Velocity by Barrel Length of Various Calibers

This page will examine barrel length to velocity differences for various calibers. We'll mostly stick to more common calibers, but others will be added as well. Data will be sourced from various sources. One example is the extremely useful "Ballistics by the Inch" website, which recently discontinued their project but has been a valuable source for this type of information. As a result, this page will act as an extra copy of that valuable data.

But first, the concepts will be discussed below, and data from Ballistics by the Inch and other various sources will follow. We'll also analyze the optimal minimum barrel length for various calibers. For example, answering the questions of what would be the minimum barrel length for an AR-15 pistol chambered in 9mm, without wasting potential muzzle velocity, and similar concerns.

How Does Barrel Length Affect Velocity?

It is well-established fact that the length of a firearm's barrel will affect velocity (and therefore muzzle energy and even trajectory) to varying degrees. This is because the longer the propellant has had time to burn, the more of its maximum effect on the projectile can be utilized. Otherwise, energy will be wasted and propellant will likely burn off outside the barrel.

Why Does Barrel Length Affect Velocity?

This can depend on a number of factors, such as burn rate of the propellant, bore diameter, and probably others as well. The same caliber gun with the same barrel length could even show different results. For example, two revolvers of the same caliber and barrel length could differ in their amount of cylinder gap, allowing one to waste a bit more energy than the other. Likewise, semi-automatic or fully-automatic firearms will typically have lower muzzle velocity due to some of the propellant's energy being bled off into the gas system to work the action, and this can vary by individual firearm as well. Some guns, such as Heckler & Koch's integrally suppressed MP5SD are actually designed to bleed off excessive gas pressure to make sure any rounds they fire will remain subsonic! However, that is an edge case and can mostly be ignored as it pertains to the topic at hand.

We'll note various barrel lengths and load data on various calibers, from various sources.

.22 Long Rifle

Velocity by barrel length for .22 Long Rifle (also referred to as .22LR or often just ".22" for short). Data for .22LR shown below is sourced from Ballistics by the Inch. A number of popular loads from major manufacturers were tested. We'll also discuss things like ideal barrel lengths for various firearms to help navigate the various barrel length offerings. This is especially relevant when it comes to things like AR-15 rifle and/or pistol builds, as well as offerings like the Ruger 10/22 (and its "Charger" pistol variants).

Barrel Length	CCI 27 gr. CPHP	CCI 29 gr. CPRN	CCI Stinger: 32 gr. CPHP	Remington Yellow Jacket 33 gr. (truncated cone, CPHP)	Remington Viper 36 gr. (truncated cone CP)	Remington Golden Bullet 36 gr. CPHP	CCI Mini-Mag 40 gr. CPRN	Winchester Super X 40 gr. RN	CCI Velocitor 40 gr. CPHP	Aguila Sniper SubSonic 60 gr. LRN
18"	1158	1114	1510	1407	1342	1181	1212	1250	1366	903
17"	1116	1060	1502	1396	1304	1178	1206	1227	1376	903
16"	1130	1094	1489	1398	1306	1185	1207	1251	1340	900
15"	1133	1083	1496	1369	1305	1178	1211	1241	1336	879
14"	1096	1103	1483	1334	1294	1163	1224	1222	1349	883
13"	1098	1071	1496	1381	1296	1147	1183	1248	1341	891
12"	1089	1074	1476	1334	1293	1167	1221	1235	1335	892
11"	1092	1079	1463	1360	1280	1180	1210	1223	1338	881
10"	1115	1065	1452	1304	1270	1150	1169	1193	1316	859
9"	1092	1042	1430	1315	1267	1129	1169	1203	1275	868
8"	1092	1048	1396	1271	1212	1101	1158	1191	1268	857
7"	1060	1056	1367	1284	1229	1073	1139	1162	1244	820
6"	1049	993	1321	1249	1165	1063	1101	1133	1093	824
5"	1029	1014	1286	1214	1156	1009	1097	1070	1172	796
4"	956	948	1191	1113	1104	984	1014	1043	1120	762
3"	907	893	1129	1045	998	890	948	965	1026	726
2"	861	860	974	945	875	846	856	862	882	663

Best Barrel Length For .22 Long Rifle

For Subsonic Loads

For a heavy subsonic load like the Aguila Sniper Subsonic 60 gr., the loading doesn't gain too much velocity in anything more than an 8" barrel. For non subsonic loadings, it's important not to go so short as to make all .22 loadings subsonic, unless that's what you're looking for! Something like an AR-15 in the 8-inch barrel range, or Ruger's shorter 8" "Charger" 10/22's, pairing these with a 5" suppressor like the SilencerCo Sparrow leaves you with a suppressed firearm that is still 5 inches shorter than a more typical rifle setup at around 18" barrel length.

For Maximum Velocity

If one were so inclined to squeeze every bit of velocity out of a .22LR firearm, an 18" barrel does an excellent job of taking full advantage of everything the round has to offer. Some manufacturers offer Ruger 10/22 barrels at 21 inches in length. But as an example, Volquartzen offers match-grade bull barrels in lengths like 16.5" as well. Keep in mind that according to the data above, velocity gains at longer than 16" barrel length were fairly negligible, so 16" appears to be more than enough overall. Still, most stock .22 rifles come with an 18" barrel, so don't worry too much. Any more length is up to you, but doesn't appear to be necessary for a .22LR firearm.

Best Overall Barrel Length for .22 Long Rifle

The big question to ask is whether you plan on using a suppressor with your .22 Long Rifle firearm, and how long that suppressor is. If looking for a more average setup, a typical 18" barrel will give you everything the round has to offer, and it's not worth putting a ton of thought into it. If you want to get the vast majority of .22 Long Rifle performance in a short package, 8 or 10 inches like the lengths offered on the 10/22 Charger, will do well. But if you're absolutely planning to attach a suppressor, it appears that an 8" barrel is a great place to be. Remember that a suppressor will increase muzzle velocity somewhat. If going with something like a SilencerCo Sparrow, an 8" barrel with this 5" suppressor gives you a handy 13" effective barrel length, without leaving performance on the table. You could even go shorter, but the additional length of a suppressor probably won't fully make up for performance loss with a shorter barrel. Overall, if you could only pick one barrel length for any application (or multiple applications with the same firearm), something like an AR-15 pistol with an ~8" barrel will be great. For an average rifle setup, a typical stock 18" barrel is a no-stress decision. But if you must have every bit of velocity with a suppressed setup, 10" still leaves you with an overlength under 18" with almost all suppressor offerings. In that case, something like the Rugged Oculus with a potentially tiny length of only 3.25 inches could be an attractive option to keep the setup short.

.22 Magnum

The table below shows velocity and barrel length data for various .22 Magnum loadings. This data can be especially useful, since this cartridge has gained significant popularity for self-defense, especially in smaller revolvers. This information has been sourced from Ballistics by the Inch.

Barrel Length	CCI Game Point 40 gr. JSP	CCI Maxi-Mag 40 gr. JHP	CCI Maxi-Mag +V 30 gr. JHP	CCI V-Max 30 gr. Polymer Tip	Federal 30 gr. Speer TNT HP	Fiocchi PSD 40 gr. JSP	Fiocchi PSD 40 gr. JHP	Hornady Critical Defense FTX 45 gr.	Hornady V-Max 30 gr.	Hornady NTX 25 gr.	Winchester 30 gr. V-Max Polymer Tip
19"	1827	1999	2285	2348	2355	1908	1936	1773	2296	2265	2149
18"	1837	1985	2322	2298	2324	1920	1950	1764	2313	2235	2110
17"	1825	1980	2280	2288	2334	1918	1938	1755	2318	2241	2160
16"	1780	1987	2316	2276	2283	1887	1934	1702	2252	2166	2129
15"	1799	1967	2304	2294	2275	1916	1873	1738	2240	2229	2127
14"	1783	1963	2230	2298	2244	1885	1951	1751	2243	2250	2105
13"	1749	1889	2181	2220	2227	1852	1886	1698	2245	2191	2071
12"	1750	1881	2168	2204	2163	1843	1811	1699	2144	2138	2052
11"	1709	1835	2079	2097	2135	1788	1845	1652	2093	2146	1989
10"	1687	1817	2060	2144	2102	1791	1772	1643	2069	2065	1951
9"	1672	1759	2000	2061	2018	1723	1772	1630	1966	2024	1924
8"	1594	1706	1950	2012	1979	1650	1696	1536	1977	1928	1803
7"	1529	1617	1887	1904	1879	1626	1606	1525	1821	1818	1763
6"	1484	1575	1763	1804	1821	1526	1544	1454	1740	1824	1694
5"	1355	1474	1672	1723	1657	1433	1477	1307	1602	1670	1575
4"	1248	1353	1510	1504	1457	1287	1269	1239	1379	1492	1454
3"	1089	1160	1236	1336	1228	1101	1117	1049	1153	1308	1288
2"	887	946	884	1085	895	899	853	843	962	1114	n/a

.223 Remington

Velocity by barrel length for .223 Remington - From Ballistics by the Inch.

barrel length	Remington UMC 45 gr. JHP	Remington UMC 50 gr. JHP	Remington UMC 55 gr. MC
18"	3354	3179	2983
16"	3257	3076	2943
14"	3099	2901	2878
12"	2943	2964	2724
10"	2776	2682	2616
8"	2536	2478	2380
6"	2189	2153	2041
5"	1939	1921	1861
4"	1709	1674	1564
3"	1277	1276	1147

5.56x45mm NATO

Velocity by barrel length for 5.56x45mm NATO cartridge. Information is primarily from RifleShooter.com. We'll also discuss best barrel length for something like an AR-15 pistol as well as "SPR" / DMR-type setup below, to help you to better navigate various typical barrel length offerings.

Barrel Length	Federal XM193 (55 gr. FMJ)	Winchester M855 (62 gr. Penetrator)
26"	3431 fps	3280 fps
25"	3426 fps	3229 fps
24"	3409 fps	3188 fps
23"	3350 fps	3169 fps
22"	3366 fps	3158 fps
21"	3305 fps	3117 fps
20"	3306 fps	3097 fps
19"	3259 fps	3060 fps
18"	3202 fps	3052 fps
17"	3151 fps	2972 fps
16.5"	3187 fps	2992 fps
14"	3039 fps	2808 fps
13"	2974 fps	2694 fps
12"	2919 fps	2646 fps
11"	2834 fps	2579 fps
10"	2767 fps	2489 fps
9"	2662 fps	2403 fps
8"	2520 fps	2296 fps
7"	2410 fps	2135 fps
6"	2202 fps	1955 fps

Best Barrel Length For 5.56 NATO

For Subsonic Loads

Many will advise against bothering with subsonic loads using heavier bullets in a 5.56 firearm and instead opt for an AR-15 chambered in .300 Blackout, since it will have better muzzle energy due to much heavier bullets at the same velocities. Still, a typical 16" barrel with 1-in-7 twist rate (for heavier bullets) and a suppressor of your choosing should work acceptably well overall and still retain a lot more energy than a .22 LR. Likewise, a handier barrel in the 10-inch range and a typical 6-7" suppressor should also be a good setup for a pistol or SBR build. As if often the case, it depends what the user is looking for. But overall, for an optimal AR-15 type rifle with suppressor, 5.56 should not be your first option unless you want it for fun or will also be shooting standard velocity ammo and so on.

For Maximum Velocity & Range

For maximum velocity with 5.56x45mm NATO, a 20-inch barrel will give the most velocity possible out of a common barrel length rifle. For best accuracy, a heavy / bull barrel is preferred. Theoretically, a 22-inch barrel would be the best combination between somewhat manageable maneuverability and maximum velocity, but it's a non-standard length. Anything longer is even more non-standard, and has diminishing returns, though still does offer velocity advantage. But excessive barrel lengths like this should probably only ever be considered if you plan on shooting at 1,000 yards with a dedicated benchrest setup, which is also uncommon. For most applications, an 18" heavy barrel will still offer velocity advantage over a typical 16" barrel and plenty of accuracy. Consider that this is the basic setup of the U.S. military's former Mk 12 Mod 0 "SPR" (Special Purpose Rifle), which was said to have an effective range up to 700 meters.

Note: If you're looking for absolute maximum range from something like an AR-15 platform, it may be worth considering cartridges like the 6.5 Grendel, .224 Valkyrie, and others. The 6mm ARC seems to have impressive potential from our understanding. Also consider the lesser-known .277 Wolverine, which is a bridge between the .223/5.56 and .300 Blackout, and uses the same .223/5.56 cases to load with.

Best Overall Barrel Length for 5.56 NATO

Best barrel length for 5.56mm (and .223 Remington) depends on your use case. For an overall great rifle, there's nothing wrong with the most popular barrel length of 16 inches. It doesn't have any major disadvantages in velocity and is still overall quite maneuverable. For a pistol or SBR setup, if trying to maintain decent velocity and maneuverability, anything less than a barrel in the 10-inch range seems like a hard sell because velocity begins to drop heavily. When using a silencer / suppressor, also be sure to keep in mind that many manufacturers have a minimum barrel length for requirement for their warranties, which is often (but not always) about 10 inches or above in the case of common 5.56mm suppressors. Also consider that longer barrels will work better with a suppressor. As a result, most who want a suppressor may want to opt for a barrel in the 10 inch range, which works out if you want a pistol-type setup for use with and without a suppressor. Since many silencers are in the 6" to 7" range, this gives a similar length to a typical 16" barrel AR-15, and also give some velocity advantage over an unsuppressed 10 inch barrel.

.25 ACP

The velocity and barrel length data for .25 ACP found below, was sourced from Ballistics by the Inch.

Barrel Length	American Eagle 50 gr. TMJ	Winchester .45 gr. Expanding Point	Winchester 50 gr. FMJ
18"	1049	1001	978
17"	997	996	980
16"	1005	977	1026
15"	999	991	1032
14"	1016	986	1057
13"	1003	996	1023
12"	1015	979	1014
11"	1023	999	1001
10"	1025	994	997
9"	982	951	1005
8"	1000	951	982
7"	1003	970	1007
6"	963	939	983
5"	904	902	949
4"	847	896	942
3"	867	850	903
2"	753	816	780

.300 Blackout

Velocity by barrel length for .300 Blackout (also known as ".300 BLK"(SAAMI) or ".300 AAC Blackout" (C.I.P.) - From MrGunsnGear on YouTube. We'll also briefly discuss best barrel length for something like an AR-15 pistol, below to allow you to better navigate various typical barrel length offerings.

barrel length	110 gr. (Velocity)	110 gr. (Energy)	125 gr. (Velocity)	125 gr. (Energy)	150 gr. (Velocity)	150 gr. (Energy)	220 gr. (Velocity)	220 gr. (Energy)
16"	2412 fps	1421 ft lbs	2221 fps	1339 ft lbs	1854 fps	1154 ft lbs	1102 fps	593 ft lbs
12.5"	2289 fps	1280 ft lbs	2118 fps	1245 ft lbs	1789 fps	1066 ft lbs	1027 fps	515 ft lbs
10.3"	2203 fps	1185 ft lbs	1984 fps	1094 ft lbs	1709 fps	973 ft lbs	960 fps	450 ft lbs
9"	2167 fps	1147 ft lbs	1975 fps	1090 ft lbs	1661 fps	919 ft lbs	957 fps	447 ft lbs
7.5"	2118 fps	1096 ft lbs	1957 fps	1063 ft lbs	1709 fps	973 ft lbs	953 fps	444 ft lbs

Best Barrel Length For .300 Blackout

For Subsonic Loads

Based on the data above, it appears that for subsonic loads such as 220 grain (where the .300 BLK really shines), barrel length can be an afterthought, particularly if you plan on using a suppressor. Something like a 7.5" barrel with an appropriate 7 to 8 inch suppressor would allow for a package that is still shorter and a little handier than a typical 16" barrel setup. Keep in mind that many manufacturers will not warranty their suppressors on barrels shorter than around 7.5 inches. This would still make a handy setup for military and law enforcement applications, as well as home defense or just a fun recreational setup for novelty.

For Maximum Velocity

If one were so inclined to use their .300 AAC Blackout setup as a full barrel length "AK replacement" in an AR-15 platform and without a suppressor, a 16" barrel will of course give you the most velocity out of any load, and more energy out of subsonic loads as well. Of course, adding a suppressor to that setup would give you a functional barrel length of over 22", which is not particularly handy. This could be acceptable for 5.56 but not as justifiable in a shorter range .300 Blackout rifle. Also, with the added length of the suppressor, some subsonic loads might break the sound barrier, so this is also something to consider beforehand.

Best Overall Barrel Length for .300 Blackout

The major question still comes down to whether you plan on using a silencer or not. If strictly looking for quietest and best handling setup, one could easily go as short as 5.5" which is offered by a number of manufacturers. Remember, a 7 to 8 inch suppressor will add velocity and make up for such a short barrel, but not fully. Overall a good compromise would be a barrel in the 7" to 9" range, which will offer an overall barrel length of about 14 to 16", granting solid muzzle velocity with all loads, handling that is slightly better or similar to a typical 16" carbine setup, and has the benefit of having a suppressor attached. 7.5" would probably be your best bet overall with a suppressor, especially since this is the minimum warranty barrel length for most suppressor manufacturers. If you want maximum velocity with a barrel still shorter than the norm and don't plan on using a suppressor, 12.5" is a great choice for a pistol style setup. And even if you opted to add one, you're still around (or just under) 20 inch barrel length, which isn't terribly excessive. Another thing to note is that shorter and thicker suppressors are out there, such as the Brevis II line from Delta P (5.5 inches long). This would allow a 12.5" barrel to make much more sense, but suppressors like that are not cheap.

.32 ACP

Below is a table of velocity / barrel length data for the .32 ACP cartridge. It has been sourced from the Ballistics by the Inch website.

Barrel Length	Cor Bon 60 gr. JHP	Federal 65 gr. Hydra-shok JHP	Winchester 71 gr. FMJ	Winchester 60 gr. Silvertip HP
18"	1394	902	865	941
17"	1358	982	941	1035
16"	1292	983	891	983
15"	1354	1037	990	985
14"	1325	1071	921	991
13"	1332	1009	976	1015
12"	1291	943	944	990
11"	1345	996	976	1023
10"	1332	945	971	999
9"	1302	944	976	990
8"	1305	964	996	1009
7"	1264	957	979	1018
6"	1242	1019	959	980
5"	1231	1012	973	967
4"	1157	939	939	933
3"	1074	893	871	874
2"	944	805	782	787

.32 H&R Magnum

Velocity by barrel length for .32 H&R Magnum - Information sourced from Ballistics by the Inch.

barrel length	Federal 85 gr. JHP
18"	1260
17"	1186
16"	1155
15"	1224
14"	1211
13"	1221
12"	1233
11"	1219
10"	1201
9"	1223
8"	1201
7"	1156
6"	1134
5"	1114
4"	1031
3"	953
2"	845

.327 Federal Magnum

Velocity by barrel length for .327 Federal Magnum - Information from Ballistics by the Inch.

barrel length	Federal 85 gr. Hydra-Shok	American Eagle 100 gr. JSP	Speer 115 gr. Gold Dot
18"	1910	2186	1880
17"	n/a	2158	1848
16"	1900	2141	1894
15"	n/a	2128	1875
14"	1869	2112	1816
13"	n/a	2072	1815
12"	1838	2063	1785
11"	n/a	2023	1773
10"	1803	1950	1738
9"	n/a	1957	1727
8"	1752	1913	1681
7"	n/a	1874	1659
6"	1675	1808	1639
5"	1581	1701	1535
4"	1462	1604	1451
3"	1331	1398	1316
2"	976	1056	1042

.38 Special

Velocity by barrel length data for the .38 Special - Sourced from Ballistics by the Inch.

barrel length	Cor Bon 110 gr. JHP	Cor Bon 125 gr. JHP	Cor Bon 110 gr. DPX	Federal 125 gr. Hydra-shok JHP	Speer 135 gr. Gold Dot HP
18"	1243	1190	1332	1247	n/a
17"	1211	1209	1298	1233	n/a
16"	1298	1261	1388	1252	1315
15"	1220	1210	1301	1231	1255
14"	1187	1180	1274	1214	1264
13"	1151	1182	1311	1199	1247
12"	1181	1164	1298	1192	1233
11"	1200	1144	1232	1178	1242
10"	1163	1135	1232	1182	1217
9"	1162	1129	1230	1144	1209
8"	1105	1092	1214	1119	1189
7"	1095	1069	1171	1094	1145
6"	1021	1014	1106	1052	1115
5"	1009	1045	1129	1029	1101
4"	1013	996	1084	954	1027
3"	851	854	963	831	892
2"	675	723	814	700	756

.357 Magnum

Velocity by barrel length data for the .357 Magnum - Information sourced from Ballistics by the Inch.

barrel length	Cor Bon 110 gr. JHP	Cor Bon 125 gr. JHP	Cor Bon 140 gr. JHP	Cor Bon 125 gr. DPX	Federal 125 gr. JHP	Federal 158 gr. JHP	Federal 130 gr. Hydra-Shok JHP low recoil	Federal 158 gr. Hydra-Shok JHP
18"	1718	2113	1941	1936	2072	1719	2017	1721
17"	1686	2067	1947	1907	2026	1689	2009	1712
16"	1790	2119	2004	1946	2051	1739	2044	1741
15"	1728	2069	1942	1915	2032	1708	2012	1718
14"	1691	2054	1933	1897	2017	1732	1993	1715
13"	1682	2024	1916	1885	1979	1674	1984	1687
12"	1725	1994	1851	1858	1945	1654	1934	1679
11"	1667	1978	1814	1831	1973	1643	1922	1671
10"	1619	1943	1802	1804	1943	1630	1922	1638
9"	1615	1901	1745	1779	1881	1563	1812	1586
8"	1600	1851	1717	1728	1817	1570	1593
7"	1578	1784	1671	1682	1784	1516	1765	1536
6"	1461	1715	1580	1648	1702	1465	1662	1485
5"	1377	1614	1493	1552	1571	1373	1586	1402
4"	1286	1496	1394	1471	1511	1293	1453	1332
3"	1109	1257	1172	1271	1255	1102	1194	1122
2"	928	904	911	1050	949	858	919	914

.380 ACP

Velocity by barrel length for the .380 ACP - Data sourced from Ballistics by the Inch.

barrel length	Buffalo Bore 90 gr. JHP +P	Buffalo Bore 95 gr. FMJ +P	Cor Bon 80 gr. DPX	Hornady 90 gr. HP/XPT FPD	Hornady 90 gr. FTX	Speer 90 gr. Gold Dot	Winchester 85 gr. Silvertip	Winchester 95 gr. PDX1 Bonded
18"	1441	1348	1050	1042	n/a	1218	1099	1184
17"	1407	n/a	1091	1049	n/a	1207	1092	1150
16"	1411	n/a	1103	1056	n/a	1218	1108	1181
15"	1396	1349	1133	1153	n/a	1238	1099	1175
14"	1384	n/a	1086	1048	n/a	1234	1104	1149
13"	1394	n/a	1092	1013	n/a	1224	1113	1169
12"	1397	1329	1103	1134	n/a	1233	1071	1200
11"	1384	n/a	1107	1027	n/a	1231	1098	1187
10"	1355	1280	1125	1026	n/a	1201	1095	1129
9"	1346	1289	1068	1022	n/a	1184	1065	1126
8"	1329	1271	1081	1011	n/a	1177	1053	1103
7"	1314	1244	1077	978	n/a	1164	1026	1091
6"	1290	1223	1060	960	n/a	1132	1019	1042
5"	1254	1175	1021	936	n/a	1093	990	1062
4"	1226	1147	994	907	960	1052	966	966
3"	1158	1090	946	860	877	958	900	905
2"	1052	984	875	780	790	852	813	830

.357 SIG

Velocity by barrel length for the .357 SIG - From Ballistics by the Inch.

barrel length	Cor Bon 115 gr. JHP	Cor Bon 125 gr. JHP	Cor Bon 125 gr. DPX	Federal Premium 125 gr. JHP
18"	1770	1729	1508	1722
17"	1781	1736	1526	1720
16"	1768	1723	1500	1723
15"	1794	1746	1545	1733
14"	1764	1747	1518	1723
13"	1759	1721	1521	1704
12"	1751	1699	1514	1683
11"	1721	1699	1495	1665
10"	1708	1690	1474	1658
9"	1694	1669	1468	1636
8"	1654	1627	1451	1612
7"	1641	1599	1429	1585
6"	1588	1552	1395	1531
5"	1578	1537	1402	1501
4"	1491	1468	1317	1426
3"	1373	1326	1237	1319
2"	1222	1173	1125	1145

9mm Luger

Also known as 9mm Parabellum, 9x19mm, etc. Data is from Ballistics by the Inch.

Barrel Length	Cor-Bon 90 gr JHP +P	Cor-Bon 115 gr JHP +P	Cor-Bon 125 gr JHP +P	Cor-Bon 115 gr DPX	Federal 115 gr JHP	Federal 135 gr Hydra-Shok JHP (low recoil)	Federal 105 gr Expand'g FMJ	Federal 124 gr Hydra-Shok JHP	Federal 147 gr Hydra-Shok JHP	Speer 124 gr Gold Dot Short Barrel
18"	1754	1543	1449	1458	1297	1194	1370	1231	1038	1395
17"	1766	1550	1421	1455	1320	1207	1381	1250	1096	1400
16"	1740	1525	1430	1476	1295	1185	1358	1243	1073	1379
15"	1768	1536	1392	1416	1304	1194	1364	1244	1090	1375
14"	1767	1532	1405	1440	1295	1182	1372	1241	1090	1390
13"	1738	1517	1477	1427	1281	1183	1343	1237	1081	1378
12"	1716	1514	1385	1380	1282	1184	1273	1225	1081	1361
11"	1690	1496	1372	1391	1268	1166	1318	1212	1059	1360
10"	1647	1474	1372	1379	1253	1167	1314	1211	1067	1338
9"	1663	1476	1369	1377	1238	1161	1307	1212	1055	1345
8"	1634	1458	1366	1366	1234	1145	1278	1180	1047	1329
7"	1619	1446	1329	1350	1223	1136	1258	1161	1040	1316
6"	1566	1402	1312	1332	1188	1113	1235	1131	1030	1284
5"	1539	1372	1282	1315	1166	1085	1194	1115	1007	1259
4"	1444	1316	1226	1265	1094	1039	1140	1061	951	1203
3"	1345	1245	1170	1215	1029	976	1074	988	902	1108
2"	1215	1134	1061	1132	948	909	985	900	837	1074

Best Barrel Length For 9mm?

Based on the data above, it appears that almost all loads tested got their greatest percentage increase in velocity up until about a 7" barrel length. Velocity did of course increase further with longer barrels, but to a much smaller degree. For example, going from a 4" barrel to 7" (a 3 inch difference), every load got well over a 100 fps increase in velocity. However, going a full 10 inches longer up to a 17" barrel gained most of the tested loads under 100 feet per second in velocity. In fact, going from a 17 inch barrel up to 18 inches, actually LOST velocity in all but two of the loads, although the decrease was negligible.

It appears that overall, the optimal barrel length for 9mm (for something like an AR-15 pistol build, SBR, or similar setup), is about 7 to 8 inches for maximum efficiency and handling. If you still wanted to maintain an ultra-short setup with a suppressor, you could go even shorter with barrel length, as the additional length of the suppressor will increase velocity. Even at 7-8" barrel, the additional length of a suppressor would still allow the pistol or SBR to remain more compact than a 16" barrel. A 7" barrel with a 7" suppressor would still give an overall length of 14 inches. If you were looking for a rifle setup, there appears to be no major reason to go above the federal 16" barrel requirement, unless local laws differ, or whatever the case may be.

9x18mm Makarov

Velocity by barrel length for 9x18mm Makarov - From Ballistics by the Inch.

barrel length	Glaser 70 gr. Pow'r Ball	Hornady 95 gr. XTP
18"	1503	1075
17"	1493	1082
16"	1463	1112
15"	1475	1100
14"	1459	1106
13"	1463	1076
12"	1464	1081
11"	1432	1068
10"	1419	1063
9"	1404	1054
8"	1389	1041
7"	1357	1028
6"	1310	988
5"	1316	973
4"	1237	965
3"	1152	890
2"	1068	831

9x18mm Ultra

Velocity by barrel length for 9x18mm Ultra - Data sourced from Ballistics by the Inch.

barrel length	Fiocchi 100 gr. FMJTC
18"	1201
17"	1229
16"	1233
15"	1221
14"	1233
13"	1225
12"	1214
11"	1211
10"	1185
9"	1148
8"	1139
7"	1136
6"	1098
5"	1085
4"	1019
3"	938
2"	860

10mm Auto

Velocity by barrel length for the 10mm Auto - Data from Ballistics by the Inch.

barrel length	Cor Bon 135 gr. Pow'R Ball	Cor Bon 135 gr. JHP	Cor Bon 150 gr. JHP	Cor Bon 165 gr. JHP	Cor Bon 155 gr. DPX	Federal 180 gr. Hydra-Shok	Buffalo Bore 180 gr. JHC	Winchester 175 gr. Silvertip	Hornady 200 gr. XTP
18"	1640	1710	1567	1447	1319	1232	1573	1370	1260
17"	1626	1711	1559	1459	1352	1209	1564	1362	1243
16"	1643	1701	1570	1441	1349	1220	1573	1384	1257
15"	1620	1662	1574	1441	1339	1204	1555	1357	1267
14"	1639	1691	1569	1439	1355	1222	1583	1397	1280
13"	1634	1679	1547	1437	1354	1223	1586	1365	1269
12"	1615	1653	1519	1410	1307	1195	1562	1321	1267
11"	1600	1643	1521	1401	1329	1182	1543	1312	1225
10"	1580	1601	1494	1400	1333	1171	1509	1348	1234
9"	1568	1594	1489	1378	1306	1179	1508	1304	1206
8"	1533	1575	1466	1349	1294	1146	1482	1276	1190
7"	1508	1575	1446	1331	1268	1129	1453	1269	1184
6"	1432	1504	1426	1307	1254	1093	1428	1228	1174
5"	1418	1411	1382	1260	1244	1069	1399	1225	1133
4"	1328	1322	1301	1209	1183	1013	1338	1149	1077
3"	1248	1255	1218	1157	1116	927	1250	1089	1032
2"	1083	1071	1020	976	1014	841	1111	950	912

.40 S&W

Velocity by barrel length data for .40 Smith & Wesson - Sourced from Ballistics by the Inch.

barrel length	Cor Bon 135 gr. JHP	Cor Bon 150 gr. JHP	Cor Bon 165 gr. JHP	Cor Bon 140 gr. DPX	Federal 135 gr. expand'g FMJ	Federal 180 gr. JHP	Federal 135 gr. Hydra-Shok JHP low recoil	Federal 180 gr. Hydra-Shok JHP	Federal 165 gr. Hydra-Shok JHP	Federal 155 gr. Hydra-Shok JHP	Speer 180 gr. Gold Dot Short Barrel
18"	1662	1457	1378	1442	1411	1165	1425	1189	1117	1355	1105
17"	1650	1498	1387	1460	1403	1196	1414	1207	1133	1346	1133
16"	1636	1464	1351	1433	1398	1142	1398	1175	1084	1317	1143
15"	1672	1478	1392	1438	1421	1165	1398	1181	1114	1341	1149
14"	1649	1460	1377	1448	1382	1156	1401	1170	1128	1337	1134
13"	1630	1429	1379	1393	1385	1148	1392	1160	1132	1327	1137
12"	1618	1438	1341	1414	1373	1120	1371	1163	1123	1313	1143
11"	1591	1408	1350	1403	1359	1124	1355	1132	1103	1300	1124
10"	1587	1405	1329	1392	1345	1123	1338	1148	1124	1294	1125
9"	1555	1406	1297	1382	1349	1113	1342	1133	1096	1297	1136
8"	1537	1382	1293	1384	1314	1104	1318	1115	1096	1257	1099
7"	1514	1354	1272	1368	1305	1084	1288	1092	1064	1241	1101
6"	1476	1340	1251	1328	1281	1067	1267	1081	1052	1209	1068
5"	1453	1303	1225	1308	1233	1047	1225	1051	1038	1190	1053
4"	1350	1240	1164	1236	1201	1016	1155	1022	985	1126	1011
3"	1212	1169	1085	1190	1152	962	1080	964	924	1065	979
2"	1117	1071	998	1093	1032	905	964	892	869	972	930

.41 Remington Magnum

Velocity by barrel length for the .41 Remington Magnum - Data is sourced from Ballistics by the Inch.

barrel length	Federal 180 gr. Barnes Exp. Vital-Shok	Winchester 175 gr. Silvertip	Winchester 240 gr. Platinum Tip	Cor Bon 180 gr. DPX	Cor Bon 170 gr. JHP	Speer 210 gr. Gold Dot HP	Buffalo Bore 170 gr. JHP
18"	1660	1498	1442	1629	1486	1745	2124
17"	1645	1480	1460	1611	1466	1739	2109
16"	1664	1474	1440	1595	1482	1706	2093
15"	1665	1495	1442	1585	1489	1717	2054
14"	1627	1494	1412	1572	1490	1710	2085
13"	1635	1482	1427	1566	1505	1692	2022
12"	1617	1472	1422	1583	1493	1683	2001
11"	1605	1462	1400	1548	1464	1626	1996
10"	1582	1430	1386	1547	1425	1629	1958
9"	1561	1371	1359	1501	1402	1589	1907
8"	1494	1336	1327	1467	1378	1567	1871
7"	1473	1294	1280	1413	1361	1500	1810
6"	1425	1247	1246	1394	1325	1445	1678
5"	1353	1185	1195	1317	1244	1363	1625
4"	1238	1072	1098	1242	1181	1268	1481
3"	1133	918	1027	1114	1030	1118	1325
2"	934	680	835	917	825	884	985

.44 Special

Velocity by barrel length data for .44 Special. From Ballistics by the Inch.

barrel length	Cor Bon 165 gr. JHP	Cor Bon 200 gr. DPX
18"	1353	1286
17"	1377	1339
16"	1338	1307
15"	1339	1315
14"	1327	1298
13"	1351	1290
12"	1314	1234
11"	1289	1250
10"	1296	1263
9"	1224	1215
8"	1237	1210
7"	1184	1146
6"	1133	1098
5"	1102	1084
4"	1013	972
3"	906	859
2"	854	713

.44 Magnum

Velocity by barrel length for the .44 Magnum - Data from Ballistics by the Inch.

barrel length	Cor Bon 165 gr. JHP	Cor Bon 225 gr. DPX	Federal 240 gr. Hydra-Shok JHP	Speer 200 gr. Gold Dot Short-bbl HP
18"	1558	1540	1643	1341
17"	1590	1563	1629	1354
16"	1552	1532	1619	1377
15"	1564	1550	1645	1361
14"	1541	1506	1623	1358
13"	1549	1495	1608	1341
12"	1514	1474	1579	1353
11"	1497	1472	1584	1315
10"	1501	1467	1571	1319
9"	1438	1447	1535	1278
8"	1433	1387	1497	1282
7"	1385	1385	1462	1251
6"	1321	1320	1380	1197
5"	1270	1301	1367	1170
4"	1150	1250	1251	1099
3"	1015	1095	1095	964
2"	952	951	944	833

.45 ACP

The .45 ACP velocity and barrel length data below is sourced from Ballistics by the Inch.

Barrel Length	Buffalo Bore 185 gr. FMJ Flat Nose (Std. P)	Buffalo Bore 230 gr. FMJ RN (Std. P)	Buffalo Bore 185 gr. JHP (+P)	Buffalo Bore 230 gr. JHP (+P)	Double Tap 160 gr. Barnes "TAC-XP" (+P)	Federal 230 gr. "HST" JHP (Std. P)	G2 Research 162 gr. "RIP" JHP (Std. P	Hornady 185 gr. FTX Critical Defense (Std. P)	Hornady 220 gr. Flexlock Critical Duty (+P)	Liberty Civil Defense 78 gr. JHP (+P)
18"	1031	985	1398	1161	1457	926	1074	1210	1057	2230
16"	1024	1016	1438	1163	1442	n/a	n/a	1214	1077	n/a
14"	1008	996	1399	1148	1451	n/a	n/a	1196	1066	n/a
12"	976	996	1357	1129	1410	924	1057	1183	1063	2153
10"	909	955	1326	1110	1334	n/a	n/a	1151	1059	n/a
9"	916	952	1308	1097	1270	n/a	n/a	1135	1040	n/a
8"	921	944	1286	1094	1280	n/a	n/a	1123	1035	n/a
7"	891	923	1257	1075	1224	n/a	n/a	1100	1026	n/a
6"	867	923	1236	1062	1245	n/a	n/a	1089	1017	n/a
5"	854	880	1196	1016	1208	896	990	1041	985	1865
4"	820	845	1135	981	1143	838	953	994	951	1823
3"	722	800	1063	907	1049	789	914	906	907	1672

.460 Rowland

The .460 Rowland is essentially a magnum cartridge of the .45 ACP, meant to create and handle much higher pressures for a significant increase in performance. It is meant to replicate .44 Magnum performance in a .45 ACP semi-automatic handgun.

The data below is sourced from Ballistics by the Inch.

Barrel Length	Cor-Bon Hunter 230 gr. JHP
18"	1356
17"	1366
16"	1354
15"	1352
14"	1342
13"	1344
12"	1314
11"	1293
10"	1335
9"	1303
8"	1299
7"	1273
6"	1261
5"	1208
4"	1124
3"	1082
2"	974

.45 Colt

Velocity by barrel length for the .45 Colt cartridge - Data sourced from Ballistics by the Inch.

barrel length	Cor Bon 200 gr. JHP +P	Cor Bon 225 gr. DPX +P	Federal 225 gr. semi-wadcutter Lead HP
18"	1275	1482	1042
17"	1254	1464	1050
16"	1245	1483	1060
15"	1239	1494	1045
14"	1238	1454	1034
13"	1244	1431	1031
12"	1179	1420	1005
11"	1198	1406	1000
10"	1180	1387	1000
9"	1154	1356	965
8"	1140	1340	947
7"	1090	1278	925
6"	1043	1210	891
5"	957	1157	847
4"	875	1093	757
3"	775	936	684
2"	675	778	609

.45 Super

Velocity by barrel length for the .45 Super cartridge - Information is sourced from Ballistics by the Inch.

barrel length	Buffalo Bore 185 gr. JHP	Buffalo Bore 200 gr. JHP	Buffalo Bore 230 gr. FMJ	Buffalo Bore 230 gr. JHP	Buffalo Bore 255 gr. Hard Cast	Double Tap 185 gr. JHP	Double Tap 185 gr JHP Bond. Def.	Double Tap 230 gr. JHP Bond. Def.	LeHigh Defense 170 gr. JHP	Underwood 170 gr. CF	Underwood 185 gr XTP JHP	Underwood 230 gr. GD JHP
18"	1585	1459	1323	1320	1281	1657	1631	1325	1375	1496	1628	1301
16"	1608	1486	1310	1339	1279	1622	1590	1341	1371	1478	1603	1295
14"	1558	1436	1290	1313	1240	1599	1549	1334	1349	1466	1603	1295
12"	1534	1409	1265	1301	1232	1580	1531	1297	1331	1445	1565	1261
10"	1498	1397	1237	1267	1206	1559	1558	1280	1310	1409	1534	1249
9"	1467	1373	1220	1261	1189	1525	1522	1246	1290	1406	1516	1234
8"	1450	1339	1198	1249	1175	1506	1464	1233	1289	1382	1498	1204
7"	1434	1327	1170	1209	1148	1473	1422	1220	1253	1360	1467	1191
6"	1408	1288	1142	1179	1136	1442	1442	1235	1244	1333	1428	1164
5"	1348	1245	1124	1158	1100	1353	1371	1149	1213	1295	1394	1129
4"	1269	1179	1075	1107	1060	1328	1229	1105	1180	1242	1304	1090
3"	1173	1105	1005	1035	1000	1199	1117	1061	1189	1162	1210	1023

Help Support FirearmWiki

We have a number of ways you can help to support Firearm Wiki, including various affiliates. If you're already in the market for products below, it would help tremendously if you'd consider using our links to buy! It'll give us a commission at zero extra cost to you! Thanks so much for your support!

• Palmetto State Armory - A major retailer for everything gun-related. Firearms, ammo in all major calibers, and unbeatable deals on AR-15 kits & pre-builts.

• True Shot Gun Club - An online retailer that specializes in bulk ammunition in all major calibers, including 9mm, 5.56mm, 7.62x39, 12 gauge and many more.

• Brownells - Founded in 1939, Brownells is a one-stop shop for all things firearms, ammunition, reloading & gunsmithing supplies, and more.

• GritrSports - A growing retailer who carries all kinds of firearms, ammunition, and various gear and accesories.

• GunMag Warehouse - Specializing primarily in firearm magazines, ammo in all major calibers, as well as accessories & more!

• Spartan Armor Systems - One of the leading manufacturers of various body armor, as well as steel shooting targets.

• Black Ovis - Specializes primarily in hunting gear and various hunting supplies, including archery, camping etc.

• Aero Precision - A major maanufacturer of AR-15's, offered in a variety of calibers.

• Stag Arms - A manufacturer of AR-15 type firearms, available in various major calibers.

• Airgun Depot - A major source for all things airguns & accessories, including ammo, CO2 cartridges, optics, targets & more.