The work concerns numerical – experimental studies on pre- and post-buckling of thin-walled, steel, cylindrical shells, with the open section, subjected to constrained torsion. Two geometrically varied structures are considered: an open section cylindrical shell without stiffeners and one that is reinforced by closed section stringers. The shells have five different length to diameter ratios. Numerical simulations were carried out and the neuralgic zone stress distributions in pre- and post-buckling responses, were determined. Torsion experiments were performed and the results were compared to the numerical conclusions, with reasonably high level of agreement. The exactness of the experiment was proven for selected cases, establishing the basis for FEM numerical model estimation.