# Question on barrel length



## flieger67 (Dec 15, 2009)

I have another newbie question for all of you, this time related to barrel length.

As I get closer to purchasing my first pistol, I'm pretty much set on a gun with a barrel length of 4 inches. To me, it seems like a good length to have a gun that fills my hand and yet is short enough that the gun itself would be a reasonable choice for concealed carry and perhaps some (light) competitive shooting down the road.

So my question is, what are the advantages and disadvantages of 4" barrel vs. something a little longer? For instance, a Glock 19 vs. a Glock 17, where the 17's barrel is just under a 1/2-inch longer than the 19's.

Here's what I believe are the advantages to the shorter barrel:

- shorter overall gun length
- quicker to be drawn from a holster
- easier concealment
- perhaps a little less expensive to purchase


And here's what I think might be some of the disadvantages to a shorter barrel compared to a longer barrel:

- lower muzzle velocity
- a little less "resistance" to recoil


It would seem that a longer barrel might be a little more accurate, given the higher muzzle velocity and the extra length for the bullet to spin in the barrel initially. But I don't know how that potential accuracy improvement translates to the real world.

As always, your thoughts and experiences are appreciated.


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## VAMarine (Dec 25, 2008)

You're pretty much correct on all points...

Check out Ballistics by the Inch, you can see the differences in velocity are about 50fps pending on exact load. One item missing off your list is sight radius, but unless you plan on doing longer distance shooting with goals of utmost accuracy, it's not going to matter much at "defensive range". For bullseye shooting, sure it might matter, but I wouldn't go bullseye shooting with a G17 either.

At defensive distances, the differences in terminal effect between a 4" and 5" gun aren't that severely reduced. You might get a little more muzzle flip, but it won't be dramatically different at those lengths.


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## flieger67 (Dec 15, 2009)

Thank you for the info, VAMarine.


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

*Semi-Autos*: As the barrel gets shorter (than 4"), it gets more difficult to make the pistol run reliably. Further, the hard part to conceal is the grip, not the barrel.
*Revolvers*: Barrel length, in a defensive revolver, is not an issue. Get the shortest you can control comfortably. The hard parts to conceal are the cylinder and the grip, but a short-barrel pistol could be carried in a pocket holster.


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## gunluver (Jul 23, 2009)

You're right with your thinking fleiger. Here have been some of my choices this past year, and barrel legth had a lot to do with them:
bought a Springfiled XD45 tactical with the 5" barrel......I wont carry this gun or shoot competitions with it, it is a fun at the range piece and the gun I keep loaded in my office.
bought a Glock 19.....main purpose to carry and shoot IDPA. Fits my hand better than the 17, has good capacity, AND (at least for me) CLEARS THE HOLSTER BETTER IN IDPA COMPS.
bought a Ruger LCR, snubby...pretty self-explanatory.....for CC only, small and lightweight.


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## deputy125 (Dec 27, 2009)

velocity, sight radius, and.......

balance/feel........that is individual opinion/preference....sometimes it is suprising what a difference 1" of barrel/slide makes......


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