My opinion of 4 in rarity
I thought about this very issue as well, "how rare is the 4in barrel?" I thought about this because I have an opportunity to buy a 29-2 4 in NIB and also my uncle has one without even a turn line. Here's my opinion which couples research, what I've seen in life and the concept of the 44 magnum itself...
In order from rarest to most popular:
5 in - 4 in - 6 in - 6.5 in - 8 3/8 in
The only places that could be switched in my opinion are the 6.5 (4th) and 8 3/8 (last).
When considering the barrel lengths vs the caliber itself, I believe that the 8 3/8 barrel made the most sense since originally the largest group of people who took interest in the 44 mag were hunters, not policeman or other people who carry side arms. The 8 3/8 barrel is the most practical for hunting/long range shooting. I personally have a 6 in (29-2) and I think it offers great balance but the 6.5 in seems to be much more popular.
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