S&W Model 41 - 5.5" or 7" Barrel

I am considering getting a Smith & Wesson model 41 for bullseye shooting competition.  This pistol will be used with the stock iron sights.  I am leaning towards the 7" barrel.  Which barrel length to most bullseye shooters prefer, 5 1/2" or 7"?

For irons, I’d go with 7” for the longer sight radius. For dot, I’d go with 5.5” for fractionally shorter time in the barrel.

Hello DVidrine,

Always the contrarian....I've been shooting my 5.5 inches models with irons for close to forty years.  I feel they have better balance and their shorter length makes it easier to keep the front sight focused.

Jim

spursnguns wrote:Hello DVidrine,
Always the contrarian....I've been shooting my 5.5 inches models with irons for close to forty years.  I feel they have better balance and their shorter length makes it easier to keep the front sight focused.
Jim

Have to agree.  My Model 41's and High Standards all have the 5.5 inch barrel.  I found the 7 inch Model 41 to be wobbly.  If you put on dot on the pistol, the barrel length becomes a non-issue.

I liked the longer barrel both for sight radius and the additional weight.  Slows down the wobble!

I guess you need to actually lay your hands on the options & try them for your self.

Steve makes a good point, it really matters what feels best to you. I used to shoot a high standard and preferred the longer barrels. I felt they balanced better for me....with the emphasis on for me.

Thanks for the advice.  I think I need to try both barrel lengths for myself.

Nice thing about the 41 is you can buy a different barrel if you decide the one you have is too long or too short.  I have a 41 with a 7" barrel and I like it.  When I was buying mine I wanted the 5.5 inch barrel but I could not find one at that time so I got the longer barrel.  I think you will get used to either one.  As for sight radius I had one bulleye shooter/smith tell me that you notice the wobble more with the longer sight radius which can be a distraction.  If you can try both that would be great.

I have both barrels and use a red dot on the 7" , for precision shooting, and the irons on the 5.5, which I use for shooting steel and general plinking. Both barrels are very accurate. 
 If I was to have only one barrel it would be the 5.5 as it seems more versatile.

kidneyboy wrote:I have both barrels and use a red dot on the 7" , for precision shooting, and the irons on the 5.5, which I use for shooting steel and general plinking. Both barrels are very accurate. 
 If I was to have only one barrel it would be the 5.5 as it seems more versatile.

mine has both barrels as well, 

one with Irons, another with an ancient Aimpoint on it

I have both and I shoot the 5.5" better with irons.

I have both. I saw above that it was mentioned that the 5.5" was lighter then the 7". I have found the opposite to be true (there are a lot of different 7" barrels). I like the heavier weight of the 5.5" for .22 EIC matches. I like the extra weight when doing the lift. The .22 EIC matches start from the International ready position. I like the long barrel for 900's. Well, the long barrel with a dot. My old eyes can handle steel sights for 30 rounds. Barely.

Here are 41 Light, and 41 Heavy
Light is a 7" cut to 5.5
Heavy is relined
Both shoot

For those not familiar with the S&W 41, the following may be of interest. The 5 1/2" barrel assembly weighs approximately 20 oz., while the 7" is approximately 18 oz. The optics only barrel offered by the Performance Center appears to be a 7" barrel that has been shortened to 5". They also remove part of the sight extension. This barrel with a Weaver base, steel rings, and a Millett dot weighs in at approximately 18 1/2 oz.