Is there a point to a vented on a tactical shotgun other than for aesthetics?
I ask out of curiosity not criticism. I want an 18" vent rib 870 pump myself. However, I am more than content with my 1301 with an RMR, and my A300 Ultima is perfect for clays. I don't see a reason to interchange the two. Would this be for competition use?
Vent ribs are easier to naturally line up once you get some time with them. At least the longer barreled stuff I've shot can be. They offer a straight line to look down which can make it easier to line up fast because while the gun is still in your peripheral vision you have a rough reference of where you're pointing. A vent rib with a decent front bead and mid bead can be a ton of fun when you get used to it, and pretty fast to point. There is also a less "busy" sight picture. It's point and pull. Of course, that's more a function of the bead sights than the rib itself. Some people like them to prevent heat mirage, but I haven't had much of that as an issue with non-vent rib so I don't know. High round count trap shooters probably have that.
There are of course down sides. You can't costa-clamp a vent rib, you'll block your sights. They're a bigger pain in the ass to clean, but not bad.
I'd be curious to hear Matt or Tim's thoughts.
I have talked with Darryl a couple of times, along with the shotgun mechanic guy at the Beretta Gallery told us as long as we stuck to about 20 inches, we should be good.
The model I have is a 24". I was going to have them lop off about 4 inches, like he and Melanie did with their A400's.
I'm definitely not planning to take them to 18", that is likely not enough dwell time for the gas system. But hacking off the last two ribs would make them quite a bit handier.
If I'm wrong, I have just screwed up a $700 barrel - sigh.
I'll wager you a PF dollar™ 😎
The lunatics are running the asylum
Weird. I live in FL, and I've shot a fair share of clays and not really had a mirage issue. I guess most of the shooting has been under a cover. When I lived in NYS as a kid I shot a lot of shotguns, but mostly in the woods. Even when we were shooting in a field in open sun, I never really had a problem with mirage. Or at least, I never noticed it.