Longest Encore Pistol?

[sirsloop]

Some of the rifle rounds could get quite a fps boost from like a 20" barrel, but it looks like all of the Pistol barrels T/C makes are 15" max.  Is getting a custom longer barrel in the 20" range do-able, legal (NJ?)

[trotterlg]

You would have to carefully read the rules, but I think that any barrel over 16 inches makes it a "short rifle" which is in a different classification.  Larry

[luckydawg13]

I DONT THINK THERE IS A MAX BARREL LANTH ON A PISTOL CALL THE A.T.F. 630 725 5290

[SHOOTALL]

it might be 15 inches . If 16 or over the over all length of the gun has to be 26 inches i think for a rifle . There may be something about the stock configeration also.
That said what would a long handgun offer that a short rifle would not do better ?

[SHOOTALL]

That might be why XP-100's had 15 inch bbl's and TC's had super 14's

[Win 1917]

Sure you can put longer barrels on them. I've used an 18" barrel on a Contender and it works fine but at the same time it became a totally different gun than say a 10" barrel. You can't just pop it in a holster and go. You have to carry and handle it more like a small rifle than a pistol. The thing I like about handguns is they're compact and easily portable. Once it gets beyond that I'd rather just carry a carbine.    

[sirsloop]

You get like 500fps more velocity out of a 20" 204 Ruger barrel than you do out of a 15" barrel.

I know putting a short barrel on a rifle makes it a SBR.  I assume as long as you do not put a buttstock on your T/C pistol it is never considered a rifle.


Do the Encore Rifle Factory barrels fit on a pistol frame?  If so I could get a used factory 28" rifle barrel cut and recrowned at a local gunsmith to my desired length for like 50 bucks...

[shot1]

You can put any length barrel on a pistol. A rifle has to have no shorter barrel than 16". The reason that many pistols like the Encore and Rem XP only have 15" barrels is because that is what handles and balances with in reason. With a 20" barrel you will have use a bipod or some kind of rest all the time. For a good barrel at a reasonable price and time to get it will only be 6 to 8 weeks is Match Grade Machines (MGM). I got a 30-30AI 14" SS Shilen for my Contender from them last Christmas. Man it is a shooter.

[Win 1917]

The barrels are no different physically so yes you could buy a long barrel and cut it to the desired length.

If you have chronograph data showing you get a 500fps increase from a 15"-20" barrel that's great, disregard the next comment. If you extrapolated that number though from the various rules of thumb stating that you gain X fps/in of barrel length you may not get quite as much as you're anticipating.    

[sirsloop]

Here's an example done with 204 Ruger.  I would be interested to find one with .223 and .308 too for lower cost ammo.

http://www.bullberry.com/204Rugerdata.html

 

[Keith L]

Check state laws about barrel length as well as the federal ones.  I have heard some states have a max length for pistol barrels but that is not something I have explored for all states.

[NOLA]

I have 2 16-1/4 inch barrels both have pistol forends on them
They were shot as pistols
I am going to shoot them as a rifle

[Reed1911]

I can only attest to the Federal Law and OK State Law, there is no legal limit on a pistol barrel. Once a butt-stock is on it however, it becomes a rifle and there are regs on how short you can go. No limit on longer lengths like a 30" or 40" barrel or more, etc.

[bobg]

  I think NYS regs say nothing longer than 16 inch on a pistol.

[sirsloop]

Lol... you can void PRoNY out as its almost always illegal to bring in a pistol from outta state.

[Richard P]

Specialtypistols.com  has a good bit of information on longer barrels on handgun frames.