your about the same stamp as me mate and i shoot with a s/s for the very reasons you said,just could not find an o/u that felt comfortable,most i tried were bulky and heavy,i only use an old spanish s/s with 26"barrels,nice and light easy to handle very comfortable for those long rough shooting walks,might be worth you trying one out,no point in having long barrels if your relatively short,gun swing and follow through may feel un-natural,comfort and gun fit is key to successful shooting,and just to cover my arse its only my opinion but getting it right first time will save you a load of hassle