Will I regret buying a semi-auto shotgun with 24" barrels?

Scrooloose

Well-Known Member
As the title says, thinking about buying one of these for rough and hide shooting. I guess 24" on a semi relates to 26" on a O/U...

Is this going to be a bit too whippy (for want of a better word)? Anyone else using a shotgun that short?


edit - title should read 'barrel'
 
Personally I would tend to go with a 26 inch barrel. I feel it is a good compromise, being easily short enough for use in a hide and still fine for other types of shooting. I have a Benelli m2 with a 26 inch barrel and I could certainly recommend this shotgun.

I wouldn't go too short with the Barrels as this may make the gun less flexible for other forms of shooting, it might also make it more difficult to sell should you ever decide to part with it.

Personally I find a semi auto is a lot easier to reload in a hide, as you don't have to break the barrels to add more shells. For me this factor alone makes a semiauto much easier to handle than an over and under with the same barrel length in the confines of a hide.
 
Last edited:
I had a 5 shot Auto for a few years when I first started shooting duck. That was when I was in my "killing" phase and the more shots I had stuffed up the chamber the better my odds.

After a few years I stopped using it and eventually sold it. I had come out of the "killing: phase and entered into the "respect for the quarry" stage and figured that if I couldn't hit it with 2 shots I didn't deserve a third, fourth or fifth.

Semi Auto's are tools. If you have a job to do they can be highly effective, although they are slow on the reload. If you are shooting for sport though I think you might just be reconsidering it after a few years.
 
I have a 24" barrel Mossberg pump which as you say equates to a bit longer as it's a pump same as semi.
It was a 28" c-lect choke but I felt that was too long so I got a 24" ported multi choke barrel and it's a great combo.
I tend to stick to cylinder choke as I'm not much good with a shotgun and this combo works well for me,especially in a pigeon hide. I kept the 28" c-lect barrel in case I go after geese.
Go for a 24" I would say as per the above post it'll equate to a 28" on a break open gun.
I tend to stick to two shots as that's what I've always had in a gun.
One thing about a pump that I've found is that when you fire a shot your gun is then safe until you rack it. On all others you have to take action to make it safe. Just a side issue but an important one. Definitely a pump fan now.

ps.. I wouldn't worry about it being whippy at all. Semi's have the weight and the recoil mechanism to tame most loads. 3" magnums are always a bit punchy but how many of them do most folk fire?.

ps... The Mossy is 43 1/2 " from muzzle to heel of butt.
I shoot better with it than any gun I've had...but am still rubbish :)
 
Last edited:
As noted above, the receiver of most autoloading and pump shotguns is about 5 inches. From the trigger to the muzzle a 24-inch pump is 30 inches. From the trigger to the muzzle, a 28-inch double barrel is 30 inches.

You need to shoot them, and see how they mount and swing for your type of shooting.

I have a Remington 1100 20 gauge with a 21 inch barrel that is really good on quail, grouse, and pheasant, but swings surprisingly well on doves.

A double will have more weight out front, so will swing a bit smoother. I have a Churchill XXV which mounts and swings as well as any 28-inch double I have ever owned.
 
Not sure it's illegal, it was on my FAC, but quite agree it wasn't very sporting!

It would be now, illegal for pheasant too.

I had a short barrelled semi and quite liked it, mine had a choice of 2 'nuts'? that u screwed on to thetop of the mag, 1 was quite a bit heavier which gave u a bit more wieght forward, i thought it was very well balanced
 
Last edited:
Doesn't matter if it is on you FAC it is only legal to use on vermin. Even just loading two doesn't make it legal.

David.
 
Thanks for the responses guys. I'm looking to kill vermin/pests, so the extra shot does come in handy, especially when squirrel shooting with only a couple of you... I'll try and get my hands on a couple and see how they handle.
Teyhan - no thanks, will be going down the AL391 route.
 
AL391.... excellent choice but they are not cheap. I'm selling my black fully synthetic and the roughest one i've seen is what i paid new for mine twelve years ago...
 
It would be now, illegal for pheasant too.

I had a short barrelled semi and quite liked it, mine had a choice of 2 'nuts'? that u screwed on to thetop of the mag, 1 was quite a bit heavier which gave u a bit more wieght forward, i thought it was very well balanced

Thanks for putting me straight on that! Good thing it was 10 years ago, possibly a bit more.

Quite right, good rule.
 
28" all black but i will find out this week if it is sold. A mate that is offshore has indicated an interest.
 
AL391 are great. I picked one up on here a year back and have had lots of fun with it. Very well built when compared to cheaper versions. It has never missed a beat or had problems out in the field.

Just to clarify the Section 1 hotties and hunting. You are saying that you can use them on vermin & for target shooting but not for game?
 
Yep, not for game or wildfowl or even that peculiarity of the law woodcock and snipe which legally aren't "game" but no FAC shotgun.

Best wishes,

David.
 
I baught a cheep semi auto to put steel shot through for duck rather than rash up my AYA. I also wanted it for crow so felt three shots would be handy

After shooting it for a while I have decided I was better off with a O/U for the crow as i can reload faster. A semi auto would be great in 5 shot for the vermin but I havent seen the big advantage of the semi auto

Another thing I preferd with O/U is i could run diferent chokes for diferent shots and even have diferent cartridges so top barrell full choke no 5 for long shots and bottom barrel 1/4 choke 7s for closer in shots.

ATB

Chasey
 
Back
Top