3" vs. 4" for Concealment?

[Scott Free]

I live in a relatively crime-free rural area and lead a low key mostly boring life so I'm happy carrying a j frame in the pocket. I'm now looking for a house gun and have decided on a Ruger SP101 as it fits my hand perfectly. (The GP100 and 686 are just a bit too big.) As it's going to be a house gun, I'm leaning toward a 4" barrel instead of 3". There may be times, though, that I might want to carry it, and am wondering how much difference that extra inch will make. Thoughts?

 

[Trebor]

I can easily and comfortably conceal a 3" S&W Model 65. I gave up trying to conceal a 4" version of the same basic gun (Model 10) the first time out the door.

I think the extra inch of barrel makes a huge difference. I do know guys who conceal 4" barreled revolvers, but why make it harder on yourself?

 

[Rexster]

I find no practical difference between 3" and 4" for concealment. Inside or outside the waistband, 4" has worked fine. To be clear, however, we are all built differently, of course! I do prefer a 4" revolver, all else being equal, to anything shorter, when it comes time to actually shoot fast and accurately. When I saw the new 4" .357 SP101 announced, it answered a long-standing wish of mine, but I have yet to see any for sale.

The only time barrel length has really mattered, for concealment, is with pocket carry. My 3" SP101 is really a holster gun; I have snubbier ones for pockets.

 

[MCgunner]

Depends on how you carry it. If the barrel is stuffed down your pants, no difference except for a little irritation perhaps. OWB, yeah, I prefer a 3". I don't carry that way much anyway, though, even with a 3". I'm paranoid of flashing what with our laws against that for CCW carriers. In a fanny pack, if the fanny pack is big enough, no difference. The SP101 is no pocket gun, anyway. I have a 3" Taurus 66, sold my SP101 2.3" and have debated getting a 3". I see the new adjustable sight 4" as a trail gun, though, not really a concealed carry gun, but it could be used for that with the right set up.

 

[VA27]

For IWB carry the extra inch shouldn't make any difference. The adjustable sights on the 4" are a plus, so that's the way I went.

 

[wrs840]

A 2-1/2" J-frame 637 pocket carries very well for me and IMO shoots much more like my 3" and 4" M64s than like my 442, which honestly doesn't see much use anymore.

A 3" K-frame OWB in a pancake holster is ideal for my outdoor-work carry purposes. I love my 4" and 6" revolvers, but for me, 3" makes hip carry more comfortable for daily use, and accuracy is not diminished enough to worry me. I'm not carrying it for spontaneous target matches.

 

[CDR_Glock]

I do a 4" 357 in a Paddle OWB by Lobo Leather:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crSyDDmlcdg&feature=youtube_gdata_player

I also had another holster made for a 4" model 627 357 Magnum (8 rounds).


iPad/Tapatalk

 

[Zaydok Allen]

3" conceals great IWB. 4"...... I imagine not so much. It probably depends on your height though. For what you are going to use it for, the extra inch isn't going to gain you much. 3" make more sense to me.

 

[MCgunner]

One thing, shorter the barrel, faster the draw and presentation. Okay, nit picky, might need an atomic clock, but true.

 

[amd6547]

I recently bought a used S&W Model 10 with the four inch tapered barrel. Found a Bianchi #3 pistol pocket IWB holster, and put a pair of Uncle Mikes boot grips on the revolver.
No problem carrying this set up whatsoever.

 

[OldCavSoldier]

Three-inch is my recommendation. Even though it will primarily be a house gun, the three-inch barrel is, IMHO, easier to put into action and less inclined to get the barrel hung-up on something. A sighting radius of an inch longer with the four-inch barrel really doesn't matter since the ranges in your house are most likely 35 feet or less. As for concealed carry, the real "ease of concealment" is not the barrel, but the grip. Comfort of concealed carry is affected by both barrel length and grip size and type.

Just my opinions! Good luck!