viking Posted October 22, 2007 Report Share Posted October 22, 2007 sorry to sound dim but im just starting out in shooting and im reading andlearning as much as i can and trying to understand everything, and they do say the only silly question is the one that isnt asked?? apart from the obvious 4 inch what the diferences between getting a gun with the 28 or the 32 inch barels, and whats the story behind the cartriges being 3 or 3 1/2 inch, was just reading about autos and one post sad its only bad point was it wasnt a 3 1/2inch, thanks for your kind answers, lee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auto culto Posted October 23, 2007 Report Share Posted October 23, 2007 sorry to sound dim but im just starting out in shooting and im reading and learning as much as i can and trying to understand everything, and they do say the only silly question is the one that isnt asked?? apart from the obvious 4 inch what the differences between getting a gun with the 28 or the 32 inch barrels, and whats the story behind the cartridges being 3 or 3 1/2 inch, was just reading about autos and one post sad its only bad point was it wasnt a 3 1/2inch, thanks for your kind answers, lee You will find no difference between the barrel lengths apart from one may suit you speed of swing more. IE a longer barrel will slow your swing down which can be a good thing but it depends on your shooting style. Most people tend to go for the 28 barrels. The 3 1/2 magnum round was designed for wild fowling since the law bans you from shooting ducks and geese etc with lead shot so 3 1/2 magnum was born to make up the differance. This allows you to use steel shoot which is larger than lead for it equivalent weight hence the need for more space in a cartridge to try and make up the difference. The 3 1/2 cart are expensive so unless you intend to do a lot of wild-fowling i would bother with one as they throw a less effective pattern than a trap or game gun with the smaller rounds. Most guns are chambered now to take the 3" carts as standard which can be handy if you need some heavier rounds to anchor charlie or do the occasional fowling. So its basically down to what you intend to shoot that will govern your purchase. With regards autos their great but very messy and some clay grounds wont let you use them as its hard to show they are "safe" ( no rounds loaded) when walking between stands. If its your first gun i would advise you to get an o/u as you wont go far wrong with one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oly Posted October 23, 2007 Report Share Posted October 23, 2007 Just in addition to Auto's post...the length of barrel is mostly personal preference & fit...but generally a good rule fo thumb is that taller folk prefer longer barrels. I'm 6ft3 and my shot to kill ratio dips quite significantly if I shoot with 28" barrels or less...personally I shoot with 30" & 32". By this reckoning 28" barrels are generally the most popular as they fit/suit the average height of person...but as with all things in life there are exceptions to the rule. Best advice...go try them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
viking Posted October 23, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 23, 2007 thanks guys, very helpfull info, regards, lee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leeboy Posted October 24, 2007 Report Share Posted October 24, 2007 Its purely down to personal preference. The only way to know what works for you is to handle a few guns and see what feels best. A semi auto with a 28" barrel will be a few inches longer than an o/u or sxs with a 28" brl as semis have a longer receiver which may make the overall length 2 or 3 inches longer. Leeboy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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