3-gun barrel length

[FluorideInMyWater]

done a lot of reading but nothing definitive. heard of people shooting 18" - 30" barrels. i thought i had settled on a 24" for my benelli m2. currently it has a 28".

then i start reading about shorter barrels not having the velocity to knock down targets farther out so a longer barrel is better because it has highter velocity and punch. (magazine size comes into question later w/ regards for regulations for certain classes?)

I don't want to go to short but not keep it too long, so i guess i guess if i average out the responses i've heard 24" and 26" are the most popular (at the moment).

this is my first shotgun so i'm not really sure what to expect. i want manuverabilty but also the force to reach out and know down metal targets w/ birdshot. wondering if i should just enter a few competitions first and see how it feels(?)

i read that Taran Butler was moved into "open" clas b/c his magazine tube was too long.....but i don't know what his barrel length., more intersted in his barrel than his tube (if anyone knows?) something about how many rounds you can have loaded b4 the buzzer (8+1 or 9+1, but not the over all capacity)...

anyhow, if you have any experiece and advice i'd like to hear it. don't want to throw away $500 for each new barrel just to get it right. that gets expensive and takes $$ away from customizing it.

thanks!
john

[sigstroker]

Read the rulebooks for the kind of matches you plan to enter and decide what class or division you'll be in. I wouldn't worry about it at first. Just use what came on the gun. Your experience will tell you what you need after you shoot a dozen matches or so. If you get a bird gun to start it will probably come with a fairly long barrel. My 930 came with a ported 28" barrel. My original 3 gun plan was to use the barrel as is.

[HKAllTheThings]

24 inches is what you're looking for

[electric7]

So, yes the longer barrel may give you a little more fps, but I am thinking that you could make that up by shooting a hotter load in a shorter barrel. There was this rotating gong at my last match and my group was having a heck of time getting it to flip around, lol. I got it around in 2 shots and they were asking what ammo I was shooting not what my barrel length was. Also, I ran a full choke, so that helped get the beads on the steel better. Btw, I am selling a 18.5 tactical barrel for your M2 if you want to convert it into a home defense gun. I am going to try the a shorter barrel on my next match with a full choke.

[nothingextra]

Does class matter at this point?
Why not just add a Nordic +9 to your existing Field gun and have at it?
Unless you found a screaming deal on a 24" how do you know you'll like action shotgun?

My M1 build is older, back when 21" with a 10shot flush Nordic tube kept you in Limited.
Choke down if you need to hit steel or Clay's, I never felt the need.
I could always load #6 on something specific, or prairie storm.
No one says you have to run no dram #8 all the time for bird.

I wouldn't be cutting into your feed tube, bolt, buying a ton of gamer parts until you know this is your thing.

Figuring out recoil spring for your preferred loads, tube spring life, lubrication, and shell cycle with respects to when fouling affects reliability is better to know.

I can certainly clear a Polish plate rack clean with my non competitive not currently cool config. Couple quad loads before and after are meaningless bc I don't care about prizes or chasing standings.

I have shot 26 and 28 +9 or more setups and they are not like swinging a Benelli setup for trap. Might wanna get yourself some days in just an M2 with a big tube and decide how much weight you want to be swinging around.

[HKAllTheThings]

I've only shot in less than 10 matches and a few national matches and do not remember a barrel length limitation under 3 gun nation or uml rules.

[k1dude]

22" or 24" is fine.

[FluorideInMyWater]

Read the rulebooks for the kind of matches you plan to enter and decide what class or division you'll be in. I wouldn't worry about it at first. Just use what came on the gun. Your experience will tell you what you need after you shoot a dozen matches or so. If you get a bird gun to start it will probably come with a fairly long barrel. My 930 came with a ported 28" barrel. My original 3 gun plan was to use the barrel as is.

i have a lefty-benelli-m2 w/ 28". i guess i could just get an longer mag tube and go from there. i had the idea to send it out to Taran...but that still leaves guessing the barrel length, so maybe i'll just play w/ the current length.

[FluorideInMyWater]

So, yes the longer barrel may give you a little more fps, but I am thinking that you could make that up by shooting a hotter load in a shorter barrel. There was this rotating gong at my last match and my group was having a heck of time getting it to flip around, lol. I got it around in 2 shots and they were asking what ammo I was shooting not what my barrel length was. Also, I ran a full choke, so that helped get the beads on the steel better. Btw, I am selling a 18.5 tactical barrel for your M2 if you want to convert it into a home defense gun. I am going to try the a shorter barrel on my next match with a full choke.

i would buy another barrel but i have a lefty

[FluorideInMyWater]

Does class matter at this point?
Why not just add a Nordic +9 to your existing Field gun and have at it?
Unless you found a screaming deal on a 24" how do you know you'll like action shotgun?

My M1 build is older, back when 21" with a 10shot flush Nordic tube kept you in Limited.
Choke down if you need to hit steel or Clay's, I never felt the need.
I could always load #6 on something specific, or prairie storm.
No one says you have to run no dram #8 all the time for bird.

I wouldn't be cutting into your feed tube, bolt, buying a ton of gamer parts until you know this is your thing.

Figuring out recoil spring for your preferred loads, tube spring life, lubrication, and shell cycle with respects to when fouling affects reliability is better to know.

I can certainly clear a Polish plate rack clean with my non competitive not currently cool config. Couple quad loads before and after are meaningless bc I don't care about prizes or chasing standings.

I have shot 26 and 28 +9 or more setups and they are not like swinging a Benelli setup for trap. Might wanna get yourself some days in just an M2 with a big tube and decide how much weight you want to be swinging around.

good advice all through. guess i'll just get a mag tube for now and play with it.
i did get a screaming deal on the m2-field, in lefty for $600...so i'm a little under budget now, but you are right. i might hate it!

[FluorideInMyWater]

I've only shot in less than 10 matches and a few national matches and do not remember a barrel length limitation under 3 gun nation or uml rules.

from my reading multiple multiple multiple posts, nobody has mentioned a limit for barrels, just mag tubes.

[FluorideInMyWater]

22" or 24" is fine.

i was going to pull the trigger on ordering a 24" , but decided to get input first from the collective mother-ship first!

thanks for your vote. i think i'd go 24 over 22. i think the decision is
1 keep existing 28"
2 buy 26"
3 buy 24"

here is a question do people swap out their barrels to do different thinkgs? like 3-gun to skeet. put on the 24", change to 26", change it back........

[ldsnet]

Shoot what ever you have. After a bunch of events you can decide how to best invest your money.

Only been to 2 shoots; it was obvious that if I don't reload, it was cost prohibitive for me. With the 10 round mags and now the ammo purchasing laws (making lead shotgun shot almost impossible to find), just not getting to be competitive.

[naz]

[CamW]

If you're looking for mag extensions and other accessories for your M2 check with Dave's Metal Works

http://davesmetalworks.com/m12.html