the longer the better?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ก.พ. 2025
- Is shotgun barrel length just a fashion, and is that fashion justifiable?
Today we test out a 25" barreled gun, the favored tube length nearly a century ago - are these guns still relevant in the modern era of shooting?
Enjoy
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Short barrels are definitely better for getting through the door of a mark II Jag and a Post Office
🤣😂👏👏
Brilliant !
i don't get the reference please aid me
In and out the bank with a sawn off cheque book to make a hasty withdrawl?
@@Clinton-n7x Watching reruns of the 70s TV show "The Sweeney" might assist in your understanding
Had a buddy/coworker who I went dove hunting with shock me when he was the first to limit out with a 26"o/u. and a random guy I shot skeet with who was swinging a 28ga w/ 26" barrels score a 24, 24, 25, 24... and he would call "pull" AS he was dropping the shells into an open gun. Those 2 really taught me it is all about fit and familiarity with rhe particular firearm
It’s certainly not the ideal clay buster, but it’s the perfect choice for woodcocks in the brush.
I’ve had big o/us and gone back to what I started with when very young, a 26” s/s I’m willing to bet you smiled every time you hit a pair rather than feeling disappointed when you miss a pair with an o/u. It all depends whether you want to win competitions or do a bit of rough shooting etc.
I’ve got a 26” Pre Browning, Miroku 6000, with fixed skeet chokes, and shoot everything with it, from walked up game through to sporting clays, with only steel shot.
Thank you, Mr. Carter, for another thought-provoking video. The question asked in this presentation, "are these guns (I presume English game guns with 25" - 28" barrels) still relevant in the modern era of shooting?" is one that has been answered already in innumberable books, magazines, videos and films by ballisticians and engineers; and IF one's principle concern is cartridge/shot performance within the effective range of the gun and bore gauge being considered, since barrel length has little effect on shot performance, that part of the question is 'mute.' For my interest in game shooting, I am lucky to have been taught by Ken Davies at Holland & Holland, and Dale Tate formerly of James Purdey & Sons, and both preceded their lessons with the question "what type of gun do you own, and what type game shooting do you intend to do most with it?" When Mr. Tate fitted me for my favourite game shooting pastime, walked-up birds shot over pointing or flushing dogs, he indicated the gun should point and shoot with the shot concentration 60% above the center of pattern plate (this since flushing birds are shot as they rise), and the ideal barrel length should facilitate a smooth swing for crossing birds. He also remarked most walked-up birds are shot and killed within 15-20 yards, so open chokes are preferable. For me and the type of game shooting I enjoy, a 6 lb. 20 bore side-by-side game gun with 28" barrels with quarter and half chokes feels and performs ideally. When I practise my game shooting at the skeet or clays range, I avoid contemporary transitioning targets and focus my time and attention only on those targets that reasonably resemble the flight of the birds I typically encounter - so I do reasonably well and have lots of fun. Now, if my preference was competitive target shooting, I might own and shoot a heavy gun fitted for the targets one typically encounters for the game played, with barrel length to facilitate a smooth swing, and screw-in chokes. As Mr. Reinhold has correctly taught in previous TGS videos, shotguns are tools, specifically designed and configured for their intended use. That lovely 12 bore Boswell with short barrels, correctly fitted to it's user, is an ideal gun for its intended use shooting walked-up game, and driven birds shot at reasonable distance (where clean, humane kills are most likely to occur).
You need to write a book
@@KolyaNickD Mòran taing!
Have an AYA XXV that I'll be using on a few walked up days this season for the exact reasons you listed. Light, fast and instinctive. At the clay ground it's hilarious fun. After shooting a 9lb 32" sporter it takes a bit of slowing down. I'd liken it to putting an R1 engine in a mini. All the power in a really lightweight chassis. It takes a bit of time to get comfortable with to shoot proficiently but is so much FUN. And isn't that what it's all about?
Each barrel length has its place I think. Don't think we'll go much past 34" unless ballistically it's proven to be better for modern ammo and steel. Hunting will probably stay at 28/30 with 32s for big birds. Sporting clays will be the test bed for some different or more outrageous ideas, it'll take time to get into the more conservative avenues of the sport.
"Its where they fall is part is when you get to know them", good job lol. Actually cool you left that in.
4:36 JC having a small stroke
I grew up shooting a Remington 1900 12 gauge side by side that had the barrels cut back to 18 1/2 inches. Dad used it at work in the Sheriffs department, broke open over the transmission hump in his cruiser loaded with OO buck. I hunted with it for quail and rabbits in the sagebrush and willow thickets. You be hard pressed to swing anything over 26 inched in those tight spots.
Idk... This is My thoughts on your thoughts. Churchill was coming from something more closely related to parts of America today. Not that he wasn't there economist obviously. Shooting was bird focused, not clay pigeon focused. All shooting passed through the filter of game shooting for him. As it does with me. As it does. With many in parts of the American South, Appalachia, Ozarks, American grasslands. Part of the UK, today. Those clay pigeons, dictate more, than any fowl. So the filter is the clays, not the birds. Close and low, are frequently the most common upland birds. Mid and pretty are frequently the most common clays.
Love the Boswell! I've got a 1904 Boswell pigeon gun that I've put about 6000 shells through this year.
28" barrels and heavier than most old sxs, and fitted with teague chokes it's well suited for clays. I find anything close and quick, or whenever it is windy I perform comparatively well compared to others.
My friends 687 EELL 30" is noticeably more stable on slower more distant targets though.
Nice vid and good to see the development of barrel lengths. A good sawn off should be roughly an inch past the forend and drop the stock rounding off the pistol grip and apply some double back ticky-tack tape for extra grip...
I've been shooting a 32" O/U 12 for years, switched to a 30" O/U 20 because of shoulder issues. Now that my issues have gotten worse, I'm now shooting a 26" 20 AL my scores have not changed.
I learned to shoot in 1992. In those days everyone seemed to use 28” barrels.
Now I own a 28” field gun and 30” sporter.
The lighter, faster 28” field gun is perfect for it’s job.
The longer, slower sporter works well for clays.
Hi Jon... That gun or type would be welcomed in the US as a "bird" gun. In parallel with Churchill, it was fashionable many years ago to customize double guns (i.e., LC Smith, Lefever, Parker) to 25-26 inches for quarry flushed over dogs. That barrel length choice generally ensured the choke had been totally removed as to improve patterns at close range. Screw-in chokes and sub-gauge have replaced the need to continue this practice but these guns to me are quite nostalgic.
That's a lovely little Boswell... I'd love to take out hunting!
I'd venture to say that in the last few decades, the average shotgun owners spends more time on the shooting range (play games) then being out in the field hunting games.
Personally, I love shot(er) SxS. This last fall, my main grouse gun was a 1920's BSA Game Special. Comes with 25" barrels, 12g, 2.5" chambers. +/- 6lbs. Points well, nice scroll works. A pleasure to carry all day.
While the DT11,686 etc etc are very nice and have their place with the interchangeable chokes, buttstock that is adjustable in 3 ways and leaves your arm tired before lunch… there never has and never will be anything more fulfilling in the world of game bird shooting than a well balanced lightweight shorter barreled side by side. For Game birds, clays or what have you inside 45 yds it’s simply amazing. Thanks for a video shedding light on these awesome short barreled queens.
It would be nice to see you and Simon Shoot 100 clay’s with short barrels It would be really interesting . I think we could see a comeback to shorter barrels For game shooting . I think as you’ve said for the sport to continue into the future we need to make changes because some of the old reasons for the benefits of shooting in the countryside are not holding up to scrutiny. The way Land is managed leaving the margins for game and all wildlife to benefit and move more walked up shooting I think would help this and the short are Gun definitely suits this better? therefore, making a comeback.
I’ve got a Churchill and I love it 👍👍👍👍
My everyday clays 12 bore gun has 32" barrels. I injured my shoulder and switched to a 30" 20 bore. It still gave me issues so I started using a SX3 20 bore with 26" barrels, my scores never changed.
i prefer a shorter barrel due to the type of hunting i do, forested areas with a lot of brush never leads to far shots anyway. and its less barrel that kan hit things
I have a Denton and Kennell sxs with 26" barrels and a 14" stock. Affectionately know as the Post Office gun. Shot my first bird it it with my father-in-law. It is a fantastic gun for working the hedge rows. I have to confess to also having a silver pigeon s for clays and big days out shooting. But I will never get rid of the Denton.
Spent 90% of my shooting life using a short barrelled Churchill style gun. Shot it pretty well until the more recent 10% i switched to a 32" inch miroku and that has increased my scores dramatically. Way less reliant on an instinctive shot and way more consistent.
I'm using a coach gun 20in barrels. E.R. Amantino they're imported by stoeger. Screw in Winchester chokes full/mod. Works great for trap/skeet/ruffed grouse. I still hit 23-24 on a trap range good enough to hunt with. 1300fps win AA's 7.5, and win 1300fps super pheasant #4
Mate if mine had a Churchill diamond 25. That thing pointed like an angry Karens index finger.
I had a bunch of skeet shooters who don't use anything under probably 28in in O/U say a bunch of bad things about my 20in coach gun but they aren't even shooting far, the pattern is larger, it swings faster and hits all day.
I've taken game and done skeet with my 18.5" Beretta 1301. It's a challenge but doable. As long as you know your effective distances the rest is completely on you.
So interesting as usual ! I own 2 Browning Citori Uplander from 1990, 20 ga & 16 ga, 24 inches barrels interchangeable chokes. As they are named After for Upland games pointed or flushed, but have a Great Time training for the Season on Skeet and Sporting Clays ! Good in the Woods and the Marshlands ! Happy Hollydays Season to all and thanks for sharing Monsieur Johnny !
Having tried to shoot clay targets with a Remington 870 with a 21" barrel, I can verify that too short sucks. The difference between it and a 28" barrel was very noticeable even for a noob.
Trap craz was 26-28 inch 20 years ago. We're up to 34 inch today with the majority 30 inch. Its just really swing and weight at this point. Most 12 gauge factory loads burn 100% at 25 inches and choke patterns from 24-34 inch barrels make not enough difference at 40 yards to make a difference. Get what works for you. Me personally, I wouldn't go out on a public trap or clay course with any thing under 30.
The answer to this question as with everything is it depends on use case, if you are shooting trap a long gun is what you want to reach out for longer shots, if you are shooting skeet you need a short gun to move fast enough, and sporting you need something in between. Just like rifles, the gun I am shooting USPSA with is not the same gun I am doing a 1000 yard match with.
loved the vid mt, i love shorter barrel guns much easer to handle, and not as heavy, loved the vid m.
thanks.
Definitely interesting to consider. Thanks for sharing
That increased length increases the gun's polar moment of inertia, which helps plaster over some shooter mistakes.
On the other hand, if you're trying to minimize barrel awareness, you're likely undermining that by putting the end of your barrel closer to the same focal distance as the target..
I think the inevitable switch to steel and the research in to getting the best performance from it will determine future lengths, it may turn out that 26" is the perfect length once again, although I'm fairly convinced most of the long barrel guys are just compensating 😂
There is absolutely no difference on shooting clays, with lead or steel.
I have a Webley & Scott 700 with 26 inch barrels and even using light clay cartridges such as 21g CompX it shoots effectively at long range, for example I am generally a mediocre shot at clays but when I was visiting WKSS regularly I used it to hit 9 clays in a row off the top of the high tower, at a distance of about 50yds. I have not beaten that record with any of my longer barrel shotguns. But the caveat is that if I am out of practice then I struggle to get hits on long range targets so I guess the correct answer is that shooter technique has a way bigger impact on clay pigeon scores than barrel length, so we need to spend more on training than on buying shotguns.
Love your channel! I bought a Beretta 1301 comp w/ 21 inch barrel; put on a beautiful A400 walnut sporting stock, and won a doubles Skeet event. IC choke was smoking birds.
Just ordered a 1301 Comp with 24" barrel as a hunting/clays counterpart to my 1301 Tactical. Going to experiment with the included spacers and thicker recoil pads to get the LOP to where it needs to be.
@@wda-59-14 you'll love it!
Barrel length is quite subjective. Some will prefer the feel of a shorter gun, and some will get on better with a longer barrel. My SxS is 28" and doesn't seem ridiculously short. In contrast I had a 28" O/U which I felt like I was picking my nose with, even with extended chokes. Have since changed to a 30" and it feels the perfect length.
Here in America, the 28” barrel shotguns are King. It’s very hard to find a 30, 32 and extremely difficult to find a 34.
Had a Churchill clone: AYA Sherwood, Churchill rib, 25 inch barrels. Worked a treat...
@danhubert-hx4ss thank you for telling me about this. This is absolutely fascinating. I didn't know there were any clones.
I remember reading and enjoying Churchills book over 30 years ago! As you said, context is everything- as others in the chat have said, his focus was game shooting. He preferred the shorter barrels combined with the 12 bore s x s but longer barrels for 20 gauge to compensate for the narrower sighting plane. He also narrated the history and evolution of game shooting and I highly recommend this read. However clay target shooting is still evolving and improving and is the more prominent use of shotgun shooting than it was in the 50’s when his book was published. Great video thanks!
@@matthewdeepblue It seems like until the 1930s, just about every one offered a SxS in 25"
Robert Churchill's Game Shooting book ought to be easy enough to find in a PDF form
I shoot sxs only. The Good Lord put your eyes side by each not one above the other. I have shot barrels up to 32". As I age I do find the shorter barrels can increase my reaction times a bit and regain the older timing. The Churchill rib itself does seem to help. While I have no memory of looking at the rib on the targets I break, I think it helps be more precise. Gough Thomas had some interesting thoughts on the XXV. A 6 1/4 lb properly balanced and stocked XXV is a lovely thing that a 10 lb 34" o/u will never be in my mind or what I shoot. I do shoot targets with 3/4 oz reloads.
The good lord put your eyes on side by side 😂😂
I've never thought about it like that and that makes perfect sense to me 👌
@@stevenlord782I laughed at that as well 😂. Solid statement, but to be fair it’s not really practical nor how most people eyes work. I’m just picturing a fictional world, where we see out of both eyes equally, shooting with the butt of the gun square in the center line of your face 😂. That way you can see down both barrels.
😂😂
All the best Justin 👍
I have shot casual clays with a 22" trench gun just to see if I could. Magazine tube and bayonet mount certainly add swing to it.
I have a rare Spanish copy of Churchill's Imperial 25" with lovely engraving, a Parker Hale import (Ugartchuea- sxs- 28") & a Browning 325 game 28".
But I seem to shoot best with Parker Hale
I've got a Boswell sidelock with 26" barrels from 1908. Super quick. Besides the fact that it doesn't fit me at all, it's just hard for me to shoot. My normal guns are 28-30" game guns, so guns in the 7 pound range are normal. I have a 20 bore gun, that weighs 5 lb-11, which is easier to shoot.
The gun I would give almost anything to use once more was the 25-inch 20-bore double J.C. Higgens from my youth. I was nothing to look at, but I can count on two hands with fingers left over the number of missed game animals over an 8-year period. It pointed like the finger of doom. ah! I do miss it so.
I think it's personal preference when I started shooting in the 80's it was 28" was the normality few people had 30" very rarely saw a 32" . I have shot most sizes over the years from 26 upto 32". My preference is 30" o/u however on a sxs I prefer the 28" barrel
For me sporting is a way to stay sharp for hunting season. I use a 28” semi for waterfowl (called into blinds), and a 25” Churchill side lock or a 26” beretta for other game birds. Occasionally a 22” combination gun if I want a more mixed bag approach. Is a longer barrel better for sporting? Yes, for me it is. But my style of hunting is mostly short instinctive shots since I am without dog. I’m kicking the birds up myself. And sporting, while fun, is mostly to serve my greater purpose so longer barrels are strictly out. Plus hiking up and down mountains carrying a 32” barrel sounds miserable.
I use a 28 for skeet and hunting. And a 32 for sporting clays. Seems to work.good for me. But I haven't tried a 30 yet.
Think it's great idea. Video of you and Simon on a registered shoot. If you get a chance. Would love to see you both discussing that. I often see Simon at the AGL sxs comp. What a gent. Look forward to shaking your hand one day. I shoot sxs on registered. I know the gun can do a great job. I'm the inconsistency. Love shooting my ou. But for some reason drawn to my 50's William Powell. Anyway. Love the work you and the team do. Well done 👍
The fashion for barrel length is dictated by whoever wants to sell you a new gun.
Long barrels are great when you have the space for it. Clays you have all the room in the world. Duck hunting from a blind or goose hunting in a field, tons of room so long barrels are fine. Even pheasant hunting is usually fine with long barrels. Most of the bird hunting i do is in thick woodlands mixed with brush, typically walking for miles with fast birds. In that case, light gun, sub gauge and short barrel, every single time. I'm not going to carry a heavy gun that's slow to swing, if i can even swing it through the brush or trees. Each has it's place.
I've shot plenty of small game with a 16.5" break action myself.
I've always found 28" to be ideal for me, but as a small 5ft 7 man I think that has something to do with it 😆
Short barrels have their place if your woodcock/snipe shooter, quail in tight real-estate but shooting clays no longer, this is born out by the evolution of modern competition guns, and further if you selling short barrelled gun 90% of potential customers immediately walk away once they find out said gun has 26-28” barrels. Only my opinion after 40 years in the trade, 50 years shooting anything that walk crawls or flys, including clay targets of all varieties.
Love Spency, Jag post office comment! You could be from the colonies like me 😎
“Speak the truth always, because few on you tube do!”
Love the idea of shooting 100 sporting and truly finding the strengths and weaknesses of a short barreled gun. Do you think it's barrel length or simply that stock heavy guns are whippy compared to barrel heavy guns, regardless of total weight or length?
1. Which length is best? - Whichever works for you and your style, and your comfortable shooting with.
2. Are barrels going to keep getting longer.
Absolutely. Until we have a 40yd barrel and are shooting clays point blank.
Hello! Could we get a end of 2024 version of The Top 10 Clay Guns vs The Cheaper Alternatives!
My old boss shot a pair of 25" Churchills 28g paper cased 3three crowns 7s for most things and on high birds went for 30g 6s in 3 crowns and kept up with most of them
I know exactly what you mean. A good 50 yard bird with short barrels feels 'disconnected' for lack of a better word.
Jonny, great shooting with the Boswell XXV! There is no best all around gun, and for quick instinctive shots within 25-30 yards, this shotgun is great, particularly on game. I believe that the shooter’s height and build are relevant, though. A Mike Tyson or Arnold Schwarzenegger type would overpower such a light and easily-maneuverable shotgun.
Plus in the u.s most are pheasamts are shot within 30 yards and a 25inch 28 ga does just fine.its like the problem over here with deer hunting guys wanna use a 300 win mag that blows right though the animal. A round is supposed to deposit all it energy inside the animal a 243 has served me just fine for the last 45 years thks for listing 2 my rant
I shoot a 28” gun, I like it…it’s a good do all for my non-competitive clay shooting.
Best thing about short barrels is they are easy and cheap to buy used. I love my 28 and 30 inch guns.
I would say: Less expensive...
As in, a used Atkin Grant & Lang SxS with 25" tubes can be had for 1/2 the cost of a similar gun with 28" tubes... But it will still be more $ than most shotguns sold at Cabelas...
Barrel weight is as relevant as length I like set of barrels to weigh around 1500 grams in a
Over and under but I’ve no idea of my personal preference in a side by side I use to shoot incredibly well with a old AYA No4 with 27 1/2 inch barrels which is pretty much the norm for an old gun I’d love to try a gun with 25 or 26 inch barrels on a side by side for comparison. Shooting a side by side is almost like shooting an extension of your self when your at one with the gun they are the perfect gun for snap shooting.
I’ve always enjoyed my 26” guns
Do you guys get Weatherby Orions in the UK? I’d love to hear your thoughts if you do.
Jonny I have an MK38 that somebody cut the barrels down on to 25 inch-funny story.
I’ve DM’d you-you’re welcome to borrow it for a giggle.
Jonny tackles the big questions. This week: Does size matter? Next weeks video will involve a chicken, and an egg - or maybe a pizza and pineapple... 😁
A pizza and a pineapple…. What on earth could those two things have in common
What length was your DT11L custom from the recent video? I am curious and why.
I pick up a AYA 28” and it’s cracking tool on game days and clays
Great little video guy 👍
Barrel length falls in two discussions fashion (which I don't give a toss about) and handling/usability. Longer barrels swing steadier but are heavy. Short barrels are lighter and whippy to swing. Choose the right barrel length the right day. Sporting clays 30-32....skeet or woodcock's in a wood 25-26. That's my two pence worth
Another Banger……. Literally
Great Episode, but how effective is longer When 80% of what we shoot within 35-40 yards max
Short barrels are very convenient for thick brush
Short barrels do look cool if that matters to you, it does to me!!!
24'' double side by side always worked well in heavy brush on rabbits ..pheasents , or quail ..where fast 1-2 shots is all you get. with undergrowth or trees. longer for open field ..nothing new on that for 100+ years
Like every sport they keep changing what is "best" to get you to buy more equipment.
>Never thought that a gun had a mind of it`s own. Always presumed that the steadiness of what is in your hands was a product of the steadiness of the holder. Longer barrels are a marketing tool. When you see good shots at a clay stand behind the shooter pointing their fingers at the clay, to get the line. Their fingers are not wobbling all over the place, because they are using zero barrel length., learn to control your hands and arms, whatever you are holding will follow. The ballistics of 25 to34 inch barrels are indistinguishable.
I have a buddy who cleans my clock with the 28" barrels on his browning. Hey quick question...3:54 , what's head protection?
A hat to protect you from sharp falling bits of clay
@SpaghettiFox87 that's the only thing I can figure on
I somewhat relunctantly went to a 30” barrel years ago. I refuse to go further. 😅
Easy for you to say. That was funny.
My wife shots 32g 6s out of her Churchill AYA no4, on clays and game
I wonder if fashion is driving length, "mines bigger than yours."
At the end of the day the shooters skills are more important than the gun.
In the US, "Stagecoach shotguns", with 18-20" barrels, hold a movie-lore mystique. Useful? Marginally! Definitely not for field use.
Technology in barrel making has played a large part in dictating barrel length, ie forcing cones coke tubes etc .l shot a Winchester 101 sheet gun in 26 inch for years on everything from quail,ducks rabbits,foxes,feral pigs and clay targets.The only thing that varied was shot size ,the thing is you had to learn to shoot the gun just the same as with any new gun in all the new varied lengths and tech thats available now. Its not the guns fault,its the nut behind the butt.
Looks like a toy in your mitts jc . It looks so short if your not careful on a high overhead driven you could shoot the peek off your cap
Taking in consideration of your hits in the video I vote yes 25 26" is the best barrel length. I own 26" browning 425 game light. No matter distance of game😊
in the US most pheasant hunting is walk up with flushing dogs so most of the shots are going to be going away or crossing.most of the guns used have 26-28 inch barrels also keep in mind that driving Game in most US states will land you in jail
What happened to the gun you had made for you by RFM?? A good video would be for you to look at & test what good quality old school game guns are available & what are the best value in the S/H market. Me & a few of my mates have been talking about having a fun completion by hunting & sporting clays using only pre 1960 old school ,good quality guns.
It might arrive in 2025…
I’m after a SXS with 16”-20”.
Therefore I think 26” is too long.
Also, its because 30 years ago you were shooting lead. Steel shot patterns shit, loses its luster in 15 yards and is terrible all-around. So barrels got longer to compensate patterning.
I have 4 SxS shotguns 3 at 28 and 1 at 26 inch barrel all do the same job no matter what I am shooting at which is mainly game. Also have a redundant over under also 28 inch bought for clays and it breaks them ok. I get for the serious clay shooter weight combined with extra barrel length matters if thats what it takes to keep a steady consistent approach to known target direction, which clays mostly are. You can mostly start with the gun in the shoulder on clays. Try that on a driven game shoot and your arms will wish your mum had never met your father waiting for that bird to come…….. horses for courses.
Perfect for my needs in a 20 or 28 bore. Grouse wouldn't approve
Size matters
I also find that longer barrels make the guns heavy, and you lose the instinctive symbiotic extension of body to gun. The DT 11 is a heavy gun but still lighter than most in same class and still the dominant player at the professional class, and why it has stayed dominant, longer barrels were just a movement. And I see as people have gone to longer barrels its believed that they are extending to the shot, but as we have seen over history longer barrels give distance, when we are in the field or at the range, longer is not always better. I guess like gun-fit, balance and human size all come into play. Perhaps we should be asking how effective great shooters would be with 30' barrels today when we have been there 30 years ago. Do the numbers support it or was it just by chance as we have seen robust physically larger players seek the extension of the body, and thus moved the market place to the longer barrels as it became available and manufactures looked for advantage.
One thing that I’ll disagree with is that the average guy is stronger today than a hundred years ago. Bigger for sure but a hundred years ago a lot of men were still swinging axes and sledgehammers all day. But I understand what you were trying to say 👍🏼
That's what she said.
32” for me. If browning made them longer I would have them
You wonder, you wonder, you wonder. You answered all in my mind really, 26” designed and built for shooting live quarry before clay targets were invented let alone a clay ground. You then wonder about 28” becoming popular, helped with the over and under design for clay shooting and driven game shooting also becoming more prevalent. We now live in the world of 32” with clay targets regularly at 40 yds and the desire of so many game shooters wanting high birds. They are all just tools that have been designed for their day, personally I’ll stick to my 28” Webley & Scott and enjoy consistently hitting 30 yd birds and killing them out right with 28gm loads………as I say it’s my choice and life is all about choices