38 Special / 357 Magnum - effect of barrel length

[Dirtlaw]

So what would you go with? 16.5 inch or 20 inch? higher capacity vs. capacity slightly reduced? I went short. Was I wrong?

[hermosabeach]

what is the purpose of use?
Do you reload?

[hermosabeach]

A short 16" lever gun is a ton of fun....

If you reload, you can play with powders that burn effectively with the longer barrels....

16" is great to teach new shooters as it is not nose heavy....

[golfish]

So what would you go with? 16.5 inch or 20 inch? higher capacity vs. capacity slightly reduced? I went short. Was I wrong?

I like the longer sight radius...

Your asking after you bought it?

[Dirtlaw]

what is the purpose of use?
Do you reload?

I do reload! Recipes appreciated!

[Dirtlaw]

I have the longer version as well but I want to focus when I reload, so I think short is the better option. May be wrong. Just my thoughts.

[sealocan]

I'm not an expert but I think you chose correctly and it would have been my choice as well because I think with a good Modern designed hollow points that extra few inches isn't going to matter, they are still going to expand as designed.
And I also feel it's probably the same with the velocity decrease or increase, it might actually be different but are you going to be hunting something where that extra feet per second is going to matter?

So then you're left with the weight / handiness and the ammo capacity differences.

If that extra small weight difference bothers someone who chose the longer barrel they should try working out when they're not shooting.
Of course shorter barrels are handy if you're walking or tracking through thick bushes and trees but how likely is that.
Lastly, ammo capacity outside of a home invasion or end of law as we know it type situation I don't think that really matters that much either because you probably have a rifle designed for that and even if it's just down to you letting loose with what you have in 357 Magnum... I think the bad guys will get the point and find someone else to bother.

"You chose wisely."

[sealocan]

I forgot the extra site radius should theoretically improve accuracy but I've shot guns with a very short sight radius and it was more about the old practice practice practice and getting to know where that gun shot using those sights, so I really don't think the few inches difference will come into play unless you're a long range shooting in a competition.


Besides the shorter guns look cooler to me and most folks.
When you think about movies there were only a few like Tom Selleck in Quigley down under that went with the longer barreled rifles.

[Steve45-70]

Either are fine. For a short barreled gun just load like you would for a long barreled pistol. You did not say what type but most of the levers are plenty strong.
I prefer long barrels but that is just me. I prefer to have a nose heavy gun but in a 357 I don't think it matters that much. The gun will still be a ton of fun to shoot.

[pennstater]

I've read/heard the max powder burn for .357 mag is 16". Not gospel, just what I seem to remember. Having typed that, I went with a Henry with a 20" barrel because I prefer the way they look and balance for ME. Henry in .45 Colt has the same barrel length for same reason. Personnal preference.

MLC

[golfish]

I have the longer version as well but I want to focus when I reload, so I think short is the better option. May be wrong. Just my thoughts.

Oh no, your good

Everything that I've ever read about the .357 says that the bullet maxes out from a 16" barrel.

I like a 180gr RNFP coated bullet and 11.5 gr of 2400....

[200Apples]

Yes, Ballistics By The Inch performed in-depth testing on the effect of barrel length for .357, as well as for other calibers...

But since it is we in the lever-lovin' community who think everyone should be reintroduced to the wonderful lever action carbine by first shooting .38/.38+P/.357 from a Marlin 1894, a Rossi R92, a Browning B92, a Cimarron/Tayor's&Co/Uberti Whatever... we have read with interest BBTI's results.

OVER-THE-COUNTER, commercially-loaded revolver .357 does indeed *mostly* top out velocity-wise in 16" of barrel.

Hence, handloading can bridge the gap to build cartridges whose slugs excel in 20" barrels... What that is, I don't know, having since concentrated on .41 Magnum, "heavy" .44 Special and ".44-40"-level .44 Mag loads (for my metal buttplate Browning/Miroku B92).

BBTI is no longer testing, but I believe still has hosted a webpage or three of their various findings... brb.

Here it is: http://www.ballisticsbytheinch.com/357mag.html

[200Apples]

I like a 180gr RNFP coated bullet and 11.5 gr of 2400....

I have none of those particular bo0lits of which thy speaketh... but I do have a small quantity of Hornady XTPs weighing 180 grains each...

I'll have to dig up some max load data for .357 jacketed, extrapolate from there then reduce 10% for a reasonable start, but I do like the look of your particular data, being loosely familiar with what Elmer Keith used to do with the 2400 of his day. Watch out!

I know you've had it with you on one or two of our g2gs but I've never shot it. So...

[golfish]

I know you've had it with you on one or two of our g2gs but I've never shot it. So...

Give credit where credit is due. Even though I had loaded them Tom was the one who pointed out how good they shot. I don't think I've loaded anything else for .357 lever gun since then.

[200Apples]

Was it Tom's load? I may have forgotten with everything else I have going on.

Where IS that scallywag.