[Mikul]

I saw a good deal on an older 870 at a gun shop. It has a 28" barrel and a full choke. It was made in the days before choke tubes, so there is no changing the choke on this. I plan to use this for trap and picking up a 18" barrel for home defense.

Is the existing barrel a good match for trap or is the pattern too tight? The gun isn't a good deal if I need to buy two barrels.

My knowledge of trap guns is minimal, so any help is appreciated. I was also thinking that an 18" barrel with a full choke may work for trap. Am I insane? Well, that's a separate question, so: will the 18" full choke idea work?

[riverdog]

I was shooting Trap the other day with both a 30" Full Choke and a 26" RC with a Full Choke tube installed; I preferred the 30" tube. Full choke is great, it gives you more time to set up the shot. A 28" FC barrel should work just fine.

[SDC]

The full choke will work for trap, but you might have trouble getting a tight enough pattern out of an 18" barrel; also, the extra barrel length adds sight radius, a BIG help when you're shooting trap.

[HSMITH]

Full choke is appropriate for trap from the 16 yard line all the way to the back fence. Full is a tad tight for less than 22 yard trap shooting but loading can accomodate that easily if you load your own. Full for less than 22 yards or so is a tad tight but not a large handicap at all. If you like the shotgun it will do what you are asking.......

[Dave McCracken]

That WM with 28" Full Choke barrel will work fine for trap. More choke than needed, especially with modern ammo, but that will just teach you to hold tighter.

Can't say if an 18" Full Choke barrel will do for trap. Frankenstein's 21" barrel with Extra Full choke will grind up targets nicely, but the balance is a little further back than with my TB.
That means I have to work a little harder keeping the swing going.YMMV.

As for sight radius, we're looking at the TARGET when we shoot, right?....

[mikey357]

...your 28-inch Full barrel will work just fine...even tho' some will say it's too "short"...as Dave McC. points out, it'll make you "point closer" on the close-in stuff, like singles, but it'll work very well, IF you do your part...FWIW, several years ago, when I played at Trap some, I had an "A"-class 16-yard average and earned two yards at Handicap in just four shoots, all with a 28-inch barreled 870...FWIW....mikey357

[SDC]

Uhhh, yeah, Dave, I guess that's my "inner rifle shooter" coming out again; I knew there was a reason I do better when I keep my eyes open.:)

[Dave McCracken]

You're not alone,SDC.Rifle folks are notoriously hard to teach proper shotgunning to.

Barrel length has little effect on patterns, IMO.
Choke and load do way more.

Long ago, I chrono'd Frank's bunty barrel against a 28" full choke barrel from a friend's 870. Average was about 25 FPS less with Frank's barrel. There's that much difference in velocity in a box of shells.