Good subject
My Granddad was in the Cavalry in WW1, his outfit used 7 1/2" barreled 45 long colt ,Colt SAA, his personal firearm was a 5 1/2" 45 long Colt SAA. which he carried before the war and after as a rancher in Nebraska and Colorado, he prefered the 5 1/2" for every day wear, but found the longer barrel of his issued Colt to be more accurate at longer distances, he said he wore his Colt Artillery model every day except when going to town for supplies, he would then take his rifle or Greener 10 gauge shot gun along, he told me folks weren't scared back then, just prepared. in regards the the barrel lengths, he said most the ranchers and towns folk had gone to the shorter length barrels, they were easier to holster or carry in a coat.
tEN wOLVES