Barrel lengths

[ZVP]

Having now spent considerable time comparing the '51Navy 7 1/2" and the Remington 8" to their 5 1/2" counterparts, I have to admit a personal preferance for the 5 1/2" BBL's! There dosen't seem to be any appreciable loss of power or trajectory and the shorter barrels just feel "right". Maybe it's all the time I have spent with my Vaquero 4 5/8" and other short barreled guns? The cut down revolvers just feel perfectlly balanced.
I have to admit that the '58 Remington really balances good with the Army length barrel and due to the large .44 bore it dosen't weigh much more, but the Colt replicas sure feel LONG after shooting one of the 5 1/2'ers!
I haven't been able to find any reliable information as to if these revolvers actually were origonally sold with shorter barrels. It seems that all the pictures I have seen suggest that they were only sold with the long barrels. However I am sure somone had shorter barrels cut by gunsmiths.
Anyone know if these revolvers were origonally offered with 5 1/2" barrels?
ZVP

 

[rio nueces]

I find the 5 1/2" barrel on my new Pietta Remington to be ideal. It's still solid and heavy, but it should be - it's a very powerful revolver.
The handling and carrying however is VERY much improved. Note that many users of single-action cartridge pieces prefer the 5 1/2" also.
Maybe the old-timers had an illogical preference for longer barrels, thinking they got significantly more power. Maybe powder quality wasn't as consistent then?

 

[arcticap]

The longer sighting plane also provides an accuracy advantage, especially at skirmish distances and loaded with the "marginal" standard issue powder loads.
And a longer barrel can always be cut shorter with less effort & cost than it would take to install a longer one.

 

[mykeal]

Both Remington and Colt made pocket revolvers instead of short barreled versions of their heavier guns.

 

[StrawHat]

mykeal ...Both Remington and Colt made pocket revolvers instead of short barreled versions of their heavier guns...

Correct, but Colts would make any length barrel you wanted on their revolvers. Elmer Keith pictured a 6 1/2" barreled 1851 in one of his books and mentioned other odd lengths, usually less than the standard 7 1/2" (36) or 8" (44) barrels. I am not aware of Remington offereing the same option.

 

[StrawHat]

ZVP ...
Anyone know if these revolvers were origonally offered with 5 1/2" barrels?
ZVP...

Colts would provide any length barrel as a special order. It only took time and money. The order was mailed in to Colts, confirmed, monies sent, the work done and the package freighted to the owner. Probably no more than 1 or 2 months. As you surmise, most of the shorter lengths were the results of hacksaws and files. And most of the work would have been done by the local blacksmith or gun owner. The idea of a gunsmith who repaired firearms is a rather new concept. Monery was hard to come by and gun repair was often done by the owners or a new gun was purchased to replace a defective one. The old gun might have been taken in trade and fixed to be sold again or it might have ended up in the bottom of an outhouse.

If you think the 5 1/2" is neat, wait until you try something like my 3" barreled 1860!