6" Combat Revolvers?

[Panzerschwein]

Hey guys! We all know the 4" bbl was standard on service revolvers for decades, but there were also departments and individuals who chose 6" bbl'd guns. This was pretty common back in the 20's-30's-40's era, but after a while you mostly saw 4" guns in the holsters of police officers etc.

However, even up until the switch to semi-auto pistols, there were units and individual officers who had 6" barreled revolvers. I've read in some places guns as large as Colt Pythons with 6" full-lug barrels, and S&W 586/686 with full-lug 6" bbls were used. I am wondering why they would have choose the larger gun over the smaller 4" guns. Also, do you know of any PD or individual officer who has a 6" revolver as there duty gun?

I love 6" guns myself, but I've often wondered if they would be at home in an officer's holster if they were willing to deal with the extra length and weight. What do think about this?

Thanks!

 

[BaltimoreBoy]

I love 6" guns myself, but I've often wondered if they would be at home in an officer's holster if they were willing to deal with the extra length and weight.

I suspect from reading Bill Jordan's "No Second Place Winner" that the 4" was preferred due to the greater ease of sitting with it holstered in an automobile.

If they had still been riding horses, maybe the 6" would have retained its popularity.

 

[rondog]

All I know is the two S&W Model 19's I used to own were both rollmarked Combat Magnums, they were both 6", and they were both awesome. I wish I still had at least one of them. I'm far more partial to 6" than 4", but that's because I feel they're better for target shooting.

I loved those guns, I still grieve over selling them. But bills gotta be paid.....

 

[rcmodel]

I think if you had to set in a little Ford police car all day or night?

Given a choice, you would carry a 4" inch.
Or have black & blue ribs all the time.

6" guns where much more popular with motorcycle & flat foot beat cops of the time.

As were swivel holsters that let them swing merrily out of the way when you sat down, or got hung up on something.

Yes, swivel out of the way and swing back and forth every step.
Even when you needed them to be where you put them the last time, in the very worst sort of way, in a hurry!

rc

 

[shiftyer1]

I've got a six inch 686, in a belt and holster rig it would carry alright.

 

[tomrkba]

I carry an N-Frame with 5" barrel IWB and it is the limit of what I can stand.

 

[rswartsell]

IF however, you did not have to worry about how it got there and we aren't playing "fast draw", a lot of LEO's would go into a gunfight with the added .357 velocity and sight radius of a 6". I would. YMMV

 

[Archie]

The advantage of the six inch over the four inch

Is primarily muzzle velocity - higher - and probably improved accuracy due to longer sight radius.

In my experience, the four inch (or three inch) revolvers 'handle' faster. That is, they are faster to get on target, faster to recover from recoil and faster on multiple targets than the longer gun.

And, being a short guy, I find them far more comfortable in an automobile.

 

[Panzerschwein]

I have a Ruger GP100 with a 6" full-lug barrel, and I've been contemplating selling it to get the same gun but with a 4" bbl. I can see how it would be easier to carry around, the 4" I mean, but the 6" gun I have now shoots like a dream. It is however somewhat muzzle heavy and doesn't clear it's holster as fast as I'd imagine the shorter gun would.

 

[Lucky Derby]

I am one who, for a while, carried a 6" wheel gun on duty. Private security inside a casino, not LE. The gun was a 6" M25-5 .45 Colt. On a duty belt and in a proper duty holster it really wasn't any harder to carry than it's 4" counterpart, which I also carried for a while. Now I was on my feet and not seated in a patrol car. If I were, then the 4" would definately have been the choice. I used a breakfront style holster so speed of draw was really no different between the two. The 6" has better velocity and the longer sight radius made accurate shooting easier.

 

[postalnut25]

My ex-wife's dad carried a 6-inch 686 way back in the days when we were dating, prior to getting married. He never changed over to an auto, because his agency would have made him take vacation to attend a conversion course.

 

[StrawHat]

As an RO with my Dept, I could and did carry a variety of revolvers (got out before the switch to self loaders). There was a 6" M19 that I wore for two weeks. In and out of a car, on the beat, eating, writing reports, basically in all aspects of the job. At the end of the two weeks, I happily returned to the 4" M15 I normally carried. The extra 2" was that much more of a problem. Not when standing but for nearly everything else.

A different holster might have helped but if you bring the revolver up too high, it hampers the draw. One of the Captians carried a 6" in a crossdraw holster but he rarely left the office.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

I have a 6 inch, and two different 3" .357's. If you really want a different gun to carry, just save.

 

[RustyShackelford]

The People's Court....

In the early version of the TV hit; The People's Court, Rusty the bailiff, who was a real retired LA Sheriffs Dept deputy packed a loaded real Colt Python 6" barrel .357magnum.

 

[XD 45acp]

In 1971-72 my brother was a beat cop in Petersburg Va. At that time, they had to furnish their own sidearm and qualify with it ( They were given a 1 time allowance for it). He had a 6" Model 29 44mag ( 1971-72, HMM, go figure why). After 4 months he was instructed to get a less powerful sidearm. He then went to a 4" Colt Diamondback.

 

[Panzerschwein]

Neat yall! Thanks for these great stories.

I think the 6" wheelguns looks so neat and intimidating! It's fun to learn all about these things. I am a younger man, and the golden age of wheelguns was before my time. For some reason though I've had a love affair with them since I was a young boy, and it's a blessing to have a resource like this to gain so much knowledge.

Thanks!

 

[pezo]

I have zero problems getting fast follow up shots and accurate hits with my 6" gp. Carrying around the beast on a holster maybe more challenging but once it's out shooting with magnums come with ease.

 

[tomrkba]

I have a Ruger GP100 with a 6" full-lug barrel, and I've been contemplating selling it to get the same gun but with a 4" bbl. I can see how it would be easier to carry around, the 4" I mean, but the 6" gun I have now shoots like a dream. It is however somewhat muzzle heavy and doesn't clear it's holster as fast as I'd imagine the shorter gun would.

Do not sell it. Just save your lunch money and buy a Ruger GP100 with 4" barrel--it's only $500-600 new and used ones are easy to find. You will not regret the decision.

 

[WestKentucky]

I carry a Taurus m44 6" vertical breakaway shoulder holster under a loose shirt. Even a polo is easy to draw from but tshirt is nearly impossible. That's when the pt99 goes IWB.

 

[Panzerschwein]

Do not sell it. Just save your lunch money and buy a Ruger GP100 with 4" barrel--it's only $500-600 new and used ones are easy to find. You will not regret the decision.

You know I've heard that from a number of different people! I think I will hang on to the gun for now but am still looking for a KGP-141.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

A good rule of thumb is "Never sell a gun you enjoy shooting, because you'll miss it." Unless you can't afford to keep it that is.

 

[Steve C]

In the days when police carried revolvers I would usually see 6" .357 magnums carried by the Highway Patrol officers, usually in a left side cross draw holster. City police almost always had 4" revolvers and most Sharif deputies carried 4" guns but a good percentage carried 6" guns.

 

[GP100man]

6" revolver for duty ?? DEMANDS a south paw draw holster, it`ll lay rite in ya lapp when sitting!
& with practice (like should be done with any draw)can be very effecient standing or sitting !

 

[Coyote3855]

I don't know about law enforcement. My second revolver was a 6.5" Ruger .357 Flattop. I'm a small guy, 5'7" and 150 pounds. The Ruger was awkward to carry except on horseback so I didn't. And wished I had my S&W Combat Masterpiece back.

 

[RustyShackelford]

JJ McQuade.....

In the mid 2000s, I thought of buying a new Ruger GP100 6" barrel .357magnum to carry on security details. I had a on-going dispute with a local patrol deputy & wanted to cheese him off.
I thought Id pack it in a Bianchi Intl Cyclone cross-draw like Chuck Norris in the early 1980s action hit; LoneWolf McQuade, www.IMDb.com . His Texas Ranger character packed a S&W N frame nickeled .44magnum.

Rusty
PS; the back-story of the 6" GP100 choice was the hot-head deputy kept complaining about my working armed & being "nervous" around armed citizens.