I had a 7 1/2 Super Blackhawk but that long barrel was just too much to pack in a hip holster. I sold it and bought a 4 5/8 Super Blackhawk which is a lot easier to pack. Jim in Idaho is right about the recoil of the shorter barrels being worse than the longer ones. Mine has the round Blackhawk trigger guard grip frame which is a little shorter than the square SBH grip frame and that make the recoil seem worse. Most of my shooting is done with lighter loads and I save the heavier loads for hunting. I just bought a Bisley grip frame, trigger, and hammer to help with the recoil but I haven't got it yet so I can't say how much it helps. Even though the recoil is a little worse I like the shorter 4 5/8 barrel a lot better than the longer 7 1/2. I've handled a couple 5 1/2 inchers but I like my 4 5/8 inch model better.
