I stand @ 5ft 8 ins with short arms & small hands. A 14" length of pull fits me to a Tee. 28" is my favorite length of barrel, though I have shot successfully with those from 26 to 30". Do not know how many have noticed it but if one takes a box lock & a side lock, both having identical barrel lengths & an identical LOP the sidelock will normally be about an inch longer in overall length. Therefore if both have barrels of about the same weight the sidelock will have a slightly more forward balance.
The length of the bar will also show a great difference in the balance point in relation to the hinge pin. The difference in the balance point from the trigger is therefore much more meaningful.
I have sated it several times before but the gun which I have consistently shot better than any other I have ever owned is a low-grade J P Clabrough & Bro's 12 gauge back action sidelock. This gun has 28" Damascus barrels, choked 1/4 choke in /both barrels & weighs 6 lb 14 oz. It has a semi-pistol grip stock with cast-off, though I have never measured the stock dimensions, it just fits me.
Obviously there are no perfect dimensions for everyone. Shoot what fits you & what style you like. I, personally, prefer sidelocks over boxlocks any day of the week. The American Lefever Arms Co guns though technically boxlocks in all other descriptions fit the criteria of a sidelock. heir hammers sit a bit further back in the frame than a typical boxlock. then the overhead sears set the triggers back just a bit, so they end up with virtually the same fit & fell as a true sidelock, rather than that of the boxlock.
