32” barrel

[Scully]

I still remain unconvinced about 32” barrels not being ‘faddish’ I’m afraid. I really enjoy whipping through those 32 inchers on my Gamba, but my 28” barrelled guns are equally smooth. 

I really am very cynical I’m afraid. Time will tell. 

 

[rwade545]

I’m half tempted to post asking about 34” barrels to see what response I get! lol 

well my b725 32” sporter is ordered, had a play with one I’m local shop and felt great.

[jmoz82]

On 25/11/2017 at 17:21, Scully said:

I prefer 28” barrels because that is what I feel comfortable with; I seriously doubt any has an advantage over any other. 

I like a heavy gun regardless of its length.

+1

[Lord v]

go big or go home:

https://www.thestalkingdirectory.co.uk/showthread.php/143165-Marlin-Model-55-Goose-Gun-Bolt-Action-12-Bore-Shotgun

I desperately want to go to a clay ground with this....

[Gordon R]

I have read the posts with interest and agree about 32" barrels. I have tried shorter barrels and they feel distinctly odd. I know that skeet shooters have migrated from 26" Vostoks onto 28" barrels and now even longer, but I think buze should not be dismissed so lightly.

Perhaps he overstated his case, but it is his opinion.

I was shooting with a Beretta 32" Trap Gold E a few years ago and the second barrel would not fire. I borrowed a mate's 28" cheapy, which felt deceptively weighty. I was amazed just how quickly I could move onto close clays. Whilst I wouldn't change guns, buze has half a point.

 

 

[buze]

Fair enough @hamster -- however, don't you think that if you train hard enough, and shoot enough (to be in the top 50s) you are probably strong enough to shoot the extra weight, anyway? And isn't there a possibility that most of them would shoot awesomely, and possibly *as good* if you were to give them 28" barrels? 

I'm saying that, because my old coach in wales, long retired, rotund as they come, can take *my* shotgun, turn it upside down, put it on his left shoulder, and shoot most things out of the sky...

My bottom line is, I'm not *convinced* 32" makes a difference *per se* -- perhaps the extra *weight* or forward balance is more significant, especially if someone is well trained for it. It's very similar to a tennis racket -- I'm pretty sure if I were to try a ATP champion's tennis racket, I'd probably shatter my forearm on the first attempt. 

Personally I *think* I'm quite strong, but when I tried 32"'s it felt like I was driving a boat -- sure on SOME birds it feels like you are on the motorway, but on some other you feel like you are on the motorway without the driving wheel attached :-)

On the other hand last week-end I picked up my wife's AYA O/U game gun with 28" barrels at AGL for a round of clays (after this discussion), and it was too short and all that, but wow, how nimble and 'pointy' that felt. Sure, it's also a lot more lively when shooting, but the gun gets 'to speed' even if you're not in the ideal place to pick up the bird.

Also, give me a break, don't you think there is *also* a bit of marketing involved? How are gun manufacturers going to sell new guns if they don't find new stuff? I mean, guns rarely break, the only way they have is to make their new ones appear to be better than the ones on the second hand market, otherwise, why bother?

Oh and yes, I do like and argument, so feel free, as long as we don't fall into personal insults (as many other discussions end up on this forum) I rather enjoy a bit of back&forth, and I rather enjoy twisting other people's points especially if they were well made ;-)

 

 

[ips]

On ‎27‎/‎11‎/‎2017 at 20:53, Scully said:

I still remain unconvinced about 32” barrels not being ‘faddish’ I’m afraid. I really enjoy whipping through those 32 inchers on my Gamba, but my 28” barrelled guns are equally smooth. 

I really am very cynical I’m afraid. Time will tell. 

 

, I have never got on with 32" they don't feel right to me even before I mount the thing. 30" for me is the perfect barrell length ?

[miroku_fan]

On 27/11/2017 at 11:56, TIGHTCHOKE said:

How did you arrive at that statement? I use 32" have used 34" and also use 24" and 28". The C and G 34" guns are a joy to shoot!

I have already stated that 34” guns are fine if you have the need and more importantly, the ability to use them to good effect. I am of the opinion that a well balanced 32” shotgun in an experienced Gun’s hands is the absolute optimum length. This allows for economy of movement, greater accuracy and more consistency than can be achieved with shorter barrels. This has been proved for such a long time that to argue against this point becomes churlish and petty.

Edited November 29, 2017 by miroku_fan
Typo

[MR. BROWN]

6 hours ago, miroku_fan said:

I have already stated that 34” guns are fine if you have the need and more importantly, the ability to use them to good effect. I am of the opinion that a well balanced 32” shotgun in an experienced Gun’s hands is the absolute optimum length. This allows for economy of movement, greater accuracy and more consistency than can be achieved with shorter barrels. This has been proved for such a long time that to argue against this point becomes churlish and petty.

What do you base this assertion upon ?

Your closing comment - "....churlish and petty" suggests unsureness.

[TIGHTCHOKE]

7 hours ago, miroku_fan said:

I have already stated that 34” guns are fine if you have the need and more importantly, the ability to use them to good effect. I am of the opinion that a well balanced 32” shotgun in an experienced Gun’s hands is the absolute optimum length. This allows for economy of movement, greater accuracy and more consistency than can be achieved with shorter barrels. This has been proved for such a long time that to argue against this point becomes churlish and petty.

Churlish and petty to discuss on an open forum your opinion and mine and the opinions of others?

Are you really suggesting that your opinion is better?

 

[Hamster]

11 hours ago, buze said:

Fair enough @hamster -- however, don't you think that if you train hard enough, and shoot enough (to be in the top 50s) you are probably strong enough to shoot the extra weight, anyway? And isn't there a possibility that most of them would shoot awesomely, and possibly *as good* if you were to give them 28" barrels? 

I'm saying that, because my old coach in wales, long retired, rotund as they come, can take *my* shotgun, turn it upside down, put it on his left shoulder, and shoot most things out of the sky...

My bottom line is, I'm not *convinced* 32" makes a difference *per se* -- perhaps the extra *weight* or forward balance is more significant, especially if someone is well trained for it. It's very similar to a tennis racket -- I'm pretty sure if I were to try a ATP champion's tennis racket, I'd probably shatter my forearm on the first attempt. 

Personally I *think* I'm quite strong, but when I tried 32"'s it felt like I was driving a boat -- sure on SOME birds it feels like you are on the motorway, but on some other you feel like you are on the motorway without the driving wheel attached :-)

On the other hand last week-end I picked up my wife's AYA O/U game gun with 28" barrels at AGL for a round of clays (after this discussion), and it was too short and all that, but wow, how nimble and 'pointy' that felt. Sure, it's also a lot more lively when shooting, but the gun gets 'to speed' even if you're not in the ideal place to pick up the bird.

Also, give me a break, don't you think there is *also* a bit of marketing involved? How are gun manufacturers going to sell new guns if they don't find new stuff? I mean, guns rarely break, the only way they have is to make their new ones appear to be better than the ones on the second hand market, otherwise, why bother?

Oh and yes, I do like and argument, so feel free, as long as we don't fall into personal insults (as many other discussions end up on this forum) I rather enjoy a bit of back&forth, and I rather enjoy twisting other people's points especially if they were well made ;-)

 

 

I shot 28/30" for the first 15 years of my shooting, I too found the 32" weird when I first tried it back in the late 80's, my point is that if you look at the line up of who uses what there can be no doubt as to what is today considered the optimum length. Optimum in ESP terms means the best compromise or least bad even. This is because if you were to scientifically analyse each and every stand and target/distance you'd prolly find the absolute best choke and barrel length combo to vary a tiny bit. This is of course quite impossible because you can't test these things fairly when the shooters you'll be using to gather the data will all be "fine tuned" to their current set up and won't give viable feedback.

I have never said that shorter guns don't "feel" good or that some don't think they "handle" better, all I have said is that until you can prove one length to be the outright leader in experienced hands then the rest is not factual but merely opinion. I have had this kind of discussion here before when people get affronted when presented with facts which deride their long held old wives tales passed on via dandy names who wrote stuff before women were allowed to vote and whose experiences were simply not adequate or applicable to the realities of today. In short facts trump supposition and opinion. I can prove for instance that the old adage : misses are in feet, chokes are in inches  blurb is flawed at best and wrong in practice. I can prove the old adage : it's not the arrow it's the injun is flawed and wrong. I can prove the old adage : any gun is only as accurate as the man behind it is plain bull. Given time I reckon I could even prove the old adage : most birds are missed behind and below does not hold today, if it ever did. 

32" tubes are not a new thing by the way they have been around for 40 years or more so manufacturers gain nothing (lose 2" of metal in fact) by selling them. 

Interesting point regarding your rotund coach, he is in fact not alone as I have witnessed this time and again and have done so myself at times, it is merely one angle of proof that "fit" is not as important as knowledge. That's not to say fit is not vital for the top shots before anyone has a heart attack, just that misses are down to technique and application, not to the odd millimeter here and there. Give the average top shot your gun and chances are he will beat you with it, it'll take him 4-5 shots to experiment but he'll adapt to the fit "enough" because he has knowledge. The same knowledge is why even top shots tend to draw the line at 32" having tried 34" which some consider good for high birds. 

 

Edited November 29, 2017 by Hamster

[MR. BROWN]

I have guns with 26, 27, 28, 29.5, 30 and 32" barrels ....

 

I prefer / shoot best, regarding results on the scoreboard, with 30s.

 

That's all I need to know.

[theshootist]

I shoot 30" barrels in my OU but if I were buying again I might go with 32". That said it would depend on what gun I could afford. 32" barrels on an entry level gun will feel very different to those on an expensive Perazzi.  

[TIGHTCHOKE]

7 hours ago, theshootist said:

I shoot 30" barrels in my OU but if I were buying again I might go with 32". That said it would depend on what gun I could afford. 32" barrels on an entry level gun will feel very different to those on an expensive Perazzi.  

But that is down to balance and feel between the hands.

[theshootist]

1 hour ago, TIGHTCHOKE said:

But that is down to balance and feel between the hands.

Yes but that will be because they can engineer the barrels lighter. 

[TIGHTCHOKE]

That is what you are paying for!

Do Lincoln and that level of manufacturer make 32" barrels?

[Westward]

11 hours ago, theshootist said:

I shoot 30" barrels in my OU but if I were buying again I might go with 32". That said it would depend on what gun I could afford. 32" barrels on an entry level gun will feel very different to those on an expensive Perazzi.  

It depends on what you mean by entry level. Some lower cost guns such as 525s, SP1s, Fabarm etc are easily available in 32, but in any case you can't really use Perazzi for comparison because they build barrels to the buyer's specs because one person's ideal weight, balance, length and choking preferences can be quite different from another's.

It was principally Beretta who changed the the market for long barrels back in 2000 when they released the fully vented Optima system on the DT10 and 682 Gold E. These barrels weighed much less (on the O/Us) than the Mobil barrels and many people preferred the handling of the 32s to the 30s. Since then, every other major maker has followed suit, even Browning's current Ultra XS feels good in 32 and of course the light barrelled Parcours from Krieghoff sells like hot cakes and I don't see many in 30" form.

[TIGHTCHOKE]

1 hour ago, Westward said:

It depends on what you mean by entry level. Some lower cost guns such as 525s, SP1s, Fabarm etc are easily available in 32, but in any case you can't really use Perazzi for comparison because they build barrels to the buyer's specs because one person's ideal weight, balance, length and choking preferences can be quite different from another's.

It was principally Beretta who changed the the market for long barrels back in 2000 when they released the fully vented Optima system on the DT10 and 682 Gold E. These barrels weighed much less (on the O/Us) than the Mobil barrels and many people preferred the handling of the 32s to the 30s. Since then, every other major maker has followed suit, even Browning's current Ultra XS feels good in 32 and of course the light barrelled Parcours from Krieghoff sells like hot cakes and I don't see many in 30" form.

And Beretta made the move following all the 32" Mobil barrelled trap guns being "sporterized" to individual requirements.

[Hamster]

1 hour ago, Westward said:

It depends on what you mean by entry level. Some lower cost guns such as 525s, SP1s, Fabarm etc are easily available in 32, but in any case you can't really use Perazzi for comparison because they build barrels to the buyer's specs because one person's ideal weight, balance, length and choking preferences can be quite different from another's.

It was principally Beretta who changed the the market for long barrels back in 2000 when they released the fully vented Optima system on the DT10 and 682 Gold E. These barrels weighed much less (on the O/Us) than the Mobil barrels and many people preferred the handling of the 32s to the 30s. Since then, every other major maker has followed suit, even Browning's current Ultra XS feels good in 32 and of course the light barrelled Parcours from Krieghoff sells like hot cakes and I don't see many in 30" form.

You're confusing us with facts again. 

[Westward]

23 hours ago, Hamster said:

You're confusing us with facts again. 

Sorry.

[ChrisAsh]

If you take the average AA scores from say the 40's, 5-'s, 60's, with SxS and compare them with say the 80-2017, o/u 32" how do the they compare