barrel length preference

[tbeubs17]

Tried searching for this subject but couldn't find anything. What barrel length do you prefer in your CCW? I'm trying to decide if 4" is no problem to conceal or if I should find a sub-compact to try. Thanks for the info.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[JHoff]

I conceal my Steyr M40-A1 everyday. It's got a 4" barrel. I have no issues.

[friesepferd]

i prefer 3, but im sure you wont have a problem with 4.
the part thats hardest to conceal is the length of the grip, not the barrel

[SIXTO]

4" is certainly doable, I prefer 3" or less for comfort.

[aus71383]

I like 5" just fine. 4" shouldn't be a problem unless you want to appendix carry...for that I think 3" is probably the limit for most people. The barrel isn't the hard part to conceal FWIW.

Austin

[nn]

I like 5" just fine. 4" shouldn't be a problem unless you want to appendix carry...for that I think 3" is probably the limit for most people. The barrel isn't the hard part to conceal FWIW.

Austin

I agree.

[Redneck Repairs]

For shooting i really like 5" be it a 1911 or a revolver . For carry tho i like 3.5 to 4" in either . Anything shorter than 3" or so just does not have enough " gun " it may conceal fine , but wont feel secure to me . This is why i settled on the Kahr/Kahr system . The p9 is at the small end of what carries good for me , and the pm9 is at the large end of what i would call a deep cover gun . By having both i can share ammo , mags , and to a degree holsters as well as the exact same manual of arms . The pm is a fine gun and i shoot it well , but it is not as comfortable to carry day in and day out as its larger sibling the p series . I have the same issues with the 1911 lines tho so maby i really like the full sized guns but carry more compact because i am lazy lol .

[686]

I carry a S&W 37-2.It has a 1 7/8"barrel.

[ccw9mm]

Anything 3.5" or shorter can generally allow for reasonably easy concealment.

Of course, a lot depends on the "wrapper", in terms of how that barrel is packaged into the gun. For example, a Taurus Millennium Pro 9mm has a 3.25" bbl and is 6.13" long, whereas a CZ P01 has a bbl a half inch longer. Compare that to, say, a CZ P01, with a 3.9" bbl and 7.2" overall length, or to a S&W snub-nosed 2" revolver that's nearly a half-inch longer than the Taurus at 6.5" in length.

Some guns pack the barrel into a smaller package.

For me, I tend to like 3.5" or a tad longer. Under 4" to keep it somewhat compact. But then, that affords full-size performance without some of the cycling issues that very small guns have. The CZ P01 9mm semi-auto fills the bill nicely, for me. Would prefer it to be sub-1" in width, but with the right holster it's a small price to pay.

[Thumper]

I prefer a 4" or there abouts.

[SatCong]

I carry both 4" or 5" barrels in 1911's.

[P95Carry]

I vote for 4" minimum - if possible.

I carry full size SIG 226 so 4 1/4". I like large and heavy so no need to downsize. I do feel that (sometimes) the sub compacts can suffer from reliability problems when barrels get down to 3" (semi's of course). I'd happily carry my 228 tho - and at 3 1/2" that's still OK for me.

For revo I think 3" is adequate tho if 4" can be carried and concealed ... all the better. Sometimes tho snub is way to go just to keep size down.

[mr.stuart]

Short

[StevePVB]

I've got an XD 40 service (4") and an XDSC (3"). My Supertuck fits both but I really can't get comfortable with the 4" -- also a little harder to disguise printing. Could be my build, but the SC is my carry gun. But, I don't worry since I can be just as accurate with either. The 4" stays next to the bed in the drawer.

[Tubby45]

4-5"