Does barrel length factor into your carry choice?

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il Pirati

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When choosing a pistol for edc, how much does the barrel length, from a ballistic perspective, play into your choice? If two guns both have operating systems you like, fit and feel good, and you shoot them well, but one has a 4" barrel and one has a 3.5" barrel (same overall dimensions), would you choose the longer barrel for somewhat improved ballistics? Does that .5" or .8" make any appreciable difference with modern defensive ammunition (9mm or .40)?

For any given size of pistol, Glocks tend to have longer barrels than the competition. Is this a factor that weighs heavily in their favor, or does it mean nothing to you?
 
I've had a Kahr K9 with a 3.5" barrel and I have a Kahr TP9 with a 4" barrel. The biggest thing I notice is the reduction of the muzzle flip with the 4".

The thing that I'm most concern with in a EDC is the grip size and is why I generally carry a single stack (Kahr TP9 - 1st. Gen.)

DailyCarry.jpg

As for the Glock wouldn't have one, feels like a brick in my hand. In addition, double stack IMO are harder to conceal and are generally wider in the slide making them uncomfortable to wear all day unless kept in on a hip holster. The best concealment is IWB holster that lowers the profile of the handgun and keeps the weapon tight to the carrier's body.

I personally don't like the 40S&W mostly due to it's cost which is generally more then a 9mm or .45acp. If you're thinking the 40 you might as well get the 45.
 
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No, thickness matters to me more as I live in a concealed carry only state
 
I prefer the shortest barrel along with the smallest grip frame in my choice of a CCW.
 
ip, 10/2/13

I prefer carry pistols with at least a 3.5" barrel in non-1911's and 4" or greater for 1911's. The barrel length is the least bothersome item for a carry pistol. The grip length and thickness are more important. The barrel length is important for getting the highest velocity possible and often for reliability (think reliability problems with sub-4" 1911's).

best wishes- oldandslow
 
As far as ballistics/velocity go? No, barrel length is not a factor for me. I'm not worried about a few feet per second here or there.

I'm more worried about how the gun carries and how it shoots.
 
Minor concern. Carry easy, shootability, and reliability are far more important to me in a carry gun.

Better to have a shorter bbl on a gun that is comfortable to carry so I will in fact carry it and sacrifice a bit of velocity, rather than worry too much about + or - 100 ft/sec
 
VERY minor, if at all.

I tend to carry guns with 4-5" barrel lengths and don't see any need to want more length than that for the relatively inconsequential benefit of a few more FPS from the cartridge.
 
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