24" vs. 26" barrel

[the Ward]

Has anyone tried both lengths in a bps and can say which one patterns best and is there much of a weight difference between the two? I don't think 2" would be a lot of difference in either weight or patterning, but I don't know for sure. Seriously considering getting a barrel and having it cut to 22" and tru-choking it for better maneuverability and some weight savings. Hey, if I'm building a serious 10 gauge I might as well go all out, lol! I think it is very possible to get the weight down to the 9# range without drastic measures. 22" barrel, rib removed, aluminum mag cap, shortened buttstock, ect. just might be a cool summer project. Oh well, I'm daydreaming now lol! I am real happy with the gun with the minor additions I have done, but I do see some room for some improvements after hunting a full season with it. Thanks for any info anyone can pass along....ward

[I hate turkeys]

Here's a thought I have both a 10 and a 3.5" 12 it's had bunch of work done to the 12, 18" barrel, forcing cone and barrel polishing IC choke.
Did some research before I had the cutting done. Modern powder is burned in about 14 to 16 inches so  I'm thinking with modern chokes how much can I lose.
This gun it shoots close to my 10 and my 10 shoots great it has no problems killing bird at 40 yards.
If my 10 didn't shoot so well and I knew I could get my Pure Gold Choke in it I would have it cut to 18".

[WildTigerTrout]

My Browning BPS 10 has the 24" barrel and throws excellent patterns. No way around it though the BPS is HEAVY.

[FLINT]

I would want to retain as much weight as possible in a 10 ga shotgun.  If you think its too heavy to carry, get a sling.  Small changes in weight have more effect on recoil than they do on ease of carry.  just my opinion. 

I'd rather have a gun that i'm not terrified to shoot. 

I just put 1.5 lbs of steel into the stock of my old break action 10

[the Ward]

My Browning BPS 10 has the 24" barrel and throws excellent patterns. No way around it though the BPS is HEAVY.

x2 lol! thanks for the input Guys! Mine has patterned pretty good with everything I've thrown down the tube so far. Just curious as to whether or not a shorter barrel would make a drastic difference in patterns in the 10. I've hunted the bps almost exclusively this season and while it is on the heavy side I've gotten kind of used to it. I have formed a couple of opinions though. One is the gun sometimes feels heavier than it is due to a lot of "sharp" edges that concentrate the weight on pressure points when carrying, and two, the gun is pretty muzzle heavy with the 26" pipe making it feel ungainly at times. So in my mind if I can get it to be better balanced the perceived weight will be less due to the gun being more "lively" feeling. Either way I really enjoyed hunting with it so far and on the other hand it's good exercise!

[the Ward]

I would want to retain as much weight as possible in a 10 ga shotgun.  If you think its too heavy to carry, get a sling.  Small changes in weight have more effect on recoil than they do on ease of carry.  just my opinion. 

I'd rather have a gun that i'm not terrified to shoot. 

I just put 1.5 lbs of steel into the stock of my old break action 10

Yea, I don't think I would want to go below 9.5 #s on a gun like this. I have a Safari Sling I've been using on it and it's been working great. I can either use it conventionally on the shoulder or across the chest carry like a tactical sling. It's nice and wide and really distributed the weight well. I don't have any illusions of being able to lighten the bps substancially without serious money and effort, so I'm shooting for a better balance and shaving a little weight here and there where I can as economically as possible, and making it more maneuverable as well.

[I hate turkeys]

I had a BPS 10 took the stock and cut it down reinstalled the orginial pad then put a Simms slip on over that. It tamed the recoil way down to a good push

[Gobbler2577]

I had a BPS 10 till last year when I finally bought an SP-10.  It came with a 24" barrel and never shot what anyone would consider an awesome pattern.  It was a turkey killer with 2 oz of 4's tho.  I work with a man who had the same gun but with a 30" tube.  His gun would put all of 2 1/4 oz of 4's in a 15" circle at thirty five yards.  I decided the extra barrel length had to be the difference so I began shopping for a 30" barrel.  Finally bought a 28" and was excited at the thought of super tight patterns.  Long story short, it didn't happen.  With every load I could find there was no difference between the two barrels.  When I made the switch to Nitros I thought I might see a difference then, but I didn't.  With that gun, barrel length didn't seem to matter.  I seriously doubt you'll see any difference.  You won't realize much difference in weight either, but you will enjoy more maneuverability with the shorter barrel.


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[the Ward]

Yea I've decided to leave it as is. It's shooting plenty good enough now, and I hate to start over to save a couple inches of length. Thanks Guys for all the great replies!

[decoykrvr]

I would advise keeping a 26" barrel.  I had an Ithaca Mag-10 Roadblocker w/ a 22" vent-rib barrel (made 1984-85) which Jess Briley made tubes for (turkey, full, mod, and IC).  Besides being extremely heavy, the gun produced the worst muzzle blast I've ever encountered in a hunting shotgun.  I'm sure that some of the hearing loss which I have today in my left ear is a result of shooting that Mag-10 in hunting situations.  I hunted geese and ducks w/ the Mag-10 and on several hunts was segregated away from other hunters and once relegated to a pit by myself due to the extreme muzzle blast/db level.  With such a short barrel my Mag-10 didn't swing on flying birds worth a damn, but it was deadly on turkeys.  The Mag-10 and my hearing are both long gone!!!