Skip to main content
Help Center Community Shop

Does length matter much (shotgun barrels that is)

KX500
I'm looking for a newer barrel for my Remington 1100. Some of the barrels I'm seeing are 21" - 22" while others are 26" - 28" long. Does the length matter much?
0

Comments

10 comments

Date Votes
  • Throckmorton
    Depends on the use of the gun.Trapshootes think longer is better,using barrels up to 32". for Home Defense(HD),shorter is more handy for tight quarters."skeeters" and sporting clays folks like 'em closer to 26".
    confusing,ain't it??[8)]


    Throckmortons' the alias,cas is the game.
    0
  • KX500
    No, that actually does sorta make sense. Thanks for the reply.
    0
  • Jake_S-83
    what were you planning on doing with the new barrel?
    0
  • Tailgunner1954
    Length affects gun balance and sight plane.
    Longer barrels move the balance forward and take longer to get moving, but once moving help prevent misses caused by stopping your swing.
    Short barrels move the balance back and start moving very quickly, but stop just as quickly, causing you to shoot behind the target.
    Which one you need depends on your usage.
    BTW. Choke only, not length, affects the spread of the pattern.

    Whittemore
    Some guys like a mag full of lead, I still prefer one round to the head.
    0
  • Salvage33
    I have always believed that the longer the barrel, the more push you got from the powder burn. But I love 28" and 30" barrels. I know that velocity in rifles can increase with increase in barrel length,
    say one round out of an 18" barrel will chrono slower than same load out of a 22" barrel.

    Am I wrong?

    John

    A friend will post your bail. A good friend will be sitting next to you in the cell saying, "man that was fun!"
    0
  • TRAP55
    SALVAGE33, Not on a shotgun, after 18-20 inches nothing is gained except for sight plain.
    0
  • Txs
    All the powder burns within 18-20 in. of barrel and the choke is formed within only the last couple of inches on all lengths. In other words, the only thing you get with a longer barrel is a change in balance and a smoother swing from hanging weight out toward the muzzle. A longer sight plane is advantageous with handguns, rifles and rifle sighted shotguns, but not as much of an issue when using a bead sight.
    0
  • allechalley
    I think I remember reading that it did make a difference on velocity to a point, but if I remeber correctly there was less than 100fps difference if you wacked off 8 inches from say 28" down to 20" and that could very from gun to gun, load to load. As others have said, site plane and momentum of barrel movement, usually short distance, fast target, shorter barrel....longer distance, longer time to get on target, longer barrel.
    0
  • KX500
    I'll be shooting mostly trap & sporting clays - don't ever seem to find time to shoot birds that actually have feathers.

    Thanks for the discussion here guys - I am used to longer barrels and I probably better stick with what is familiar.
    0
  • Salvage33
    Okay..I stand corrected..but I still like the 28" and 30" barrels.
    Thanks for the info.

    John

    A friend will post your bail. A good friend will be sitting next to you in the cell saying, "man that was fun!"
    0

Please sign in to leave a comment.

Recent Activity