Barrel Length ????

[Walks]

Question ?

Why is there so much interest in short barreled Revolvers ?

I have always preferred 5 1/2" bbl'd SA's or longer.
And 5" + bbl'd DA's. I'm tall so I've have no need to be concerned with a holster riding up on me.

I'm NOT talking about CCW's. Just Handguns carried for field use or just Range Shooting.
Plus I've aged poorly, not unlike a cheap white wine that bounces in a car trunk during a long Mohave summer.
So a longer sight radius is a plus.
But I've always preferred longer Revolver barrels.

Anybody else feel the same ?

 

[RicinYakima]

I never use a holster except for my 2" pocket carry guns, or my dress up Colt Commander. I like 4 or 5 inch big bore revolvers for the range and walks in the sage brush. Specifically for varmints and vermin, I carry my 6 1/2" S&W 32/20 target under my belt with the barrel in my back pocket. I don't recommend any of this, just what I do.

 

[Mitty38]

Outside of concealed carry. I can not say I have had a revolver or Semi auto pistol with under a 5 inch barrel. Just have also, always preferred a longer gun.
My concealed carry gun, I have learned to point shoot. The shorter sight radius just slows me down, if I do not.

 

[Matt]

There is nothing sexier that a 2 1/2 in M19 or Python. Nickel plate them and it just gets better. All the old detectives carried snub noses too. But 2-2 1/2 inch barrels are inefficient, loud, recoil more,
and are more difficult to shoot well.

I’m with you; 4 inch minimum works best, I prefer 5 or 6, but have some 7 1/2 inch revolvers that carry fine in a property designed holster. There is really no issue carrying a 5 or 6 inch auto or revolver concealed. I did it everyday for over 30 years.

That being said I do have a number of 2” .38
Specials and a couple of small 9mm pistols, convenient for pocket carry ........ I no longer own a 2 1/2 in .357 revolver, nickel plated or otherwise.

The thought of some of the .44/.454/.480/.500 2 or 2 1/2 Inch revolvers seem intimidating , a 6 1/2” Bisley is more than enough for me. But the short ones look pretty cool, so I can’t blame anyone for having one.

 

[MikeN]

I had a beautiful 2 1/2" M-19-3 bought new by an old friend of the family, less than a box of shells through it. I wanted to like to shoot it but I couldn't hit much with it. I sold it and bought a S&W M-58 and for me it is much more useful. It sold in less than an hour on the Smith & Wesson forum. I was told there wasn't much call for the short barrels up here.

 

[CZ93X62]

I have owned few 2"-2.5" revolvers, and only have one now--a Model 642 I brought on board last year. I like it well enough, and it makes a nice Pocket Rocket. I would love a 3" Model 13 or 65; I had usage of an FBI Model 13 for about 6 months, and if they weren't so ^%&$ expensive I would get one for myself.

But 4"+ revolvers and autopistols dominate the fleet.

Why the massive number of snubguns being made and sold? That's easy--the proliferation of citizen CCW, both authorized and otherwise. People want the comfort of going armed in public discreetly, and the small-frame revolver excels in that role.

 

[Winelover]

Handguns are meant to be portable. When the barrel length gets over 4" they lose that portability. Add a scope and your now approaching a short barreled carbine. Then you need an across the chest type holster to carry it, to and from, your hunting spot.

I have taken deer with handguns (scoped and un-scoped) with 7 1/2" barrels, so the novelty has worn off. Anymore, I just reach for my Marlin 1894 carbine (44 Mag) when I head out for my hunting spot. A short barreled CA Bulldog is in my pocket...............mostly for tracking purposes.

I have handguns with barrel lengths up to 7 1/2 inches. Including, a Python with a six inch tube. In hindsight, I wish I'd had chosen the four inch one.

Most all of my recent purchases, have been short barreled pieces. I find they are more challenging to master, thus less boring. I also prefer DAO, for the same reasons.

 

[StrawHat]

Well, there are these for EDC.



And these for when concealment is not an issue



Kevin

 

[Missionary]

I do like our 3.5 " model 19 for use in the car and 2 wheeler but I seriously doubt it will ever go hunting on purpose.

 

[Rick H]

I don't like and don't shoot long barreled handguns well. With them I tend to try to snatch the shot when the sights look perfect. What is long barreled to me?.....anything with a sight radius longer than a 1911 Gov't. Model. I do like 4" revolvers, and own a no dash 4" 686, a 3" Ruger LCRx3, and a 4 5/8" Blackhawk.
I experimented with a 6" Model 19 and my 4" Model 66 when it was my duty gun. I just shot the 4" much better.

 

[Cherokee]

Longer barrels for me. I cut my center fire shooting teeth on a Ruger OM 10" 357 Mag. back in the Everglades in the 60's. Carried it in the field in a belt holster for many years until a collector talked me out of it. Except for CCW use, everything I have is 6-8-10", even 6 or 7" 1911's.

 

[Rick]

Handguns are meant to be portable. When the barrel length gets over 4" they lose that portability. Add a scope and your now approaching a short barreled carbine. Then you need an across the chest type holster to carry it, to and from, your hunting spot.

Portable? Yep that's true enough. All of my handguns are portable and not a set of wheels on any of them. Shoulder holster? For what? None of my revolvers require a shoulder holster nor do they have one. Hunting is but one use for a revolver, hardly the only use but not even hunting requires a shoulder holster

Sold my snubbie to Brad, I think it was a 5 1/2 inch Smith.

 

[Brad]

I prefer 4 to 6.5 barrels as a rule.
For carry when hunting a 4 5/8 barrels BH was about peferect.
It also depends on the handgun in question. A DA Ruger I prefer a shorter barrel as they tend to be muzzle heavy. In a SW I like a bit longer as they are slender in the tube and not as muzzle heavy.

 

[Cherokee]

My 8 & 10" guns are portable for me, holster carry, easy to draw when needed. I also see that many folks like shorter barrels, OK with me. Shorter barrels are better in confined spaces & that is what my 5" guns are for.

 

[Glaciers]

3 inch is as short as I will go and seems to be just about perfect for the back pocket. 4 inch in a K frame size revolvers will work okay in the pocket, but that's pushing it.
For field work with the 44's, 45's, or 480 it's 4 inches to 6 inches. After 6 inches they get cumbersome.

 

[waco]

I like a 4” for packing around the woods or camp. That new Ruger Bisley 45 convertible I bought has a 3 3/4” barrel and packs quite nicely.

 

[CWLONGSHOT]

Question ?

Why is there so much interest in short barreled Revolvers ?

I have always preferred 5 1/2" bbl'd SA's or longer.
And 5" + bbl'd DA's. I'm tall so I've have no need to be concerned with a holster riding up on me.

I'm NOT talking about CCW's. Just Handguns carried for field use or just Range Shooting.
Plus I've aged poorly, not unlike a cheap white wine that bounces in a car trunk during a long Mohave summer.
So a longer sight radius is a plus.
But I've always preferred longer Revolver barrels.

Anybody else feel the same ?

For uses you describe 100% YES!!

Only real reason for me to have a snub is concealment or lighter to carry.

Once ta realize that EVERYTHING with a hand gun is a compromise. Life is easier.

A 5.5" SAA is just about perfect as a 5" DA Med frame revolver.

A Commander is more appealing then a Government.

They just "look right" to My eye.

CW

 

[358156 hp]

I run 4 inch barrels almost completely across the board. My Redhawk is a 7-1/2 in., and the 1911 is a five inch, but even my semi-autos are all compacts, with barrels that average about 4 inches. Longer barrels are too nose heavy for me and I try to avoid them. I should cut my Redhawk down, but I'm hesitant since it's from the first production run.

 

[RicinYakima]

My issue is the holster part. They were fine until I began having medical problems and know am so "portly" they are uncomfortable to wear. While I can wear a gun belt and holster if I never sit down.

 

[Glaciers]

Simply Rugged now out of Prescott Az makes a chest rig which is designed for chest mount or with a little adjustment will function as a shoulder holster.. It's called the Chester Pully I believe. It works with a number of Robb's pancake holsters.
I ordered one for use when charter fishing. A standard belt holster when sitting on the inflatable tube of a skiff was a recipe for a lost sixgun. Ordered it just in time to close the business for good. Never used it.