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BigJimP · January 2, 2010, 06:42 PM

I think the BPS is a better gun than the cheaper 870 - and I think its a gun you'll have a lot longer.

In terms of barrel lenth on a pump or semi-auto, I would not go below a 26" or 28" barrel. The longer barrel helps lengthen the sight plane - and it helps on the follow thru. Shorter barrels tend to make the gun too "whippy" and many of us have a tendancy to not follow thru as well on a shorter gun.

A 28" barrel on the pump gun ( because the receiver is longer ) is the same overall length (from butt to muzzle ) as a 30" barreled Over Under. For me, I stay with 28" barrels on my pump guns / and 30" barrels on my O/U's for my general purpose guns ( for Skeet, bird hunting and sporting clays) and a gun that weighs around 8 or 8 1/2 lbs. For Trap - I go to longer barrels and a heavier gun - 32" O/U and a gun that weighs about 10 lbs ( because in Trap there is less left to right barrel movement ) than there is in Skeet, Sporting or hunting.

January 2, 2010, 06:42 PM	#5
BigJimP Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2005 Posts: 13,195	I think the BPS is a better gun than the cheaper 870 - and I think its a gun you'll have a lot longer. In terms of barrel lenth on a pump or semi-auto, I would not go below a 26" or 28" barrel. The longer barrel helps lengthen the sight plane - and it helps on the follow thru. Shorter barrels tend to make the gun too "whippy" and many of us have a tendancy to not follow thru as well on a shorter gun. A 28" barrel on the pump gun ( because the receiver is longer ) is the same overall length (from butt to muzzle ) as a 30" barreled Over Under. For me, I stay with 28" barrels on my pump guns / and 30" barrels on my O/U's for my general purpose guns ( for Skeet, bird hunting and sporting clays) and a gun that weighs around 8 or 8 1/2 lbs. For Trap - I go to longer barrels and a heavier gun - 32" O/U and a gun that weighs about 10 lbs ( because in Trap there is less left to right barrel movement ) than there is in Skeet, Sporting or hunting. Last edited by BigJimP; January 2, 2010 at 06:58 PM.