I have a Blackhawk 357/9mm conv. with 6 1/2" barrel.
Why do folks cut their barrels down? Is there some advantage to that.
Is there velocity loss or accuracy loss?
Because of the seperation between cylinder & barrel, so much of the pressure escapes there and not forced through the barrel, does a longer barrel reduce velocity because of that?? Thanks for any feedback.
The reason I had my 6.5" Blackhawk cut back is because they don't offer a 357 Blackhawk in a 5.5" barrel. 5.5" is just my personal preference in revolver barrel length, as I think(in Rugers anyway) that 5.5" offers the best compromise in balistics, balance, and handling.
Unless you have an excessive amount of barrel/cylinder gap, you really only lose a very small amount of velocity through loss of pressure at that point. My 357 Blackhawk only has .003" gap.
Generally, just like in rifles, with a longer revolver barrel, you'll pick up some velocity. Just how much depends on the bullet weight/style, and powder you're shooting in it. Basically the same balistic rules apply to revolvers as rifles, but in most cases to a slightly lesser degree. I lost around 20-40 fps on average by cutting 1" off my Blackhawk depending on the load.
It shot great before I cut it down, and it still shoots great so accuracy pretty much stayed the same. The one thing that changed is that for some reason, I tend to shoot a 5.5" revolver better offhand, which is likely more of a mental thing than physical.
