way up to AA, before the crash of 2008 sent my money and assets into the wood chipper.
Anyway, the hands down best clays gun (for me) was a custom built Beretta AL 391 trap gun, with a 30" barrel.
Not to plug an Italian on a Parker site, but the long barrel was incredibly effective on the long complicated targets that you HAVE TO be able to break in order to win a big shoot, which I did.
Never shot a 100 straight in SCs, but did manage a 99x100 once, and did make HOA at a major shoot, that included Jon Kruger, and approx another 40 Master Class shooters.
A 98x100 on an extremely complicated course with some targets break points at 60 plus yards out. 300 shooters, so no pressure ;-)
In my opinion, and I do have an opinion on this, long complicated targets are easier to handle with long barrels, guided by a light easy input on the forend.
You break these targets with your sight picture, in addition to your gun movement. This, IMHO, is just a lot easier to execute with long barrels. Your mileage might vary.
If I can work up the courage, I might post some pics of the GHE, for S&Gs.
(Shoots & Giggles)
Just to show what a highly modified Parker pigeon gun looks like.
I will post a NSFW so that children and small animals are not emotionally damaged.

[Stan Hillis]

I'd love to see that Parker live bird gun, Todd.