What's the ideal barrel length for carry?

[Jack Ryan]

Antifa suck it

Edited January 11, 2021 by Jack Ryan
Leftist data collection

[Pistolay]

The ideal barrel length for carry is 3.43", which just happens to be the barrel length of a G26 gen5, the ideal carry pistol.

[wjv]

I'm planning on getting the 4" SP101 in .357 for carry when hiking and camping.  Add some Hogue Monogrips and a simply rugged holster and it's a perfect kit/trail gun.

For urban carry I'd go with a 2.5-3 inch barrel for better ability to conceal.  I'd also go with a bobbed or internal hammer and a DA Only action.  

 

 

[janice6]

On ‎9‎/‎7‎/‎2017 at 10:03 PM, GlockPride said:

I'd say 3–4" is probably the sweet spot for most.  

I find that 4" is my maximum for concealed carry IWB  in a .357 Magnum.  (no idea why font changed).  It's my favorite caliber but too few rounds for me as urban carry.

[janice6]

On ‎8‎/‎25‎/‎2017 at 4:16 PM, KBKEITH said:

I'm sure a lot of you would agree that it's not so much the length of the barrel that determines comfort and concealability, but more the length of the grip.

Each, the grip length determines the cant, and the barrel length determines the height of the holster.  I found that I can find a position where both are satisfied.

[AK_Stick]

Probably carry my 4 inch 19-3 then. 

 

Or I’d have the underlug shaved off my 4 inch 686. 

Edited March 3, 2019 by AK_Stick

[Borg warner]

It depends on your mode of carry. For pocket carry, I like a pre-lock hammerless or shrouded hammer J frame smith with a 1.87" barrel. for IWB carry I'd like a Kimber K6s with a 2 inch barrel. Years ago I used to carry a Ruger speed six (fixed sights) with a 2 3/4 inch barrel that I carried OWB with a cover garment for concealment. I also carried a Charter Arms bulldog (3 inch) the same way.

In a duty holster I think 4 inch is about right but I love those model 13 S&W's and I have an old lend-lease WWII M&P revolver with British proof marks  that was originally a 38 S&W but has a 38 special cylinder and has a 5 inch tapered barrels that is a dream to carry and that tapered barrel Is much lighter than a heavy barrel model 10

I have another gun I sometimes carry in the woods, a 6 inch model 28 Highway Patrolman, and I have a genuine Smith and Wesson holster for it and that is a big heavy gun but it sure shoots nice even with heavy Underwood 357 magnum 180 grain hardcast loads that develop 1400 fps and 783 ft lbs of kinetic energy. But the longer barrel is somewhat  slower to get out of a holster and on target than a 4 inch barrel however.  Another revolver I have that I  really like is a model 58 41 magnum with a 4 inch barrel An d fixed sights  but the only problem with that gun is I can't shoot maximum loads out if it unless I take off the skinny service grips and put on a set of Hogue's on it but that ruins the classic looks of the gun. 

I have found that a Tyler T-grip adaptor helps with the recoil enough that I can shoot fairly hot ammo out of it but just not "Bear Loads".

 

[G26S239]

On 7/1/2018 at 6:08 AM, syntaxerrorsix said:

3-4" seems ideal for my woods carry.  I've not spent any real time trying to conceal carry a revolver.

This is what I like to carry on my hikes.

 

I missed this the first time around. That is one beautiful SA.