Sounds like a set-up to me.

I have heard guys arguing about this since I was a little boy. A lot depends on the shooter, except the velocity thing. A 6-inch gun will probably average 50-150 FPS faster than a 4-inch gun, with similar loads. That depends on the individual guns. Once in a while a "fast" 4-inch gun can actually outrun a 6-incher, but that is not usual.

I have also seen guys who do not handle a 6-inch gun as well as they do a 4-incher. They actually shoot better with the short barrel. It seems odd, but it does happen. Intrinsically, both guns should be the same in terms of accuracy. Differences should relate to the ability of the shooter to handle them, and a lot of factors come into play there.

As to recoil, some people react differently, and there will always be the "Black Knight" folks ( ) who claim recoil is no hardship for them. That's great, and more power to them. In my own case, I see a pronounced difference between a 4-inch and a 6.5-inch Model 29, the 4-inch gun being nearly intolerable and the 6.5-incher being almost sedate, by comparison. I do not have that same impression with a Model 19. With factory stocks, both are a little uncomfortable for me, the 4-inch being the worse. But not by a lot. The cure for me, with the Model 19, has not been changing to the longer barrel length, but rather changing to a set of stocks that keeps the knuckle of my middle finger well and truly clear of that trigger guard!