doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com 26" barrels revisited

Is it safe to go back in the water?

I find myself attracted to and even buying some sixteens and twentys and 28s with 26" barrels.

The thread on the twelves current desirability got me to thinking about my short barreled guns. One of my favorite twelves is an FN from the 1920s with 26" barrels that weighs 6-3.

So are short barreled guns losing their stigma or is this just a phenemenon peculiar to me?

Best,

Mike

26" barrels are great I have used them for shooting all my driven game for the last 40 years. J. Purdey gun and Winchester cartridges 1 1/16oz. # 6 shot. I know the gun and the cartridge like my right arm. When I miss it is down to me not the gun or cartridge.

Mike, not too long ago [a few decades] 26" barrels were sought after and 30" and longer were ignored for the most part. Times and fashions change. I have shot more game with my 26" 20 gauge than all my other guns put together. This gun also has 28" barrels which I never use.

Spoken like a quail hunter.

Mike, my favorite quail gun is a 26" .410. When I go up to a big gun like a 20g, I prefer it to be a 26" in the guns I have. For me, I think it's more about the "Rocketman effect" (moment of inertia) than barrel length when chosing a quail gun. Too much 'swing weight' and I don't like them for quail over my lab. If I could afford a proper dog, I could probably use 32" 12g #3 frame Paaaakas or a Supercalafragalistic Fox.

Amarillo:
At the risk of propagating another endless thread, I must say that Daryl has it pegged. It's all fashion and propaganda. Shoot what you like and what works. Short or long. And bugger the rest.

Best, Kensal

Mike,
I wish you'd remove this post as I've already seen a small spike in short barreled guns.

Hell I didn't even know I couldn't hit anything with my short barreled guns until I got a computer and an Internet connection.

My only grouse gun for a couple of decades has been the same 26" 20ga. If I could wave a magic wand (anybody have a 28ga I can borrow?) and make them 28", I would. All the SxS's I've added since have the 30-32" barrels I prefer, but I have no intentions of changing out the little 20.

I'm not so sure the preference for longer barrels is a fashion trend. Except for the early game of skeet and .410 guns, hasn't the 26" length always been the scarcest ~ least popular in doubleguns? Maybe the move to 26" was the fad and the current love affair with longer barrels more a return to normalcy.

Dig or one of our other UK friends can probably provide better detail on this, but I think Churchill managed to sell a few XXV" back in the day.

Because I (attempt to) use the instinctive shooting style, I have always wanted to try a Churchill XXV with the special rib in the field, like Churchill advocated. Unfortunately, I have not met anyone yet who owns one - proving your point, perhaps. I think AyA still offers a "XXV" model - I wonder how many they make every year?

Campbell hit the nail on the head. Diggory will confirm Campbell's statement. In the early days, the 26" gun was a rare journey into the unknown for people who already owned longer barrelled guns. Then NSSA skeet made 26" guns more the norm for skeet and bird hunting, maybe from 1935 to 1975, a relatively short period in shotgun history. The recent popularity of longer barrels is a return to normal. However, just to be safe, I bought a great 26" gun this weekend.

Hi, I aso agree with most of the above statements. At one time, 26" was "the" length for upland game. The choke combos with this bbl length were almost always IC/Mod, the perfect combo. Personally, which ever bbl length you feel is the best or have the most confidence in, is the one to go for. I remember the old days when repeaters had lengths/chokes of of 26", IC, 28", Mod or sometimes Full and 30" had Full chokes. And of course as you all know 30" Full was "the" duck gun.

Times may have changed, but who says that one "has" to use a 29" or 30" bbl? I know I've posted about guns with 26" bbls and the cry went out "You can't shoot those short bbls" Why? I'm not tall and I never could shoot 29" or 30" bbls worth crap, still can't. I like my bbls 26" to 28" But yet, I'm "told" I must shoot longer bbls even if I can't shoot them well. I guess I missed the bus or something.

The good side to all this, is guns with short bbls not longer in vouge are cheaper, no one wants to buy them. Some folks are missing out on some nice guns at good prices.

Bottom line for me is, if you can shoot them, why not and to heck with all the experts. Just like going to the gun club, your shooting rounds of 23 or 24, maybe even 25. Yet the club experts are there telling you your not standing right etc and offering free "advise".

Will short bbls make a come back? I doubt it, but hey that's good for us who do like them.

All the best!

Greg

Yeah, when I was buying 12g guns, I always looked for 26" guns. Hard to find vintage American doubles in light configurations with short barrels.

26 inch barrels on side by sides are my favorite for quail and woodcock.longer for dove and pass shooting. Bobby

In late 1968 I bought my first Lefever, an FE 12ga with 30" Damascus bbls. Even though deep in my heart I was already aware of it, there was so much "Expert Advise" against there use I was not yet fully comfortable with shooting Damascus. A firm in Florida at the time was offering a service of having bbls built in Italy so after thinking it over a while I shipped them mine with instructions for a 26" I/C-Mod combo. I had hoped this would also lighten it a bit. In due time it returned, but they had actually matched the wt of the 26" bbls to that of the 30" set so it still weighs 7�lbs with either set installed. It thus has a set of thick walled 26" Boehler Steel bbls on it virtually all the time. Chokes came in a little tight @ .012"/.024" R/L respectfully.

From 1970 until the present it has been my main go-to gun with the exception of times I carried a 12ga J P Clabrough 28" Damascus mentioned on another thread. During these past 40yrs it has accounted for a good number of quail, some woodcock, doves, ducks & a couple of turkeys. It has also bagged a pile of cottontail rabbits & a few squirrells, though I mostly hunted them with a .22RF.
Now in my not so humble opinion I really don't think adding to its bbl length would have added a thing to its effectiveness. But what do I know, I just shoot the old thing. If I could do it over though I would have them made 28" instead of the 26". At 5' 8�" I am not very tall & quite well fitted with a 14" length of pull. Personally I just feel a gun having bbls about equal to twice its LOP is aesthtically pleasing. As is, it looks just a little stubby, but shoots like a House Afire.

I'm no expert, but wouldn't the purpose of a shorter barreled double be for hunting in the bush? My 16 GA Fox has 26" barrels and its lovely to bring up on a flushing grouse and handles the tight quarters quite nicely. I thought that a longer barrel helps more tracking a target such as a pheasant crossing a field, so if you're hunting in an open area, a longer barrel would be more appropriate. Are there other reasons for barrel configuration?

The best crossing shot I ever made was on a pheasant 35-40 yds out with the afterburner kicked in; 26" barrels 12 ga..
I shoot them just as well as 28 or 30. The only 30" I hunt with is my 1902 Elsie. Back then it was "Why son, you gotta have them 30"ers to hit hard."
I just make sure the balance is on the pin or a little in front, no matter the length.

I shoot a 1915 L.C. Smith 20ga. with 26" barrels my grandfather bought new in 1915. I inherited it in the sixties and have been shooting it ever since. I bought a few others all 26'' but always shoot the LC. I love the short barrels. It is what i am use to. As long as it patterns the way i need at about 40 yrds. then barrel and chokes don't matter to me.
Thanks

Toss in my vote for 26" barrels. No other reasons than by choice, feel and personal results. Randy

Hell, I hunted with 16" barrrels until they threw me in prison.

Amarillo Mike. I agree totally with your post. Shoot what you like and shoot well with. A lot is just fashion, which is cyclical. Long barrels are better for consistent shooting at driven or distant birds regularly but short guns are quicker in cover and have their advantages too. Practice with either will bring familiarity and competence. And you will definitely find some bargains!

My Hussey is 26 inch barrels and I love it and shoot well with it.

Another vote for the 25 1/2"-26"-26 1/2" barrel/barrels.
They are not be appropriate for all applications, but they are for most, and IMO handle better and look better on the gun. I use other barrel lengths, but the 26" is my favorite.

There must be something to the long barrels, but I am confident most of it is between the ears. I shot pickup truck loads of phez with my 26" 21s before I learned from the internet that this was patently impossible.......yup, even some long 40+ yd pokes. If I'd known you can't hit things past 40 with 26"ers I'd have held up..........

I sold my 26" 12 ga M-21, but will keep my 20s as long as I am able. Target guns? My 12 ga ASE90 and SCIT have 29"+ bbls, so I am derided by the 32" bbl-wielding hordes. And the guys with 34"ers are king of the hill. Funny, but I shoot as well as most of them. Sometimes I even beat the kid and his 30" 391.

What makes for collectible is another matter; a fool argues with the market.

Sam

Back in the day, when I didnt know that they didnt work, I bought 2 SKB 20's with 25 inch bbls. I kept one and gave one to my Dad for his birthday. I imagine I killed way more upland birds with that gun than anything else I have ever owned. And lots of waterfowl. I foolishly sold that gun, and every bird season, I wish I had it back. I guess I dont pay much attention anyhow, I tend to switch guns almost daily, these days all Lefevers. I go from a light 16 to a big 10 back to various 12's and dont notice much difference in kill ratio.

geesh i guess i better sell my win 101 skeet gun with 26"barrels!i `ve only had for 30 yrs or so and have shot thousands of skeet targets with it !

For many years my 12 ga XXV was my favorite gun (only recently supplanted by a 1620) and I do pretty well with clays as well as pheasant and grouse with it. It's really fast and not hard to get used to.

Probably not much difference in a 26-incher.

Orvis sold some 25" guns over the years and in actuality, they are probably the ideal for a roughed grouse hunter that is a danger to himself with a long barreled gun, tripping all over the woods.

I *Think* the stigma over 26" barrels in part comes from negative experiences being relayed. Many 28-29" guns have had dents at the muzzle resolved by cutting 'em down in length. Then you're left with a 26" with very little, very short chokes or no choke at all. Then they get backbored for a dubious attempt at choking the gun a bit. Some unlucky fellow gets one of these and curses short barreled guns the rest of his days.

Consider that the majority of drillings have 24" barrels and we realize that barrel length does not have a negative effect on hunting...only on perceptions in the mind. It is a preference and an aesthetic look more than anything.

I have 26" and 28" guns and only one 30". I can't imagine going any longer than 30" nor can I imagine less than 25". I hope to try the Churchill method with a XXV gun someday and see if I like it better.

Rook, I got back to shooting after an absence of many decades and decided to "do it right" and took lots of lessons. Orvis at Sandanona and H&H in London and learned the "Churchill" (really a modified Churchill) techniques and have never been sorry.

It looks good! And it works.

If you get a chance take a look at Ken Davies' The Better Shot which is a superb shooting book - very well illustrated and is the modified Churchill method. Orvis' wingshooting book is very good also but has drawings instead of photos. Either will introduce you to the Churchill form and you may just get hooked on short barrels!