Does barrel length matter for concealed carry?
In general, a gun with a shorter barrel is more easily concealed than one with a longer barrel and/or slide. A longer-barreled gun will hang lower in relation to any shirt, vest or other concealment garment.
Most concealed carry holders will recommend a sub-compact, those are also the most popular firearms to carry every day. At roughly 3” in barrel length and a lot of options for single stack (making your gun thinner) these are a great option for a comfortable all day carry.
Longer barrels do tend to offer more accuracy but longer barrels are harder to hide in a concealed application. Another advantage of a longer barrel is target visibility and sight alignment. All things being equal, a revolver will generally be shorter than a semiauto pistol because of the way the guns function.
How Much Does Barrel Length Affect 9mm Bullet Velocity? - YouTube
The best barrel length for accuracy ranges between 16 and 21 inches (40.64 and 53.34 cm). Shorter barrels tend to vibrate convulsively, producing a more consistent and accurate rate of fire. Notably, the energy from each shot is absorbed into the barrel in less time, increasing the accuracy level.
The suggested test would involve subcompact, compact, and service-length-barrel handguns. This could mean barrel lengths of about 3.5 to 4.9 inches. The editor suggested we add a carbine-length 9mm as well because the 9mm is popular in both handguns and carbines.
The GLOCK pistol that is the best for you to carry is the one that fits your hand best, allows you to conceal with minimal printing, and is in a caliber that you have confidence in and shoot well. One of the most popular CCW guns in America is the GLOCK 19 9mm.
So, as you can see, Keeping the rifle weight and bullet weight the same, and only changing the barrel length, you end up with a reduction of 26% driven recoil distance, and reduction of 6% of your velocity.
Barrel length is an important part of the gun's overall balance. Longer barrels tend to make the gun more nose heavy while shorter barrels make the gun more stock heavy. Shorter barrels are quick and longer barrels provide for more deliberate shooting. Field guns tend to have shorter barrels than target guns.
A longer rifle barrel is not more accurate. The sight radius is longer (with iron sights and not a scope) which is better for the shooter to get a more accurate aim. Increased accuracy in a longer rifle barrel is a myth. There are many factors that affect accuracy in a rifle but barrel length is not one.
How far does a 9mm bullet drop at 100 yards?
In fact at the 100 yard mark the bullet will have dropped -12.0311 in (over a foot). So if you are shooting at a target 100 yards away you need to aim a full foot above the target, and without a scope that is very hard to judge at that distance.
barrel length | Cor Bon 90 gr. JHP +P | Speer 124 gr. Gold Dot Short Barrel |
---|---|---|
18" | 1754 | 1395 |
17" | 1766 | 1400 |
16" | 1740 | 1379 |
15" | 1768 | 1375 |
Overall length of less than 26 inches or a barrel or barrels of less than 16 inches in length.
Does Handgun Barrel Length Affect Accuracy? Handgun barrel length affects accuracy in the same way it does for a pistol. Longer barrels will provide more accuracy due to weight and sight radius. This is something to consider with any handgun.
A snub-nosed revolver is any small, medium or large frame revolver with a short barrel, which is generally 3 inches or less in length. They are primarily designed for maneuverability and concealment.
Longer barrels are not more accurate. If anything, it's quite the opposite. Shorter, stiffer barrels tend to vibrate more consistently and are probably more accurate on average.
A snub-nosed revolver is any small, medium or large frame revolver with a short barrel, which is generally 3 inches or less in length. They are primarily designed for maneuverability and concealment.
The Relationship Between Barrel Length and Handgun Size
Full-size handguns feature relatively large frames and barrels ranging in length between 4” and 5” for semi-automatic pistols and between 4” and 6” for revolvers. Full-sizes are typically chambered in potent but controllable calibers, such as 9mm, . 38 Special, .