This is silly. Barrel length is a reflection of what the gun is used for. A 3 inch barrel on a 9mm hideout gun is appropriate, as is a 3 foot barrel on a long range target rifle that's chambered for a Cheytac cartridge. Cartridges with massive overbore capacities need long barrels in order to exploit their advantage over standard capacity cartridges. Carbines that are chambered for pistol cartridges, need not be as long as those chambered for the 5.56, if both are to utilize their velocity potential. Some folks prefer the long sighting radius of 36" barrels when pass shooting high flying geese in a field, but handier 26" guns are more appropriate when small game hunting in a woodlot. General purpose big game rifles are commonly encountered with 22" medium weight barrels, but to maintain a slight muzzle heavy balance, a mountain rifle sporting a very light contour barrel, cannot use a reduced length as a weight saving measure, without becoming clubby. The stiffness of the barrel has an effect on accuracy, so in circumstances where maximum velocity is unimportant, short barrels are preferred for their greater stiffness, relative to longer barrels with the same contour. So in answer to the question, I like long barrels, except when I need a short barrel.
