Difference btwn barrel lengths

Phil Martin · July 14, 2011, 01:03 PM

Hi all, just a quick question please. Besides aesthetic reasons, what are the main differences (or advantages and disadvantages) between a 4 3/4" and 5 1/2" barrel in a SA revolver for sass purposes etc? thanks

ScotchMan · July 14, 2011, 03:18 PM

Longer barrels allow the pressure to build behind the bullet longer before the bullet exits. Therefore you will see slightly higher velocities from longer barrels (especially when talking about very short compared with longer barrels). In your case maybe 50-100fps?

Longer barrels also allow a longer sight radius, making it easier to aim using the sights.

Finally longer barrels make the gun's center of gravity further forward, helping reduce muzzle flip during recoil.

Did I miss anything?

Jim Watson · July 14, 2011, 03:43 PM

Quote:

differences (or advantages and disadvantages) between a 4 3/4" and 5 1/2" barrel in a SA revolver for sass purposes etc

I don't know if there is enough difference in sight radius to matter.

When I was shooting SASS regularly, I had a 4.75" barrel put on my gun (yes, long enough ago that you only needed one sixgun) but after one season had the 7.5" put back on. Targets were farther away then and the sight radius mattered. But 4.75 to 5.5 is much less of a change; and the 4.75 inch "civilian" length looks much kewler.

aarondhgraham · July 14, 2011, 03:44 PM

But I do believe there is another side to it.

Aarond's Law #2 states: Everything is a two-edged sword.

Gain an advantage with a thing,,,
Lose an advantage with that very same thing.

It really boils down to just what he said,,,
Longer barrel reduces muzzle flip

Lots of SASS people (including me) like the shorter barrel,,,
I can move it faster and get onto another target a wee bit quicker,,,
We will put up with that extra muzzle flip to have a gun we can turn faster.

At least I've convinced myself that's why I do better with the shorter gun.

There is no absolute advantage of one over the other,,,
You'll decide which you like best after shooting both.

Aarond,,,
Taking ambiguity to new heights.

.

ScotchMan · July 14, 2011, 04:02 PM

...what is SASS? If the OP had capitalized it and I had realized it was an acronym, and not an adjective meaning to conduct ones self with attitude and sarcasm, I may not have replied

rclark · July 14, 2011, 04:49 PM

SASS - Sincle Action Shooting Society

aarondhgraham · July 14, 2011, 04:55 PM

Single Action Shooters Society

A group of grown men and women who dress up like old west cow-folk and shoot stuff.

Lotsa fun if you grew up watching movies about "The West That Never Was."

Aarond

Phil Martin · July 14, 2011, 05:01 PM

Guys, thanks so much! I was just curious, really. Friend of mine is into SASS and our chats got me to thinking about it. Then of course I searched for SA revolvers which got me into this question.

Really appreciate it, thank you very much.

Phil Martin · July 14, 2011, 05:08 PM

Didn't know you were into it, Aarond. How do you (or did you) like it? Have you always used 4.75"?

I presume all agree on USFA for their SA revolvers?

Eghad · July 18, 2011, 06:59 AM

I used Ruger New Vaqueros in .45 LC

**Aguila Blanca** · July 18, 2011, 11:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phil Martin

I presume all agree on USFA for their SA revolvers?

That's a rather unusual presumption. Why in the world would anyone think that all SA revolver shooters might prefer USFA? I seriously doubt the percentage even approaches "most."

Jim Watson · July 18, 2011, 11:42 AM

Yup.
I mostly shoot a Colt and a Cimarron/ASM with hard rubber grips and squared sight notch to match the Colt. Got some kind of Italian '51 Navy with cartridge conversion in reserve, and a real Smith & Wesson for occasional display on ceremonial occasions.

The USFA seems well made and gets good reviews but it has a skinnier butt than my 3rd gen Colt and just does not feel as good in my hand. (SAA grip frames and grips are all over the map, few just alike. You are advised to send in the gun or at least the straps for nice grips to be fitted to YOUR gun.)

aarondhgraham · July 18, 2011, 11:58 AM

I am still a dues paying SASS member,,,
Baron Aarond Gray is my alias,,,
My badge number 6230,,,
I joined back in 1994.

But I don't participate any more,,,
When I joined it was a great amount of fun,,,
No one cared that all I had was a pair of 1858 Remmies,,,
I shot side matches with like minded folk and in general had a blast.

Eventually I scrounged a pair of Ruger Vaquero's,,,
One was a 4.75" and the other had a 7-something inch barrel.

I was in a 3-man posse,,,
Actually 2-men and one woman,,,
I had pistols and they had a rifle and shotgun.

We shared everything except our gunbelts,,,
I made a simple rig for each of them.

I keep my membership so I can attend matches if the mood strikes me,,,
But SASS has become too rule bound and too competitive for me.

By competitive I mean the "win at any cost" people,,,
I really used to enjoy what they call the Spirit of the Game,,,
Now that spirit has been diluted by way too many shooting categories.

In trying to make everyone a winner,,,
They have diluted the game too much for my tastes.

Aarond

Buzzcook · July 18, 2011, 12:30 PM

Quote:

Lots of SASS people (including me) like the shorter barrel,,,
I can move it faster and get onto another target a wee bit quicker,,,
We will put up with that extra muzzle flip to have a gun we can turn faster.

I wonder about how that works. I agree that a shorter barrel seems to point faster. But the end of the barrel moves faster on the longer barrel so they both end up pointing at the target at the same time.
Is there enough inertial difference between a 4.74" and 5.5" barrel to make an appreciable difference?
If we're moving from target A to target B, does the reduced muzzle flip of the longer barrel cancel out the inertial advantage of the shorter barrel? With greater muzzle flip the shorter barrel has a longer path to travel between targets.

Maybe I'm over thinking this

July 14, 2011, 01:03 PM	#1
Phil Martin Member Join Date: May 26, 2011 Posts: 20	Difference btwn barrel lengths Hi all, just a quick question please. Besides aesthetic reasons, what are the main differences (or advantages and disadvantages) between a 4 3/4" and 5 1/2" barrel in a SA revolver for sass purposes etc? thanks

July 14, 2011, 03:44 PM	#4
aarondhgraham Senior Member Join Date: December 1, 2009 Location: Stillwater, OKlahoma Posts: 8,638	ScotchMan speaks truth,,, But I do believe there is another side to it. Aarond's Law #2 states: Everything is a two-edged sword. Gain an advantage with a thing,,, Lose an advantage with that very same thing. It really boils down to just what he said,,, Longer barrel reduces muzzle flip Lots of SASS people (including me) like the shorter barrel,,, I can move it faster and get onto another target a wee bit quicker,,, We will put up with that extra muzzle flip to have a gun we can turn faster. At least I've convinced myself that's why I do better with the shorter gun. There is no absolute advantage of one over the other,,, You'll decide which you like best after shooting both. Aarond,,, Taking ambiguity to new heights. . __________________ Never ever give an enemy the advantage of a verbal threat. Caje: The coward dies a thousand times, the brave only once. Kirby: That's about all it takes, ain't it? Aarond is good,,, Aarond is wise,,, Always trust Aarond! (most of the time)

July 14, 2011, 04:02 PM	#5
ScotchMan Senior Member Join Date: July 3, 2011 Posts: 1,368	Learning opportunity detected... ...what is SASS? If the OP had capitalized it and I had realized it was an acronym, and not an adjective meaning to conduct ones self with attitude and sarcasm, I may not have replied

July 14, 2011, 04:49 PM	#6
rclark Senior Member Join Date: February 12, 2009 Location: Butte, MT Posts: 2,622	SASS - Sincle Action Shooting Society __________________ A clinger and deplorable, MAGA, and life NRA member. When guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns. Single Action .45 Colt (Sometimes colloquially referred to by its alias as the .45 'Long' Colt or .45LC). Don't leave home without it. That said, the .44Spec is right up their too... but the .45 Colt is still the king.

July 14, 2011, 04:55 PM	#7
aarondhgraham Senior Member Join Date: December 1, 2009 Location: Stillwater, OKlahoma Posts: 8,638	Hello ScotchMan,,, Single Action Shooters Society A group of grown men and women who dress up like old west cow-folk and shoot stuff. Lotsa fun if you grew up watching movies about "The West That Never Was." Aarond __________________ Never ever give an enemy the advantage of a verbal threat. Caje: The coward dies a thousand times, the brave only once. Kirby: That's about all it takes, ain't it? Aarond is good,,, Aarond is wise,,, Always trust Aarond! (most of the time)

July 14, 2011, 03:18 PM	#2
ScotchMan Senior Member Join Date: July 3, 2011 Posts: 1,368	Longer barrels allow the pressure to build behind the bullet longer before the bullet exits. Therefore you will see slightly higher velocities from longer barrels (especially when talking about very short compared with longer barrels). In your case maybe 50-100fps? Longer barrels also allow a longer sight radius, making it easier to aim using the sights. Finally longer barrels make the gun's center of gravity further forward, helping reduce muzzle flip during recoil. Did I miss anything?

July 14, 2011, 05:01 PM	#8
Phil Martin Member Join Date: May 26, 2011 Posts: 20	Guys, thanks so much! I was just curious, really. Friend of mine is into SASS and our chats got me to thinking about it. Then of course I searched for SA revolvers which got me into this question. Really appreciate it, thank you very much.

July 14, 2011, 05:08 PM	#9
Phil Martin Member Join Date: May 26, 2011 Posts: 20	Didn't know you were into it, Aarond. How do you (or did you) like it? Have you always used 4.75"? I presume all agree on USFA for their SA revolvers?

July 18, 2011, 06:59 AM	#10
Eghad Senior Member Join Date: May 28, 2005 Location: Texas Posts: 6,231	I used Ruger New Vaqueros in .45 LC __________________ Have a nice day at the range NRA Life Member

July 18, 2011, 11:42 AM	#12
Jim Watson Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2001 Location: Alabama Posts: 18,541	Yup. I mostly shoot a Colt and a Cimarron/ASM with hard rubber grips and squared sight notch to match the Colt. Got some kind of Italian '51 Navy with cartridge conversion in reserve, and a real Smith & Wesson for occasional display on ceremonial occasions. The USFA seems well made and gets good reviews but it has a skinnier butt than my 3rd gen Colt and just does not feel as good in my hand. (SAA grip frames and grips are all over the map, few just alike. You are advised to send in the gun or at least the straps for nice grips to be fitted to YOUR gun.)

July 18, 2011, 11:58 AM	#13
aarondhgraham Senior Member Join Date: December 1, 2009 Location: Stillwater, OKlahoma Posts: 8,638	Hello Phil,,, I am still a dues paying SASS member,,, Baron Aarond Gray is my alias,,, My badge number 6230,,, I joined back in 1994. But I don't participate any more,,, When I joined it was a great amount of fun,,, No one cared that all I had was a pair of 1858 Remmies,,, I shot side matches with like minded folk and in general had a blast. Eventually I scrounged a pair of Ruger Vaquero's,,, One was a 4.75" and the other had a 7-something inch barrel. I was in a 3-man posse,,, Actually 2-men and one woman,,, I had pistols and they had a rifle and shotgun. We shared everything except our gunbelts,,, I made a simple rig for each of them. I keep my membership so I can attend matches if the mood strikes me,,, But SASS has become too rule bound and too competitive for me. By competitive I mean the "win at any cost" people,,, I really used to enjoy what they call the Spirit of the Game,,, Now that spirit has been diluted by way too many shooting categories. In trying to make everyone a winner,,, They have diluted the game too much for my tastes. Aarond __________________ Never ever give an enemy the advantage of a verbal threat. Caje: The coward dies a thousand times, the brave only once. Kirby: That's about all it takes, ain't it? Aarond is good,,, Aarond is wise,,, Always trust Aarond! (most of the time)