doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Carrier barrels for sub-guage tubes

I have heard references to carrier barrels for sub-gauge tube usage in 12 ga. O/U's and need some clarification. Is this a reference to a specific set of barrels fitted to an O/U that are only used for carrying sub-gauge tubes? If this is the case, will a "top-tier" comp gun builder, such as Perazzi, supply a set that are designed such that, with a set of tubes installed, the gun will then weigh (and hopefully balance)the same or nearly the same as with the 12 gauge comp barrels?

If so, I cannot imagine a better set-up for sporting where one wants to compete in all gauges at a tournament. You would be using the same gun you shoot in the main event, with almost exactly the same handling characteristics, in the sub-gauge events. While this would most certainly be expensive, it wouldn't be as expensive as having four different guns in all gauges, which wouldn't handle the same.

I compete in 12 gauge events with a 682 Gold E, and in the 20 gauge with a SP II Sporting, but they are as different as night and day in their handling characteristics. Down the road there may be the purchase of a Perazzi in 12 gauge, and this possibility interests me.

Stan

Don't know about Perazzi, but Kolar is know for this in there Skeet guns. If you have a Berretta, or any gun that you can find extra barrels for, you can get an extra set of barrels and Kolar will bore them out and make carrier barrels for you.

Stan!!

How are you doing? Shouldn't you be in the fields this time of year?

Best regards,

Stan,
The Perazzi distributor in Calif (I think for US) supplies Briley modified carrier barrels and Briley Ultralite tubes. My friend has a P-gun with a carrier barrel set as supplied by the P-gun distributor and overbored by Briley.

Thanks all, but do you know if the weight reduction is equal to the added weight of the tubes, making it a wash?

Hi Mike. Yes, we're busy in the field right now, but it is terribly dry down heah'. I have managed to make three s.c. tourneys this spring, though.

Strictly speaking, a carrier barrel is just as you stated, a 12 ga barrel bored out such that when tubes are installed, it weighs and balances equal to a regular 12 ga barrel, the primary purpose of which is to give you a matched set. A true carrier barrel will be pinned in the chamber to prevent a 12 ga shell from being loaded as they are generally too thin to use as a 12 ga shooter.

There are variations, I found that Kolar's carrier barrels (for their guns) were too light for tournament skeet (for me, at least), yet I still wanted matched weight barrels. So, they bored the tube barrel out to .750 or so (still thick enough to shoot a 12 ga shell, so not pinned, but reduced the tubed weight somewhat) and added weight attached between the barrels (mostly under the fore end) to the regular bore 12 ga barrel. Now they match in weight and balance, but are heavier than the "pure carrier barrel". Any reasonable combo of weight can be achieved this way.

Both Briley and Kolar will work this approach on any barrel you wish.

Chers

The carrier barrel my friend has is very light and cannot be shot without the tubes in it. However, the assembled carrier barrel and tube set weigh slightly more than the 12g barrel he has. I see no reason why a heavier 12g barrel couldn't be fitted or even some weight added to the 12g barrel to bring it to a perfect match.

Me? I've had two tubed guns that were not "carrier barrel" setups. I couldn't swing ten pounds of K80 or 3200 to catch a bird. So, for the K80 at least, I bought 3 other subgauge barrels of matching weight. I loved it. I dunno how all these people can shoot those 9 and 10 pound monsters with tubes, but it seems they can and even smaller people than I shoot them well. But I bet that's why they don't shoot well in adverse conditions when the birds don't fly as predicted also. I like my 7 3/4 lb 32" 682 that balances very forward. It's quick yet has very good swing inertia. I noted that Perazzi is lately offering a gun/barrel (32 or 34") combination very much like my 682, maybe lighter.

If you are useing a 30" bbl. 680 series Beretta check with Coles. They have 20 and 28ga. 30" bbl sets that are matched to 12 ga. frames.Over all weight and balance point remains the same,sight picture does not change,and cost is less than setting up a carrier bbl with full length tubes.

My 682 is 32". I gather you meant, oldman1949, that the subgauge barrels from Cole are not available in that length. However, I could probably live with 30" subgauge barrels if the handling could be set up nearly the same. The subgauges are not nearly as important to me as the 12 anyway, so if I cannot get satisfied with what is available I may just get 28 gauge and .410 barrels for the 687 SP II Sporting and go with that. At least everything would be nearly identical in the subgauges that way. Maybe some playing around with weights in the butt and on the barrels could make them closer approximate the 682. Not equal, but closer.

I have been shooting the 682 pretty well this spring, and have won my class in a couple of pretty decent sized shoots, so I might should just stick with it for awhile anyway. Thanks for the information, everyone.

Stan

Completely OT, but if I were to choose a new handle I'd go with Youngman1949.
DOB Jan.31st,1949, :-)

JC(AL)