Les Jones

Guns > It'll Be Awesome, Part 5: Copyproof with Me

Here's a preview of one section of the S&W buyer's guide. Any suggestions or corrections welcome.

Barrel length

Barrel length is a tradeoff. Longer barrels give gunpowder more time to burn, which delivers higher velocities. They also have longer sight radiuses so it's easier to shoot them accurately. On the other hand, shorter barrels are lighter and handier. In defensive guns another advantage of a short barrel is that they give an adversary less gun to grab onto during a struggle.

• Two inch and two and a half inch snubnoses make great carry guns. In smaller frames snubnoses are small enough for pocket carry.
• Four inches is a good all-around barrel length. It's by far the most common barrel length in police issue guns.
• Four inches is a good all-around barrel length for everything except concealed carry, where it's a bit long. Four inches is by far the most common barrel length in police issue guns and medium-sized guns.
• Three inch guns are pretty sweet, too, and right now I slightly prefer them. For .357 Magnum three inches is preferable to shorter barrels because the ejector rod is long enough to guarantees positive ejection.
• Five inch guns are also somewhat uncommon
• Six inch and longer barrels are very pleasant when shooting .357 and other heavy calibers. The long barrel puts weight out front that helps reduce muzzle rise. Long barrels are unwieldy to tote around in anything but an open carry belt holster, so they're primarily useful for range use and hunting.

Incidentally, revolver and autoloading pistol barrels are measured differently. With autos, the barrel length includes the chamber. Revolver barrel lengths indicate the barrel only, and don't include the chamber/cylinder length. A revolver with a four inch barrel is roughly equal in length to an automatic with a five inch barrel.