I am curious who makes the lightest, most finely struck, mono blocked 20 gauge barrel set.

That can shoot CIP loads, and carries the steel ready proof marks.

Anyone know?

Probably the Italians.

Anyone got a figure on this?

My 20 gauge Rizzini BR550 Field Model not the Round Body weighs 6lbs. 5oz. 29" barrels with Teaque choke tubes, CIP/steel proofed, pistol grip, single trigger. This is after shortening LOP and adding a recoil pad. Factory was about 1.5 oz. lighter at 6lbs. 3.5 oz.

My Beretta 687 SP II Sporting, with 30" barrels only weighs 6/4, with the flush mount choke tubes in it. That's pretty light for a 30" barreled 20 ga. I don't know what the barrel set weighs, but could easily find out on my digital scales. Action weight is the other big thing.

FAIR Iside 20 gauge - actual weight just under 6 pounds.
Chopper lump rather than monobloc, but nothing inferior about that.
The base model is rather homely, in my view.
With 3 inch chambers, some will inevitably complain about recoil.
Proofed for steel shot.

The 686 Beretta series has 3" chambers and at 28" weighs just under 6 lbs. depending on wood. I had one that met the above. Gil

My Yildiz 20g SxS weighs in at 5lbs. 8 oz. with 28" barrels.

I’m mostly curious about the barrel sets, sans forend’s.

Weigh them if you have them.

My Verney Carron AZUR sxs 20 weighs 5 lb 6 oz with 28” steel shot proof barrels I also have an extra set of 303 British barrels for it.

Wow. 5.35 lbs.

They don't have chopper lump barrels despite what their website states.

If weight is the only criterion, the Baby Bretton's aluminum threaded barrels are probably the lightest. If we are talking steel then a set made of Boehler high strength steel can be made lighter than regular. Effebi offers steel tubes in various steel grades.

Monoblocked barrel sets

Really just focusing on what the realistic mass market barrel sets weigh.

So. Extractor, monoblock, steel ready, with choke tubes.

I would love to see one on Dan Amos’ spinner with the aluminum receiver and apparently Balsawood stock set.

I suppose building with no top or side ribs could get the weight down, but most sets seem to be made via an automated process.

Haven't had a 20 for some time, but my FAIR 16 gauge barrels (30" w/choke tubes) weigh 2 lbs. 12 oz., so the 20 is something under that. Not much help but it's all I got.

I have a 20 ga Beretta 486 with 30" factory choke tube barrels. Technically it's not a monobloc gun, but close (think Beretta calls it tri-block). Straight grip/splinter. Gun weighs 6 lb 6 oz. Barrels weigh 1190 gms (2 lbs 10 oz if I converted correctly).

Ithaca SKB 100 20 Ga. 28" mono-blocked, 2Lb.10.7 Oz. purportedly steel OK, (chrome lined). RBL 16 Ga. 29" table lump 2Lb. 11.1 Oz. advertised as steel compatible.

Clapper

You are on the right track, if you are looking for a light gun you have to start with light barrels.

My Ithaca SKB M-100 20b 25" has the older Roto-Forged mono-bloc barrels, they weigh 2 pounds 5.5 ounces without the forend. They are chrome lined and factory chambered for 3" cartridges.

And my Ithaca SKB M-200 20b 25" barrels weigh 2 pounds 8 ounces without the forend. They are also chrome lined and have 3" chambers.

BTW, the lightest set of 20 bore barrels that I have are on my 1933 Arthur Howell 28" boxlock ejector, they weigh 2 pounds 5 ounces. But these are dovetail lump construction with 2 1/2" chambers. This one weighs 5 pounds 2 ounces all up.

Fanzoj's Round Action weights in @ 2,7kg.

Serbus,

Raimey
rse

Guys, I’m just trying to aggregate information based in this century.

A set of 28” screw choked monoblocked extractor 20 ga barrels are varying little between manufacturers.
I wish Miller was here to elaborate on the next part. He had a great grasp on what was happening with barrel construction.

Essentially, they can only be so light. (Under current market constraints, ammo etc)

If a manufacturer is going to make an ultralight anything, they either have to abandon screw chokes, and the ribs, or make the receiver out of some kind of alloy with a hard steel breach face. And people don’t seem to like that.

As I continue to poke around, I’m just not seeing any manufacturers taking the mass out of the tubes.

The Beretta/Rizzini style bolting allows for some mass to be removed from the monoblock vs the Browning style.

A friend with a 20 gauge FAIR-Rizzini Iside EM (ejectors, 30" barrels, steel-ready choke tubes) told me this morning his barrels set is 2 lbs. 8 oz. and the gun is well under 6 lbs.

The Rizzini br550 mentioned earlier; the barrels are 2 lb. 11.6 oz., 29" barrels with with the cylinder and imp. cylinder tubes in place.

I think you guys can see where my curiosity comes from.
20 gauge mono block barrel sets are almost identical from the manufacturers

I think some scales are ambitious.

Having pulled the barrels to weigh them I got curious. Removing the choke tubes and ejectors, the barrels ring like chimes.

My 28” verney Carron barrels are monoblocked because that is the strongest way to build them. I could have had them shoe lumped or chopper lumped. Mine have 3” chambers, choke tubes and are steel shot proofed. They could make them lighter still with fixed chokes and shorter chambers. Check out Kebcollc.com if you want to order.

Out of curiosity, is there a minimum barrel wall thickness that is acceptable?

I have a Parker 20ga on a 28 ga frame, much lighter than a Parker repro 20. But that would not be fair as they are no longer available and I will not open the safe just to weigh part of a Parker..

By the way, why ask such a question? Is there a prize for the lightest or are you writing a book?

I guess you could say it’s a public reality check.

I wanted to know what a “Superlight” 20ga shotgun would actually be now a days.

Since the barrel set has the greatest effect on the shooting dynamics, my question started there.

I’m only interested in modern manufactured shotguns in this query.


I found it odd that the new CSMC offering was being panned before any were ever handled. Before it even showed up on their website for sale.

Maybe within modern manufacturing and ammunition requirements their new offering is a “Superlight”.

Nothing sinister, just curiosity on my part.

I just weigned my 20 gauge 687 SPII on my digital postal scale:

Barrels without forend = 34.6 ounces

Thank you.
I think around 2.25 lbs is where the industry is at for monoblocked 28” 20 sets w/multichokes.

If you break it down further, you can get titanium choke tubes, you could perhaps find a manufacturer that deletes side ribs, or does a special treatment on the top rib. But I think the mono blocks and the tubes have settled into A very narrow range.

If a manufacturer is going to make a super light shotgun, their attention will have to be focused on things other than the tubes.

Extractor, miniature straight grain forend, light profile straight grip straight grain stock, Etc.

It starts to become an ugly, cheap looking gun.

CZ,
Some lightweight guns had "creative" milling done on the receiver actions. The Belgian Superposed guns did.
Karl

Yes, and there are forged alloy receivers with an inlet hard breechface.

And everything rearward can be skeletonized too.

I start to think about Woolner’s ‘59, and wonder why the market didn’t chase it.

I know it’s heresy, but I might enjoy a carbon stock with “extra wood” decals on a shooter 20.

Modern equivalent of Tenite I guess.
Sorbothane pad, balance weights, and aluminum all the way to the breech face.

I’ve shot enough grouse with a 410 off the flush, that I can appreciate the acceleration, but probably need just a little bit more payload, and mass at the end of the barrels.

My VC 20 weighs 2 lb 4 oz with tubes in but no fore end. thanks

In the interest of science, a data point:

Rizzini SxS EL, WLM import, 2008, 29", fixed chokes 15 and 22, 70mm, Italian superior proof, no 'steel' verbiage.

2 pounds 9 ounces. Total gun weight empty, 5 pounds 14 ounces.

They saved the weight in this one in the action. It's 'petite' as the saying goes these days.

Chrome lined, I'd have no qualms using modern 70mm steel were I so inclined, and I'm not.

Do you feel that shotgun as being, “weight forward”?
Multichokes would add to the end of barrel mass.

I feel it has weight in the ends. The pull is 15" and it's stocked high.

The balance is fine, and I shoot it better than any other 20 gauge game I've yet tried.

It handles like it's heavier than it is.

Lucky find for me.