4" vs. 5.5"

[Totin'a10]

Greetings. Thanks for your patience on another question that probably won't get much response. :?

As some may have figured out, I'm considering cutting a 6.5" bbl to 5 or so. I could, however,  just buy a 4" bbl. Anything really lost by doing this? Besides sight radius? Thanks, be safe!

[craiginok]

I have a 44 in 6" and 4" and a 45 in 5.5" , if i had my way they would all be 5.5"  thanks,craig.

[myronman3]

i have had pistols in lengths from 4 1/2 to 14".  my favorite is the 4 1/2 blackhawk.  the short barrel make the gun easy to handle.   there are advantages to the longer ones, and i would probably choose a longer barrel if i were doing something where i didnt have to carry it all over.  but for hunting and walking around doing whatever i may be doing the    4 5/8 is about perfect.   whether there is a noticable difference between the 5 1/2 and the 4 5/8,  i doubt.  but there are guys who feel that the 5 1/2 is just right.  were it me, i would base it on which one i could get the better deal on. matter of fact, that is just what i did.   :wink:

[Buster]

Here in North Carolina handgun barrels shorter than 5.5" are illegal for hunting!  So it would be an easy choice for me.  No idea why that is the law but we have to live with it for now.  A few years ago it was 6" minimum.

[Lloyd Smale]

love them short 4 inch for a smith 4-4 5/8s in a single action Dont care for anything longer then 6 inch on anything.

[7magWoodsman]

its a personal issue, but, i'd probably just go with the 4" barrel, it'd be cheaper in the long run and probably much better results...

I agree with that.

[WD45]

Like said above it is more personal preference than anything. I dont think anything shot with a 4 inch barrel gun is going to tell the difference or scream " foul "
Cylinder gap can make a bigger difference than 1 inch of barrel.

[Mikey]

Totin a 10:  I had a 6.5 inch S&W Model 29 that I carried for years until it started wearing a hole in my hip whenever I took it out for a walk or a hunt, so I finally sent it back to S&W for a rebarrel to a 4"..  I enjoy the gun more now as it is much easier to carry and just as easy to shoot.

At the range a couple of days ago with about 5 different loads, light ones to refamiliarize myself with th epiece and 4 different hunting loads.  Yes, you may give up a bit of velocity with a shorter barrel but as WD45 said, nothing is gonna yell or scream foul.  By the way, the loads I was shooting ranged from 240 to 300gn slugs and the recoil was pretty easy to deal with.  a 4" revolver is pretty easy to carry around and will give you everything you need in a 44 mag.  HTH.  Mikey.

[44 Man]

Got to read an old Handloader article about .45 colt loads in different barrel lengths.  Depending on the load, some shot faster in the 7 1/2" bbl and others shot faster in the 4 3/4" bbl.  So barrel length is mostly preference.  I have 'old eyes' and I find that I can focus the sights better now day if I have a shorter barrel hangun.  My favorite 'packing' pistol was a Mag-na-port special Ruger cut to 4" with an aluminum grip frame that was slightly rounded.  Great pistol.  Nowdays I seem to pack a 4 3/4" Peacekeeper more than anything else, although I love a Hartford 5.5" .45 also.  I'm thinking real hard about trying a 3 1/2" bbl SAA clone just for fun.  That short bbl in a cross draw holster would be great in the woods.  44 Man

[coltfan]

One thing you might want to consider before cutting the barrel, is your intended purpose for this particular gun. If you're going to hunt with it, you may find yourself choosing to scope this gun (old eyes really like scopes - plus the scope helps to extend your effective range). The blast from a shorter barrel could affect the front lens. Even you style of hunting will affect your decision. I prefer to spend the entire day in my stand, mostly because it sounds like Patton's third army coming thru the woods when I try to still hunt. If you still hunt, your shots may be at closer ranges, and may require you to get on target quicker, so the iron sights and a short barrel will be a big advantage. Still another consideration is how the extra weight helps dampen recoil and reduce muzzle flip, although this may not be as big of a factor in a hunting handgun.

Me personally, I've decided to keep my 6" scoped Anaconda as is for hunting, and am hoping to save up for a Model 29 with a 3 inch barrel, (either one of the older Lew Horton models, or the newer stainless model (I think it's called the backpacker)) for carry when I'm knocking about in the woods.

By the way, I believe S&W did (and may still) offer the Model 29 with a 5" barrel from the factory.