Question: I am swapping my K-80 barrels for a set of Parcours barrels and should have them in the next couple of weeks. I tried shooting my friend’s Parcours and was quite impressed. I would appreciate your insight/opinion on how my current K-80 will handle with a 34-inch Parcours barrels.
Answer: Many Krieghoff shooters like the lighter weight of the Parcours barrels as compared to the K-80 barrels. That said, there are two potential issues you might run up against when you swap your K-80 barrels for the Parcours barrels (I consulted with Kemble duPont of duPont/Krieghoff to ensure my guidance is correct).
With the lighter-weight Parcours barrels, you will likely find that the balance point of your shotgun has shifted farther back toward the trigger and that the front of the gun is a bit quicker to the target. If this is an issue, you can either have a stock-maker lighten up the back of the gun by removing some wood from the buttstock, or add some weight to the barrel set. This should move your balance point closer to the hinge pin. Adding weight to the barrels, however, will add to the total weight of the shotgun, which somewhat defeats the purpose of the lighter barrels. Most shooters like the balance point somewhere between the front and back of the hinge pin. Another way to resolve this balance issue is to inquire about the new Parcours-X barrels recently introduced by Krieghoff. The Parcours-X barrels are slightly heavier and can help mitigate the “whippiness” and balance issue.
The other potential issue you may run into is the sight plane. The rib on the Parcours barrels is slightly lower than that of the K-80 flat rib and stepped rib. This might cause the gun to shoot higher. If you have an adjustable comb, and you can adjust it downward, which would resolve this issue. If you have a fixed comb or an adjustable comb that is already flat against the stock, you can either shave some wood off the comb or opt for a new buttstock with more drop. Other options include raising the height of your rib with an aftermarket product or simply training your brain to float the targets a bit more.
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