Are revolver barrel lengths particularly important in terms of effectiveness? I have an assortment of revolvers but my favorite to carry is one with a 2.5 inch barrel. I have ones with a 4 inch and 5 inch barrel also but because of the length its a bit more annoying to carry them. I have carried the 4inch one no problem except for specific circumstances involving sitting. Are shorter barreled revolvers particularly pointless or it just depends?
Longer revolvers are more accurate and more powerful due to higher velocity and longer sight radius (assuming iron sights)
The difference in velocity can be pretty big, but we would need to specify caliber and such to get a good perspective. That doesn't mean snubnose revolvers are weak, but there are real tradeoffs for the gain in concealability and handling.
>That doesn't mean snubnose revolvers are weak
Yes it does and they are.
Relative to longer barrels sure, but differences are going to be negligible in practice. Life doesn't operate on vidya gaem statsheets.
I'd say nearly 1200 fps with a 158 grain projectile out of a 1 7/8" barrel is plenty enough, anon
neat now chrono your round actually doing that
>b-but I'm not actually gonna handload my defensive ammo and like, that's a really hot load for my babby pistol
yeah I thought so
That is a chronograph of that round being fired out of a lcr with a 1 7/8 barrel, anon
I don't know whatvelse to tell you
>no video
Didn't happen.
let's see paul harrell's video
Also want to add that I have never shot a factory made 357 mag cartridge in my life. My defensive cartridges are also hand loaded. I don't particularly care if you believe me
Why don't you like factory self defense stuff? not knocking the hand load lifestyle but I was just curious. Do people have like their own secret hand load recipes?
There's nothing wrong with factory ammo, but I handload for the following reasons
>it's cheaper (significantly, when looking at self defense / boutique / hyper ammo)
>I can control the amount of qc
>it can be made more powerful
And most importantly, it's fun. 357 mag is well suited to hand loading as well
Short barrels aren't a problem if you use high peak pressure, fast burning propellant ammo
Obviously that requires a tough gun like a GP100
Ah see. I should also have mentioned that I am a bit newer to shooting in general. I am having fun but I am trying to gather as much knowledge as I can so I can become a better shot but also a more knowledgeable gun owner in terms of self defense options. I have three .357 revolvers. One 2.50 inch barrel, one 4 inch barrel and one 5 inch barrel. On my larger 5 inch barrel one, the range .357 ammo I shoot feels great. Same with all the other guns though. I enjoy the feeling and it never feels like an oppressive recoil. My biggest concern is firing a type of ammo that loses a TON of effectiveness just because the barrel is shorter. Which if its still within "effective" ranges I don't really care. I mean in my mind, I wouldn't want to be shot with any bullet. At any range. So if you figure that most self defense situations happen within extreme close quarters, maybe a lot of what I am concerned about doesn't matter? If I can put shots on target at 5-10 yards accurately, am I in good self defending shape as far as shooting goes?
you'd have to chrono your gun with your ammo to be sure, but even a 2" barrel should wing a 158gr xtp at 1100 or 1200 fps, and those bullets are designed to mushroom as low as 800 fps. You'll send it all the way through a man even at 2" barrel length.
I actually prefer .357 DA snubbies. It's like having a Glock 43 in your pocket, except you can load it with real bullets that might actually kill someone (the real reason you need a 33 round magazine for a Glock 26 is because you need all 33 rounds to put a single rabid dog down).
I once
>I once
I once got visited by a grizzly at midnight way out in the woods, had my 357 speed six and put a couple rounds into a tree to scare it off, short 357s are LOUD. It worked.
damn there's a bunch of cranky b***hes here today
go out shooting you gay, it's saturday
So how does grain come into all this? I have always been confused about grain. Wouldn't you want to have the highest grain possible moving at the fastest speeds possible for that caliber? Example, I have self defense ammo that is 158 grain SJHP and some that is 50 grain but supposedly moves at 2100 fps or whatever. I have been experimenting with alot ammo types within the.38 and .357 calibers. However, I have just never really understood how grain of bullet may change things.
Heavy/longer bullets, behave differently than lighter bullets because physics. You do not want to fill the entire case with powder to push the heavy bullet faster.
The faster and heavier the projectile, the more force is exerted on your firearm. At a certain point it explodes
4.2 inch chads report in
There's something so right about 4 inch barrels
between 4 and 6 inches is the perfect barrel length
4 inchs is God's length.
...
That's what I tell women too, but it hasn't convinced them yet.
But really 4.2 inches is perfect. It gives you solid accuracy, a good sight radius, and you can still conceal them just fine. 3 inchs would be better for a deeper and more comfortable carry without sacrificing too much length. I like the idea of snubbies but I don't own any. You can throw a snub in a pocket really easily though, whereas I can't do that with the 4 inch barrels. Those are strictly holster-only guns.