I have spent much time considering this, and trying to be honest with myself about why I prefer longer barrels. I have come to these conclusions. Long barrels are aesthetically more pieasing to my eyes. The shortest barreled double I own is 28", and it is a .410. It looks longer and much more elegant than a 28" 12 ga., the slenderness of the tubes adding a subtle "gracefulness" to it's lines, as opposed to the fat tubes on a 12.
Aesthetics aside, I have believed for most of my life that I shoot a longer barreled gun better than a short one. I have long arms so naturally grip the gun farther out the barrels than most men. This gives me added leverage in swinging. I believe this factor is not considered in most discussions of barrel length preferences, but is crucial to handling qualities in a particular gun. So, I tend to move a shorter barreled gun too quick, and stop it too quick.
SRH
Well said, Stan. Your thoughts on this pretty much mirror my own.
One thing worth mentioning here: long barrels do not mean heavier barrels. Today's gunmakers have new, lightweight steels and technology to produce high-strength, lightweight barrels. You can have a 32" barreled gun that has the dynamics of a 28" heavier-barreled gun.
Also, for me, you cannot over-emphasize the aesthetics of longer barrels, especially in 12 ga. guns.
JR
