doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com 26" v 28" Bbls on SxS Game Guns

Gents,
I've been looking for a good condition Webley Scott 700 for a while now (Grouse/Woodcock), and I seem to find a lot of the 26" Bbl models, but the 28" is harder to find, particularly in better condition. Ideally I'd like a sub 6lb 16 or 20. I've only had one previous gun at 26", a rather heavy Citori 12g and it didn't swing very well at all (for me). Formerly used to use a 28" Arrieta 20g for Upland.

-Will the 26" guns hold their value going forward. Many seem to languish on dealer shelves, I've seen the same ones for a while now.

-Toward the end of production did Webley make more of the 26" Bbl guns?

-Is there a practical difference in SxS guns in the swing/feel of the 26 v 28

-Other thoughts and your opinions appreciated on this issue that has been around For Ever. Just stirring up some discussions.

Well, in the vein of "stirring up some discussion" 26" barrels look stumpy and ugly on a SxS. 28" is good and 30" is better, especially on a 16 gauge. If I thought harder this morning I'm sure I could come up with some "technical" reasons why longer is better. Ask your wife!

In the meantime, I'm going with elegant appearance. LOL

I think barrel length is a matter of personal preference. Having said that, I prefer 28" for grouse and woodcock. I'm not sure why except that I'm 6' 1" tall. In tournament guns, the 26" are real dogs in terms of the market. Game guns are a little more forgiving, but still not as popular as longer barreled guns. I think 26" are clearly harder to sell at this point in time. That may be a fad and may change down the road, but for now.... In terms of grouse and woodcock, hunting in a woods, many shots taken quickly and with a sort of spray and pray type of shot, I really doubt if 28" are an advantage over 26". 30" in an aspen thicket might even be a hindrance. Just my humble opinion though which is what you asked for. ;-)

I think sub 6lb in a 16 bore Scoot 700 is unlikely. I just sold a 26" barreled model to a forum member and it came in at 6lbs 3 ozs if memory serves. Many Brit 16's will come in under 6 lbs though, I have 16 bore Kirk for sale in the classifieds at 5lbs 14ozs w 26" tubes. I tend to take a longer LOP so usually lean towards longer barrels but my current grouse gun is a 12 bore with 25" barrels at 6lbs even. I really like it.

Why are you buying it? For looks? To resell? Or to use? If the latter, if it fits, feels good between the hands and YOU WANT it..Thats all you need to know

I prefer 26 inch barrels for grouse and woodcock. Bobby

Agree with Buzz and Bobby that 26" barrels (or even a bit shorter) probably aren't a detriment if you're hunting woods birds. And 26" barreled OU's used to be quite popular with skeet shooters. Now, with Sporting Clays guys going to longer barrels, they seem to be the "in" thing.

Re barrel length and weight: I have a W&S 700 16ga with 28" barrels (and a leather-covered pad) that's dead on at 6 lbs. Recently swapped a Francotte 16ga, 26" barrels, to a good friend. It's just a shade over 5 3/4#. So they are out there. If you're looking W&S, you're much more likely, I think, to find a 20ga than a 16. And most of those--even the ones made with 3" chambers, for the American market--will be sub-6#. I had a 720 (702 made for the American market with 3" chambers) that weighed under 5 3/4. I never had the nerve to touch off a magnum in that gun!

Any perceived difference between 26" and 28" is completely irrelevant in the grouse coverts. A gun's value is irrelevant in the grouse coverts. Future value of one barrel length as compared to another is irrevelant in the grouse woods.

Buy the gun that feels best to you and enjoy it for the pleasure it brings you in the grouse woods.

IMO as long as the 26" gun isn't muzzle light it doesn't matter. I did own one Fox 26" 16 gauge that weight 5 lb 10 ounces and it was very muzzlelight. Muzzlelight to the point I ended up selling it. It was a very good Woodcock gun for close quarters battling, but for a crossing 35 yard shot at grouse it was hard to control.

Beside all that a 26" goes off like a howitzer.
O.M

I have a 5 lb 13 Oz 12 gauge with 26", and a 6 lb 12 Oz 12 gauge with 28" barrels. Not quite an apples to apples comparison as I like heavier guns, but I don't notice a ton of difference. It feels a bit more whippy, but that could be the weight

Whats trendy this year ? thats the real question . 25 years or so back You Americans wanted 26" guns by the bucket load . We sleeved loads of older guns to 26" to be sold over there as 30" were old fashioned and bad sellers .
But now you have followed the trend for long barrels , the longer the better as it is impossible to hit a barn at 10 paces unless you have a 34 inch multi choke .

Absolute rubbish . What length barrels you like is what YOU like and are happy with , not what has been written in some book or magazine .

What gunman said...and what I said earlier...

Frankly I believe it to be as much a matter of fashion as function. I have and use 26 and 30" guns and shoot them equally well (or badly). It is a matter of balance and practice. I know a guy who wanted a 32" skeet gun. I found him a 26" 28 ga.. He didn't have a 28. Guess what, it still broke as many birds as the 32" gun he had borrowed to try before. People worry too much about choke and barrel length, just shoot the gun a bunch.YMMV

There is a lot more to overall gun dynamics than barrel length.

You can't tell how long the barrels are once the gun is on your shoulder.

My opinion is that one should carry the lightest weight gun that one can actually shoot well when the time comes.

Presumably, that's why you're going to all the effort.

The most important aspect is familiarity with the gun which means burning some powder preseason.

We all thought you were talking about food and eating again.

And 26" guns are discounted substantially below 28"and have been for quite awhile. It's unlikely the price spread between the two will increase more. So, they are comparative bargains. I shoot a lot of both lengths and can't tell a nickels difference between the two. I do really like the shorter barrels in the field though, especially for quick flushing shots. The fad for longer and longer barrels has been brought on by clay shooters who are somewhat mechanical in their shooting. Few upland game hunters have followed the fad. My guess is in the years (or decades ahead) the trend will be back to shorter barrels.

I agree with what Tut said.

I have a 6 lb 4 oz 12ga 26" W&S 700 that has exceptionally nice & dense wood & I had the butt drilled & plugged to lighten it & move the balance a bit more forward. Most of the 700 series guns I've seen do not have the butt drilled to adjust balance so you generally have some latitude in making a adjustment in balance.

I like it very well for a grouse & woodcock gun. Nothing wrong with 26" bbls if the gun balances properly but all else being equal I prefer 28" bbls. for reasons I can't logically explain & I don't buy into the theory that 26" bbls are less likely to hang up in the thick popple.

I have shot barrels from 26" to 32" length & there are places & conditions where I like each. My all time favorite length is 28". This is mostly a matter of aesthetics. I am between 5"8" & 5"9" & well fitted by a 14" LOP. Aesthetically I think a shotgun looks nice when the barrels are around twice the LOP.
Much longer & it looks like something for a pole vaulter & much shorter it looks like a Coach Gun. With very, very few exceptions I "Personally" have little use for anything outside the 26"-30" range.
The 32" guns I have shot were 10lb + 10 gauges. For uses this type gun would be put to the 32" is fine, I "Personally" would not want a 32" or longer barrel in the uplands, Period.

I guess I am a disciple of Michael Mcintosh on the subject of gun barrel length. Barrel length for me is something that adds to the intangible "handling quality" of a shotgun. For upland game, as a general rule, 28" is my minimum, 29" my preference (esp. for 12 bore), and 30" my top end. I find a 26" gun to be a "quick starter/fast stopper" and 28"-30" more of a "slow starter/slow stopper" providing the follow through I desire to achieve forward allowance. These barrel lengths are generalizations that don't always hold, but they can be a decent starting assumption.

Getting down to brass tacks, the balance point is perhaps more important than the barrel length, although of course barrel length can affect the balance point. I prefer a balance point forward of the hinge pin by an inch or more in my upland game SxS.

For woodcock, which is my preferred dog hunted gamebird here, my doubles range from factory 25" to 29". I miss just as easily with one length as the other. Most are 16 ga. and weigh from 5 lbs. 10 oz. to 6 lbs. 4 oz. Gil

+1, I agree with Joe. I also can't really tell when the bird flushes what length the barrel is. To be honest, 28" is about as long as I care for, 26" or 25" suits me just fine. I do like a 28" bbl for duck hunting however. Just a matter of personal taste. Here's a couple examples of what 25" bbls can do. Birds were taken with my 25" EJ Churchill





Best, Greg

Greg,
I'd like to add that with the trim splinter forend you have, the barrels do not appear short. I too shoot 26" and 28" barrels interchangeably without any problem.
Karl

The only 26" barrel 12 gauge I have is a standard Winnie 21, G2186B skeet gun made for the ubiquitous Mr. 'Stock' in 1947.

It has the long skeet style forend, and yes the barrels 'look' too short. The gun would be more at home in a rack with skeet guns of the 50's and 60's, pickles and all.

It weighs 7 and 10, so O'Connor notwithstanding it's not a 'game gun'. At least I'm not lugging it around.

But guess what... it's a darn good skeet gun.

It neither starts quickly nor stops quickly. The balance is just fine. Triggers are better than anything Browning has shipped in the last 20 years, and my scores are essentially the same as with any other gun.

The goofy 'WS-2' is easily compensated for by a BPI X-wad for doubles except of course for that Championship of the World held here frequently with doubles from 4. The gun is actually optimum for doubles from 4.

Just an example that barrel length is only a minor consideration. It's how the whole package comes together for the intended purpose that matters.

I prefer 25" or 26" barrels for grouse and woodcock is my preference. As one of the members stated, what feels best in your hands and points where your looking is what you want.

Unless two barrel sets have much difference in weight (barrel thickness) two inch difference is too small to be noticed.

The way the gun feels, the way it handles for you, is far more important than the length of the barrels. I am 6'2", with the long arms to go with the height, and like longer barrels. I can shoot 28" guns well, usually, after my muscle memory kicks in (I shoot a 9 lb. 3 oz., 32" gun most of the time), but my percentage usually goes up as the barrel length does (to a point). The only exception is quail. I'm fine with 26"-28" there, as most shots are going away and do not require much barrel movement to get on the bird. I have a 16 ga. Fox, with #4 weight 30" barrels that is as quick as I need any gun to be, proving once again that it is not the barrel length that is so important, but the overall handling of that gun for the individual.

That being said, IMO, 12 ga. guns with 26" barrels look short and stumpy, like James said. Small bore guns don't look so bad with shorter barrels. But ............ as a dear departed friend used to say "Pretty is as pretty does".

SRH

I have a life long friend who hunted from his teenage years into his sixties with a 12ga Winchester model 97 with a 28 inch barrel and no choke. He had a Springer and shot a lot of pheasants. Just before he retired he got himself a Beretta Sporting clays gun with 32 inch barrels and put open choke tubes in it. He still kills a lot of (pen raised) birds but complains of pain between the shoulder blades. He bought a Franchi SL in 12 gauge with 28" barrels but has never used it. Just the Beretta. He's left eye dominant and right handed an shoots that way. I appreciate how much he enjoys his gun.

Agree with what others have posted about balance, the feel of a gun, as the important part and I believe barrel length while part of that is not the dominant characteristic.

Good shooting is habit and repetition. There are a few talented people who can pick up just about any normal gun and shoot it well. Most of us get used to a particular feel and finding it works for them stay with it. The more you use that set up, the better you get, then the more picking up something different feels not quite right.

When I started out as a kid I shot a German 16 BLNE 28 inch with a cheek piece stock. I grew up with it and thought it fine. Unfortunately when I left home for the Army my Dad kept his gun and I had to get try to get used to a Fox Sterlingworth 16 with 28inch barrels and alot of drop in the stock (not a good fit). I brought a Browning Citori with 24inch barrels (too many sporting magazine articles on the virtues of short barrels for grouse) which I shoot better but never well. It was whippy and in hindsight it was more because the gun Center of Balance was too close to my trigger hand.

Over the years, and many gun buys, I figured out what worked for me and everything I was good with had 28inch barrels (but also a balance point about the hinge pin) One day I ended up buying a 16 with 27in barrels that happened to fit me perfectly and its balance was just right.

I fooled myself into thinking 27in was the ticket not paying attention to the weight and balance as more important.

Lately I got a Purdey project with 26inch barrels and after playing with the balance got it adjusted in to near prefect for me. Over time I have learned what matters for me on changing guns is the weight and balance not the barrel length.

We are creatures of habit. I shoot 16 most of the time and the look down the barrels of a 12 feels odd to me as it seems so very wide. That feeling is perception. If I shot 12 ga almost exclusively then a 12 would seem just fine.

Barrel length, outside of extremes, is subjective when looking at 26 to 30. Subjective matters to the shooter and when you find what works consistently for you stay with it.

Well put Old Colonel, I have five guns the same way, and one in particular. That one would be the last to go, and it happens to have 26" barrels!
Karl

My go-to has 26" barrels.

All of my (way too many) sxs except two have 28, 29 or 30 inch barrels. But the one I seem shoot the best is the Dakin Arms imported Zoli 20 gauge with 26 inch barrels. It's been desert quail hunting in Arizona and gets a regular workout at the skeet range.

Oddly enough, it's probably the least expensive (and least valuable) sxs I own.

I have an FE grade Lefever with both its original 30" Damascus barrels & a set of 26 " Bohler Steel barrels fitted in Italy. The 26" ones have thicker walls & weigh virtually identical to the 30" originals. Total gun weight is 7� lbs. It has been my main gun since around 1970/71 with the 26" barrels. I shoot it as well as I shoot most any other gun. Chokes are .012"/.024".
Over these years I have used it to kill quail, woodcock, dove, duck & Turkey as well as rabbits & a few squirrels, though I always did the bulk of my squirrel hunting with a Standard Velocity .22 LR. It was not "Ideal" for all of these uses but was/is a very versatile gun. Until fairly recent times carrying a 7�lb gun was not a big deal for me. Just walking empty handed over the terrain I spent a lot of time hunting then would indeed be a Big deal today.

For a few seasons I did a considerable amount of my shotgun hunting with a J P Clabrough, 28" Damascus back action sidelock. (plates look like a bar action but internals are back action) This gun weighed 6lb 14oz & was choked about .010" in both barrels. I shot this gun as well as any I ever shot & better than most. This was in the late 70's & I was still not fully convinced it was "Alright" to be shooting Damascus so I sold it. Later it came back home to roost, but was late enough I haven't put it to a lot of use since.

A discussion of barrel length without consideration of barrel weight and weight distribution is rather vague (almost pointless).

The weight is for carry and lift effort. Balance is for how the weight is distributed between the hands. The swing efforts are for the effort to point the gun in a differing direction. Note that neither barrel length nor LOP is a factor.

The further increments of weight are from the CG/balance point the more effect they have on swing effort. For those who do do math, the effect is 4X for double the length. Think of rifle bullet energy vs velocity, subing swing effort vs length.

DDA

R'Man;
I would suppose that if the Lefever I mentioned with the two sets of barrels were given your Swing Test that the 26" would show just a bit faster. As the two barrel sets have identical weight though from a practical standpoint there is little noticeable difference in the feel & swing effort in shooting each even though there ios 4" difference in their lengths. Same weights, just a bit more concentrated in the shorter barrels.

As mentioned above, how the gun feels and swings is one of the determining factors when selecting barrel length. I prefer 28-29 inch barrels on SxS's and find 26" barrels a little whippy for lightweight SxS's, even though I shoot my 28 Ga. Parker' two barrel set (26" & 28") equally.

2-p, I expect you are, as usual, right. BUT, where that weight is does matter and we could be wrong. However, if you can't tell the difference, we can say with considerable assurance that it doesn't matter.

I can easily agree that barrel length is an aesthetic issue and is a handling issue only in a most general way.

DDA

I have (and have had) a number of sub gauge boxlocks that weighed under 6 lbs. All of mine are 28" (well, ONE is 27"). I like my guns to balance to neutral. If the barrels are too light, take some weight out of the butt.

Longer barrels do not necessarily mean a heavier gun. Just sold a C grade Fox 16 with 28" tubes tht weighs 5/10. I have another graded Fox 16 that is 5/15 and a Daly 20 that weighs 5-1/2 lbs.

If you go on guntrader.uk you will find lots of lightweight sub gauge boxlocks that are within your specifications. I was looking at them this afternoon...

I have recently acquired an Alex Martin Sidelock 12, with 30" barrels and 25" ribless barrels. It is two totally different guns - the 30" are very smooth and steady, but the 25" very fast handling and will be great for snap shooting at woodcock.

The one downside with 30" barrels is walking with them in the crook of your arm. I am 6ft and conscious the the barrels are getting a bit close to the ground. But they are so nice to shoot.

R'Man;
I think the big thing here is the breeches being fit to the same frame start out the same size. the taper of the OD is very similar, in fact they same forend fits. Its sort of like you took all the metal of that last 4" from the original 30" set & spread over the front half of the 26" set. As such there is just very little difference in the feel of the gun with either bbl.
One thing I could do I suppose is to check it with each barrel on for the balance point. I realize this does not give the same results as your machine, but might tell a little bit.

2-p, balance each set of barrels and reference CG to breech. Also, measure balance of the gun with each set of barrels; reference CG to (front) trigger.

The trouble with balance is that it is linear - mass times radius. Whereas, MOI is mass times radius squared.

Most shooters I've worked with can learn to estimate MOI once they have been "calibrated" with known guns.

DDA

Mr. Jones,
A couple of slight differences between mine and yours
1) Mine is a 1937 Custom Flatside
2) Mine is a most excellent Skeet gun
A Skeet buddy described it this way,"That's really nice...for robbing stagecoaches"

First, a question.

What was wrong with the Arrieta 20 gauge you were using? Was there a good reason it wasn't working out in the grouse woods?

Now, one by one, to the best of my ability:

I doubt lower grade double guns, especially in 12 gauge, with 26" tubes, will be considered a great investment, or, simply one that holds their value in the future. Of late, I have been rather startled by the actual realized price on very good English sidelock guns at auction, lower than in the past. I suspect this is not what would be considered a growth market. For the hunting you mentioned, either length would be just fine. If you were trying to wring a few more clay targets out of a regular league shoot, the 28" MIGHT work out better. You can find excellent 26" guns for slim money, if you are patient.

Webley made a lot of the 26" guns for the American market. There was a period of time, say from 1965 to 1980, when popular American sports writers were praising short barreled guns for all pursuits. That is why you see them, here. They were what sold.

For grouse and woodcock hunting, there won't typically be a difference noted between 26 and 28" tubes. You don't often get a "swing" in that type of hunting, it is often just a "poke".

Grouse season comes in two different flavors, early and late season. I'm not the guy who has to be out on opening day, swatting mosquitoes, sweating in 80 degree temps, and hearing more birds flush than I see. But, if I were, I'd probably use my 25" barreled Darne 12 gauge, with little and less choke in the barrels. I actually use that gun most of the season, for grouse hunting, anyway, and don't find it to be a handicap.
I haven't shot a woodcock in about a decade. I just don't see as many as I used to, and if the dog handled one superbly, I'd take it, but, she hasn't, yet.

Perhaps you could rent versions of both barrel lengths at your local club, and shoot some 5 stand or grouse walk, and get a better feel for what would work out best for you.

Good luck with whatever you end up with, and keep us posted about how it works out.


Best,
Ted

Awright! Good job on the 100, Bob.

Mine is a kidney pattern, with the standard frame.

Pal of mine has one that also letters from '47, serial numbers about 100 apart, and we have different forend reinforcements.

Mine has the rock elm piece and his has the anchor. They are otherwise identical.

I looked all over hell for a 28" barreled gun. When this one came along in essentially new condition for a realistic price, I didn't hesitate over the barrel length.

Ted is right, the gun writers were praising the short barrels for a decade or so, but everybody wasn't buying what they were selling. Those who would think for themselves, experiment with different barrel lengths and guns, until they found what worked best for them, continued to think for themselves. There will always be those who take what they perceive as an "expert's" opinion to be their own mantra, who don't think for themselves. It's sad there are so many parrots, but it is what it is.

Oftimes, it was not the writers that instigated it, but the gun manufacturers, trying to come up with some new novelty to gain a greater market share, or even create a new mini-market. Pushing 25 and 26" barrels in advertising hype is how they did it, then ...... the gun writers just got on board and helped paddle, as they are wont to do.

SRH

There are many Fox,Paker,Francotte etc 26 inch bird guns from the 20s,30s on up and they are very well suited for me.I only shoot smallbores but do have a 12 ga Win 21 Tournament skeet 26 inch that looks stubby but shoots great,a 32 inch 20 gauge LC Smith that I own is tough to carry. Bobby

R'Man;
I measured those Cg's for the 26" vs the 30" barrels today. 26" barrel balances 9 3/4" ahead of the breech, the 30" ones 10 3/4". So even though 4" difference in length CG moved only 1".
For the assembled gun with 26" barrel CG was 5" ahead of front trigger, with 30" ones 5 3/4" so here CG was changed by only 3/4 inch.

I bought this Lefever 49 years ago (1968). In fact it was the first gun I filed a form 4473 on. Although I was already having my doubts about all those Warnings of That Dangerous Damascus I still was not totally comfortable with shooting them. An outfit in Florida was offering a service of having new steel barrels made in Italy so I decided to take advantage of it. Turn around had been estimated at about 3 months. After my gun was shipped a change in Customs took place which greatly slowed the process & I was near a year getting it back. The service was discontinued on this account so I just got in under the wire.

Barrels are made of Boehler Steel, have a 12 in C for 12ga chamber. Bores are 18.5, choke is marked as 4 stars right & 3 stars left. Wt is KG1.650 (about 3lbs 10 oz).Also carries a cam 70 mark for the 2 3/4" chambers.
Proof have the "Star in Wheel" over PSF / Finito & Gardone Coat of Arms. Proof date code is XXVI. As I recall I was used in 1945 so this barrel set would have been proofed in 1970.

These barrels have the SN & Grade mark of the original stamped on them along with another mark or so from the originals. No marks were applied to the frame or old barrels which I retained. Best I recall I shipped this gun in 1970 & apparently work was completed on schedule, but I did not receive the gun back until well up into 1971. The wait came about apparently due to some kind of "Lay Over" being required for them to clear Customs & leave Italy. The company in Florida, Harding & Knight, was very apologetic about the delay but it was out of their hands. They did keep me informed & didn't just leave me hanging in the Dark.

I highly suspect if it were put on your MOI machine there would be a detectable difference. I shoot one set about as well as the other though so don't worry too much about it. I would have preferred the shorter barrel to have come back about a �lb lighter & been a bio "Quicker". Apparently they did their best to match the weight of the originals which I had not really anticipated. Had I realized this was going to be done would probably have order 28" but never-the-less have been well satisfied with the 26". It has actually been my main gun ever since.

2-p, I think you guess right. I'd be quite surprised if the 30" ers didn't swing a bit slower (higher MOI) than the 26"ers. Not because of the length per se, but because there is weight further away from the gun's CG. The increased balance point of the barrels and of the gun are proof positive of the increased weight forward.

Far as I know, there is no gunmaker who includes swing efforts in his specs. So, we are confined to doing our best in using weight and balance to get as close as we can to a desired MOI. Imagine that you had specified that the gun balance 3/4" back for the 30" barrels. Then, you might well have equal swing effort. This, of course, begs the question, "Do you want equal swing effort for both sets of barrels?" Are the barrels for differing purposes? If so, what kind of handling do you want for each purpose? It seems that you have gotten exactly what you want --- even if by accident.

My idea for developing information about swing effort is to allow shooters to give handling specs to gunmakers and thereby eliminate chance as much as is reasonable.

DDA

I have 4 side-by-sides with 28" barrels, 12 gauge Trojan, 12 gauge Ideal, a M21 12 gauge field grade mfg. 1949, and a 20 Sterlingworth(Utica gun). I don't think I'd care for any of these shotguns with 26" barrels-

I like a 14&1/2" LOP and a long-ish buttstock with 26" barrels looks out of proportion to me. My favorite 12 gauge shotguns have 30" barrels, whether L.C. Smiths or Model 12's- but to each man his own--

A friend has two older M21 skeet guns, a 12 and a 16 gauge, both with 26" barrels choked WS-1 and WS-2-- single trigger, ejector, both made between 1947 and 1950-

If you're a 26"-Man and can't seem to shoot a 28" gun, or conversely, if you're a 28"-Man and you can't shoot a 26" gun worth a hoot - May I suggest it may be psychological?

DAM16SXS, I can shoot any gun well, until I buy it and take it home. I have proven it several times including running a hundred straight in Skeet, at a registered shoot, with a gun I was thinking about buying at the time. It must have only had the one straight in it because I never ran another with it after that at a registered shoot. It was great in practice but not in registered shoots. So down the road it went because we all know it is the arrow or the bow not the Indian.

I like going from SxS to O/U to Pumps to Semi Auto guns. I shoot them fairly well, without much need for adjustment. Single trigger, two triggers, short barrels or long, makes no short term difference. In fact, if I had to shoot just one I doubt I would be interested in shooting for long. And my gun room proves my lack of attention span as my wife point out. A few of these, a few of them and a more than a few of those and they all get used for something. I like to hear the sound bang. It makes me smile.

Perhaps take up golf.
Karl

Then he would just be ass deep in golf clubs.

What matters is balance and gun fit not the length of barrels. For perfectionists there are custom made bespoke guns, so called. With one of those you will shoot better because the gun was fit to you that is exactly the same as wearing tailored suit from Milano or shoe made to your foot or foot mold in London. It is very obvious that custom suit and shoes will make one look & feel better than something off rack at Brooks Bros. or Jonston & Murphy outlet.

Karl, I once had over a thousand golf clubs. A Play It Again Sports resale store closed and they were throwing used golf clubs and bag into a dumpster. I had them put them into my truck instead. Three loads later I had a pile of clubs the size of a small tank. Gave them away to a boys club and local high school. I did keep a few of the worst ones to spell the word golf on the wall of my office with bent clubs. People loved it. Thought I was bending clubs around trees when I played.

Johnson and Murphy, Oh Master of the Hunt..

Michael McIntosh played golf as I remember. I'll bet those kids put those clubs to good use and enjoyed them.
Karl

Hope they did. Now days they might use them to club a person not a ball. The local boys club had a program for boys teaching them golf. This was the time Tiger was just winning every major. That's been 25 plus years ago I bet. Time flies.