26-inch or 28-inch barrel for Benelli Super Black Eagle II – Pros and Cons of each.

[Ioweegian]

We are considering purchasing a 12-gauge shotgun, a Benelli Super Black Eagle II (SBE II).

The gun shop sells them with a 26-inch factory barrel and also with a 28-inch factory barrel. Both isn’t really an option (not as long as the barrels are about $500.00)

My sons will probably be the main users of it when they are home from college. They are not new to guns. It will be used for everything “from soup to nuts” (pheasants, ducks, geese, turkey, rabbit, skeet, trap, sporting clays, etc.).

What is your input here? 28 inch or 26 inch barrel? Why?

Do you know if there are any after-market barrels for an SBE II (i.e. a Hastings barrel, etc.)? Links to go with suggestions on after market barrels would be helpful.

Thank you

 

[A man with a gun!]

Well, if it were me and high flying waterfowl were on the agenda I'd go for the longer 28".

Maybe some will disagree but I don't think you're going to see a whole lot of difference between a 26 and a 28 inch barrel.

 

[Dave McCracken]

More folks shoot well with a long barrel for most shots than vise versa.

The SBEII is a good shotgun but a trifle light for the heavy loads.

The longer barrel will add a bit of inertia to the swing.

In your shoes, I'd get the 28 and wish for a 30".

 

[jmr40]

The Receivers on Benelli's are a bit longer than other manufacturers so a 26" barreled Benelli will have about the same overall length and ballance as a 28" barrel from most everyone else's gun. On a double I like 28" barrels, but on the Benelli 26" is plenty. I actualy like the 24" better as an all around gun. On a gun made by most any other manufacturer I would add 2" to that.

 

[earlthegoat2]

First, the SBE series are not multi purpose shotguns in my experience. They dont handle the wide variety of loads for rabbit hunting all the way up to geese. They are a 3in shell and higher affair at best. Som times they dont even cycle the 3in loads.

On to the point of the barrel length it is mostly personal preference. In my experience SBEs have been hard kickers and everybit of weight will even the odds some more.

 

[Milkmaster]

I have more than one shotgun now, so I can be diversified. If I only had one, it would be a 28 inch barrel. 28" has long been the "do all" size for a shotgun with me. Long enough to shoot trap, short enough to shoot skeet, long enough to shoot high flying fowl, short enough to shoot a flush when quail hunting, long enough to win a turkey, and short enough to fit most soft cases. In the days before screw-in chokes I would buy 28" modified barrels. Now the changeable chokes make things easy, but the length stays at 28" for me.

Buy the one YOU like!

 

[nomaspescado]

Sorry,
Gonna have to disagree to one of these replies.
The SBE II which I own and at least a half a dozen others that I personally know of, all shoot 2 3/4" Wal-Mart bulk ammo without any hiccups to speak of..
Benelli clearly states in their literature that the SBE II will cycle and is meant to cycle 2 3/4" 1 1/8oz. 3 dram loads and up.
This means that yes, the current SBE II works well as an all around hunting shotgun.
As to the original 26" vs. 28"question...I (like the others I know of) bought the 26" due to the longer receiver and I now sometimes wish that I could try out the longer barrel.
Pick them up and see what feels best!

 

[chas08]

The SBE 1 that I no longer own had a 26" barrel. It compared in length to a Remington 870 with a 28" barrel, which I still do own. Mine had issues on both extreme ends of the spectrum. It was finicky with light loads and tended to self destruct with 3.5" goose loads. Granted, it was an SBE1 not an SBE2. But for what they cost any "issues" should not be part of the package. I personally won't place my trust or cash on a benelli again, but then thats just MHO.

 

[PJR]

Go to the store. Pick one of each. Put them to your shoulder. Pick the one that feels best. The extra two inches at the end of the barrel will change the balance point slightly. The 26" will be somewhat more neutrally balanced compared to the 28 inch. Personally, I prefer more weight forward in a waterfowl or clays guns so the 28" would be my choice.

 

[ArmedBear]

In your shoes, I'd get the 28 and wish for a 30".

I don't know. IMO Benellis are Looooooong shotguns for a given barrel legnth. That's not bad, it just means that a 28" Benelli 3.5" gun doesn't feel shorter than a 30" 3" 391 IMO.

28" should do nicely for just about anything, since the gun is light enough to be quick on target.

 

[marriedguy1]

I have a 26 inch SBE II and it works great for me. The inertia system kicks a little more and somewhat differently than what I was used to, but it is easy to manage and I shoot my other shotguns better now. I have had no trouble shooting 1 oz/2.75 loads in this gun. As long the Dram eq is over 3 this gun will cycle reliably.

 

[gotgcoalman]

no choke options?