I've noticed that there seems to be a lot of 5 inch barrel pre M-10s out there. I thought the 4 inch and 6 inch was the most common and 5 inch was "rare"

As far as a service gun goes, I can see the value in that you would have more power and accuracy from a longer barrel without having the full 6 inch getting in the way.

I've noticed that there seems to be a lot of 5 inch barrel pre M-10s out there. I thought the 4 inch and 6 inch was the most common and 5 inch was "rare"

As far as a service gun goes, I can see the value in that you would have more power and accuracy from a longer barrel without having the full 6 inch getting in the way.

doug, you're right. there seems to be an adequate supply of 5"ers. i don't see them around here much, but at tulsa, KC etc there are always some around. they do balance nice for me. one of my favorite shooters is a 1952 vintage with about 60% original finish. lee

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VFW, NRA, VVA, S&WCA 1758

S888xxx, the only 5 inch pre-10 I have

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Sure you did

Sales hype or misinformation, or both.
No, the 5" is not rare. Actually, it probably outnumbers 4 or 6 on late 20's and 30's guns. Also very common in the post-war Transitions.

We also see Mod 27's and Pre-27's hyped as having the "rare" 5" or "desirable" 3-1/2" barrels, and it makes me chuckle. We could hardly GIVE 3-1/2" guns away in the 70's. As for the "rare" 5", there were standard barrel lengths offered for exactly 40 years of 3-1/2", 5", 6", 6-1/2", and 8-3/8". Of these standard lengths, my guess is the 5" was the most common, because it was simply the most usable carry length.

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Regards,
Lee Jarrett

Around my area I see more 5 inchers than 6 inchers and 4" models are the most common. I picked up a 1951 model M&P this week that had been stored in something that allowed it to rust. The pistol is in perfect mechanical shape with all the rust on the outside surface and the diamond magnas have only one small ding on them. I plan on cleaning the rust off and making a shooter out of it. As to having it refinished, I don't know at this time.

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OFT/NRA LIFE MEMBER

That's an interesting statement. You don't mention the 4 inch barrel (which I thought was the most common). I've never heard of a 3.5 inch barrel?

Doug,
Go back and read Lee's post, he made a left turn in the middle of the post and started talkin about M27s... The info you note is about the M27.

As it relates to Lee's statement about the 5" being more common than the 4 & 6", I'm not sure I agree. For one, most of the 4" guns made back then were working guns and probably have been destroyed by now, so their lack of visibility isn't so much evidence that they didn't exist, it's just that they don't exist today.

Well, if four-inchers "don't exist", I'm seeing things at most gun shows. My experience is that the four-inch was the most common, especially after about 1950.

For what it's worth, the five-inch seems to me to the best balanced and most practical, given ease of shooting, velocity, etc. I can see why the RCMP used it from 1954 until they went to autos in the 1990's.

However, the holster and your body size will determine whether you can comfortably wear barrels longer than four inches.

I've worn the M-19 with six-inch bbl. comfortably in a Safariland M-29 holster, and I'm only 5' 10". A taller man would have even more leeway, depending on how he's built. We slender guys may have an edge there.

T-Star

As far as N frame M27s (and 28s) go I see more 4 inch ones and many 6 inches as well. Once that I recall (the last show I went to as a matter of fact) I did see a 5 inch M-27 which went for something like 7-800. At first I thought that a bit high, but then realized it was a 5 inch....which according to this thread makes my first assumption (too high) being right.

I have an '05 4th change with a 5 inch barrel, it is the best shooting M&P in my vault.

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Geoff. Since 1960.

Here in the PNW the 5 inch barrel is rare on any model S&W. I have only seen two (19&27) and I bought them.
4&6 inch seems to be around a lot and I have seen a lot of 8 3/8 lately.
I sure like the feel of the 5 inch guns, always got my eye out for more.

nice collection. I've never seen a M-10 with target grips. Usually I see those on Magnum guns...sometimes on M-15s