.357 Magnum 7 1/2" Barrel on a SAA?

[Sopmac]

Hello Everyone, i'm a new member on the high road and after browsing sometime on these forums it seems that the general consensus is that a .357 Magnum SAA handles better in a shorter barrel length.

I currently own a uberti SAA clone in .357 mag, and while she's very nice to handle and shoots great, I've never actually liked its 4 3/4" barrel. Before the clone, my first two revolvers were a 1860 army, and a 1851 navy and i've come to like the longer barrel length on both of those guns.

Just how front heavy or strange-in-the-hand will this revolver feel with a 7 1/2" barrel?

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I have shot the longer barrel SAA and while it does feel different than the short barrel model it is not uncomfortable or difficult to shoot. When I bought I compromised and bought the 5.50" barrel length. I like that best.

 

[J-Bar]

I expect the difference would be noticeable and in your case preferable. But the only way to be sure is to handle one.

I like the feel of the 7.5 inch 1851 Navy also. That long barrel feels like it is pulling towards the target.

I own 5.5 inch and 7.5 inch Ruger Old Armies, much heavier guns that the SAA or clones. The longer barrel on the ROA feels like it points better, too.

It boils down to a personal preference, Ginger/Mary Ann or Ford/Chevy. I expect this thread will go on for several pages!

 

[Sopmac]

I expect the difference would be noticeable and in your case preferable. But the only way to be sure is to handle one.

I like the feel of the 7.5 inch 1851 Navy also. That long barrel feels like it is pulling towards the target.

I own 5.5 inch and 7.5 inch Ruger Old Armies, much heavier guns that the SAA or clones. The longer barrel on the ROA feels like it points better, too.

It boils down to a personal preference, Ginger/Mary Ann or Ford/Chevy. I expect this thread will go on for several pages!

I couldn't have said it better. The long barrel just naturally guides my hand to the target. It's not a feeling I get with the shorter 4 3/4" barrel.

Another thing I've noticed about the Navy compared to the SAA is that she's so sleek. It almost hurts.

 

[Sopmac]

I have shot the longer barrel SAA and while it does feel different than the short barrel model it is not uncomfortable or difficult to shoot. When I bought I compromised and bought the 5.50" barrel length. I like that best.

I like the 5 1/2" barrel, I originally wanted that but it was sold out by the time I got there. In my case, I can't justify only a small jump in barrel length. Might as well go all out and get what I really wanted.

 

[Tallball]

I prefer the longer barrels. The sight radius helps me shoot better. They don't feel unbalanced to me. My 357 Blackhawk is 6.5", but I wish it was 7.5" like my 45 Blackhawk and 44 Super Blackhawk. My preference is that if it's not a carry piece, I want a long barrel.

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy

For what it's worth, more Colt Single Action Army revolvers were sold with the 5 1/2" barrel than the 7 1/2" barrel or the 4 3/4" barrel.

Just from an aesthetic standpoint I find the 5 1/2" barrel boring and prefer the more elegant appearance of the 7 1/2" barrel or the more brutal appearance of the 4 3/4" barrel. This pair of 2nd Gen Colts are both chambered for 45 Colt, and frankly, I never notice the extra weight of longer barrel when I fire them one after the other. And surprisingly I usually shoot better with the shorter barrel, despite the longer sight radius of the longer barrel, but that's just me.

With the smaller bore, and resultant more steel in the cylinder and barrels of a pair of similar lengthed 357 Mags, there will be a more noticeable difference, but only you can determine which you like better.

I will tell you that in CAS I carry the longer barreled gun butt forward in a cross drawer holster on my left side, while I carry the shorter gun in a conventional holster on the right. This is because in a conventional high rise holster it is easy to get my elbow tangled in my armpit while trying to clear leather with a long barrel on my strong side. No problem if I reach across my belly to pull the longer barrel.

 

[BobWright]

I've never had a Single Action .357 Magnum with a 7 1/2" barrel, but always fancied I'd really like one. Skeeter Skelton once commented that a 7 1/2" Single Action Colt was the best balanced handgun of any kind to him. For maximum sight radius and maximum velocity, the 7 1/2" .357 Magnum really shines as a small bore varmint gun. I always fancied a New Frontier .357 Magnum or .32-20 with that length tube. I have an old Three Screw Ruger .357 Magnum now and considering finding a 7 1/2" barrel for that.

I bought this .357 Magnum years ago from an individual:



He would not take over $200 for this one or a short barreled .357, so I made him sell me both for $400. The other is now a .44 Special.

Bob Wright

P.S. That's an Old Army steel grip frame, just cold blued for the time being.

 

[cfullgraf]

While this is personal preference...

I have a couple revolvers with 7-1/2" (Blackhawk) to 8-3/8" (S&W N Frame) barrels and I feel they are too front heavy.

I prefer revolvers with 4" to 6" barrels regardless of whether they are single action or double action.

An aside, I have a 460 S&W Magnum with an 8-3/8" barrel and it balances well but the cylinder and frame weighs a "ton" without the barrel.

 

[CraigC]

I like a little bit of everything. Some guns just beg for a longer barrel. Others short. While I have a strong preference for the 4¾" guns, I also like the 7½'s. IMHO, a big bore SAA handles beautifully in any length but you're going to feel a bit more of that weight with a .357.

 

[Kendal Black]

I like the feel and balance of a 7½" SAA--though I've only handled them in .45. There is sort of a chalkboard pointer effect that helps me to get onto the target. I would think the .357 a bit more front-heavy, due to the smaller hole through the barrel.

However, there are lots of long-barreled .357's with underlugs to make the barrels heavier still, such as the 6" Python and 586 and 686. Some people like that a lot, for it reduces muzzle flip. Front-heavy is not necessarily bad.

You'll know for certain whether a 7½" .357 single action is for you after you try one out... Which may be a self-evident answer that did not need stating.

 

[Sopmac]

I like the feel and balance of a 7½" SAA--though I've only handled them in .45. There is sort of a chalkboard pointer effect that helps me to get onto the target. I would think the .357 a bit more front-heavy, due to the smaller hole through the barrel.

However, there are lots of long-barreled .357's with underlugs to make the barrels heavier still, such as the 6" Python and 586 and 686. Some people like that a lot, for it reduces muzzle flip. Front-heavy is not necessarily bad.

You'll know for certain whether a 7½" .357 single action is for you after you try one out... Which may be a self-evident answer that did not need stating.

I didn't think of it like that. The muzzle does flip a bit when i'm firing 158gr. bullets out of it but it may just mitigate recoil a tad bit. Thanks for the glass full point of view.

 

[saaman]

Could never choose a favorite barrel length--I like them all. Out at 100 meters of course the longer barrel is easier to hit with.

 

[Sopmac]

Could never choose a favorite barrel length--I like them all. Out at 100 meters of course the longer barrel is easier to hit with.
View attachment 226000

I can't decide which of your revolvers I like most. I think I like the second highest with that cursive cartouche. That long barrel helps the aesthetic as well.

 

[bannockburn]

I have single actions in various barrel lengths though for overall balance and handling I prefer the shorter 4.62" barrels of the Ruger Blackhawks.

 

[Coyote3855]

The revolver purchase I regret the most was/is a Ruger Blackhawk with 6.5" barrel. Great shooter, but too awkward to carry. If it's a range gun, I'd go with the 7.5, but 4 3/4 for carry.

 

[buttrap]

I prefer the 4 and 3/4 in a good holster when I can sit on a horse or truck seat and not have it eat me up or get beat to death when its bumpy or hoppy.

 

[Varminterror]

A time for every tool.

For me, the difference in preference is dependent upon the difference in application. When I was CAS/SASS shooting on the regular, I preferred 4 5/8" and 5.5" revolvers. I got away with the longer 5.5"'s in Vaqueros because the balance wasn't so different from the shorter barrel in Colts/Clones, in terms of speed of handling - notably heavier overall, of course. Most of my single action revolver shooting these days is centered around precision target and hunting; as such, I'm shooting longer barrels most of the time.

If you're ripping the pistol out of your holster and trying to knock down steel targets on the clock, the faster handling short barrels are great. If you're drawing in the field and leveling the revolver on a whitetail buck, the extra sight radius of the 7.5" is nice.

 

[loose noose]

I agree whole heartedly with Varminterror as I also shot a lot of CAS/SASS, not to mention Big Bore Steel Silhouette, using a TC Contender with a 10" barrel, and a S&W Model 29 with the 8 3/8" barrel. As a youth I carried a Colt Single action, with a 4 5/8" barrel to check my traps, as it was so much easier to carry than a longer barreled handgun. Granted the 4 5/8"-6" .45 Colt is probably the best balanced single action made IMHO.

 

[Panzerschwein]

I think in a .45 Colt it is a nice feeling, but the .357 guns just have too much extra meat on them and it feels lopsided. The longest I'd go for a .357 gun would be 5.5".

 

[Bama Drifter]

Just recently divested my 5.5" .357 SAA and will not miss the heft of it. If you've never compared them side by side, go to a friendly LGS and ask for a pair of 5.5" single actions (they can be Colts, Vaqueros, Ubertis, any make) just be sure one of them is .357mag and the other is chambered in .45 Colt. Note the remarkable difference in weight. Then (after safety check) examine the muzzle and note that while they have nearly identical outer dimensions, the huge hole in the .45 Colt bbl makes for a lighter pipe, thus a lighter pistola. And to me, the 5.5" .45 Colt Model P is the finest balanced handgun in existence.

This is why I only own single actions in calibers that start with a "4". YMMV

This sort of thing is totally personal and each man should have a smokewagon that fits him best. While Driftwood loves 7.5" guns, I find them a bit stodgy and boring... maybe just my youthful ignorance. I'm sure on horseback a 7.5" bbl works great. It is THE gun that won the West.

 

[Armybrat]

My Colt .357 handles just fine...

 

[CraigC]

The smaller bores are heavier and don't handle as fast as a .44 or .45 but I wouldn't part with my .22, .32 and .38 caliber SAA's.