Shotgun power reduced by shorter barrel?

[MeccaOz]

I was told once that a shotgun will burn it's powder inside 20 inches (12G ), so not in that sense.

BUT your pattern will open up sooner leading to inaccuracy over distance... If that makes sense mate

[model41]

As the powder burns it expands this expansion accelerates the projectile in this case a wad containing shot.

The acceleration stops just after the projectile has left the barrel.

So yes there will be a reduction in energy.

How much of a reduction is now the question, somewhere out there is the land of 0s and 1s is the answer.

Someone would have done ballistics showing the difference in muzzle energy and metres per second I'm sure.

[Mark TAC]

^^^ not with a very fast powder.

A fast powder reaches peak pressure very quickly and shotgun powders do just that.

So I'm with MeccaOz - I think the difference would be negligible.

[Chronos]

Fellas, I can settle this, I have an Akkar Churchill 30" & 20" combo gun.

I can shoot the same shells through the same choke on each barrel set and tell you the difference in velocity

Now who's gonna loan me their chronograph?

Chronos

[Xerox]

It's cool, you can just go buy one.

When you're done just send it to me and I'll take care of it so you don't have to go through the hassle of storing it.

Good deal, right?

[Warrigul]

I got into this subject ten or so years back when I was still a competitive clay shooter, basically It makes no difference these days what the length of barrel.

Back in the bad old days of black-powder and parallel barrels it was an issue(you needed long barrels to use the whole charge), then later in the days of cardboard wads and cartridges(mainly home loaded) with modern smokeless being faster burning they introduced forcing cones eight or so inches up the barrel.

Nowadays with expanding base wads that effectively seal the barrel forcing cones are irrelevant (though many shotguns still have them).

Barrel length is more for sighting plane(yes I know you don't sight down the barrel but it does play a part).

My info is at least a decade old and I am happy to be corrected.

[Oldboy 7mm Dakota]

What Gun club was you a member of Warrigal .

[Chronos]

It's cool, you can just go buy one.

When you're done just send it to me and I'll take care of it so you don't have to go through the hassle of storing it.

Good deal, right?

Just being cheeky mate, I've got a chronograph, just not keen to sit it 3m out and shoot it with a shotgun

Chronos

[Xerox]

Just need to get a huuuuge pair of forks on the front to shoot though so you miss the chronny