2" vs 3" .38/.357 revolvers

I’m a little confused here.
My M-19-3 has a 2.5” barrel and I have never had a bit of trouble ejecting .357 magnum cases from it. Just standard loads and reloads. Muzzle up hit the ejector rod they fall out.
My J frame has a 1 and 7/8” barrel and since it shoots .38spl, shorter cases, hasn’t had any problem either.
When did this become a problem?
A 3” barrel in a .357 magnum revolver would have somewhat more velocity than a 2.5”, but enough for the “recipient to notice?
I would like to have a 3” K or J frame just because they look better, but not for the supposed “ejection”problem.
I got my M-19 is a 1970, I bought it used many years ago. No problems loading or ejecting.
Am I doing something wrong? 😂
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SS336 said:
I’m a little confused here.
My M-19-3 has a 2.5” barrel and I have never had a bit of trouble ejecting .357 magnum cases from it. Just standard loads and reloads. Muzzle up hit the ejector rod they fall out.
My J frame has a 1 and 7/8” barrel and since it shoots .38spl, shorter cases, hasn’t had any problem either.
When did this become a problem?
Click to expand...
My S&W 60-15 and SP101 have never had issues with ejecting cases. Nor does my S&W 10-5. They all have a shorter ejector rod.

I've never experienced that issue.
 
SS336 said:
I’m a little confused here.
My M-19-3 has a 2.5” barrel and I have never had a bit of trouble ejecting .357 magnum cases from it. Just standard loads and reloads. Muzzle up hit the ejector rod they fall out.
My J frame has a 1 and 7/8” barrel and since it shoots .38spl, shorter cases, hasn’t had any problem either.
When did this become a problem?
Click to expand...

ISCS Yoda said:
View attachment 773704

Seriously, you can't get empty cases out of your short-barreled revolvers? Is this a big range issue?

And do you think it will matter in a self-defense situation?

:rolleyes::oops::rolleyes::oops:
Click to expand...

SFury79 said:
My S&W 60-15 and SP101 have never had issues with ejecting cases. Nor does my S&W 10-5. They all have a shorter ejector rod.

I've never experienced that issue.
Click to expand...
I don't think it's a real problem. I only hear it brought up when someone compares 2" vs 3" or 4" S&W revolvers only. The 3" and 2.75" K-frames also have the longer ejectors... I think it's just a regurgitated talking point and canned response because the longer barrel S&W revolvers do in fact have longer ejectors; however, I still believe that the ejection issues with snubs are overblown and exaggerated.

The most popular and carried S&W revolvers are their J-frame snubbies, and I almost never heard anyone complaining about not being able to eject rounds. I own S&W J-frames and L-frames, Ruger, Taurus, and Kimber ~2" snubs, and I never had a problem with ejection.
 
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Only shorty barrel I own is a 2.65(?)" on a 627-5. Pretty sure it'll work fine if I ever need it. They have those short barreled rounds these days, maybe those help? I haven't tried any yet... just getting back into the revolver game, and I bought a 2.65" and 5" N frame in .357, so neither are exactly petite anyway, and both eject fine.
 
SFury79 said:
No, the bullet would not do the same thing to a medium sized living target. Deer, pig, human, or any other similar sized animal. The closer the target, the more likely you might get similar results.

The biggest difference, once you go less than 3", is the ammunition you should use. Under 3" you lose enough velocity, for most commercial rounds, to lose reliable expansion of HP ammunition. If they do expand, or start to expand, they may not penetrate enough to hit vitals. For short barreled guns penetration matters more than expansion.

The concept is similar to the choosing of handgun ammunition to use to defend against, or hunt, larger animals like moose and big bears. You go with the non-expanding heavy rounds to guarantee penetration (as best as a handgun can). Expansion becomes an issue because it slows the bullet down and you may not penetrate to the vitals. So, you have to know when to value one trait over the other.

With handguns there will always be a tradeoff. You need to make your setup work with your gear for your purpose. I use one round to hunt with and for SD in my 3+" 357 revolvers, and a non-expanding round for my 2.25" SP101.

Even with the 3" guns, I know expansion may not occur, but the rounds I use should still penetrate more than enough to be lethal.

I base my choices after having seen the results of various rifle and handgun cartridges used on dozens of whitetail deer over the years. Seeing what actually happens in the field is an eye opener. The first thing I learned, is there are no guarantees as to what will happen. The second thing I learned is how to make the results relatively consistent.
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Yep, I have seen some oddball bullet paths. I shot one buck broadside with a .308 with a Nosler Ballistic tip. Well centered shot on the shoulder. I saw a large fountain spray of blood through my scope after cycling the bolt for a second shot so I did not shoot. Buck is down. Only there is no exit on the far shoulder where I assumed there was a hole that the blood came from. When I had it on the car I found a neck wound above the brisket. I cut up my own deer. What I found was there was the base of the lead core under the skin at the far shoulder armpit. There was another wound track that went forward and separated in to two paths, one was the jacket and the other must have been the front of the lead core. The lungs were trashed but it was the front half that took a hard left turn and hit the jugular vein that I saw spraying. As the Warren Commission stated, bullets do funny things.
 
I never knew the short ejection rod was even an issue until reading it here. Never a problem ejecting cases in my 38 M&P (pre model 10) vintage 1951.
 

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I personally see no use for anything less than 3in once you get bigger than a J. That 1 extra in of barrel is not going to make it carry or conceal any different imo, but it points a lot nicer. On a J a 2 can make sense as a pocket piece.
 
seldon14 said:
I personally see no use for anything less than 3in once you get bigger than a J. That 1 extra in of barrel is not going to make it carry or conceal any different imo, but it points a lot nicer. On a J a 2 can make sense as a pocket piece.
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I prefer the 686+ in 2.5" because it's practically the same weight as the 2.75" K-frames (M66 and M19). Plus, I can EDC the 2.5" OWB in a pancake holster all year round with nothing other than a medium sized T-shirt on without having to worry about peekaboos; a 3" will show. IWB, it doesn't matter, but my preferred method of carry is OWB concealed in a leather pancake holster. I don't really see much of a ballistic difference between a 2.5" and a 3".
 
This is an interesting thread. I have both...2" & 3"..., Model 60's. I've considered the differences and shot both to try to evaluate. I tend to shoot the 3" better, but it has a smoother trigger, so... Also, from a very personal perspective if I were ever to get shot with either of them, I do not believe I would take the time to evaluate the effect one had on my body over the other. Just my take on the subject...one man's opinion.
 
Huge fan of the three inch, I probably have twenty. Better balance, full length guide rod, slightly better sight radius, slightly better recoil control. And they look better.
 
LAPD carried six inch revolvers for a long time. Florida HP carried only 5” bbl revolvers to include 5” Model 19s, Model 27s.
 
2” versus 3” in .38 special is one thing.
In a .357, with full house mags, it is an entirely different thing.
 
Lance Boyle said:
Yep, I have seen some oddball bullet paths. I shot one buck broadside with a .308 with a Nosler Ballistic tip. Well centered shot on the shoulder. I saw a large fountain spray of blood through my scope after cycling the bolt for a second shot so I did not shoot. Buck is down. Only there is no exit on the far shoulder where I assumed there was a hole that the blood came from. When I had it on the car I found a neck wound above the brisket. I cut up my own deer. What I found was there was the base of the lead core under the skin at the far shoulder armpit. There was another wound track that went forward and separated in to two paths, one was the jacket and the other must have been the front of the lead core. The lungs were trashed but it was the front half that took a hard left turn and hit the jugular vein that I saw spraying. As the Warren Commission stated, bullets do funny things.
Click to expand...
I shot a pronghorn last year, hitting it on it's left side, almost broadside @ 150 yds. Upon walking up on him, it appeared my Nosler AccuBond bullet blew up on his left shoulder..? I never did find the exit hole.! Bullet blowup is all we could come up with that day?
 
Brittman said:
I shot a pronghorn last year, hitting it on it's left side, almost broadside @ 150 yds. Upon walking up on him, it appeared my Nosler AccuBond bullet blew up on his left shoulder..? I never did find the exit hole.! Bullet blowup is all we could come up with that day?
Click to expand...
I have a pair of 2.5” m10 k frames, and really like them. I don’t consider the 2.5” barrels to bra compromise- I consider it a credible choice.
 
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