Originally Posted by
MistWolf
"Not as handy" is a far cry from "unwieldy". I find a 20 inch isn't as handy as a 16 inch barrel but that doesn't mean I find the 20 inch unwieldy
That's why I said I take velocity figures as a guideline. The general trend is that the 20 inch gives more of a velocity advantage over the 16 than the 18 inch and the 16 inch is handier. In field use (civilian- I'm not LE or Military) I find the 18 and 16 shoot about the same but the 20 shoots noticeably flatter.
I know the 3 gun guys prefer the 18 inch barrel but I doubt it's from the velocity advantage over the 16 or it's handiness over the 20. I'm willing to bet it gives the shooter a smoother swing than the 16 without needing as much muscle to move as the 20