What barrel lengths do you favor?

[kcub]

I shoot much better with longer barrels at any range.
I'm not great with 2 and 4 inch barrels.
Of all the short barrel pocket guns I have fired, I shoot the Walthers best.
Whether TPH or PPK, I like the way you line up the bar and the dot on the target. It is the best combination of fast and accurate there is. Some Kahrs have copied this 2 dot setup as well.

 

[darrentxs]

I have been doing pretty well with short barrels of late. I believe it's because I have been slow firing and really concentrating hard on the sites and steady trigger pressure. I seem to concentrate much harder with short barreled hanguns because I know how unforgiving they can be. My dad and brothers are usually at the range with me so we always try to do our best.

In response to to the thread title, I like 4-6" barrels best.

 

[giaquir]

In response to to the thread title, I like 4-6" barrels best

+1

 

[Mike Irwin]

I prefer 2 to 4" barrels myself.

But I do have a couple of 6" inchers or longer, primarily my Smith 24-3, and a couple of 5" M&Ps from the 1920s, one in .32-20 the other in .38 Special.

 

[kraigwy]

For competition and police work I like the 4",

For SD and Concealing (I pocket carry) I like the 2 in.

Any accuracy advantage the longer barrels have over the 4 in (or 2 inch for that matter) can be offset by practice.

However if you're riding around in a patrol car 10 hours a day, 6" is in the way and uncomfortable.

 

[FM12]

2"for carry concealed, 4-6" for duty/serious business.

 

[cetanner]

I prefer 3.5 to 4.5 inch barrels. I feel confident in my accuracy with these.

 

[Nathan]

3-5" revolvers and 3.5" - 5" autos

 

[Stressfire]

All but 1 of my handguns are around 3-4 inches. I seem to do the best with those if only because I am used to them. That is not to say that I do not like and appreciate my sole 5" barrel

 

[ClydeFrog]

General handgun shooting; revolvers & semi auto pistols...

For general use & duty type carry I prefer a semi auto pistol with at least a 4" barrel & a 3" barrel for a DA or DA only type revolver.
Some may be less like a SP101 or J frame depending on the carry requirements. Small frame or "mouse guns" are not ideal for regular carry IMO.
A well made, modern JHP or defense round should have at least a 3" barrel to work correctly.

ClydeFrog

 

[BIG P]

4'' for the most,Hunting 7'' to 15''.

 

[sgms]

Depends on what the pistol is being used for, target shooting 5 or 6 inch works best for me(I find the longer barrels to muzzle heavy), on belt carry full size 1911 or 4 inch, under belt most comfortable with 3 inch or sub compact, for pocket carry the mouse guns or 2 inch revolver.

 

[WIL TERRY]

4 3/4", 5 1/2", and 7 1/2" for REAL guns.

 

[darrentxs]

/\/\/\/\ It's easy to spot cowboys

 

[DFrame]

I "got over" long barrels a long time ago. For quite a while I thought I needed them to shoot well. Nowadays most I own are 3 inches or less and I shoot just as well. I find long barrels cumbersome. And the longer they are, more awkward they are. The majority of mine are 2 inch or 3 inch, with just a couple of longer ones, and I wish THEY were shorter.

 

[Buzzcook]

I tend to like longer barrels. They do make aiming easier, but they also help tame recoil and the added weight helps keep the gun steadier. I also like the feel and balance of longer barreled handguns.

My SAA is 7 1/2 and my M617 is 6". My pistils are 5", 118mm, and 4".

I agree with Kraigwy that with practice, shooting standard length barrels and even snubbies can be just as accurate.

 

[egor20]

3.5 to 4 inch.

 

[9mm]

It's triggers for me. I thought the LC9/LCP/J frame shot like crap (because of the small barrels) not till I got my Sig P238 and notice small barrels work, its because SA/vs DA/DAO. Same when shooting my 92fs DA it has bad shots.

I like revolvers in snubby to 4 inch max. Past 4 inches the gun gets heavy for me and feels weird.... I saw a S&W 8 1/3? inch 22lr and I thought it was one of the ugliest firearms I ever seen.

I wouldn't invest in a $600-$1000 revolver if it was a 5-8 inch just no way. I think they are ugly. I wouldn't mind a Taurus 991? 22lr/22mag in 6 inch but thats it.

 

[mrt949]

When i was younger longer the better for hunting and silhouette .Today it's 2'' to 4''.

 

[Noreaster]

Here is my take on the subject. Generally speaking a longer barrel is easier and faster to shoot. I will now qualify that statement with my own logic;

1.) When the gun fits your hand the sight radius doesn't matter as much.

2.) Target and hunting are different then self defense. Target and hunting handguns sometimes favor larger grips and longer barrel lengths. Self defense firearms usually favor perfect fit or smaller grips and a balanced feel to the handgun (combination of grip length/width and barrel length.) Quick and accurate shooting in a stressful situation is easier with a smaller grip then a larger or big target grip, (also applies to sights, ie; 3 dots vs. blacked out serrations.)

Just my opinion but it's based on allot of experience both training and real world. Training will over come just about all.