I'm not seeing many 30" barrels on new shotguns here in the Upper Midwest. Maybe a few duck/goose guns, also some trap guns, but that's about it.
My SKB 20 ga and BPS 12 ga both sport 26" barrels. If I hunted more open country, maybe I would use 28" barrels again, but in the grouse woods, 26" barrels are the longest I want.
Optimum barrel length often has to do with barrel weight and here most of our barrels are fat toads. Your 26 inch BPS has the equivalent sighting plane and thus barrel length of a 30 inch SxS. In the Grouse woods, or anyplace else it is a 30.
Stand a 30 SxS and your 26 BPS together against the wall and it will be evident.
Couple weeks ago I had the chance to handle two 28 inch Linder Prussian Charles Daly SxS16gauges. After perhaps 80 years, the USA has learned little on what a balanced shotgun should feel like.
