Jump to content
Brian Enos's Forums... Maku mozo!

recoil and muzzle rise vs barrel length.....


3djedi

Recommended Posts

Will a 6" pistol recoil less and have less muzzle rise than a 5" pistol shooting the same ammo? (or let's assume same PF through each gun).... I'm a little confused on this.

What's the pros and cons of a 6" vs a 5" pistol?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Biggest difference is longer sight radius and a little more velocity.

It's pretty broad to just try to compare a 5" to 6". Depending on how the slide is lightened and the springs. Some like the feel of one more than another based on different reasons.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

two identical guns just one is 5" and one is 6". I would think that , if shooting ammo of the same PF, the 6" would have slightly less recoil impulse and muzzle rise due to a little more weight in the gun. But I'm wondering if it is enough difference to even be perceptible.

But the 6" might be a little harder to swing around from target to target than the 5".

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The muzzle of the 6" definitely rises less if both guns are identical except for length. The longer sight radius is a big plus if you are using iron sights. A standard frame, bushing barrel, long slide can be made to feel about the same a a 5" bull barrel, especially if you do some slide lightening. Putting a HiPower cut on the long slide should just about do it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

shooting the same ammo? (or let's assume same PF through each gun)

Do you want the same ammo or the same PF? Because the same ammo will chrono faster through a longer barrel, that's one of the reasons to go 6" over 5", another is the longer sight radius. In my mind as long as you lighten the nose there's no downside, only upside to a 6" gun.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Will a 6" pistol recoil less and have less muzzle rise than a 5" pistol shooting the same ammo? (or let's assume same PF through each gun).... I'm a little confused on this.

Same ammo, depending on barrels and configuration it is possible a 5" would have less rise. Typically a 6" will chrono faster (higher PF) than a 5" with same ammo.

Same PF is a different story. My 6" makes major with production powder charges and a 200 gr pill. Quite soft.

Also, tracker vs non will play into the results. On a conventional front sight movement should be similar. On trackers apparent muzzle rise will likely be higher on a 6" (given same angle of muzzle rise the front sight on the 6" will be higher).

On my particular tracker the location of the weight makes for a relatively flat shooting gun.

A 5" or 6" can be set up to run flat- there are many variables that impact performance more than an inch of barrel length, but I think grip training and practice gripping the gun will provide the most benefit for taming muzzle rise.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

take it to the extreme for the answer 1" versus 100" barrel. thought the difference with the same load will be difficult to see with just an increase in barrel length. Add weight of the longer slide and dust cover and you can probably see the difference. agree grip and training will do more than the extra inch on the barrel.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Longer barrel does not necessarily mean higher velocity. I have a 5.4 that is bunch slower than my 5.0 with the same loads. Every gun/barrel/ammo setup is different.

My experience was the same as your's. The biggest difference between my 6" gun and my 5.4" Sight Tracker is that the 6" gun "felt" softer......

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Speaking on just the 9mm and .40... There is increased muzzle velocity in 6in over 5in. Assuming the parameters are equal, and depending on bullet weight the increase is anywhere from 20-50fps. Which the grand scheme isn't significant enough to overcome the increase in mass of a 6in gun.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Edited by Rangerdug
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Longer barrel does not necessarily mean higher velocity. I have a 5.4 that is bunch slower than my 5.0 with the same loads. Every gun/barrel/ammo setup is different.

That is where "typically" comes in. If you chronoed 1k 5" barrels and 1k 6" barrels, which would have the higher average velocity?

The truth is there are a ton of variables that determine how an individual pistol will lift and recover in the recoil cycle.

The biggest, in my opinion, is grip. Next is likely weight (and distribution), and then you get into slide weights, springs, FPS radius, etc.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Food for thought. Put a 5" and a 6" together and tilt them up the same. Which ones nose is higher? That being said I like a well balanced 6" for all the previous reasons stated.

Of course the six inch, but this assumes the muzzles are displaced the same angle. The added weight given the same charge should displace less.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I understand that there will be rare exceptions, but it is science that states that length will impact velocity. Plain and simple. If you are not achieving this. Then it becomes an issue of variables(manufacturer and wear).

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Edited by Rangerdug
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I understand that there will be rare exceptions, but it is science that states that length will impact velocity. Plain and simple. If you are not achieving this. Then it becomes a issue of variables(manufacturer and wear).

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yep should be, tolerances built the same, just physics. Variation in manufacturing could be enough to make a difference. Again go to the extreme, 24" vesus 1".

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

I guess he's assuming it would be the same angle and since the sight radius is longer, hence, will rise higher. BUT...angle will not be the same due to several reasons, first one being, a heavier slide and one that is nose-heavy, will naturally be tamer, if ammo is the same. BUT...a 6" slide could dip more, if you don't have your fundamentals squared away, like me :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I guess he's assuming it would be the same angle and since the sight radius is longer, hence, will rise higher. BUT...angle will not be the same due to several reasons, first one being, a heavier slide and one that is nose-heavy, will naturally be tamer, if ammo is the same. BUT...a 6" slide could dip more, if you don't have your fundamentals squared away, like me :)

Yep, I didn't math it out, but first thoughts are conservation of momentum, bigger heavier slide moves less to make the equation equal. Also, longer moment arm in addition to the added mass.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I had a 6" with a lightened slide and there was definitely less muzzle rise.

There was also another thing was was just as dramatic as the reduction in muzzle rise.

My experience (your's may vary) was that when the slide slammed back into battery after each shot, there was a dipping of the front sight due to the length of the barrel (slide). I've not felt it as dramatic in 5" pistols.

I think that a shooter could have shorter splits with more alphas with a 5" pistol. I found myself waiting for the front sight to come back up to get on target between shots on the same target.

I don't shoot the 6" anymore for this reason.

Just my opinion.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I guess he's assuming it would be the same angle and since the sight radius is longer, hence, will rise higher. BUT...angle will not be the same due to several reasons, first one being, a heavier slide and one that is nose-heavy, will naturally be tamer, if ammo is the same. BUT...a 6" slide could dip more, if you don't have your fundamentals squared away, like me :)

Yup. Im assuming a slide that has been lightened to,weigh the same as a 5" slide shooting the same ammo. If you would expect the same angle of barrel litt the sight would seem to rise more from LOS. In the real world there are many factors at play.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...