Why is the balance on airpistols and free pistols

James · Post by **James** » Sat Sep 23, 2006 10:28 am

so completely different?

I love the balance on my benelli kite, but my pardini pgp 75 is so much more front heavy.
And thats without the weights. Without weights the pgp 75 is lighter, yet more diffcult to have a steady hold becasue I constantly have to use muscle to hold it level.

What if I attached a rod and weights going towards me to make the balance more neutral?

Nicole Hamilton · Post by **Nicole Hamilton** » Sat Sep 23, 2006 2:35 pm

I think cartridge guns are typically designed with more weight out in the muzzle to help control the muzzle flip due to the torque created by recoil. (Basic physics: f = ma. More mass, less acceleration for a given amount of force.) Airguns don't have much recoil (some argue there's none) so there's less flip.

But that aside, if you're having to use more muscle with one gun than with another to keep a good sight alignment, I suspect it's not the weight in the muzzle but rather how well the grip fits your hand. If the fit is perfect, you should be able to hold your arm out, relax your hand as much as possible without dropping the gun (you might be able to totally relax your hand with tight-fitting wrap-around free pistol grip) and still maintain perfect sight alignment. (A grip that fits perfectly will hold onto your hand, not the other way around.) If that's not happening and you need to use muscle, a better grip (or perhaps just a better adjustment of the shelf) might fix the problem.

James · Post by **James** » Sat Sep 23, 2006 2:43 pm

Not muscles in my hand, but rather in my wrist, or whatever it is that holds your wrist straight

My hand is totally relaxed in the freepistol.

But why is muzzle flip an issue? It dosnt happen till after the bullet leaves.

Wouldn't it be better if the balance on my airpistol and freepistol were simmilar?

Richard H · Post by **Richard H** » Sat Sep 23, 2006 4:04 pm

Which barrel is thicker your air pistol or free pistol?

The free pistol barrel has to handle the internal pressure created by a .22 cartridge, your air pistol doesn't. Hence your free pistol barrel must the thicker walled than the air pistol barrel. Since the barrel is forward off your hand as it grips the grip (the fulcrum point approx.) the heavier barrel has a long lever as well, this makes it feel even more front heavy. The only really way to counter act this is make a lighter barrel or add more what rearward of the fulcrum (center of gravity).

Nicole Hamilton · Post by **Nicole Hamilton** » Sat Sep 23, 2006 6:02 pm

James wrote:Not muscles in my hand, but rather in my wrist, or whatever it is that holds your wrist straight

My hand is totally relaxed in the freepistol.

But why is muzzle flip an issue? It dosnt happen till after the bullet leaves.

Wouldn't it be better if the balance on my airpistol and freepistol were simmilar?

Perhaps I wasn't clear. When I said relax your hand, I meant, allow your hand to fall into whatever position it would if you hold your arm out. Unless your wrist is very different than mine, it doesn't flop straight down when your hand is in that normal vertical orientation you'd expect when you grip a gun. The ligaments and whatever else is in your wrist limit the travel. Now imagine putting a gun in your hand with a grip such that with your hand in that relaxed orientation, you get a perfect sight alignment. Now compare that with another gun with a different grip that has front sight too low when you relax your hand and wrist. That's what I'm talking about.

Recoil happens the moment the bullet begins to move. Remember Newton's Third Law: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. If the barrel of the gun was perfectly in line with axis of your grip on the gun, there would be no torque. But with most guns, the barrel is a little higher and that's what causes the torque and, in turn, the muzzle flip.

What's better depends on what works best for you. Not everyone's body is the same.

James · Post by **James** » Sat Sep 23, 2006 10:25 pm

Nicole, my wrist must be very different, If I relax my wrist, the barrel points towards the ground.
So are you saying you dont use any effort to keep the gun level?

My elbow also has quite a bit of negative angle compared to some pictures i've seen, I must be more flexable?

Nicole Hamilton · Post by **Nicole Hamilton** » Sat Sep 23, 2006 11:20 pm

I'm saying that the amount of effort you need will depend somewhat on how well the grip fits your hand.