Barrel length?

[nailer]

How important is pistol/revolver barrel length compared to caliber? To clarify, is a 1 inch barrel in 22 mag more potent than a 45 in the same barrel? Are any small barreled pistol/revolvers good stoppers?

[CrazyWhiteGuy]

I think longer barrel=more metal=heavier gun=less recoil on larger calibers

[Yoder]

With a longer barrel you get:

1. longer sight radius which makes it easier to shoot more accurately

2. they are more accurate

3. increases the velocity of the bullet. Amout per inch would depend on caliber and bullet weight

4. like what was said already, makes the gun more front heavy and could help with muzzle rise

I would use the longest barrel possible that suits your need. If I was buying a hunting revolver I would get an 8-12 in barrel. Concealed carry 1 to 5in depending on what clothing I wanted to wear and still be able to conceal.

[nailer]

Basically, that's my question. Is a 1-2 inch barrel effective enough to carry or buy?

[Azzy]

I would say until someone develops a round that burns the powder effectivly in that short barrel, you would be better off not looking at an NAA revolver or derringer (for so many reasons other than that).

You have to think that teh poweder has to burn in the time that the bullet leaves the casing, and travels down the barrel. To my knowledge, there are no rounds made for 22Mag that are developed for pistols, so all of those rounds were made with powerders in the knowledge that the bullet had x amount of time to travel 16 inches.

All you are looking at there is a mediocre flamethrower. Unless that is what you are looking for, I am not a man to fault a toy, then go for it.

[Yoder]

Basically, that's my question. Is a 1-2 inch barrel effective enough to carry or buy?

Absolutely. Snubby revolvers are very effective carry guns but they are also very hard to shoot accurately. Worst recoil on a pistol that I have ever shot was an aluminum frame snubby .38. Felt like getting smacked in the hand with a 2x4 every time you pulled the trigger. Also very short sight radius and hard to shoot long distance 15-25 yrds. The guns are capable of good groups at 25 yrds, it's just hard to do unless you practice a lot. Sights are also not the greatest usually just a groove for the rear sight. Up close and personal, no problem.

They make revolvers in .357 mag that have 2 in barrels, I think they will have no problem dropping somebody but have fun shooting it.

[32 Magnum]

All of the MAJOR ammo manufacturers now produce .38 SPL, .38 +P and .357 Mag loads intended for use in the short barrelled revolvers. Most all of them will be 110 gr. projectile weights.
I own and have shot "snubbies" in .45 Colt, .44 SPL, .357 Mag, .38 SPL +P, . 38 SPL regular, .32 H&R Mag, .22 WMRF and .22LR. Comparing these rounds fired through a 2", 2.5" or 3" barrel to firing the same rounds through 4"+ barrels shows how much less efficient the shorter barrels are with STANDARD loadings. You certainly get more muzzle flash and blast with the shorter barrels. As already stated, shooting the "snubbies" accurately and consistently, does certainly require a bit of practice. I practice with the .38s, .357s and .22s on a regular basis (much more with the .22s) and can regularly hit (5 hits out of 6 shots is probably a good average) an 8" diameter steel dropping plate
at 25 to 30 feet. I also, have been shooting these type of guns for over 50 years, so draw your own conclusions. I enjoy the challenge. As for SD use, I don't have any problem carrying (and do so) the .45 Colt, .44 SPL, .38s and a .357 MAG. I feel well protected with any of those, depending upon the situation. The worst "snubbie" that I have ever shot was a short barrelled, light weight .44 MAG - with full house rounds it jarred my wrist and racked my elbow. I no longer own that piece.

[knight0334]

Check out Ballistics By The Inch. They dont have results for the 22rf/mag, but they have other handgun cartridges that they tested per inch of barrel.


http://ballisticsbytheinch.com/results.html

As for the 22mag versus 45acp - the .45acp would probably win just due to the mass of the bullet. There is more to a given bullet/gun's potential than just velocity. Bullet mass, diameter, and construction play just as big of a factor as velocity does.

[rwb1500]

Basically, that's my question. Is a 1-2 inch barrel effective enough to carry or buy?

In a word, yes.

I carry a revolver with a 1 7/8 inch barrel. I trust that it would get the job done, but it definitely takes practice to shoot accurately. I've shot a very similar revolver with a 4 inch barrel and it was much easier to be accurate with. If you buy a gun with a < 2 inch barrel it will require practice to shoot accurately.

[Rundownfid]

Carry guns, like almost everything in life, are a compromise. Bigger bullets, traveling faster from longer b arrels are to be prefered because they are more powerful and easier to hit with. Shorter, lighter smaller, is all good when it comes time to carry and conceal. You can see the problem, the only solution is a compromise. That being said, I carry a S&W 638 (when I don't have my Mod 60 3" on).