azranger45
Bearcat
I mean Colt was already out with their 4 3/4 barrel, does anyone know why Bill Ruger went with 4 5/8th's? Thanks, just wondering.[/b]
Why 4 5/8th for the short barrel?
- Thread starter azranger45
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stantheman86
Buckeye
- Joined
- Jun 4, 2010
- Messages
- 1,103
Maybe he just thought it looked the most "balanced"?
I wish there were a 4" .357 Vaquero, to match the DA guns like the Six.
I wish there were a 4" .357 Vaquero, to match the DA guns like the Six.
Sam Johnson
Blackhawk
Bill Ruger was not one to waste . I remember reading long ago that the barrel length had to do with the length of the raw barrel blanks, like how best to cut to get the most from a length of barrel stock.
Sam's likely on the right track.
Consider that two 4-5/8" barrels use up 9-1/4" of stock. With a little cutting allowance, that's very close to a single 9-1/2" barrel, and Ruger offered both of those in the early Single-Sixes.
Three 6-1/2" barrels use up 19-1/2" of stock . . . close to the 19" of stock required for two 9-1/2" barrels.
Mr. Bill was a clever, frugal fella.
Consider that two 4-5/8" barrels use up 9-1/4" of stock. With a little cutting allowance, that's very close to a single 9-1/2" barrel, and Ruger offered both of those in the early Single-Sixes.
Three 6-1/2" barrels use up 19-1/2" of stock . . . close to the 19" of stock required for two 9-1/2" barrels.
Mr. Bill was a clever, frugal fella.
Flash
Buckeye
I believe the barrel blanks were 24" long. Out of that came two 9 1/2" barrels and one 4 5/8" or two 6.5" barrels and two 5.5" barrels.
louiethelump
Buckeye
How about as that was the lenghth of the ejector rod housing???????
OP
azranger45
Bearcat
All excellent replies gentlemen, I thank you. I'm sure with Bill being the frugal person he was, the answer is in those blanks. Thank you very much, I've always wondered about the short barrel length.
bennettfam
Single-Sixer
Somebody grabbed the architectural ruler and used the wrong side on measuring the prototype. Then they just stuck with it.
Just kidding. Something I have done before.
Just kidding. Something I have done before.
louiethelump
Buckeye
My favorite barrel length....................... very sexy 8) ,,,,,,,,,,,,,, just the right balance.................... front sight is close enough to the rear sight that I can see it with the aging eyes....................... 
flatgate
Hawkeye
I think Louie's on to something 
Ruger's first 4-5/8" inch barrels were installed on the Aluminum Cylinder Framed "Lightweights".
flatgate
Ruger's first 4-5/8" inch barrels were installed on the Aluminum Cylinder Framed "Lightweights".
flatgate
chet15
Hawkeye
louiethelump said:
Don't think so as Ruger came out with a 5-1/2" Single Six first, which about 7/8" longer than the housing.
Chet15
louiethelump
Buckeye
How is that relevant? The 5.5" barrel was a SAA army length as well. The original question was "why 4 5/8" instead of 4 3/4" that Colt used?" I am only suggesting that since Colt cut the barrel at the end of the ejector rod housing, and Ruger's ejector rod housing is a bit shorter, that they cut the barrel in the same relationship to the Colt barrel so it would look the same and it came out to 4 5/8". The 7 1/2" barrel on the 45 Blackhawk is longer than the rod too, as is the 10", but the original discussion had to do with the short barrel and a question over 1/8" in the short barrel version.
At least I thought it was............ :?: :?:
At least I thought it was............ :?: :?:
edlmann
Blackhawk
louiethelump said:
This.
4-5/8 is what you get with the existing ERH.
steve8261948
Single-Sixer
Personally I prefer shorter barrels for carry guns. Linebaugh calls them packable.
Steve
Steve
Walter Rego
Single-Sixer
As Colt discovered with their New Frontier .22 and .22 Peacemaker revolvers, having the barrel length and ejector rod housing be the same length was important to the esthetics. The earliest production guns had a 4 3/4" barrel option, most likely to mimic the SAA but it was soon realized that the ejector rod housing was a bit short for the barrel. They soon changed the barrel length to 4.4" to be even with the length of the ERH. Maybe they had thousands of ERH's in inventory from the earlier models and it was cheaper to make the barrels shorter than to make longer housings ?
Anyway, I think the answer for the Rugers had to do with how many barrels could be cut from a 24" blank.
Anyway, I think the answer for the Rugers had to do with how many barrels could be cut from a 24" blank.
Besides . . . that's how Mr. Ruger wanted it.
End of story.
End of story.
Hondo44
Hawkeye
Walter Rego said:
Yep. It was the length of the blanks. It's been asked and answered by Ruger.
The early Colt 22s had a rolled sheetmetal ERH with a plug in the end and were short for proportion. So the guns mimicked the 5 1/2" full size SAA. The later ones were machined from steel and not old inventory. But Colt kept the same length ERH with the shortened 4.4" barrel to mimick the short 4 3/4" barrel fullsize SAA look, and also made them with 4 3/4" barrels to mimick the 5 1/2" SAA.
Tommy Kelly
Buckeye
They just look so good with the bbl stopping with the erh. My favorite length I even have a 44 mag that has a 51/2" bbl the gun has the long erh and the bbl was cut back to the erh and it looks like a 4 5/8" but isn't. The bbl is heavier than normal on this gun also. I think it was a 9" or so to start with but now it's a great shooting gun
Hondo44
Hawkeye
Tommy, you are so right. I had a 5 1/2" 44 Mag and when I installed the long ERH from the 357 Max it looked just right and it was in perfect proportion to my small frame 22 with 4 5/8" barrel.
It was so easy to do, just drill and tap one hole. And it would knock those 44 Mag cases all the way out of the chamber!
It was so easy to do, just drill and tap one hole. And it would knock those 44 Mag cases all the way out of the chamber!
edlmann
Blackhawk
Hondo44 said:
You can get the same effect by shortening the head of the base pin, or just buy the Colt style or Sheriff's model pin from Belt Mountain:
Hondo44
Hawkeye
edlmann said:Hondo44 said:
You can get the same effect by shortening the head of the base pin, or just buy the Colt style or Sheriff's model pin from Belt Mountain:
[/img]
You're right, been there, done that. But the 5 1/2 still looks better with long ERH and actually provides more travel than a pin change. On the short 3 1/2" the USFA ERH with cammed slot works the best for maximum length of travel.
