Beavertail forend

[Jerry McCarty]

Hello, and Happy New Year.

I'm considering a 20 ga Repro with a beavertail forend however, I have only actually handled one beavertail configuration and it was a 28 ga and fitted to 28" bbls. My question is whether there is any difference in the BFE's from gauge to gauge notwithstanding scale? I really liked the balance on the 28" bbls and the forend felt perfectly sized. Would one expect a bulkier BFE on the 20?

Regards,

Jerry

[esetter - Gerry Addison]

The 20GA Beavertail forends are much larger than the 28's. Personally I don't like the 20's nearly as much as the 28's. However if you are going to shoot sporting clays or skeet the beavertail will help with heat from the barrels.

[Jerry McCarty]

Gerry,

That's just what I needed to know! Liked the BFE on the 28 ga very much for game but wouldn't want it any larger and I don't intend to use the 20 for clays rather for upland hunting... May switch gears and look for a 28 ga, 28" bbls to obtain a lighter carrying gun and that slim beavertail forend.

Regards,

Jerry

[esetter - Gerry Addison]

The 28GA are to my mind the perfect upland gun for grouse, woodcock, quail. They carry light and function well. That being said, I own a 20GA with beavertail, double triggers and it is nice for pheasants. I wish they would have made the beavertails shorter on the 20GA guns. They aren't really wide, but they are too long to my mind. If you look for a 28Ga with 28" barrels you will be looking at modified and full chokes. I just listed a 28Ga with single trigger and splinter but it has 26" IC and Mod chokes. It has taken a few grouse over the years.

[esetter - Gerry Addison]

Just measured my two forends. 20GA is 11 1/8, and the 28Ga is 9 7/8". So it is 1 1/4" longer. If my send me your email I'll send a picture to you of the two side by side. The 20Ga is still sleek in width, just a little long. By the way, it is the same length as the 12GA beavertail.

[Jerry McCarty]

Gerry,

Photos would be great. I'm thinking long term as far as the 28 ga. Lighter carry is big deal considering the boot rubber burned up chasing grouse these days. I wouldn't mind having the chokes opened up if I find a suitable gun with factory M/F chokes. Currently hunting with a 12 ga Repro 2 bbl set - 26" bbls measure about sk/ic and do the trick. Not much heavier than a 20 so, rethinking strategy. My email is jmccarty5000 at gmail.com.

Regards,

Jerry

[Bill Murphy]

A 28 gauge Repro is an experience. A 20 gauge Repro is just a shotgun.

[Chuck Heald]

There aren't many BTFE 28g guns out there, add 28" bbls to the reqm't and the list pretty much vanishes unless it's a 2 bbl set . (I didn't see any in GunsInternational that were not 2 bbl sets).

[SXS OHIO]

I owned a repro-20 DT-PG-BTF with 28' barrels. I never warmed up to the size of the beaver tail and sold it. Probably due to the fact that I never saw or owned a beaver tail sxs when growing up...they were all small splinter forends!. On the other hand the 28 repro's with a BTF are so small and scaled...not oversize at all. Get your cash ready and watch the net...a gun will show up. I like double triggers and have collected a few 28ga. beaver tail guns to use, even a 410/28 three barrel set with 2 beavertails. They are my faverit little guns...(-: Thanks all SXs ohio...

[Reproman]

I agree! The 28ga Repro with a BTFE is perfect.

Also, I really like my two barreled set, once I had Bill Schwarz open the barrels to Q1 & Q2 for the 26" and IC & M for the 28" barrels. This is the way the gun should have come originally, IMO. Keep in mind that the "full" choke on the 28" barrels is ridiculously tight, something like .035 as I recall (XXF).

Now the 26" barrels are great for skeet or pen-raised quail as found on some of the quail farms around here. The 28" for everything else. And the 28" barrel still works well on skeet too, just smokes 'em a bit more (which I don't find objectionable, since I don't eat skeets ).

Now before I get lectured on opening up the chokes, I'm a shooter not a collector. But still, I gave it a lot of thought before doing it. Now that it's done I wish I'd have done it sooner. It makes a really useful, and fun, two barreled set.

Here's mine: