Shotgun barrel length….

[Bulls Head Bill SASS#33692]

If you’re cutting down a SxS shotgun barrel what is the most effective length?

22”?

20”?

18”?

[Capt Stephen D Hill, SASS #56151]

20

[El Sobrante Kid]

IMO, unless you are really, really, really worried about catching the barrels on props, 22'-24" is the sweet spot.

[Frontier Lone Rider]

My 1st Stoeger 12ga Supreme came with nice wood and 26-inch barrels and I had no issues with the length.  Today's Stoeger Supremes come with 20-inch barrels.  They have the same name, but the shotguns are not as the older ones were.  So, my shotguns now sport the 20-inch barrels, but anything between 26 and 20 would work well for me.  Of course, I am not a fast shooter.  I shoot for the fun and to play with my friends.

[Boggus Deal #64218]

22” for me.

[Colorado Coffinmaker]

 

Nah.  NONE of The Above.  Eighteen-n-Half inches is just right.  Extra half inch for the feds.  Very Handy and quick between targets.  Not only that, but just plain looks really COOL!!  However, since "coach" guns are a Figment anyway, play with what ya like. 

[Doc Moses]

Some people like the longer barrels as they tend to point quicker...plus 30" barrels practically touch the targets at most ranges! 

Most of us use 20" or a little shorter like Colorado Coffinmaker said.

[Larsen E. Pettifogger, SASS #32933]

18.6834"

 

Effective?  Any shotgun at SASS ranges will be "effective."  What is comfortable is personal preference.

[Old Man Graybeard]

I have a 97 winchester that is 18 1/4...a double with 20 inch...and a double with 23. Doesn't make much difference unless there are some ariel targets...then I prefer the 23 inch

[Longfoot]

When my partner and I started, I cut our first shotguns at 20" and had no complaints.  Out of curiosity I cut a later gun at 22" and prefer that.  It has ever so slightly greater propensity to hang fully open and points/swings just a little more naturally for me.

 

You can start long and always shorten. But, you'll never know what your ideal is, until you've shortened too far.  So, your first gun may be an experiment.

 

Or, ask folks with guns of similiar design but different barrel lengths if you can give theirs a go and that may answer your question, in regards to what might work best for you initially. 

 

As you develop your preferences may change.

[SouthwestShooter]

22 opens a tad bit faster/easier than shorter lengths it seems. 

[H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619]

The best barrel length is 30" with a full choke.  I never miss when using such a gun. 

My favorite shotguns, in order are as follows.   All are 12 Gauge unless otherwise noted...

Winchester Diamond Trap 97 30" Full
Parker Trojan 30" F/F

Winchester 97 30" Full

Parker Trojan  20 Gauge, 28" F/M

Hopkins and Allen sIngle shot, 30"  Full

Winchester 87.  30"  Unsure of Choke, I think it's Full.
Webley Model 100 single shot.  32"  Full

Darne 16 Gauge  26-3/4"  M/IC
Ithaca Flues 16 Gauge 28" M/F  (This would be higher, if it didn't have ejectors.)

I do have an 19" Parker, with no chokes, a 20" 97 with no Choke, and a Chiappa 87 with an 18.5" barrel, no choke.   These are fun to shoot from time to time as a novelty, but they are not my go to guns.

Yes, I am very much in minority, but I firmly believe that longer barrels are better.

[Oklahoma Dee]

19"

[Buckeye Pete, SASS # 29941]

I have two Stoegers that I currently use for SASS.  One is a Stoeger Supreme with 24" barrels, double triggers and removable chokes.  The newer one in the safe is a Stoeger Coach Gun with a single trigger, 20" barrels originally choked IC and Modified.  I sent out the barrels and had the Mod choke opened up to IC and the forcing cones lengthened.  I tend to like the shorter barrels when moving around props up and down the firing line.

[I. M. Crossdraw, SASS# 8321]

Personal preference, try out what's comfortable for you.  Other folks maybe comfortable with certain length but will not be necessarily comfortable for you and vice versa.

Personally, 20 inches is fine by me.

[Tarheel Doc]

18.5 inches

[Creeker, SASS #43022]

I have run 97's at 18 plus a bit out to 24 inches.

With the 97; I don't have to consider the component of barrel weight and speed of opening - it is solely about the speed of the barrel swing and facade clearance.

 

Most of mine are cut at 20 inches - "If" I had it to do over - I would probably run at 18.5"; but it's not worth recutting and replacing beads to worry about it.

 

I just stand a couple inches further back from the windows to make sure I clear.

 

 

[watab kid]

i tend to 22" myself - nothing to be gained in less thsan that , 

[Chickamauga Charlie, SASS #47963]

I would say balance is more important than exact length. If you have a long or short LOP take that into consideration.

[WymoreWrangler SASS 46187L]

22 inches is what I like, and it's sure great to see you back on the wire pardner!!!!!!

[buffalo chip jed]

I have both a 19 and a 22 both work but the 19 requires me to hold my hand on the fore end a half second longer because the barrels aren't heavy enough to pop the action open. My 22 runs great if I ever get another I'll have it cut to 22 but that's my opinion. Hope this helps.

 

 

Buffalo chip jed

[Badlands Bob #61228]

It's not necessarily the barrel length but the weight distribution.  My SKB's are 22" because that gives the barrels the proper weight to open easily.  It's a ballance thing.

["Big Boston"]

I played with this before I was a cowboy. I went by pattern, with a target load. once the choke is off, the pattern is about the same until app 24", at 22" it's still nice. as you shorten some more 21" seems to be the point at which pattern open up and go blotchy. At 18" it's well into scattergun. But, with an 18" if you take a few 0.001s out of the barrel starting at about 1" back from the muzzle, you can gain some of that back. I just use a brake hone, takes a bit of time to take out 0.002", you need to be patient. Then I polish it. I read an old book on shotguns, and that what they did way back in time, before they perfected building a choke into the barrel. I like the Stoeger with 20" and screw in chokes, a pair of "Skeet" are usually what I use. 

 

BB 

[T.K.]

Just remember especially when cutting the 18" (I always cut to 18.25") the Barrel length is measured from the breech face.

[watab kid]

12 hours ago, T.K. said:

Just remember especially when cutting the 18" (I always cut to 18.25") the Barrel length is measured from the breech face.

i generally have mine cut longer - 20 to 22 seems to work well , no need to go shorter than what works well - its sometimes about balance and what handles well when reloading , dont cripple yourself by cutting off more than you need to , 

[SouthwestShooter]

On 12/25/2025 at 10:27 AM, Bulls Head Bill SASS#33692 said:

If you’re cutting down a SxS shotgun barrel what is the most effective length?

22”?

20”?

18”?

22

[Vail Vigilante]

On 12/30/2025 at 10:47 AM, T.K. said:

Just remember especially when cutting the 18" (I always cut to 18.25") the Barrel length is measured from the breech face.

Drop a dowel into the barrel and mark the end of it at the muzzle....use this for your cutting guide and leave some excess.....

.....but.....as of this year you can get a 0$ NFA stamp for a shorty on Form 1.

[Griff]

The only shotgun barrels I've ever cut off were done to 19-¾"  So that must be the perfect length... Right?  

[H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619]

5 hours ago, Vail Vigilante said:

Drop a dowel into the barrel and mark the end of it at the muzzle....use this for your cutting guide and leave some excess.....

.....but.....as of this year you can get a 0$ NFA stamp for a shorty on Form 1.

 

True...

But, I looked into it.   Even though it doesn't cost anything, it's still a very convoluted process.  I will wait for the One Big Beautiful Lawsuit to get the barrel length restrictions thrown out.