pistol barrell lenght?

tommyboy26

how much of a difference in accuracy would there be between a 5.5" and a 7" barrel on a .22lr pistol?

Sparks

Depends on who's holding it to be honest tommyboy; the longer the barrel, the more accurate the pistol (there's a reason why ISSF pistol rules set a maximum length instead of a minimum one); but the longer the pistol, the more nose-heavy it is and the harder to hold it steady.

tommyboy26

Sparks wrote: »

Depends on who's holding it to be honest but the longer the pistol, the more nose-heavy it is and the harder to hold it steady.

very true and i will probably never out shoot a 5.5" barrell

Sparks

Depends on how much you train, and what the barrel is. If you were shooting a Walther GSP, I'd say you might be right; but if you were shooting a Walther P22, well, you could outshoot that barrel if you unloaded the magazine and threw the bullets at the target by hand

EWQuinn

What type of pistol and for what purpose? For me typically anything with over 5" barrel provides reasonable sight radius for 25-50 yd shooting. 4" and less becomes a noticeable challenge. With 7+ inch barrels for me its like shooting a rifle.

FISMA

tommyboy26 wrote: »

how much of a difference in accuracy would there be between a 5.5" and a 7" barrel on a .22lr pistol?

Theoretically, the longer barrel allows the expanding gasses in the barrel to act for a longer period of time. This accelerates the bullet to a greater muzzle velocity which in turn allows for the round to drop less - fly "flatter."

What pistols are you looking at? I was looking at the Ruger Mk's and was going to go with a 5.5". I have a Taurus tracker 22LR revolver in 6.5" and it is just too big. I still wish I had gone with something smaller.

Also, what will the primary use of the pistol be? Are you looking to win contests or general fun an merriment.

tommyboy26

im looming at a smith and wesson 22a. its main purpose will.be galleey pistol comps and practice. it will be shot at distances of 10m-25m. it will also probaby have a red dot attached

EWQuinn

With a red dot sight and not relying on iron sights, go with what is most comfortable to shoot. Strictly speaking, a longer barrel gives more accuracy. However, a less comfortable fit & feel could hinder accuracy. For up to 25m with dot sight prob not noticeable difference.

http://mrcompletely.blogspot.com/2007/04/smith-wesson-model-22a.html

Here's an interesting little review of the pistol (with dot sight), and some info about ammo suitability, FWIW. I did notice from some brief research on the net that it likes some ammo better than others.

BattleCorp

Apart from what has been mentioned here already about more velocity etc, if you are shooting with iron sights, then the further away the front sight is from the rear sight, the easier it is to line them up accurately.

I've a 22a with a 7 inch barrel and I find it way easier to aim than a 22a with a 4 inch barrel. I put a red dot sight on the pistol and it's a help. It does make the pistol a bit heavier though. And awkward to fit into a holster. I may get a speed rig holster for my pistol as they are suitable for a pistol with or without a red dot sight.

Just a tip on the red dot sight, they tend to be sh1te on a very sunny day (not that we get many of them). Last Saturday at certain times, it took way too long to find the feckin dot while shooting in competition. The sun made the dot way too faint to quickly find the target.

EWQuinn

Ditto on red dot in the sun, same experience.

But do you have that many sunny days in Ireland? :-)