What's the longest barrel you own?

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Mastrogiacomo

New member
For revolver lovers, my father was watching the history channel where they showed the old series of Wayet Erp (it's spelled wrong, I know). Anyway, some of the revolvers they used were ten and twelve inches long. I showed him a Redhawk Ruger (7 1/2") and New Single Six (9 1/2"). He said they had a "funny way of shooting" by supporting the barrel with their forearm. So, what is the longest barrel you own and how well and comfortably can you use it?
 
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Jim Watson

New member
I have an 8 3/8" S&W .357 barrel... but it is not on the gun, just too long and unwieldy. My cowboy guns are 7 1/2" Colt and clone, which is just about right if in .44 or .45 calibre with big holes in the barrel that don't make it too heavy.

Lay a revolver barrel across your forearm and look where the cylinder gap is.
Do you REALLY want to fire it in that position?
 
A

azredhawk44

Moderator
Biggest I own is a 5.5" Ruger Redhawk 44.

Shot a 9.5" SRH 480, fell in love with the long barreled revolvers. Dying to own a 10" Freedom Arms 475 now.
 
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Mastrogiacomo

New member
Don't you find them a tad top heavy? I've considered the 9 1/2" New Single Six but I worry the 7 1/2" might be too much as it is....long barrels are sharp looking but using them is another matter.
 
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Mal H

Staff
"... look where the cylinder gap is."

My first thought on that also! I'm not doing that.

To answer the question - my longest revolver barrel is a 7 1/2" SRH tied with a 7 1/2" Vaquero.


"Don't you find them a tad top heavy?"

To me, the 'extra' length isn't all that noticable.
 
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azredhawk44

Moderator
Don't you find them a tad top heavy? I've considered the 9 1/2" New Single Six but I worry the 7 1/2" might be too much as it is....long barrels are sharp looking but using them is another matter.
Click to expand...

Actually, the weight-forward feeling really helped make recoil almost nonexistent for the 480 I shot. Much better than porting, IMHO.
 
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Eghad

New member
Have a 10 1/2 Ruger Super Blackhawk I purchased in the early to mid 80s mounted with a EER Leupold scope on it in 44 mag :D I orginally used it with iron sights for mettalic silhouette shooting with some smokin loads. I shot it from a prone position on my back....against my leg...had a leather leg cover I used for my thigh w :eek: you only forgot it once :eek:
 
M

Mal H

Staff
"How harsh is a .44 or .45 on a gun with a long barrel?"

It can be about the same as a short barrel, but it is most often less harsh, rarely more. A lot of it is subjective and can be different for different shooters.
 
S

Socrates

Moderator
10.5" going to about 7.5". Heavy bullets, in long barrels, can be a real handful.

Sometimes shorter is better. ;)

S
 
T

Tamara

Moderator Emeritus
In the past I've owned a couple of 8 3/8" Smiths (a 586 and a 686), but I generally prefer shorter barrels both for aesthetics and ease of toting.

My S&W collection now consists entirely of guns with 5" or shorter barrels, except for my Model of 1955 Target .45, which has a 6.5" tube.
 
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Doug.38PR

Moderator
10.5 inch Ruger Super Blackhawk .44 Magnum
Packofpistols.jpg
 
4

44 AMP

Staff
7 1/2 on Blackhawks, I find it a nice length. 8 in Automag, 14 in Contender. I'm not really crazy about the 14 inch, but in .45-70, I'm not sure I want anything shorter:D Had a 14 inch .223, hated it, traded it off. My other Contender barrels are 10 inch.

history channel is neat, huh. But beware, while they get a lot right, they don't get everything correct. Legend has it that Wyatt Earp favored the long barrel revolver because he liked to use them to wack people with. History channel said they called it "buffaloing" in those days. Today we call it "pistol whiping". Earp was said to "buffalo" an adversary, to get his point across without having to shoot them. He would "hit them up alongside the head" with the barrel, not the grip.
 
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dallasconundrum

New member
A tie for me, 7 1/2 inch SBH and & 7 1/2 inch BFR in .475 Linebaugh. I'm a little shocked that no one so far has one of those 12 or 14 inch revolvers that Taurus made awhile back in .357 and .22 I believe.

I think the record still probably has to go with Jack Nicholson though. How long would you say the barrel is on the gun he uses to shoot down the Batplane? I haven't seen it in awhile, but I'll hazard a guess of 3 feet. :D
 
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