the pad of the trigger finger, these triggers and shoes had some merit – particularly if they were finely serrated, as most were.
Over the years, as more people took an interest in ‘combat’ shooting for both defense and sport, single action target shooting became less dominant. Apparently the manufacturers took the serious double action shooters to heart, because in the last couple of decades the wide serrated triggers have virtually disappeared from manufacturer’s catalogs. They’ve been replaced by narrower, smooth triggers more suited to good double action shooting.
These narrower triggers on today’s revolvers are significantly more friendly to smaller hands.
These narrower triggers on today’s revolvers are not only more suited to proper double action manipulation in general, they’re significantly more friendly to smaller hands.
At the same time trigger shoe attachments have faded from view as well. They haven’t completely disappeared, however. I haven’t seen a trigger shoe in the longest time, but I know they’re still being made and someone must be buying the things. (If your revolver has one, and you’re serious about double action shooting, I suggest you remove it regardless of your hand size. I think you’ll find proper double action manipulation much easier.)
Those with small hands who happen to possess a revolver with a wide trigger are not out of luck. A gunsmith can narrow the existing trigger or, in some cases, simply install a narrower factory trigger.
There is also a comfort component of trigger width that should be considered. The wider trigger spreads the pressure against the face of the trigger over a greater area, which has the effect of lessening the pressure at any given point. The thinner the trigger, the smaller the area and the higher the pressure at any given point.
Many people dislike the traditional Colt D and E/I-frame revolvers because of their very narrow triggers, which often engendered an “it hurts to pull!” complaint. Those with thin or bony fingers are particularly sensitive to this issue.
Measuring revolvers for trigger reach
By now you should be aware that trigger reach is a combination of trigger to backstrap distance, grip width, grip shape, and trigger width. This can be measured and it’s possible to compare different guns, frame sizes, and grips by doing so.
Take a length of non-stretching string and wrap it from the highest point on the back of the grip to the trigger and back again. You should have a complete wrap around the whole grip and trigger. Mark the string and straighten it out, measure the distance between the marks, and divide by two. The resulting number is the true trigger reach measurement, from the center of the backstrap to the centerline of the trigger. It can be directly compared to other models that are similarly measured.
For instance, my personal Ruger GP100 with the factory grips measures 3.25 inches, while a S&W Model 66 with custom thin grips by Don Collins measures 3.40 inches. The S&W feels larger in my hands, and it’s harder to get my finger in proper position on the trigger – both of which are explained by the difference in measurements. Those tenths of an inch make a big difference in how the gun fits!
A S&W model 442, with the standard ‘boot’ grips, measures a diminutive 2.85 inches. A Ruger SP101, equipped with hand-filling Pachmayr Compac grips which are much larger than those that came on the gun, comes in at 3.12 inches. The S&W is a bit small to make for easy shooting, and from the factory the Ruger isn’t a lot bigger. I had to add the Pachmayr grips so that I could shoot it more efficiently, and they make a world of difference in how the gun handles.
Measuring trigger reach with loop of string.
Barrel lengths
The best barrel length is determined by the intended use of the revolver. That’s probably self evident, but there is also a personal preference factor to consider.
For instance, many people believe that a good concealed carry (defensive) revolver must have a short barrel – say, two inches or so. A four-inch gun is often said to be too big to carry concealed, though many do. What about something in between, like the three-inch barrel? I like them, and some folks declare that it’s the shortest barrel they’re willing to carry, but a lot of people think they’re still to big to pack around.
I don’t know anyone who would think about carrying a six-inch revolver for self defense, but at one time it was the most common barrel length for uniformed police officers. Today the six-inch is considered a target or hunting piece. And so it goes. We can make some generalizations, but ultimately you’ll have to decide what’s best for you without regard to what someone else says or writes.
In general the shorter the barrel the easier it is to carry and conceal. That convenience comes at a cost, however. Shorter barrels have a shorter sight radius, which makes accurate shooting more difficult. It’s not a mechanical issue, because short barrels are not intrinsically any less accurate than long ones.
It’s the shooter interface again: the shorter sight radius that comes with the shorter barrel makes precision alignment more difficult. This affects bullet deviation at the target, making the guns shoot less precisely.
Short barrels will develop less bullet velocity than longer barrels, which may affect ammunition performance. Gunpowder, contrary to popular belief, doesn’t explode – it burns very quickly, but at a controlled rate. It takes time to burn the complete charge in a cartridge, but other things are happening while the powder is burning.
The initial flash of the primer when struck by the firing pin not only ignites the gunpowder, it also raises the pressure inside the cartridge sufficiently to start the bullet moving. When the powder ignites the bullet has already started to work itself forward; the very high gas pressure from the powder’s ignition is what rapidly accelerates the bullet to its design velocity.
The power continues to burn as the bullet travels down the barrel, the gas pressure in the barrel continuing to accelerate the slug. With a long enough barrel, all of the gas from the powder is trapped and used to push the bullet. If the barrel ends before the powder has stopped burning, the increasing gas pressure simply gets vented to the outside air; it does no more work pushing the bullet. The longer barrel will develop higher velocity than the short barrel simply because it’s able to use the expanding gases to their greatest potential.
The shorter barrel will develop less velocity because some of the gas pressure is wasted, as the powder burns with nothing in the barrel. How much less velocity depends on just how long the barrel happens to be, as well as what kind of powder is used and how heavy the bullet is. In very short barrels some of the powder is ejected out the muzzle while it’s still burning, leading to a large muzzle flash and blast wave. This is also why short barrels are generally less pleasant to shoot.
A twelve-inch Dan Wesson revolver? With my short stature, I’m concerned the muzzle might drag on the ground!
Long barrels, though more efficient in terms of ballistic performance and easier to shoot well, are heavier and less pleasant to carry around. If the gun is to be carried concealed, a longer barrel may not even be able to be hidden effectively. They’re also harder to get into action, the long barrel needing more effort to clear a holster and align on target.
I personally relegate the two-and three-inch barrels to concealed carry, while using the four-inch and six-inch models for competition and field use. That’s not to say that I’ve never carried a four-inch gun as a concealed defensive piece; I have, many times. It’s just not my first choice for that task. A six-incher? No, not for me.
How about something even longer? I have a rare twelve-inch tube to fit one of my Dan Wesson revolvers, for which I’ve not found a use. Occasionally I muse about getting a ‘Dirty Harry’ style shoulder holster and carrying it around, but with my short stature, I’m concerned the muzzle might drag on the ground!
Underlugs
At the turn of the 20th century revolver barrels were pretty much cylindrical, or at least a tapered cylinder. Smith