Tactical shot gun barrel length

[battleship]

Well santa and my wife got together and decided to put a benelli M4 under the tree this year. Comes with the 18 inch barrel that i believe is the only length the m4 barrel comes in.

After researching tactical shotguns i see that the FNH for example makes an 18 inch and 22inch barrel on for there SLP Tactical shotgun.

What is the plus on that extra 4 inches of barrel when your firing shot or slugs. Is its range and accuracy improved over the shorter barrel.

If so, is it improved vastly that might warrant buying a longer barrelled shot vs a shorter one.

Being a tactical shotgun i would think shorter is better CQB is this just marketing options or is there actual benefits in ballistics when firing shot.

[dominic]

Longer barrel equals greater sighting plane for more accurate, easier sighting over long distances. A short barrel shotgun is easier to maneuver around in tight quarters. Generally that means long barrel shotguns are for hunting and short barrel shotguns are for home defense. Theres also considerations to be made with increased muzzle flash and increased noise with shorter barrels over long barrels as well. As for ballistics, that all depends on the choke when using shot, but with slugs, generally a longer barrel means increased accuracy.

[Beelzy]

A 22'bbl Tactical shotgun is an Oxymoron.

If one needs "range" for slugs with a Shotgun......They need a Rifle.

[ander]

The 22" would probably be better if you threw on an extended mag tube.

[robcoe]

Depends on the magazine tube. For example, on my mossberg 590 I would get no advantage from the 18 inch barrel instead of the 20 inch since the 8 round tube is around 20 inches long.

[RTE]

With 9 pellet 00 Buck in an M2 and 18" barrel you can put a basketball size hurt on a target 30 foot away.

[DaveFJ80]

The 22" would probably be better if you threw on an extended mag tube.

And then it'll be pretty heavy to carry around, until you unload the shells by shooting them.

[Bruce]

A shot shell reaches its maximum velocity at 22".