Sub gauge tubes.........need advice

I'm considering purchasing a sporting gun with sub gauge tubes.
I need some advice from folks that have experience with both fitted and drop in type tubes.

Which is better and why?

thanks in advance for thoughts and opinions.

dp

Not sure of your question, but there are several tube makers around. Briley and Kolar are the ones that I have experience with, no complaints about either. Purbough (spelling ?) is another brand that used to be around years ago. Never tried any of the chambermates type.
If you are in Ovilla , go by Ellis Co. Sportsmans Club and see what they think.

Briley makes two types. Fitted - you send in the gun and they fit the tube specifically to your barrels.
Then the also make "Companion" tubes, they drop in, no fitting required.

Just wondering if one is better or the other has drawbacks.

Ellis County - I'm a member out there and yes, I will talk to the guys.

Thanks.

I have had the drop in full length Briley tubes. They worked fine, but it really changes the handling off the gun. You may want to find a carrier barrel.

I'm shooting a Beretta. Is a carrier barrel for Beretta difficult to find?

Or maybe I should just look for a gun with a barrel set?

I personally do not think that having fitted tubes would have a greater advantage over drop in tubes. If the tubes are made to tight specifications they should line up with the center of the bore of your barrel and not have any movement. So I do not know why you would need them to be " fitted "
If you do not have a carrier barrel you will notice significant amount of forward weight with a set of tubes in your gun. This will make your gun feel heavy and slow. You will fatigue more from lifting more weight all day.
I am not aware of Beretta making a carrier barrel, but I may be mistaken. You would be better off getting a barrel set. In my opinion.
I have had a set of tubes and hated the extra weight. I now have barrel sets or different guns for different gauges.

Briley can make a carrier barrel out of a customer supplied barrel for $595.00. You can find a barrel, but you will need to look for it. I have seen them for sale on a few shotgun forums.

Thanks guys.
I'm now better informed.

I've owned several guns over the years with fitted tubes by both Briley and Kolar. Both are great. I recently acquired some Briley Companion tubes for a Beretta 682. In my opinion this setup is as good as fitted tubes. You do have to make sure the companions are compatible with your brand of gun. They are somewhat generic, but there are some differences in the ejectors.

Wayne

Wayne,

What's your opinion concerning the added weight?

thanks

Are you going to use this setup for sub gauge sporting only or will you be using it for skeet also? What brand gun and barrel length are you thinking of? Depending on barrel length and type of tubes you get there will be 10 to 14 or so ounces of added weight. I personally have never had an issue with the extra weight. With the added weight of the tubes the gun will be slower to start. How much? Not very. The more you shoot a tubed gun, the less you notice the weight. Your swing will be smoother and follow through is easier. To me, the advantage of tubes over barrel sets or different guns is that everything is the same no matter which gauge you are shooting. Stock fit, trigger pull and sight picture never change.

Wayne

$6537.50?

I'm hunting for a lightly used 682, preferably in 30". I shoot skeet and clays.
I can see where the weight would change things a bit, smoothing out my swing, but just wanted some feedback about fatigue with the extra weight.
Thanks for the input.
Are you a member at Ellis County?

$6537.50. It's a chapter in a Gene Hill book. He begins talking about how dove hunting is inexpensive and fun when you're young.....and how shooting, shotguns, hunting gear, reload gear, dogs....etc...change the cost as we get older.

Yes, I'm a mamber. I thought maybe $6537.50 was the price of an Argentina dove hunt.

See you soon.