4" vs 6" Revolver pros and cons...

Longer barrel = longer sight radius = better accuracy for most people.
Longer barrel = moderate increase in velocity ( +/- 50-75 FPS)

Shorter barrel = easier carry, sitting, concealment, etc...
Shorter barrel = quicker handling

Asthetics = personal opinion.

I have both but would go with a six inch for general use...accuracy rules for me. dvnv

Depends on application really.

If you are picking one up for a range toy, the 6" will yield better results in terms of accuracy and recoil recovery.

For a carry weapon, the 4" is much better suited for a quicker draw and faster target aquisition.

What do you plan to use the revolver for?

If it's for defense, I'd go 4". Easier to carry, and easier to control if the confrontation gets too 'upclose and personal'.

I also like the looks of a 4" more.

If it's for hunting, plinking, target then I'd go for 6". That extra two inches tames the muzzleblast some. And yes, there are practical accuracy and velocity issues as well.

Though... I have both a 6" and a 4" Security Sixes... and my 4" seems more accurate to me.

I guess I think the 4" is just more versatile... and off the top of my head, that's what I'd choose.

StrikeEagle

6" tends to have better practical accuracy and slower recoil curve, making it a better gun to shoot.

4" is 2" shorter, making it easier to carry and quicker to draw, and a bit harder for a goblin to grab from you in CQ. Snappier recoil, shorter sight radius, neither one of which is desirable in a "shooter".

A GP100 is a beast, anyway. Not a CCW. Unless you have a good reason to get a 4", I'd lean towards the 6" personally. Feel the balance, though. If the 6" wants to sag forward too much, that's not good, either.

the six inch has a longer sight radius. you do have increased velocity. If I were going hunting I'd take the six inch. But for plinking and casual target shooting the six inch is considerably more muzzle heavy. This help's for felt recoil but will increase fatigue of the arm while holding more so than shorter barrel's. My favorite length at time is the 3" but recoil is harsher.

All of which is why I've never understood why my favorite barrel length was never popular: the 5 incher. Neither fish nor fowl?

Now you know why I like five-inch barrels, which, unfortunately, are nearly as scarce as honest politicians.

A 357Magnum revolver with a 4 inch barrel will balance almost perfectly in the hand.

SwampWolf said:

All of which is why I've never understood why my favorite barrel length was never popular: the 5 incher. Neither fish nor fowl?

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I thought the 5" is a popular length for the S&W .44 Magnums. It's a bit hard to get in production .357 revolvers.

In the Single Action world, 4 5/8" and 5 1/2" lengths are by far the most common, with exactly 5" being essentially unavailable. For all intents and purposes, though, SA fans like their barrels around 5".

In double action revolvers I prefer a 3 inch or a five inch barrell.The problem is finding them.

For nearly forty years, my 4" Python was my standard for judging new guns. Each new gun was tested for accuracy against the Python. The Python always won until I bought a 6" Trooper. The first time at the range, the Trooper scored higher than the Python. I'm sure it's the extra two inches.

Sometimes the Sig 220 .45 will outscore the Trooper and the Python but that's because of the size of the hole.

I would not attempt to CCW a 6" gun.

John

I thought the 5" is a popular length for the S&W .44 Magnums. It's a bit hard to get in production .357 revolvers.

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I think S&W just reintroduced the 5" .44mag this year (629 Classic). 5" .44s are a lot harder to find than 4 or 6...I know, I'm looking for one. They can be found, but if they have them at a shop they usually bring a higher price than either the 4 or the 6. 5" is popular in the .45acp 625. I don't know about 5" .357s...don't care for one.

Personally I prefer 4" over 6". Recoil isn't bad, especially if you load your own. A 4" revolver can pull double duty as a HD gun and a plinker, but a 6" is a little more unwieldy for indoor use.

All of my carry wheelguns are 5 inches. Normally, I start off with 6 inch barrels that I have chopped and recrowned. I have noticed no decrease in accuracy by doing this and it balances them very well. I have done this to my S&W 629 and a Ruger Blackhawk 44 Magnum. I recently bought a S&W Model 625 45 ACP, which is made with a 5 inch barrel; it shoots great.

Just handle one of each and see which one you like better. Then just get it over with and buy both.

This is a common dilemma and the answer boils down to personal preference. The 6 inch barrel holds all the advantages, save one. That is comfort while sitting when carried in the strong side belt position, usually canted forward. An unusually tall person might get away with it, but most people find it uncomfortable. I realize there are concealment considerations also but these can usually be resolved with a shoulder holster. I have found a velocity advantage in a 6 1/2" over a 4" S&W 629 of about 100 fps, depending on load intensity. This translates to about a 25 yard advantage in practical terms, and over "normal" handgun ranges this is considerable. I expect the same might be true of a 357. I can also shoot tighter groups consistently with the longer sighting plane of the 6 1/2".

My answer to the problem was to own one of each! If I was forced to choose only one, it would be the 6 1/2".

the one of each crowd is the only way to go. A gun is a tool and it's setup is designed with certain specific task in mind.

Just like golf cubs!

this is kind of a lame answer, but for me it comes down to the fact that I simply like the way a 4 inch barrel looks as opposed to a 6 incher. In practical experience, I find that I shoot as well with a 4 inch barrel as I do with anything else, although, as previously mentioned, a 6 inch barrel should produce better results. For me, that 4 inch barrel is just perfect, and thats what I would go with almost every time given the choice between the two.

I never cared for the GP100 with the 6 inch barrel to me the 4 inch has a lot better balance and is just as accurate. The 6 inch with the full lug barrel seem to get heavy fast

The obvious answer is that anyone that wanted a gun as large as a 6" GP 100 would simply buy a .44.

If limited to only one length, I would choose the 4", as it will conceal better.

If CCW is not required, then it becomes mostly a matter of personal preference. Younger eyes will probably find the 6" version easier to shoot, while those much over 42 will prefer the 4".

I actually CCW'd my 6" Security-Six this weekend. I noticed that the inside the waist band holster I used for my 3" L-frame was open on the bottom. So, I had to try it. I don't like shoulder holsters, and most jackets simply aren't long enough to conceal an outside of the waistband holster with a 6" barrel gun.

Surprize! It worked. Just barely. Not the most comfortable thing, and the observant might note a small bulge where the muzzle ended up, and it is not real fast to get out, but it did work.