I have a Red Label 12 gauge with 28" barrels it weighs 7 3/4#'s. It is primarily used for waterfowl. What I don't care for is the thickness of the comb, it needs to be a bit thinner. The fillers between the barrels are useless, I removed them years ago. The nice things are the wood, the barrel selector, and the easy opening action. Depending on what you want to use it for the 26" straight hand model handles nicer and would be better for the uplands. Overall I like mine and will get the stock modified a little.

I have a 28",28ga, Red Label that I really like. Red Labels,in my opinion are the best value in an O/U, a lot of shotgun for the money.
Stepchild

I am not that great of shotgun shot. I normally use an SKB SS for birds, mostly because it felt great in northern Minnesota where I used to have a house.

Among my shotguns is a Win 101, 30 inch barrel, M/F. I took it out the other day for doves and did way better than expected. I think I would do better with an IC/M or IC/F.

I am thinking about buying a Ruger 12 ga. Should I get 28 inch barrels or 26? How do you guys like this gun?

I may pick up a buck or two for writing about guns and shooting, but I sure don't know everything...

Thanks. I think I will get the 26 inch, since i have the Win Mod 101 w/30 inch barrels.

I'd go to some gun store that has both barrel lengths (or at least one) it that is possible, or maybe a larger gun show, and handle both of them first. It just depends on the gun's construction, but in general, for a field 20 ga I'd lean towards the 26 inchers. Of course, I think a 20 ga is an abomination, so my opinion may not count for much.

Get a pigeon grade 101 in 12 with 27 inch barrels and winchokes and be done with it.

Put this in the "not from direct experience" file about Ruger's o/u...

I joined a skeet/trap club ~10 years ago. I wanted to learn to how to improve my shotgun skills. I had a Rem 870. I wanted to get an O/U.

Some of the members got the then new Ruger O/U shotguns (12 ga). In a short time (couple of months) they reported that the gun "shot loose." When you opened the action, it would just flop open, and have noticable play in the open action. It soured the owners, and they sold them. When I asked around the club as to what would be a good O/U, they pretty much said "You can't beat a Browning Citori for the $1000 level." Some shooter had 80,000 round through their Citori's, and they still say they are tight. "opens as it should, smoothly, not in free fall.", was a typical comment.

Again, this is from what I've heard. I never shot one or owned one. Ruger may have improved upon this in the past 10 years or so. Just one person's feedback.

I got a 12 ga Browning Citori Lightning. Great gun. The 20 ga stock was too small in the check area. They like the Beretta O/U too for the "decent but not extreme price range" ($1000-1500 range).

I'm a little late to this thread but I've also got a 26" 12 ga. Red Label and I love it. Bought it when I was 20 and I've put thousands of rounds through it. It's really been a great gun and I've almost switched to it exclusively for all of my hunting (except geese).

quote:

---

I wanted to learn to how to improve my shotgun skills. I had a Rem 870. I wanted to get an O/U.<br /><br />Some of the members got the then new Ruger O/U shotguns (12 ga). In a short time (couple of months) they reported that the gun "shot loose." When you opened the action, it would just flop open, and have noticable play in the open action. It soured the owners, and they sold them. When I asked around the club as to what would be a good O/U, they pretty much said "You can't beat a Browning Citori for the $1000 level." Some shooter had 80,000 round through their Citori's, and they still say they are tight. "opens as it should, smoothly, not in free fall.", was a typical comment.

---

I want to second this opinion. I shoot skeet too, and, for whatever reason, I've never seen a Ruger shotgun -- O/U or SxS -- in the hands of any expert skeet shooter or anyone who shoots a lot of targets.

On the other hand, you do see a lot of Berettas, Citoris, and Krieghoffs.

The reason you don't see many in the hands of skeet shooters is they just won't stand up to the abuse we put them through. Typically, We skeet shooters will keep a gun that works untill it dies. The repetative nature of the sport does not lend itself to changing guns often. I have put close to 70,000 rounds in one season through my ASE 90 17,000 as registered targets. And practice, Practice and practive more. I probably have 500,000 shells through my ASE 90 and I am just now haveing a custom stock built for it. The only things that have broke on the gun in that amount of time is 2 ejectors. I have a spare trigger group and have never put it in the gun.

The red lable is a good gun for typical field use. It won't were out in most bird hunters liftime.

I do think I would go with a 28"barrel. I personally shoot a 31 1/2" ASE Gold sporting in the field. Pricey for a field gun but it fits like my 90 and shoots well. Not too heavy about 8 pounds. IF I am walking all day Quail etc. and I want a lite gun about 6lbs. I shoot a Browing gold 20ga automatic with 28" barrels.

The longer barrel will give you a more consistent swing.

Good Luck

Alan

Please excuse my ignorance, but what does ASE stand for?

I think the rugers actions are too loose and have too much play also.

I have had 26" o/u and sxs and prefer 28" . 26" barrels are to wipy for me and hard to hit birds with . 28" swings smoother for me

I have a Red Label, 12 ga with 26 in tubes. I have used it on waterfowl for years and I do like it, fits me very good. My duck hunting is mostly close in work and I use the skeet tubes almost exclusivly.P

Old Elk Hunter, he is talking about a Beretta ASE 90 skeet gun.

Ruger 20 ga is a nice gun but wish it didn't have an auto safety...actually, I prefer my 20 ga 101, but I left my heart with the FN Brownings!!

Lowrider 49,
That auto safety is easily defeated in about 10 minutes with a file or a Dremel tool. I have a 28 ga. that I love but I must agree with the skeeters in that it would not stand up to the rigors of constant skeet shooting. Jim