Home Forums Birds & Dogs Shotguns Favorite barrel length for SXS upland bird 12 ga?

I'm in the market and likely won't get to handle the gun first.I do know how foolish that is.

I've owned 28" barrel SXS guns and have no interest in the coach short barrel guns but I've seen several 26" and 30" guns in my price range.

For upland birds what do you prefer? I'm thinking I will stick with 28" but is 30" too long or 26" too short? In my mind I'm thinking 30" would be more suited for ducks and 26" the better upland gun other than 28" but I've no real experience with either.

I like 26" or 28" barrels. I don't think a longer barrel would be a hindrance, although that depends on how well the gun fits you.

For me 28" is about ideal on any SxS and I will take 30" over 26".

I have a 20 gauge SKB with 25" barrels and a 12 gauge BSS with 26" barels and seem to do just fine with them in the field. The shorter barrels seem handier and faster to me.

I have 2 SxS's in 12ga. One has 26" and the other is 28". I like the 26 much better. It also helps that the one with the 26" barrels is a much trimmer gun to start with. Its a CZ Bobwhite.

Auto or pump, 26. O/U or SxS, 28. Of course this is all trumped by balance and handeling, to apoint anyway, I would not want my grouse gun wearing a 32 inch tube cuz it balanced perfect.....

I am a little to "Target" oriented on my barrel lenth selection.
My Beretta O/U have 30" barrels, a Parker SxS 30", Beretta 390's
,Win super X's and Remington lefty 1100's skeet and 5 stand guns 28".

My hunting bird guns are 26" on two and the rest are 28".

Doc

I like 26

Pumps and autos have 4 inches of receiver that would be barrel in a sxs or
o/u so 26, 28, etc is not always equal. A 26 auto is really a 30 o/u. I'll take long and lightweight every time, but our home grown offerings are any thing but lightweight. We used to make them when you could order a 12 gauge Parker on a 16 gauge frame or a 16 on a 20. The frame dictates barrel thickness and thus weight. Those days are gone and most have never handled a well balanced field shotgun with long/lean barrels. Once I handled a small frame 28 gauge Perazzi with 32 inch tubes. It was a Grouse/Quail shotgun that few will ever equal.

It just depends on how it "feels". Really good barrels an be safely made fairly thin, there by producing a nice handling gun with longish barrels, as battue has alluded above.

My pet bird gun is a 16 gauge sxs w/ 29" barrels that is quite lively, and I wouldn't have it any shorter. I also have a couple o/u's that sport 26 1/2" tubes that feel just right to me. A good friend has an old Beretta 470 sxs w/ 26" barrels that similarly feels perfect to me.

So, I guess the answer is that it just depends...wasn't that helpful?

I like em long 28 on Semi-auto's seeing I use them pretty much just for ducks and geese. 30" to 32" for upland for the most part on my side by side's. I wouldn't walk away from a nice side by side with 28" barrels if it felt good to me. As for Auto's I have never liked the feel of any with less then 28" barrel.

The last one I owned a Fabarms Classic Lion 12 gauge had 26" barrels and felt great and shot extremely well

28" barrels will probably yield a steadier swing than 26", which can be very easy to STOP when on-target.

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Any one try Browning's 24-inch barreled Citori ?

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I tend to agree. I know I shoot better on average with longer barrels. I shoot mostly doubles, so those 28" & 30" barrels aren't as long as they seem.

For pass shooting I like longer barrels. In the uplands for pheasants and grouse my favorite sxs is 28". If its Quail hunting then I shoot a Ithaca/SKB 20ga. with 25" barrels. Its a deadly gun on covey rises.

For me 28" is about ideal on any SxS and I will take 30" over 26".

I personally prefer the 26 inch barrel on a SXS or O&U but can live the 28 inch.

I am really happy with my 26 1/2 inch 20 and my 28 inch 12. Both o/u. My 20 is older w/o screw in chokes. Today, if I were buying a screw choke double, I think I might prefer 28 inch tubes on it also. I am not a target shooter - except for a few tune up runs. Balance and fit trumps all else. jack