doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Barrel Length - When Will The Pendulum Swing

For me the points made by several posters about weight of barrels is really important. I have two 12X65 hammer doubles stocked same, same patterns and POI, same 75 cm barrels, same weight for everything except barrels. One gun has barrels a bit more than 0,75 lb heavier than other (one gun weighs 7,0 lbs other 6,17 lbs). At trap, mounted or unmounted gun, I shoot about same 20-25 hits per 25 birds, with usually a bird or three more with lighter gun if starting with unmounted gun. On fast crossing birds, starting with unmounted gun, I hit many more with lighter gun. I almost never hunt or shoot SC with heavier gun any longer.

Niklas

Just a few questions on 12 bore M21-barrel length: Nash B. had a 12 bore M21 pictures in George B. Evan's book "Nash's Guns" and it had two barrel sets- one 32" for ducks the other 26" for quail-wouldn't the gun's balance point change with the 6" of different barrel length? The late Jack O'Connor had a 12 ga M21 with two barrel sets-both 26" I think (I have his 1965 Shotgun book)how popular are multi-barrel sets for the same basic doublegun today-and are many older side-by-sides "choke-tubed" for steel shot, etc.? Just wondering is all!!

I have guns from 26 to 32 inch bbls. I like all and shoot them for various uses. Close, high brush, or steep hills usually calls for my short barreled guns. Sporting clays gets me to use my 32" guns often. On occasion, I'll shoot a longer or mid length gun for upland. They all have their uses for me.

What Chuck said. I would add, and for how long and far I'm going to have to carry them. RCC

True. But the targets are extremely predictable and are shot by good shooters in a very small window. So, the longer barrels are fine because the muzzle, even with the butt at the hip, can be held in the most advantageous position for minimal movement.

But, I guarantee you if someone wanted to, they could invent games that short fast barrels would favor. For example, you could have stations with several possible different random targets from near to far at all kinds of angles. Those 32" guns currently in favor would not fare so well. Start with the gun at the waist across the body as it is commonly carried in the field. Throw random sporting clays on a winding trail including some interesting terrain. Computers and simple sensors could easily be used in these kinds of scenarios. But, we seem to be in a phase where shooting difficult but predictable targets is in favor.

Also, I personally don't want to carry 30" (or even 28" or 12 bores) around all day when walking to hunt. But if I can put it down between "rounds" then I can shoot em' all day, no sweat. Jake

Maybe yes, maybe no. Barrel length per se is not an absolute predictor of gun balance. Design and varying thickness of the barrels could conceivably result in 26" and 32" barrels balancing the same. More likely, the 32" barrels steady the swing on more predictable waterfowl shots, while the 26" come up quicker for quail...same gun, with different balance for different game. Sounds good to me!

Jackaroo

I agree that a game could be invented that favor short barrels but people used to think that about skeet, and they were also popular in columbaire pigeons. I don't think that they are anymore. I have seen a bird in SC(I set it up) that was much easier with my light 30"SXS than the heavy 32" O/U. but they are pretty rare. It is a balance. I have also had quail jump up and go over my head in a strong Texas wind that I could have gotten onto with shorter barrels(maybe). We have to decide if we are missing more because of stoping the gun or not being able to get in fromt of the bird.......that is the crux of it.

I am probably holding the gun a lot farther out on the forearm than most.

In the days when birds were killed, 30" barrels were the norm. Today, with less outtings, less birds and limits such as they are - you can get by with a 28" gun.
...and if your a coffee table kinda gun guy, anything under 28" just doesn't look right.

They look good on cOwboys.

Whatever that's supposed to mean, there must be more than a few "coffee table kinda gun guys" here.

For us 'hunting kinda gun guys,' carry, handle and hit are more important than look, current rage and pendulum.