Does performance suffer from a 16" vs 20" barrel in the 45 Colt and the 357 Magnum?

[huntersdog]

What is the Optimum barrel length for a .357 Magnum and 45 Colt lever action.

With the longer sight radius, it might make it a little bit more accurate, but does it slow a bullet down considerably more with a longer Barrel.

[Kraschenbirn]

Dunno 'bout .45 LC, but, using slower 'magnum' handgun powders - like H-110 or Power Pro, or even 2400 - a .357 should gain velocity in the longer barrel. So far as an 'optimum length', I suspect that's pretty much a matter of personal taste. I've got a 20" 'JM' Marlin in .44 Mag that's about the slickest handling carbine I've ever had in my hands but, on the other hand, I just picked up a .357 Mag Rossi 92 with a 24" full octagon tube that shoots sub-2" (factory sights) at 50 yards with whatever I feed it. If I could only keep one of the two, it'd be a tough choice.

Bill

[osteodoc08]

Not sure about the 357 and 45 or even 41 or 44 for that matter, however, I know a 22 is optimum around 16-18". Using a slooooow pistol powder would yield top velocity in the rifle length barrels. With the pistol caliber carbines, it's all about handling to me. Whichever feels best in the hands.

[jcren]

Check out ballisticsbytheinch.com for some very interesting data on barrel length vs velocity with factory ammo.

[fecmech]

I can tell you there is little to no difference in max magnum( slow powder) loads between my 20" and 24" Rossi .357 rifles. I also had a Winchester20" .357 and it's ballistics were the same also. I think the 16" barrel is long enough to get the full potential of the .357 cartridge. As others have stated you will give up a little accuracy potential with the 16" due to the shorter sight radius.

[Artful]

Yes use your resources
http://www.ballisticsbytheinch.com/

It's actually fun to see a longer barrel slow down your bullet

[Kraschenbirn]

Yes use your resources
http://www.ballisticsbytheinch.com/

It's actually fun to see a longer barrel slow down your bullet

Interesting. Anyone got a chrono'd MV for a 158-162 gr. boolit over 6,5 gr Unique from a 16" or 20"? Is so, I'll dig out the Chrony and check the MV of my PC'd RFs from a 24" for an empirical comparison.

Bill

[Larry Gibson]

Yes use your resources
http://www.ballisticsbytheinch.com/

It's actually fun to see a longer barrel slow down your bullet

BBTI only does 3 shot test strings so I don't put a lot of faith in the actual velocity shown for each "inch". I've been chronographing since '74 and have tested literally thousands of loads. A 3 shot test can give an indication or a trend but I've seen too many ES fps variations of tests of the same load shot back to back to give a 3 shot test the validity they do.

Larry Gibson

[Speedo66]

I didn't find "By the inch" to be that helpful. I was interested in .357 Mag., and they only went to 18". Secondly, since they used commercial loads, we don't know what powder was used, or how much.

Mixed results, some loads decreased from 16" to 17", then increased to 18". Others slowed after 16", some increased.

If you go to www.buffalobore.com they advertise some amazing results from an 18.5" Winchester .357 Mag, like 1850fps for their 180g loads, and 2300fps for their 125g load.

Their 180g load out of a rifle has more fps and energy at 500 yards than a normal load .38Spl. revolver does at the muzzle.

[Artful]

And their 45 Colt is about what I load in 45-70 - Feel free to do some testing and report back

[Speedo66]

I've used Buffalo Bore's 180g in my Rossi 92, shoots fine and the recoil is certainly not punishing.

I'm sure the .45 load would be fine in a modern rifle.

[Tracy]

Several years ago I tested a load consisting of 158 jhp over a max load of wc820 in a 16" Rossi and a 22" NEF. The 22" barrel was substantially faster.

[missionary5155]

Good morning
As stated several times.. It is all about the burn rate/pressure curve of the propellant.
If you own a Dan Wesson revolver with numerous barrel lengths you can play with this fact.
3 grains of #2 ACC will pop a 158 grainer cast of lino right out of a 2" 357 barrel. Switch to a 10 inch and guess what is going to stick.
Change to 14 grains of 296 and that 2" will scare away anyone within 20 feet. Hit a 100 yard gong and maybe you can hear it. Switch to the 10" and all is well and that 158 will slam a 100 yard gong.
Same with a DW 45 Colt also. We turn our barrels in to just have a slim light show through at the barrel gap. Big difference in slow powders compared to fast powders. 4 inch to 8 inch.

Then there is that knawing question... how far is the intended target ? Last 10 corn crunchers I have downed were at 14 yards and most under 10 yards. We hunt river bottoms. My stand sits 12 feet above a fine deer crossroads just below fields where the river cuts to within 50 feet of the field level. Normally a 52# recurve is in my hand. Last ground hog was taken at 4 yards from my tree base.
At those ranges a 265 grain 45 Colt slug only needs to going 650 fps to pass clean through a 200 pound doe. 4inch easily does it. But we consider 950 fps as an insurance policy to the fact.
Mike in Peru

[CraigOK]

Well I'd think the powder you're using would have a huge influence, if you run out of push before you reach the end, or if it clears the barrel with a lot of unburnt powder those will affect velocity

[KCSO]

Depending on the powder you can lose from 50 to 100 fps between a 20 and a 24" barrel. A 45 Colt load that ran 875 fps in a 7 1/2" revolver went over 1175 in a 20 inch rifle and 1230 in a 24" rifle with black powder. You need to find the pet loads section on carbine loads for full details on different powders I don't have that on the top of my head right now.

Now as to SUFFER they are ALL higher than pistol loads so depending on what you want to do ???

[OverMax]

Does performance suffer from a 16" vs 20" barrel in the 45 Colt and the 357 Magnum?

Yes.
How much performance is lost? is largely based on a boolits speed and boolit profile. Its known fact when barrel speed is throttled so is energy as is down range terminal performance on target. Since the subject concerns pistol cartridges used for a rifles application. The least little bit of speed reduction. (I) assume would inhibit such cartridges allot do to their small powder charges and heavy in weight projectiles.

[Harter66]

I load Unique . The difference between a 6" Security 6 and an 18" Marlin was 400 fps . At that time I didn't have a 16 and 20 to compare to in 38/357.

45 Colts . This one I have data for . 9.0 Unique under a 265 gr 452-255 RNFP LEE . Gives calendar wide 5100' ft to 187 ' MSL 980-1010 in the 7.5" RBH .
In the 16" Rossi 92' with fire formed neck sized brass it give 1235 - 1280 fps , 1245-1270 fps for the 20" sister rifle . It's more consistent temperature and elevation wise . A 24" Miriko 92' Win gave 1100 flat over 10 rounds at 3950' on a 60° March Day . A 24" Henry gives 1090-1110 at 4100' on a similar 60° day in October .

[mnewcomb59]

The 20" 357 will be much quieter shooting 38 loads than a 16". A 20" is actually 22lr quiet with 3.5-3.8 gr of fast powder and a 158 grain bullet.