All of my other guns are 24 inch. The 21" was first for turkey hunting. Not really been a problem with hunting ducks with the 21 inch, its a very comfortable gun. You can stick a 26 inch gun in someones face just as easy as with a 21, Its all whether you and your hunting crew care more about safety than a duck(which we do). My question is more of whether or not the M1 is a better gun than the M2 or the other way around. Thanks.