Ultra short barrels, do they have a use ?

[Butcherbill]

Agree on all points. It seems to have escaped some people that the question of the thread is whether they have a use. The answer is not much of one and what uses they might be put to can be done better by shotguns with longer barrels. I own a 14" pump gun and the only advantage is offers is storage or transportation when space is at a premium. Hunting with a short hinge gun seems to be a good way to inadvertently blow off your forward hand. One slip in the field on a rainy day and your new nickname will be Stumpy.

Bahaha, if you’re at risk of blowing off your front hand you might want to practice some more so you know what you’re doing. This might be one of the dumbest arguments I’ve heard yet about short barrel shotguns.

 

[Arietta]

The point being, that some people don't have a shotgun with a 28" barrel, for their first and only shotgun, they bought a short barreled shotgun, and now they want to try sports that involve wing shooting, and are discovering how impractical their short barreled shotgun is. Because they already spent cash on one shotgun, they don't want to shell out more cash for another shotgun.

The stubbies might fall into the same category as the 410. Neither is a good choice for a beginner's first gun but might offer some amusement to an experienced shotgunner who already owns more practical and usable guns.

An 870 needs only a few moments to swap barrels, so for only the extra price of a barrel you've got long and short shotguns as needed.

It's a lot easier to go short than long. Finding a short barrel for an 870 is easier than a longer one. Start with a full-size gun and then buy the shortie.