Having handled thousands of shotguns over the years, I have come to a less scientific view, but one that is born out by experience. A well handling gun will have most of the mass of each and every part towards the middle of the assembled gun.
To make it clearer. Find a gun that handles, well, one that does not resist your movements when you shoulder it. Disasemble it and hold each part, ie barrels, action and forend at the places where the hands normally go when the gun is assembled. Held in such a way each part will tip towards the centre of the gun when assembled.
Evidently you never handled one of my little .410 S x Ss. It has an alloy action, 28" barrels and fairly dense wood in the buttstock, which is generous in it's LOP. Rocketman measured, weighed, and spun it years ago on his MOI turntable to get the numbers for me and his database. I had commented that the little lightweight was easy for me to shoot well, contrary to what most people find to be the case with very lightweight guns. It weighs 4 lb. 14 oz. When he finished his determinations he explained to me why it was easy to shoot well, despite it's featherweight. It has more of it's mass concentrated on the ends, as opposed to in the action body. This gives the gun the "feel" of a heavier double with more traditional weight distribution characteristics.
Total gun weight is not the end all characteristic so many shooters think it is. Where that weight is concentrated
is, and not all guns are "heavy in the middle". At least one is just the opposite. And, I'm willing to bet it's not the only one.
SRH
