i bought a citori lightning 16 gauge 26 inch invector choke barrels when they first came out in 1987. we had lots of birds back in those days here in iowa. buy the 24 inch inch gun if you like and dont worry about the barrel length. i like a straight grip in my side by sides . not so much in a stack barrel. ounce to 1 1/8 load good to go. i still shoot that gun better than anything else i have. probably because ive simply shot it alot and i do not think about it when it comes up.