sorry bored on sunday barrel rehash

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the fatman

Single-Sixer
Joined
Mar 23, 2009
Messages
325
Location
Deltona Florida
Ruger single action revolvers in .357 mag. six and a half barrel or four and five eights. Pros and cons. velocity losses etc. Thanks for participating.
 

Stoots

Buckeye
Joined
May 27, 2002
Messages
1,465
Location
Carolina Beach, NC
I'm a fan of the 4 5/8 myself simply beacuse of the ease of carry. That barrel length is the perfect packin' length for the all-duty woods gun. (I have it in a SBH).

FPS velocity loss? I've no idea, but it's probably not significant.

You may experience a better sight picture on a slightly longer barrel (longer sight radius would be better for a 'hunting only' gun) and maybe a better 'balance', but these are subjective.

Get the one that calls to you and handles best for you.

JMHO...

:wink:
 

Big Bubba

Single-Sixer
Joined
Dec 26, 2006
Messages
112
Location
WV
I have chronographed both Ruger SA's and S&W N and K frame revolvers in long and short barrels, 4 to about 8 inch barrels. They just ain't enough difference in velocity to worry about. Bump your load in a 4 inch barrel by a half a grain of powder, and you have basically the same speed as the 7 1/5 to 8 inch barrel. (Providing you are not loading firebreathing, atomic, maxed out loads, something I don't do.)

I own revolvers in both long and shorter barrel lengths, and when I pick up a handgun to pack around, it is mostly in the 4 to 4 5/8" length, depending if it is a Smith or a Ruger SA. For me, they are more convinient to wear and carry.
 

tek4260

Buckeye
Joined
May 31, 2008
Messages
1,886
Location
carroll county ms
All of mine are 4 5/8 except a Bisley Single Six and a 32 Single Six that is on the way to my dealer. Those two will be 4 5/8 soon as I take the time to cut em. :)
 

Jimbo357mag

Hawkeye
Joined
Feb 22, 2007
Messages
10,350
Location
So. Florida
For target shooting and hunting the longer the better. :D

Targets2.jpg


...Jimbo
 

David LaPell

Blackhawk
Joined
Sep 14, 2008
Messages
979
Location
Upstate NY
To me I would rather have the 4 5/8 barrel for being able to pack the gun around. But if I wanted a .357 to hunt with, the 6 1/2 is the way to go.
 

DGW1949

Hunter
Joined
Apr 10, 2005
Messages
3,916
Location
Texas
The original .357 Mag used a 158Grn SWC bullet, a bunch of slow powder, and was designed around a 8-3/8" barrelled, heavy-frame revolver. If that was the type of load I was using today, I'd pick the 6-1/2".
On the other hand, I'm not a hot rodder. In fact, it's been years since I last fired a full-house 357 load. And that being the case, my 4-5/8" OM siuts me and my 38Spl-level loads just fine.

Far as velocity differences between a 4-5/8" and a 6-1/2", firing identical ammo goes.....that'll depend on what type of powder you use, how much of it you use, and which bullet you're pushing with it. That aint a big secret. These days, even the ammo companies market different loads, meant for different barrel lengths.

The key here is to pick the best load for your intended purpose and then pick the best platform to launch it from.
That's not realy practical when it comes to SD guns though, on account of we are perty-much limited to whatever gun we can hide....which in turn means that we pick the gun first and afterwards search for the most effective load said gun can use....which you can bet, aint nowhere near the load that the 357 gained it's reputation with.

DGW....who aint in the velocity is everything camp.
 

jengel

Bearcat
Joined
Mar 20, 2006
Messages
33
Location
Atwood, KS USA
I prefer 4 5/8" barrels. I think that they are lighter, easier to pack and the velocity difference does not concern me. Most people can't shoot good enough to determine a difference in accuracy with a longer barrel with open sights.
 

G. Freeman

Bearcat
Joined
Aug 29, 2001
Messages
90
Location
Walnut, California, USA
I got a 6.5" sts blackhawk. Originally, I wanted the 4 5/8" after researching this forum. My gun is 48 oz., heavier than my 6" GP, but I have learned to shoot it, and I shoot it quite well.

I'm a small framed person w/ medium sized hands. Have Pachmayr grips on it. I don't feel the need to buy the shorter version. Of course, I only use mine for target shooting (being an urban dweller).

If you need one for carrying out in the woods, then the shorter one may work better for you.
 

Dale53

Blackhawk
Joined
Aug 29, 2007
Messages
925
Location
Hamilton, Ohio USA
jengel":3lgk5jkp said:
Most people can't shoot good enough to determine a difference in accuracy with a longer barrel with open sights.

This is unfortunately true. However, I DO shoot good enough to tell the difference. I can hit just a little bit better with a bit longer barrels. For a carrying gun, I pick the 5½" barrel for general field use. For hunting with a scoped handgun I have two 7½" guns and one 8 3/8" in revolver.

YMMV

Dale53
 

1rebel

Bearcat
Joined
Jan 19, 2005
Messages
59
from the tests we did years ago generally speaking you get/lose abt 50fps per inch of barrel
 

Redhawk4

Single-Sixer
Joined
Nov 3, 2008
Messages
124
Location
UT
This site has some interesting info. on velocities and different barrel lengths.

http://www.ballisticsbytheinch.com/results.html

In my experience long barrels with the longer sighting radii makes me more accurate, and are great at the range or would be for hunting, but don't get carried. I prefer around a 4" barrel, because despite some loss of velocity and accuracy (due to me) it will do a better job in a pinch, than the one in the safe at home. I haven't found that a barrel below 4" in length makes carry any easier, except in a small frame revolver. So your choice depends what you need it to do. If you can only have one, IMO the 4 5/8 " barrel would be the best all rounder of the two.

If you look at most of the data on the above site most calibers seem to produce more and more velocity up to the 18" maximum they test, so where do you stop if you keep worrying about lost velocity?.
 

MK111

Bearcat
Joined
Feb 15, 2009
Messages
49
Location
SW Ohio
A quick rule of thumb is about 25 fps loss or gain for every inch of barrel. Not perfect by will get you by.
 
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