mike,
I follow the S x S market pretty close, but was unaware that there is a resurgent interest in shorter barrels. While unaware of it, I hope with all that is within me that it is true. I am not one who is or has been swayed by the current interests in barrel lengths, for lack of a better term. I have always liked longer barrels on all my shotguns (and rifles for that matter). For at least 30 years I have bought, used, and been happy with barrels of at least 30" length on shotguns, single barrel or doubles, and have almost zero interest in anything any shorter. I am not an over muscular fellow (6'2", 165#), but I cannot for the life of me understand the arguments that 26" or 28" barrels are quicker, or noticably lighter that 30" ones. We're talking mere ounces here. And a 30" barreled gun with well struck barrels will handle quicker and more responsively than a shorter barreled one which has heavier walled barrels anyway.
As I have mentioned before, my upland gun of choice is my Beretta 687 SP II Sporting, which has 30" barrels. I have no need of a gun that handles any quicker than it does, and I have to slow myself down to keep from shooting some birds too quick, and too close with it. It is a puzzle to me, too. But, as I said in my first paragraph, I sincerely hope that the swing in consumer sentiment is back toward short barrels, because I've got a nice 26" barreled BSS I would like to trade for a 30" one, and maybe the other long guns will drop, too.
I'll bet a pretty penny that no one of us will live long enough to see the top sporting clay shooters ever go to short barreled guns.
Last edited by Stan; 10/31/08 08:55 PM.
