Article 9 – 2024 (October)

Australian Shooter Magazine

Question and Answers

Article 9 – 2024 (October)

Question:  I was trying to understand what importance the weight of the barrels has on a shotgun? I want to buy a decent firearm, probably a Beretta or a Perazzi, to shoot mainly the domestic disciplines of Trap, but like everyone I guess, I wouldn’t mind trying the international version with the goal of maybe representing Australia one day. I know I am a long way off that at this stage, but I want some advice about what I should look for in regards to the best barrel weight when purchasing a trap gun that can function competitively in both events. I am getting advice from people that tell me that I may need an extra set of lighter weight barrels to shoot the faster Trap events and maybe even a different length. I hope this isn’t a stupid question and any advice would be appreciated.

Gregory Newton, Ascot, QLD

Answer:  It is certainly not a stupid question as the weight of your barrels are a critical factor in being successful at the elite level in either of the domestic or international versions of Trap.

In Australia the domestic discipline of Trap, or “Down The Line”  (DTL) as it is commonly called, has targets thrown through the air for forty-eight metres measured from the front of the trap house. The international version, or Olympic Trap as it is known, propel its targets much faster. They land seventy-six metres from the lip of the underground trap bunker. Olympic Trap targets are thrown at wider angles and have a huge variance in height also. Both disciplines release their targets fifteen metres from where the competitor is standing, although DTL has a “handicap by distance” event where the best shooters fire away from up to twenty-five metres behind the trap house.

Now you know the degree of difficulty and speed that both events present themselves, you may understand why some people are suggesting that in an ideal world, different weight barrels may be needed to shoot both disciplines successfully.

As a general rule, competitors that specialize in the slower trap disciplines prefer heavier barrels than those of their international counterparts. By heavy, I am suggesting barrels that weigh anywhere from 1.6kg all the way up to 1.75kg. Heavy barrels offer more stability and also allow the competitor to have a weightier stock which in turn has the advantage of soaking up more recoil. International competitors for their faster and more angled shots, once again as a general guideline only, prefer lighter “livelier” barrels anywhere from 1.5kg to 1.6kg. I stress this is just a guide and there will always be exceptions. Your body’s physical shape, strength and height are all variables in regards to what weight barrels that you can handle competently.

The length of a barrel is a whole new topic, but have much the same personal physical constraints attached to them. This is a subject that I have covered many times over the past twenty years, but for the international events the seventy-five centimetre barrel has been the most successful worldwide over the past fifty years. For the domestic competitions many competitors have achieved great success in Australia with the same length barrel, but also with eighty-one centimetre tubes and in the United States, eighty-six centimetre barrels are not uncommon for their slightly easier version of the domestic Trap discipline. The advancement of steel quality has meant that many companies can now make longer barrels with reduced weight and that has become a major marketing tool for some manufacturers.

You mention that you are looking at purchasing a reputable Italian shotgun, if that is the case  then you may be able to find the weight of your barrels stamped on the bottom of the shot shell chamber near where the proof marking and bore sizing measurements should be. The bore size will have a number that may read “18.4” and near it you will see some numerals possibly reading “1.56” for example. This means you have an 18.4 millimetre barrel bore size and a gross barrel weight, usually not including the attached ejector assembly, of 1.56 kilograms.

I am not for one second suggesting that you cannot shoot both Trap disciplines with the same barrel. There is a huge list of Australian champions that have won major tournaments in either of the Trap events with the exact same shotgun, but if they had the luxury of shooting different barrel weights in each event, would they? Here is the problem; different barrel weights used with the same stock will mean that the shotgun becomes unbalanced and that is never a good thing. To perfectly balance the firearm, you may need to add weight to your stock to cater for the heavier barrels or remove it for the lighter ones. This task is not too difficult and if you do go down the path of buying two barrels then I suggest you should make the effort to do it. Heavy barrels may be steadier to use, but more weight means more fatigue. The light ones can be hard to control, especially under pressure. It therefore becomes a trade-off between accuracy and endurance.

Good luck with your quest.