Please help!!!

[12Gauge]

I have some very basic questions to ask about Encores.  I have had mine for about a year now, but it was only recently that I considered trying out one of the shorter barrels.  These are going to be some very basic questions, but I just don't know the answers so I am forced to ask.  Do you shoulder the 15" barrels like you would a 26" barrel or do you use it like a pistol.  What are the advantages and disadvantages of using these shorter barrels?  Do you lose any range by using the shorter barrels?  Thanks for the help. 

[Grumulkin]

Q: Do you shoulder the 15" barrels like you would a 26" barrel or do you use it like a pistol?

A: Under Federal law, it's illegal to use a shoulder stock with a barrel less than 16 inches in length so you can only use them legally as a pistol.

Q: What are the advantages and disadvantages of using these shorter barrels?

A: The advantage is to use them as pistol barrels.

Q: Do you lose any range by using the shorter barrels?

A: Since you lose velocity with a shorter barrel, you also loose range.  Also, though a pistol barrel doesn't have any decreased inherent accuracy, a pistol is harder to shoot accurately so unless you are skilled and shooting from a very solid rest, accuracy will not be as good at long range with a pistol as with a rifle.

You didn't ask, but there is also State law to consider.  Some states require handgun registration.  In such a case, using your Encore frame with a short barrel as a pistol would be illegal under State law, unless it was registered appropriately, but not under Federal law.

[Graybeard]

The above response is a good one for the USA but in Canada as I understand it you can use a 15" or for that matter even a 10" I guess on a rifle stocked TC. I think same applies to places like Australia and New Zealand. Since we have members from all over the world responses have to be adjusted for other places. Most of us are from the US so responses most often are couched in terms of what's legal here but may or may not be applicable to the person asking depending on where they live.

With that caveat I agree with the above response.

[12Gauge]

Very interesting!!  Thank y'all for your help!!

[kmac]

If you have a shoulder stock, you shoulder it like a rifle.  Don't try to shoulder a pistol stock.

Shorter barrels get in the way less than longer.  For hunting in heavy brush, a shorter rifle gets hung up less.  A shorter rifle is also easier to stow away.  And a shorter barrel makes a little bit lighter overall weight.

As said above, shorter means less velocity, but the numbers I see say that you only lose about 25fps per inch.  Hence a 16" barrel will have about 100fps less velocity than a 20".  This could make a difference at long ranges.

The velocity probably doesn't make as much accuracy difference as the shorter sight radius -- the distance between front and rear sights.  Shooting iron sights can thus be less accurate depending on your own capabilities with a short barrel.  With a scope, accuracy at short and medium ranges should theoretically be the same.

If there is a minimum rifle barrel length where you are, just don't buy one too short.  One of the real advantages of TC rifles is that all frames (in a series) will fit all barrels made for that series.  There are many aftermarket barrel makers out there who make barrels in just about any length you can imagine.  Plus you can have a barrel cut down to a custom length by a competent gunsmith.  For my purposes, I was able to buy a 16.25" barrel which is short enough to suit my needs and long enough to satisfy legal requirements.

[reelhook]

or on the other hand-with a pistol cartridge and a longer barrel-you actually pick up speed