Short pistols?

Ken Mealing · Post by **Ken Mealing** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 1:12 pm

I notice that the Morini 162 short has the same sight base as the full lengtth pistol.

Are the short models considered a compromise for the smaller shooter, or serious competitive pistols in their own right?

My youngest daughter, who likes to shoot, is a shorty, and full length, muzzle heavy pistols can be a handful even for a man.

Nano · Post by **Nano** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 1:32 pm

Ken.

In my club, we have two shooters using short version pistols, one man and one woman shooter. The new coach dont like short barrels, and they buy long barrels for the same pistols, only the barrel.
When you put the short pistols in a vice, both pistols (short and long) have the same accuracy, but the coach thing, is not the same when the pistol is in the hand of any shooter.

Looking in the ISSF web page, you can see the videos of womens Air Pistol, and look the pistols, she dont use short version.

New pistols have low weights, like 950gr in FWB, morini or Steyr brands, young shooters and womans can shoot perfectly with these weight.
Used pistols like hammerli 480k or walther lp300 have low weight too.

Buy the full length version pistols for your daughter.

Nano

Ken Mealing · Post by **Ken Mealing** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 2:48 pm

Thanks a lot, Nano.

I appreciate your advice.

How do you manage for servicing, spares, etc. in Bolivia?

My wife is Peruvian, and we've been thinking of going back to live in Peru, when I retire next year. I was just wondering if I could keep my airguns running in Lima.

I know there is a match gun dealer in Chile, but airguns don't seem to be popular in Peru.

David M · Post by **David M** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 4:10 pm

The big difference between the long and short is the balance and overall weight.
I shot a early long for about 7 years and changed to a short 4yrs ago prior to the Athens games.
The character of the pistols are different, the long is heavier out the front and is forgiving to a poor trigger shot but does have a larger/slower hold wobble.
The short has the same sight radius (rear sight extension fitted) as the long, but the balance is back further into the hand. The hold is a much faster and smaller cyclic wobble.
The short has pulled my 9.8 and 9.9 into the 10 ring, but be warned it is not forgiving to a bad trigger shot. Without the extra weight it will flick a poor shot out into a bad 8.
Overall the short has been worth 4-5 points a match to me, so much so that my free pistol has now been shortened with a rear sight extension fitted, making it a great gun to shoot in the wind.

RobStubbs · Post by **RobStubbs** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 4:55 pm

I would tend to disagree with Nano. There is technically next to no difference between the long and the short. In fact in the UK some of our top shooters have 'gone short'. For smaller shorters and a lot of lady shooters the standard 162 just looks way too big and unbalanced. That said the same thing applies as with everything else, try before you buy. If the short gun best suits your daughter then that's the one to buy.

Rob.

Richard H · Post by **Richard H** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 4:58 pm

There is also another iteration running around that being the long Morini with the short cylinders. Some say they like this too, personally I've never tried it.

ColinC · Post by **ColinC** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 7:12 pm

I use the short model mainly because the front sight is closer to my eye and is more in focus with my normal prescription lenses. Moving the front sight further out means I cannot get it in sharp focus without the black on the target also wanting to sharpen up.

The only downside since moving to the Morini short is the lightness of the pistol but I have overcome that by adding tyre weights to old 35mm film containers and slipping them over the tube. The result is that a bad shot is now a flicked eight rather than a seven or six.

cdf · Post by **cdf** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 7:26 pm

I own a short , just feels better , YMMV . I know of several very accomplished shooters who are fans of the short . Seems mostly about ergonomic preferences .

Performance difference between the two are prolly negligable , and no where near as significant as those introduced by the " nut on the but " .

Chris

GaryBF · Post by **GaryBF** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 9:00 pm

Ken,
I shoot an Anschutz LP@ Junior, which is the short version of the full size LP@, and I love it. In my opinion you give up nothing by going with one of the compact air pistols. My Junior has essentially all of the adjustments and features of the Steyr LP10 except in a more compact form. A long barrel gun may have greater practical accuracy for a seasoned shooter due to the longer sight radius. But for us mortals, that long sight radius tends to exagerate our wobbles and tremors, and can be unnerving. One thing I don't like about the short Morini is that the sight radius is still long. That's just one reason I went with the Anschutz Junior. Do also consider the Steyr LP2 Compact, the short Pardinis, and the Anschutz LP@ Junior. If you find that one of these is too light, you can always add weight with some of the available accessories.

PaulT · Post by **PaulT** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 3:22 am

For younger development shooters, you can install a “short” barrel and cylinder on a “long” pistol to lighten and reduce sight radius. As shooter grows, the pistol can revert back to the default. Cost of cylinder and short barrel is surprisingly low. A good investment if doing this is a couple of spare barrel “O” rings in case one becomes damaged in the transfer. Remember to use correct lubricant when changing barrel. For those in the UK or International subscription, this pistol is being shot by Hannah on the cover of Target Sports.

Junior pistols (LP2, Kite plus above) have produced some excellent results and enabled shooters to gain true pistol skills rather than struggling with a longer heavier pistol and “learning” how to snatch the shot as they sway past what they believe to be a good alignment.

This shortening can not be done easily on the Steyr; however one junior shooter is much improved with using a short cylinder on a standard LP10.

Tycho · Post by **Tycho** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 6:59 am

I cut my 162EI off several years before CM came out with their own. The long one was too far away from the "feel" I'm used to from CF/RF. As AP has only third priority, the weight out there in front had to go. Instead I added additional weights right in front of the trigger guard. I'm not a very good AP shooter, but I like this 162 Evo much better than the long one, and the transition time every autumn (we shoot AP only in winter) got much shorter.

PaulT · Post by **PaulT** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 7:07 am

Tycho

For your CF/RF training, you may be aware that you can easily and successfully install the heavier trigger weight springs on the 162 that are from the CM22/CM32 and balance 1st and 2nd stage to correspond to your cartridge pistols.

Cheers
Paul

kafee · Post by **kafee** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 7:34 am

[quote="PaulT"] Remember to use correct lubricant when changing barrel.

[/quote]

What would type of lubricant should you use, please?

PaulT · Post by **PaulT** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 7:41 am

We used Vaseline on the "O" rings; it also helps prevent cutting the "O" rings when re-installing the barrel.

Nano · Post by **Nano** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 10:37 am

Ken:

In Peru you have many places to shoot, in Lima have 3 ranges in the city and very good shooters like Marco Carrillo, he is one of the best south american shooter, and is a gunsmith too, if you need some minor repair in your pistol.
The spare parts you have to buy direct from the factory, waiting about 3 or more weeks.
When you go to live to Peru, contact me at ezamora@rps.gob.bo and I will send you the mail of Marco Carrillo.

Nano

Ken Mealing · Post by **Ken Mealing** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 2:28 pm

Thanks, Nano.

That's excellent news.

I will certainly get in touch.

Regards

Ken