One point I will make on gun handling is that a bird gun is not a pigeon gun, end of story. Light British game guns at 6 1/2 pounds are wonderful for what they were intended. Slightly heavier British pigeon guns are a bit more to handle and weigh about 7 1/4 pounds. American pigeon guns are even more to handle at about 7 3/4 pounds, 8 pounds or less according to turn of the 20th century rules. A man of good physical condition can handle any of them without any problem, again, end of story. I like a good light British or American game gun for general shooting at birds or clays, and do well with them. However, an eight pound 30" 12 gauge also feels like a wand under the same conditions. I have, in my lap, a 7 pound, 15 ounce Parker, that Annie Oakley shot in the 1902, last Grand American at Live Birds, and would choose that gun for any competition at birds or clays that were more than 30 yards from me when released or flushed. I would choose a common game gun of lighter weight if the birds were closer or faster. One point that I am making is that any shooter in good physical condition can handle a 6 1/2 pound or 8 pound gun with equal comfort and skill as long as the stock fit is proper. Annie's Parker pigeon gun, which I don't think is a great fit for me, is factory built at Parker Brothers to her exact dimensions, to the sixteenth of an inch, per Parker factory letter, as fitted by Lancaster. However, it is a hoot to shoot, because of its historical provenance, regardless of poor fit, as mentioned by previous posters when discussing collectors of American guns. Yes, we collectors of American guns are an emotional bunch, even though the guns are junk.
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