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Author Topic: 44 Special FlatTop barrel length?  (Read 574 times)

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Offline rimfire

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44 Special FlatTop barrel length?
« on: May 19, 2009, 10:34:33 AM »
Plan to get one and cannot decide barrel length.  Which one do you like...4 5/8" of 5 1/2"... and why?

My first inclination was to get the 5.5", but I have never had a 4 5/8" and I like my firend's 4 5/8" 41 Blackhawk.  I am still leaning towards the 5.5.  Would love your opinion with reasoning.
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Offline BlkHawk73

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Re: 44 Special FlatTop barrel length?
« Reply #1 on: May 19, 2009, 10:44:27 AM »
  Mine (it's being built rather than buying a Lipsey's one) is getting a 6 1/2" bbl just 'casue I prefer the longer bbls.  more personal preferance than anything.  Get which fits and feels best to YOU regardless of what the majority likes. 
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Offline Ken ONeill

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Re: 44 Special FlatTop barrel length?
« Reply #2 on: May 19, 2009, 12:48:58 PM »
I bought the 4 5/8" version, because that's what was available and I do like the ERH lengths. Generally though, I would have preferred the 5 1/2" for the extra sight radius.
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Offline Ak.Hiker

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Re: 44 Special FlatTop barrel length?
« Reply #3 on: May 19, 2009, 06:51:55 PM »
To me it would depend on what you will be doing with the gun. For hunting and target shooting I would go with the 5.5 inch. For an all round packing handgun the 4 5/8 inch is just right. I have several Blackhawks with the 4 5/8 inch barrel for hiking.
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Offline OLDHandgunner

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Re: 44 Special FlatTop barrel length?
« Reply #4 on: May 20, 2009, 02:22:48 AM »
Mine is a 4 5/8" and I like it very much. But it's all about what you like.
40 years ago when I started handgunning " longer was better " for me. So most of my older handguns are 6" to 8 3/8". Now for most of my long range hunting I use my T/C's with scopes. ( My old eyes aren't as good as they used to be. ) I still hunt game with open sight handguns but not at the long ranges I use to. So in the past 10 years I've leaned toward the more compact carry handguns. They are very easy to carry & are very accurate. My Ruger Flat Top 44 Spl. 4 5/8" & S&W 696 44 Spl. 3" will shoot 1 1/2" groups at 25 yards all day long with my handloads. You do give up a little on accuracy with a shorter sight radius but not that much.
So it's all about what you want & like.
Good Luck with what ever you decide.
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