Description
This is the Retay Ace Upland Ultralight 26 inch model, the longer barreled half of a two length lineup that otherwise shares every component. Twelve gauge, inertia driven, Turkish walnut over an aluminum receiver, and light enough that the barrel length question comes down to what you hunt rather than what you can carry.
Why Pick the Retay Ace Upland Ultralight 26 Inch
Two extra inches of barrel on the Retay Ace Upland Ultralight 26 does two things. It moves a little mass forward, which smooths out the swing and makes the gun less twitchy on a crossing bird, and it gives you a slightly longer sighting plane. Neither is dramatic, but on open country birds like sharptails and huns, where shots are longer and less rushed, the 26 inch gun is the easier one to shoot well.
The Retay Ace Upland Ultralight 26 tradeoff is handling in tight cover. If most of your season is grouse and woodcock in alder thickets, the 24 inch version comes to the shoulder faster and clears brush better. There is no wrong answer here, only a preference, and most shooters who have tried both settle firmly on one side.
Everything behind the barrel of the Retay Ace Upland Ultralight 26 is identical to the short model. The receiver is aluminum with no polymer parts inside, the stock is Turkish walnut with a shim kit for fitting, the trigger group pops out at the push of a button, and the whole gun still comes in around 6.3 pounds in 12 gauge.
Action, Recoil and Setup
The Retay Ace Upland Ultralight 26 action is inertia driven, with Retay calling their variant Inertia Plus. A rollover torsion spring drives the bolt head positively into battery, which addresses the one real complaint people have about inertia guns: being jarred out of lockup while slung or pushed through cover. There is no gas system to foul, which is why the gun is both light and easy to keep running.
Recoil deserves an honest word. A Retay Ace Upland Ultralight 26 inch gun still weighs about what a 20 gauge normally does, and light guns kick. Retay fits the AIRY pad, which uses an internal air pocket rather than solid rubber, and the forcing cone is lengthened at the factory to spread the pressure curve. It genuinely helps, but heavy loads in a light gun remain heavy loads in a light gun.
A Retay Ace Upland Ultralight 26 ships with five flush chokes covering cylinder through full, a single fiber optic bead, and a shim kit for adjusting drop and cast. Set the fit before the season rather than after, because a fast gun rewards proper fit far more than a heavy one does.
Specifications
- UPC: 193212035912
- Model: ACEUL-26
- Gauge: 12, 3 in chamber
- Barrel: 26 in, deep bore drilled, factory lengthened forcing cone
- Capacity: 2+1
- Action: Inertia Plus rotating bolt with rollover torsion spring
- Trigger group: Push button removable, no tools
- Sight: Single fiber optic bead
- Chokes: Five flush tubes, cylinder through full
- Stock: Turkish walnut, shim kit included
- Recoil pad: AIRY air pocket system
- Length of pull: 14.5 in with shims
- Weight: Approximately 6.3 lbs in 12 gauge
- Warranty: Retay USA limited lifetime
Who Should Choose This One
Open country upland hunters are the natural fit. A Retay Ace Upland Ultralight 26 inch barrel suits prairie birds, late season pheasants that flush wild, and the occasional dove field, where a slightly longer swing pays off.
It is also the better pick if the gun will pull double duty on clays. A Retay Ace Upland Ultralight 26 inch model tracks more smoothly on sporting targets than the short barreled version, and the extra weight out front helps on the long crossers that give light guns trouble.
Where the 24 inch version wins is thick cover and tight quarters. If your birds are grouse in the alders or quail in thorn, get the shorter gun and do not look back. Both are the same price and the same warranty, so choose on handling alone.
A few practical notes before ordering a Retay Ace Upland Ultralight 26. Fit the stock with the included shim kit first, because it takes twenty minutes and changes everything about how the gun points. Break the action in with reasonably stout field loads, since inertia systems need recoil energy to cycle and very light target shells can be marginal in a new gun. Keep the choke wrench in the vest, and use the removable trigger group after wet days, since field cleaning without a bench is the whole reason it is there.
Full factory specifications are published on the Retay USA product page, and you can compare this against the 24 inch model or browse our other shotguns.
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