4 INCHES BARREL?

[WILBERT]

Sir's why the 4 INCHES BARREL became the standard barrel? why not 6 in or 2 in? Thanks in advance!

 

[KurtC]

6 inches is too long to draw from a strong side hip holster, and 2 inches has too short of a sight radius for easy 25 meter qualification. 4 inches is just about right for both.

 

[BillyWayne]

I prefer 3" for carry and 4"-5" for range work.

 

[diamonback68]

Gee, do they make them in any other length than 4"?

 

[Pisgah]

4" is simply a comfortable compromise between the longer sight radius and higher velocity of the 6" and the compactness and ease of handling of the 2". A 4" gun is easier to conceal or belt-carry than the 6", and easier to shoot accurately than the 2" -- or, you might say, the best of both worlds.

 

[sonny]

Depending on your gun manufacturer, you'll find barrel lengths all over the place. 4 5/8" is quite common, as is 5 1/2", 6 1/2", 8 3/8". Something for everybody. And plenty of snubs in the 3" range.
Sonny

 

[Big Cholla]

For the average sized LEO, anything over 4" bbl. length dug into the patrolcar seat when worn in the usual belt holster. ......... Big Cholla

 

[Marshall 357]

I like the 4'' and shorter barrels,but 2.5'' is the shortest I will go. I do like my 6'' 586 very much.

 

[Jack Flash]

Go back far enough in history and S&W would sell you pretty much whatever length you wanted to order, usually with little or no difference in cost. As time went on, all manufacturers had to transition away from hand-built, custom-crafted products to mass-produced, standardized models in order to stay price-competitive.

Four inch barrels became a standard as it is a decent enough compromise. No, it will not conceal as well as a two inch, nor will it have the sight radius of a six inch. But you manufacture what you can sell the most of and still make a profit.

 

[WILBERT]

Thanks for your sharing of your knowlege! But is the 4 inches barrel is enough to drive the bullet in a straight forward flight (balistics)?

 

[Jack Flash]

Oh sure. Some folks claim excellent accuracy from barrels as short as two inches. You do lose a little velocity with the shorter barrels, but it isn't all that much. (IIRC, it's something like 50 feet per second for each inch of barrel length removed.)

Many people believe that you can shoot a longer barrelled revolver more accurately since it has a longer sight radius. Also the longer barrel may help tame recoil a little, in addition to the increase in bullet velocity.

 

[WILBERT]

Oh sure. Some folks claim excellent accuracy from barrels as short as two inches. You do lose a little velocity with the shorter barrels, but it isn't all that much. (IIRC, it's something like 50 feet per second for each inch of barrel length removed.)

Many people believe that you can shoot a longer barrelled revolver more accurately since it has a longer sight radius. Also the longer barrel may help tame recoil a little, in addition to the increase in bullet velocity.

Thanks a lot Sir Jack Flash!