4.2 or 6 inch Revolver?

Sharps '74 said:
I'm told that 60% of US CCW permit holders prefer revolvers.
/QUOTE]

I don't know who told you that but I seriously doubt this is true. I know some who occasionally carry J Frame in an ankle holster as a back up to their primary pistol. Now if someone told you 60% carry Glock 19 size pistols or smaller I would agree. I am sure some CCW permit holders still carry revolvers but I suspect the percentage would be closer to 6% than 60%.

If revolvers were that popular as a CCW firearm you would see more of them at club IDPA matches where a significant number of competitors in the US shoot what they regularly carry. Polymer framed pistols with barrels =<4" are the firearms that dominate CCW carry. They are affordable and reliable and come in three popular calibers ie 9MM, .380 and .40Cal.

For IDPA competitions revolvers are great fun and really do change the way the sport is shot. I love to shoot my GP-100 at our matches, but revolver division in IDPA is about as popular as a summer cold. It isn't because the spray and pray crowd don't like revolvers. It is just most folks prefer shooting pistols over revolvers and that is reflected in the popularity of pistols in IDPA. Pistols hold more ammunition, are accurate enough for the intended purpose, can be reloaded faster, are more reliable than revolvers and are lighter. I am happy to hear you are a very good shot with a J Frame or 2" revolver, I doubt most would make that claim. Lastly, for our American shooter who can only afford one gun for CCW and he also wants to play in IDPA; he more likely going to buy a pistol over a heavier 4" revolver.

Take Care

Bob
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I prefer the shorter barrels and find them easy to point. . The longer barrels may suit a shooter who rifle shoots a handgun. .The 4" barrel is about perfect. I have longer barrels and enjoy shooting them but the 4" gives me the best balance
 
I currently have a 4.2 in 357 and an 8.5 in 44 mag. Love them both. The longer barrel shoots tighter at longer length range ofcourse but at normal handgun range they are about the same. My next purchase will be a 22 revolver with a 6 or 6.5 inch barrel to kinda fit in the middle. I'd say get one of each to be sure!
 
From my experience, it really does depend on the particular gun. I have a S&W 686 6" bbl and it is perfectly balanced. My Alfa Project has a 4.5" bbl and is well balanced. I tried the 6" Alfa and found it really muzzle heavy. I have a Ruger New Model Super Blackhawk 44MAG with a 10 1/2" barrel and oddly enough, it balances very well since I added target grips. My favourite is my Uberti open top with a 7 1/2" bbl.
So there you go, as it's already been said, it depends on the gun, the shooter and the preference.
 
The quote was from an IDPA email you get as a member. If you don't agree, take umbrage with them, not me.

Personally, if I could carry legally, I would pack one of my .357 snubs. It's unobtrusive and the weight isn't onerous. Most gun fights I've read about take place at very close range and are over in a matter of a few shots. The "firepower" advantage of a 10 rd semi-auto is moot. If you haven't settled the matter with the first few rds, more isn't likely going to help.
The auto vs revolver is always a topic on the S&W forum. Even LEOs who pack or packed an auto on the job gravitate to the revolver for CCW over a duty auto.

The reliability of an auto over a revolver is something we can debate over coffee for hours. Both require quality ammo and need to be kept clean and lubed. Both can fail when you least want them to, but the human factor is the real problem. Revolvers need care and attention to reloading, but who hasn't fumbled a reload with an auto, failing to seat a mag properly? "Tap - rack" come to mind?

Personally, poly framed pistols creep me out, particularly Glocks. My wife has had a pair of SR9s in the past but once she shot a CZ Shadow, she found "Her" gun and now has a pair of those.

I never claimed to be a good shot with a 2" revolver and I recently sold my minty early 'J' frame M60 to buy a M19 snub as I had no use for it. With anything other than a pip squeak wadcutter load, it was a bear to hang onto even with larger 'combat' grips.

Canuck44 said:
Sharps '74 said:
I'm told that 60% of US CCW permit holders prefer revolvers.
/QUOTE]

I don't know who told you that but I seriously doubt this is true. I know some who occasionally carry J Frame in an ankle holster as a back up to their primary pistol. Now if someone told you 60% carry Glock 19 size pistols or smaller I would agree. I am sure some CCW permit holders still carry revolvers but I suspect the percentage would be closer to 6% than 60%.

If revolvers were that popular as a CCW firearm you would see more of them at club IDPA matches where a significant number of competitors in the US shoot what they regularly carry. Polymer framed pistols with barrels =<4" are the firearms that dominate CCW carry. They are affordable and reliable and come in three popular calibers ie 9MM, .380 and .40Cal.

For IDPA competitions revolvers are great fun and really do change the way the sport is shot. I love to shoot my GP-100 at our matches, but revolver division in IDPA is about as popular as a summer cold. It isn't because the spray and pray crowd don't like revolvers. It is just most folks prefer shooting pistols over revolvers and that is reflected in the popularity of pistols in IDPA. Pistols hold more ammunition, are accurate enough for the intended purpose, can be reloaded faster, are more reliable than revolvers and are lighter. I am happy to hear you are a very good shot with a J Frame or 2" revolver, I doubt most would make that claim. Lastly, for our American shooter who can only afford one gun for CCW and he also wants to play in IDPA; he more likely going to buy a pistol over a heavier 4" revolver.

Take Care

Bob
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It has been pointed to me that it was most likely Jack Weaver (credited with developing the two handed stance that bears his name.) who impressed Cooper with his ability to hit a 10" balloon at 100 yds from the leather with a 6" S&W K38.

Cooper thought that it made more sense to shoot a warm .38 Spl. load from a 6" barrel revolver as opposed to a .357 load from a shorter barrel length, unless concealment was an issue. What you got from the shorter barrel was more muzzle blast and less controllability.


Sharps '74 said:
Cooper told of Jack Weaver being able to draw and hit 10" balloons at 100 yds on demand. He was shooting a 6" S&W .38 Spl., not Cooper's beloved .45 1911.
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I've got a Ruger SP-01 4.2" and GP100 6", and I find both of them suit their barrel length versus their frame sizes. They're both fun to shoot, the SP is a bit of a handful with full power .357 loads but all else, including rounds like .357 Hornady Critical Defence, are a piece of cake. The GP handles everything with no drama, and I find I can shoot accurately at a faster speed with the GP because of it's greater weight
and longer heavier barrel. The SP shoots decent groups out to 25 yards, the GP tighter groups at 25 and passable groups at 50...so I usually give it the nod to keep my CZ Shadow company on trips to the range.
On both of these wheel guns, the lighter springs from Wolff, shims on the hammers, and a bit of polishing made them feel worlds better! And don't forget to replace the small factory grips on the SP with larger rubber grips if you go that route.
 
Sharps '74 said:
The quote was from an IDPA email you get as a member. If you don't agree, take umbrage with them, not me.

Personally, if I could carry legally, I would pack one of my .357 snubs. It's unobtrusive and the weight isn't onerous. Most gun fights I've read about take place at very close range and are over in a matter of a few shots. The "firepower" advantage of a 10 rd semi-auto is moot. If you haven't settled the matter with the first few rds, more isn't likely going to help.
The auto vs revolver is always a topic on the S&W forum. Even LEOs who pack or packed an auto on the job gravitate to the revolver for CCW over a duty auto.

The reliability of an auto over a revolver is something we can debate over coffee for hours. Both require quality ammo and need to be kept clean and lubed. Both can fail when you least want them to, but the human factor is the real problem. Revolvers need care and attention to reloading, but who hasn't fumbled a reload with an auto, failing to seat a mag properly? "Tap - rack" come to mind?

Personally, poly framed pistols creep me out, particularly Glocks. My wife has had a pair of SR9s in the past but once she shot a CZ Shadow, she found "Her" gun and now has a pair of those.

I never claimed to be a good shot with a 2" revolver and I recently sold my minty early 'J' frame M60 to buy a M19 snub as I had no use for it. With anything other than a pip squeak wadcutter load, it was a bear to hang onto even with larger 'combat' grips.


I'm in complete agreement with your mrs., I also had an SR9 as my first semi-auto and after buying a CZ Shadow, it was history! Steel is sweet!
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Sharps '74 said:
The quote was from an IDPA email you get as a member. If you don't agree, take umbrage with them, not me.


The quote, if it is a true quote, likely came from the "Tactical Brief", a publication sent out to IDPA members. The "Tactical Brief" is a collection of articles written by various authors on subjects that relate to personal defense and concealed carry, not by IDPA. For those of us who shoot IDPA and are involved with the sport have a pretty good idea how popular revolvers both in the sport and on the street. You would not be quoting a 3rd party to support your love of revolvers if you had any personal reference to refer to. Let's leave it at that.

You obviously like revolvers and apparently are quite good with them. Shooting 2" revolvers well at distances past 25 yards quickly and accurately is no mean accomplishment. I know it can be done, but it does take practice and talent. Some have the talent, few have the time to spend practicing well enough to get good enough to make the claim. They are fun to shoot and as a result there are several sports ICORE, and PPC to name two along with, and to a lessor extent, IDPA and IPSC that support revolvers. Some have better draws of participants than others.

To the OP if you have any intention of playing IDPA with your revolver get the 4.2" S&W 686 or the Ruger GP-100 with a 4.2" barrel. These are the only two major players that are available for Canadians. The barrel restriction for both categories in Revolver Division is 4.25". We instituted a 6" exemption for revolver play in Canada when there were no gun manufacturers making revolvers with barrel lengths over 105MM but less than 4.2". At the time of the exemption being placed the barrel limitation was 4.2". This exemption was done to encourage the use of revolvers and to allow the majority of our members who did not have 12.6 status an opportunity to play with their longer barreled guns. To my knowledge I know of two individuals in Canada who took advantage of this exemption and one of those still does at club marches.

I don't shoot IPSC anymore but have talked to those that do locally and with IPSC rule changes eight shot revolvers are now allowed in their revolver division. Those two locals who have shot revolvers division with their 6 shot 625's & 685 (one former National Champion and another Provincial Champion in two sports) consider the six shot guns to now be obsolete. I only shot one IPSC match with a six shot revolver and
found it a tedious exercise. I think it is fair to say pistols dominate that sport for a reason as they do IDPA.

As for a range toy both the 6 inch and 4.2" will do just fine. Neither will be more or less accurate than your ability will allow so I would not worry about that. I think it would be fair to say the shorter gun will be better balanced n the hand and lighter for most. Unless you reload, shooting the gun often will be relatively expensive and you will find you won't be shooting it near as much as you like. You may at some point decide to sell it and here is where the choice may become more obvious. The 4.2" inch gun will sell much faster than the 6" gun because there always seems to be someone looking for a deal on a revolver to shoot and the shorter barreled guns seem to sell faster than the longer barreled guns....at least is seems so if you follow the EE here.

Hope you get one soon and come out to play. Loads of fun. You don't have to be good to enjoy shooting handguns, just be safe, handguns will give you challenges and a hill to climb.

Take Care

Bob
ps If you choose Ruger I would have the cylinders checked. Rugers are famous for having to tight of cylinders. My GP-100 came with three cylinders that you could not pass a .356 slug through and three a .357. If you shoot lead bullets at all you will want them all to be .358. Have the forcing cone cut to 11 degrees from the factory 5 as well. Add hammer and trigger shims and reduced power main and trigger return springs and you will have a very sweet smooth trigger that is the equal to any tuned S&W revolver. Rugers are great revolvers but tend to often be kit guns requiring a bit of TLC.
rb
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