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Barrel Length

jumpdog1
When measuring the length or a rifle barrel,do you include the chamber?

Thanks,Joyce
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8 comments

Date Votes
  • jumpdog1
    What are the advantages and disadvantages of barrel lenght of a shot- gun lets say the same choke 28" barrel vs 30" barrel???
    Thanks
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  • temblor
    The longer bbl give you a longer sight radius so it's better for most people shooting at fixed or single targets to aim.They also swing more steady with the added barrel weight. That's why trap shooters use them.When you do something else like skeet shooting where you have to swing fast and shoot at multiple targets most people prefer a shorter,easier to swing bbl.This is also true of hunting fast moving birds at fairly close ranges or in brush/woods settings.For most all around hunting or multiple purpose guns most people settle on the medium length barrels that do ok in various settings rather than a specific gun for each use.It really boils down to personal preference and the success each person has with a certain length.--You also lose a small amount of velocity from the shorter bbls to a point.I saw a test that Lyman did one time where they clocked various loads and bbl lengths and then averaged the speeds out in 12 gauge guns.It worked out to around 12 feet per second per inch of bbl length.This could vary due to differences in barrels and the pressures they build but the shotguns don't lose near as much speed as do centerfires.The loss in speed wouldn't make much difference in the real world hunting fields at typical hunting ranges.--The muzzle blast and noise are also much more noticeable on the real short bbl guns to.......Hope this helps.......[8D]
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  • Jason Anthony
    Temblor is exactly right. If you are wondering whether the 30" will have more knockdown power as opposed to the 28", it does not. Many people think that the longer the barrel, the more payload. As Temblor explained, the length of the barrel merely helps control your swing. In the case of a shorter barrel, it helps the shooter pull up on a quick, moving target more easily.
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  • bobski
    length bbls are also developed to allow time for cetain powders to completely burn in order to give higher MV's. since most hunting loads are heavy and are required to go further, pressures are increased to ensure the payload gets where its going. if the wad reaches the end of the bbl and powder is still building and has not reached max muzzle velocity, the instant it leaves the bbl, its lost. thus...the majority of field guns use to be 30" and in some cases 32". take a standard load and shoot it in 3 different bbl lengths with all other variables unchanged, and you will see a slight difference in MV. this is one of the reasons many skeet shooters have gone to 30" and 32" and even 34" bbls. ever since NSSA dropped the max velocity rule, many shooters shoot hot loads anywhere from 1205 to 1400 fps. olympic loads alone are 1300. in order to achive max v, they use a longer bbl to get max burn on the loads. and yes, long sighting plane is an additional advantage. but, it works in conjunction with the fact that the shot is getting to the target quicker, thus less lead is required. add the long plane to that and you practically have the bead on the target instead of having to memorize 16 different lead distances. the art of skeet shooting has disappeared. it was easy to begin with, now its not a matter of skill, but how many times can i do it to win the pot. (my opinion.) so, does length count? yes. is the average shooter good enough to note the difference? no. shoot a 1000 rounds a day and youll see a difference. i do.

    former air operations officer SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team 2. former navy skeet team, navy rifle/pistol team member. co-owner skeetmaster tubes inc.. owner/operator professional shooting instruction.
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  • Pinhead
    jumpdog, I agree with the above answers in their general nature. Short barrels are faster swinging for close range, fast moving targets. Longer barrels smooth out your swing as long as you can swing fast enough to get and hold your lead. Slow powder come into play where speed and long range targets or tough targets require speed and power (goose hunting for instance). Very few shotgun shooters will ever see olympic style shooting much less take part in it. You can't really get around physics--there are ways to help matters --but the fact remains the faster you push a load(1 or 1 1/4 oz. for instance) the more recoil your generate. I for one don't want to shoot 1000 rounds a day(even with 1 oz. of lead shot) at 1300 to 1400 fps. AS the Tomcat said to the skunk "I've enjoyed all of this I can stand". Pinhead
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  • TurnsignalJ
    Well, everyone talked about muzzle speed, sighting, and swinging the gun but not one about the end results. I think barrel length has something to do with holding the pattern for a longer killing range. More shot on target means better odds at hitting what you're shooting at.
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  • Jason Anthony
    The longer barrel has nothing to do with a longer killing range. A 26" modified barrel and a 32" modified barrel will have the same knockdown power - which is measured historically at a 40 yard range and beyond. It's sort of like the old saying, "Don't eat before you swim because you'll get cramps." That is a wise tale.
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  • bobski
    bbl length has nothing to do with holding the shot for grouping shot in flight to target. thats what choke is all about. try to picture a jet on an aircraft carrier. the plane must get to speed before it leaves the deck. if the plane is not given enough power it falls off the end. too much power and it will rip its landing gear off. the deck length never changes...the power it is given does, from the 'catapult'. in this case, the catapult is the powder and bbl combo, for a gun. put an undercharged home loaded shell in your gun. forget the powder or get a bad primer and what happens? the wad never clears the bbl and you get an obstruction. wad stays in the bbl and shot falls out. why? the powder didnt burn long enough to push the wad clear of the muzzle. right? its the same thing on a faster scale. it has to be timed perfectly. sometimes overpowered shells have been known to push the wad sideways as it leaves the muzzle. the blast and pressure disturbs the flight of the wad which upsets the pellets and poor patterns can be the result. so, pro shotgunners look for that perfect load to stop burning AT the muzzle. 1200 fps was the norm for skeet @ 26". 1205fps was 28". trap loads were heavier loads requiring for ummph, thus they were designed around the 30" bbl and got a liitle more MV too. follow me?

    former air operations officer SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team 2. former navy skeet team, navy rifle/pistol team member. co-owner skeetmaster tubes inc.. owner/operator professional shooting instruction.
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