Is a 6" too big for carry?

I have a 5" 686+. I find it nose heavy at times. If I were to do it again, I would get the 4".
I do not carry mine.
Accuracy -- I normally get tighter groups with my 6" model 14 than my 4" model 15 when standing off hand but they are close enough that for practical purposes, I would say they are the same. It just takes more concentration with the 4 than with the 6.
 
I think its going to depend a bit on where you carry geographically, some places are more "nervous" than others.
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This. he just moved here to WI and I know there will be places that will blow smoke if he does this and it'll be a huge deal. Or waaay upstate or in the smaller towns it'll be nbd after a quick talk to the sheriff so he can give his deputies a heads up. OP isn't common here in WI except during hunting season. Which is a strange paradox oh its hunting season nbd to OMG why do you need that?! Also another issue is as soon as you enter a vehicle that gun goes from OC to CC so you must remove it from your holster and place it in a case if you don't have a permit. but removing it from the holster could be considered 'brandishing'

OP hasn't really responded to any of his numerous threads... I really hope he does.

My main concern is when he eventually gets stopped by the police since he is under 21 most won't know it is legal to own a handgun since the legal age to buy one from an ffl is 21... Also I am concerned he's open carrying because he wants a gun and he can, but back in reality it will cause more problems then it will solve. I think he needs to learn a bit more before he rushes out and starts carrying. Of course its his right and if he wants to go for it I just think he isn't considering the problems it will cause him.

As I said before just because you can doesn't mean you should.
 
I often carry a 686 with a 6-inch barrel. I use an El Paso Crosshair, and it rides very much out of the way. No question about it a shorter barrel is easier to carry and a little faster, but once the six-inch barrel 686 in the hand you'll appreciate the extra sight radius.

I will address the age issue. You're much older than you ought to be to start carrying a sixgun, but since you can't turn back time you might as well start now. I might suggest, however, not that you asked that you begin carrying your new sixgun in hunting situations or perhaps on the back side of a farm.

I remember when I first started carrying a handgun regularly. My mother complained to my father that her guests would be very upset when they saw me and my brothers carrying around rifles and shotguns longer than we were tall. They asked her if we were feuding and that embarrassed her. Until things cooled down I used an old U.S. Army tanker shoulder holster and I alternated between a Colt Woodsman and a Single Action Army 38. I figured what she couldn't see wouldn't bother her.
 
You guys make a lot of sense. I think ill refrain from Open Carry for the time being. Ill just use the gun for home protection for now until I'm old enough for Concealed carry. I have a lot of open land that I own so Ill probably just carry when hiking through the woods. Thanks again for the input guys! I may be young, but im not so ignorant as to ignore good advice when its given!
 
I wear a 6" now and then. If it's a standard strong side holster the barrel will hit any chair you sit down on. So that leaves you will cross draw or a chest holster.
 
I have to kind of chuckle when I read posts about carrying "heavy" guns. I carried a 6"VH Dan Wesson, or a 6+1/2" S&W 28, or a Beretta 92, plus cuffs, plus ammo, on a super heavy duty belt, 5 days a week for about 4 years and I never, ever thought about them being too heavy. One tip if you do, get a swivel holster, especially if you carry a 6" gun.
 
I have carried 6" revolvers off and on for many years.

On the belt, cross draw holster:
http://www.guns.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/desantis-da6.jpg
http://www.guns.com/review/2013/04/...oss-draw-and-the-desantis-dual-angle-holster/

On the chest:
http://www.diamonddcustomleather.com/Chest_Holsters.php

By far the diamondd Guides Choice holster for comfort and staying out of the way for everything else but still very accessible. (And quite a bit of adjustability where you want the holster to be on your torso.)

Most folks seem to prefer the 4" for carry. However, the 6" will give a better sight radius and increased velocity; if you are shooting longer distances, this is a bonus!

I would suggest that you find somewhere/someone who will let you try out a few different barrel lengths; if possible including some holster options. (The cost of these types of holsters being between $100 - $200 might make one want to be sure of their barrel length and holster choice before hand; or you can do it like I did and buy multiple revolvers/barrel lengths and multiple holsters only to end up really liking one set up in the long run and having a holster drawer/box full up!)

Last note: closed bottom belt holsters for 6" barrels are a really good idea; nothing like sitting down/falling in the dirt/mud and finding your barrel filled full of dirt/mud!
YMMV
 
I've decided a 6 is too much for carry as well as a 5.
4 might be ok, but lately a 4 has been biting into my side when seated in the truck on a belt holster. So my present thinking is that a 3 inch would be better.
 
If it's a standard strong side holster the barrel will hit any chair you sit down on.
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I'm not exactly sure what you're calling "standard" but the Bianchi 5B HL with the high riding position of the belt loops & the cant doesn't hit chairs for me. I think its a combination of the two features that makes it work so well.
 
Five days a week for four years is a walk in the park. As a LEO, you were still wet behind the ears. ;)

You probably didn't know any better. :rolleyes:
 
For me 6" is a bit much to be pulling out of a holster in a hurry. Especially if you wear it high. 4" or less is the way that I would go.
 
Also another issue is as soon as you enter a vehicle that gun goes from OC to CC so you must remove it from your holster and place it in a case if you don't have a permit. but removing it from the holster could be considered 'brandishing'
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I beg to differ. In Wisconsin, entering a vehicle does not change the status of carrying a handgun. If order for a holster to be legal for "open carry" in Wisconsin, some part of the gun must be exposed at all times. Thus any holster legal to wear ouside a vehicle is legal to wear inside the vehicle. In Wisconsin, a handgun can be loaded and uncased, inside a vehicle, as long as it's not concealed, by anyone legal to possess a handgun.
 
me thinks

I've always found a 6 inch revolver a tad to long for strong side belt carry, in and out of vehicles, etc. And the grip and frame associated with same, make for a pretty bulky handgun as well. Back in the day, the solution for LE and 6" revolvers, strong side carry, was the drop/swivel holster, and that made for a pretty clunky belt/holster rig.

What I have discovered I like with my long barreled Single -6 is a cross draw holster. The barrel is angled sufficiently to allow ease for sitting and stepping in and out, on and off, conveyances. The single-6's are slim enough as .22's to not be so bulky either.
 
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