Every revolver should be available with this barrel length

Personally I prefer the 5-8" range in any of the magnum rugers I've shot. It seems that is about as small( read light) and large(read balanced) as a 357 thru 454 casull needs. Longer than that and its not a sidearm anymore. Shorter than that and its a bit too flashy. But an NAA pug with a 16" barrel might be a good way to get a laugh at the range. Micro Buntline anyone?

I think all revolvers should be available with 2" barrels or less.

This can make almost ANY revolver concealable, hence available to the operator in almost all situation where a larger weapon or where open carry is not available.

My two cents.

A revolver/handgun has to be mobile. 3-4" length is perfect. Want longer, use a longgun.

3" for carry, 5" for target, 7" for hunting

ColtPythonElite said:

4" isn't perfect for everything, but I can do about anything with it from CCW, hunting, to paper punching, longer range gong banging....if I could only have one, it would be a 4".

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I chose 4" for the same reasons.

Cooldill said:

I think all revolvers should be available with 2" barrels or less.

This can make almost ANY revolver concealable, hence available to the operator in almost all situation where a larger weapon or where open carry is not available.

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In my experience, barrel length has less to do with concealability that overall height. I carry a 4 5/8" Ruger Blackhawk, concealed quite well when I want to conceal it. But the Super Blackhawk, with its longer grip, becomes a little more difficult. And a 2" Model 29 S&W is not nearly as easily concealed as a J-Frame .38.

Bob Wright

By the way, I didn't vote. I have no use for a 2" or 3" Super Blackhawk, nor a 7 1/2" J-Framed S&W.

Bob Wright

Gotta go with 6 myself. There's aesthetic value in proportions IMO. Snubbies are cute, the 4" models look useful. 8 inchers look kinda like you're compensating. But a 6" just sits there and just kind of says - go ahead. pick me up. You know you want to.

You know what they say - you ain't livin til you shoot a J-frame with an 8" bbl.

Interesting. In the poll , 3" is in the lead. (my choice was 3...)

However , in the posted comments , of those who stated specific preferences I counted 3 votes for 3" vs 18 for something other than 3. 4" got 9 ; 5" got 7 votes.

Lesson : polls are tricky.

Yet you can have a shotgun with as short a barrel as you want, unregistered, while the US makes that a crime worthy of executing your wife and infant child.

Yes Truth Tellers you are right. That is what makes our gun laws so horrible. When the liberals brought the C-68 gun laws in they were able to take a huge amount of handguns as you needed a 12.XXX license. My AK 47 was prohibited, AR 15 is restricted like handguns. It's really sad as I always liked to shoot snub nosed revolvers. We are also very concerned as the liberals are back in power and we are waiting to see what they are going to do. A lot of talk about Australian gun laws and that would just devastate us.

Anyways I do like the 4.25" and 6" depending on what it is.

It seems 2", 4" and 6" are the most commonly available. Of what I have to choose from 4" is the most versatile for my uses. But if 3" and 5" were common options I'd have one of each. I actually have one with a 3" barrel, but nothing at 5".

Interesting. In the poll , 3" is in the lead. (my choice was 3...)

However , in the posted comments , of those who stated specific preferences I counted 3 votes for 3" vs 18 for something other than 3. 4" got 9 ; 5" got 7 votes.

Lesson : polls are tricky.

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Many are not actually answering the poll, which is asking what the nominal length should be for EVERY model. It doesn't ask what someone's favorite length might be.

On a more modern revolver, 4" to me looks correct. On a slightly older revolver, 5" looks right.

I agree with the point made earlier that a 4" barrel, let alone 5", on a J frame scale gun is a bit odd. No, the question is more about what barrel length would apply to all models. I have said I think that would be 3", pretty much the max on a small frame and the minimum on a large frame. If you throw out the high and low for frame size, the debate becomes more esoteric.

AlfonsDeWolf said:

A revolver/handgun has to be mobile. 3-4" length is perfect. Want longer, use a longgun.

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So, I cannot use a handgun with an overall length of about 11"... and must use something that is over 26". Yea, think your logic is a little flawed there.

That 11" handgun is my S&W 629-1 with a 6" barrel. In regards to overall performance, it is a good firearm. Accuracy is unbelievable, especially over the common range of a handgun. Likewise, I have a 642-1 (converted to 9mm) with 1.875" barrel. For a backup/off-duty gun, it is perfect for that role. It comes down to barrel length is very much individual preference for whatever role a person is using the revolver for. Even with concealed carry, there are arguments over 2" or 3".

But if you want lengths all revolvers should be available with... 1.875", 2", 3", 4", 5", 6", and 8". If you want 0.5" increments or over 8", custom order. Think that covers all the bases. [emoji106]

Difficult to answer. For me, it depends. I love a 6" DA and I'm sure I'd get along with a 5" but don't care for a SA anywhere between 4¾" and 7½". So probably the closest overlap would be 4" or thereabouts.

This poll is BS. The winning lengths are 3" and 4" which are simply the two most commonly offered lengths. The obvious;y best lengths are 3" and 5" and IMHO 4" is simply a terrible comprise between 3" and 5". 4" barreled revolvers should be abolished from the face of the earth!!!

exmachina said:

This poll is BS. The winning lengths are 3" and 4" which are simply the two most commonly offered lengths. The obvious;y best lengths are 3" and 5" and IMHO 4" is simply a terrible comprise between 3" and 5". 4" barreled revolvers should be abolished from the face of the earth!!!

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I think 3" is showing so strongly because so few revolvers are made in this barrel length.

S&W for some reason does not have a K-frame in the regular production catalog at that length, and only a couple harder-to-find J-frames.

Ruger is the only one making 3" a regular offering.

I have a 3" Postal Inspector Service Speed Six that I dearly love.

With multiple options, I would say 2" for backup use, 3" for concealed carry, 4" for general use, 5" for duty use, 7" for hunting. I realize that does in fact cover most of the options.

ExMachina said:

This poll is BS. The winning lengths are 3" and 4" which are simply the two most commonly offered lengths. The obvious;y best lengths are 3" and 5" and IMHO 4" is simply a terrible comprise between 3" and 5". 4" barreled revolvers should be abolished from the face of the earth!!!

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Wow, ExMachina... tell us how you REALLY feel.

Bama Drifter said:

Wow, ExMachina... tell us how you REALLY feel.

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Heh Yeah, I'm mostly kidding...though I may also be slightly bitter because I've always wanted a 5" M29 and they're nearly impossible to come by

I've heard they handle as beautifully as they look

4" is common , sure , but 3" ?

I think that the reason 3" leads in this poll is because many of us wish we had a 3" version of our favorite revolvers - but don't - because they are hard to come buy and therefore pricey when found.

Example - the world is full of 2" m36 Chief's Specials , but the 3" version is more rare and costly.

BTW - the poll did NOT ask what is the ideal revolver barrel length , rather
"should be available with this barrel length". There is an important difference.

In terms of revolvers, I think of guns over 3" in barrel length as open carry or range guns. The 3" is easier to clear a holster when worn high and tight for concealment and is better on something other than a duty belt and without suspenders. As long as manufacturers think in terms of what will sell in volume to law enforcement as what will justify offering the holster carry models, barrel lengths will tend to favor open carry. That's what I think.

This is a fun poll! It makes you think "what if?". I would like my LCR .327fed mag in a 3". I would like my Taurus Tracker .44mag in 5" since my 4" is ported which makes it a 3". The list goes on.

I chose the length that so FEW revolvers are made with: 3". Better ballistics and sight radius than 2", easier to carry than 4" (I approached this question with an eye toward CCW.)