Barrel length for 357

I have the Wiley Clapp Ruger GP100 and Wiley considered the 3" barrel the best compromise between ease of maneuverability and ability to take advantage of today's modern ammo. He knows a lot more than I do about these things so I will not argue. I personally like 3" barrels in all my guns. They just balance right in my hand and allow me to get on target faster. Quite honestly, most people I know load them with .38 +P unless they are in the woods. You can see why yourself when you get one and fire rapid fire with .357 and .38.

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My 5" Smith & Wesson is my favorite 357 to shoot.

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The longer the better. Especially with a light bullet packed with slow burning powder.

With a 125jhp and a healthy dose of H110 I got the following speeds:
3" SP101 1367fps
6" GP100 1647
18" 77/357 2227fps :eek: That's 1376 ft/lbs. Quite a thump!
 
4 inch GP100
4 inch Security six
4 inch Model 19
4 inch Model 66
6 inch GP100
6 inch Model 686
6.5 New Model Blackhawk

4 inch is the most useful and 6 inch is the most fun. My 6 inch 357 mags are a joy to shoot and well balanced, but not easiest to carry.
 
I think a 4 to 6 inch barrel is probably the best balance. I prefer full lug revolvers. Some people I have known, think this makes the gun too heavy to shoot easily. I do have a request in for a 6" extra heavy barrel assembly for my Dan Wesson. It is a 4" at the moment. For range use the 4 to 6 inch range seems to work well. I don't care for this caliber with anything below 3 inches. I once had a S&W 19 stub nose. It was OK but a Dan Wesson 4" was much better for me. Both were new at the time.
 
From my 6 inch Coonan Classic using buffalo bore 125 grain high velocity ammo I am hitting 1800 FPS. That is about 900 Foot pounds.

I know some people my think I am talking out of my @$$ but I do have pictures.

Here is a link to the review I did.

http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=495750&highlight=coonan

After doing the review I have bought many more boxes of the stuff. I consider it my new carry ammo.
 
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As others have said, it's about purpose. If I was to shoot at an open range & wanted accuracy at longer distances or for Bullseye competition, I would get the 6". I have a 6" 686 that I changed over to a 4" for speed shooting at fairly short distances. The 4" swings better for me & can be slowed or stopped easier on the swing when shooting at multiple timed targets. The 4" is also a little quicker from the holster.
If you scope it the barrel length doesn't make much of a difference for accuracy.
 
For shooting I like the 6" bbls. I shoot IDPA and bbl can't exceed 4" so I have both. In a belt holster it doesn't make any difference except for concealment and then the 4" conceals better. If I was getting on for concealed carry it would be the 2 or 2-1/2".
 
IMHO, if you are ever expecting to need a swift follow-up shot, stick with 38+p...
If you feel that one shot will do the trick, .357 is always a more powerful round, so stick with that.
God bless and stay safe!
 
For general work, I think a 5" adds a lot over a 4" for carry and shooting.

I personally like 6.5" to 7.5" barrels the best. 8 3/8" is a bit long for easy shooting and 4" or less tends to give me too much muzzle blast.
 
There's lots of great advice here. More than enough to make a decision. If like many of us, you are not sure exactly what use you'll put this revolver to, but just want to own & shoot it, purchase what you you can afford & find, during these tough times. Once you have it, you can always sell or trade up later.
If you're a reloader, you'll appreciate not having to crawl around for your brass.
 
I have a colt trooper mark III with a 6 inch barrel. I use 180 grain cast performance WFNGC bullets over 12.6 grains of imr 4227. I am about to order a Simply Rugged holster for it. Extremely accurate with the 6 incher and surprisingly easy to shoot.
 
My 4" Colt Trooper is my favorite. A 6" barrel is fine if not carried and is as close as you get to the original 8 3/8" barrel and still have a well balance and good handling revolver. Skeeter Skelton was partial to the 5"M-27. I was VERY lucky to get a 5" barrel and shroud from Dan Wesson back in 1997 or so, my understanding was they had some left over barrels and shrouds in longer lengths to salvage.
 
Hey Boogieman, it's me fshfindr. I spent a little time in the hosp. but I have my permit in hand and I will be on the prowl for a 6 inch'r. Tomro I may be in your area if Hagues & Bob doesn't have one,
 
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