Campbell hit the nail on the head. Diggory will confirm Campbell's statement. In the early days, the 26" gun was a rare journey into the unknown for people who already owned longer barrelled guns. Then NSSA skeet made 26" guns more the norm for skeet and bird hunting, maybe from 1935 to 1975, a relatively short period in shotgun history. The recent popularity of longer barrels is a return to normal. However, just to be safe, I bought a great 26" gun this weekend.