evaluation of a new pistol

[trinity]

I've been shooting a Morini AP for a long time now, first started with a long, then shot a Steyr LP10 for a year or so, but switched back to the Morini, and eventually settled on a Morini short, which I've been shooting now for the last 2 years.

Today, I picked up my old Steyr, which I managed to get a short cylinder for, but I didn't try shooting this combo until now.

What was surprising is, even with just the factory grip, I was holding quite nicely. I shot a 40 shot match on my Scatt, and okay, no awesome score to write home about, but a decent score, approx what I've been shooting with my Morini short. However, the match was, much easier to shoot.

Of course, one can say that, there is no pressure on this match, I had just come back from Nationals, so this is one of those matches where I still had the intensity of focus from a previous high pressure match, but since this was a low pressure situation, I found performing easy. I do think there is some truth to that.

Objectively, my trace lengths today were the best I've ever done on my Scatt, and the 40 shot group size was also smallest. So while I didn't shoot as many 10s, I found it very easy to shoot a good 9.

So my question to you is, if you were use to one pistol, but was evaluating a different pistol, how much shooting or how long would you need before you could confidently say if one pistol or the other is more suitable for you? (note I am not saying one is superior to another, I know that they ALL can out shoot me) And what would you do to evaluate the suitability of a pistol? would you shoot back to back matches with the different pistols?

The converse of that question would be, how long does the "new gun effect" last? days? hours? weeks?

-trinity

[2650 Plus]

The process I use is rather lenghty. Not less than two weeks firing every day and I only score the last two days. The trouble with my system is that I don't pretend that it works for every one. It satisfies me and I have full confidence in my results. If you feel the same way after using the system I believe it will suffice for your purpose as well. Good Luck and Good Shooting Bill Horton

[Fred]

Trinity,

Here's another way of looking at it. If you believe there is a "new gun effect" that causes improved performance, and you have 2 roughly comparable guns, simply keep switching back and forth. Result: constant "new gun effect" ;-)

HTH,
FredB

[Steve Swartz]

Or- just figure out a way to help you bring the level of focus and intensity you get from picking up a "new" gun to every time you pick up your "old" gun.

Seriously.

How could one go about doing that? What do you think?

Steve Swartz

[davidInOttawa]

Hello Trinity (and friends),

The phenomena that folks here call "new gun effect" is more generally known as the Hawthorne Effect. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawthorne_effect

Basically, any change in tools or conditions can result in an increase in performance.

For example... I bought a new AP at the Canadian Air Gun Grand Prix last year, and increased my score on the second day by 16 points!!! (true.. and sad!). Of course that might have been caused by any number of factors, but I chose to believe it was because I bought that Morini 162EI Short.

Steve asked how we can reproduce this feeling?? Well.. it may not work for everyone, but visualizing EACH shot as the first shot of a match worked for me (for a while). I've since moved on to "Tens are easy!" but.. that's another story :-)

Something interesting I noticed last week (at Nationals) was that during the Mayleigh Cup, I was concentrating on the sights like NEVER before. I was completely freaked that I was shooting an FP target with my standard pistol, and I really paid attention to the sights and my hold. So... Steve.. how can I re-capture those moments every time?? "Each shot is the first shot of the Mayleigh Cup match" :-)

How long will the Hawthorne Effect last??? My personal opinion (from the few times I've experienced it) is .. a couple weeks. Which is why one of our previous posters suggestion of testing for at least two weeks, and then only counting the last two scores is (in my mind) pretty valid. A couple weeks lets the new gun/gee whiz factor blow over..

Like you said.. the Steyr and the Morini are both fabulous shooters.. able to punch same hole groups all day. In the end it comes down to personal preference, and that darned brain!!!

Best of luck!

David

[JTrickett]

Trinity,

What these other people are saying is not false but its also not ur best way of going about things.

Just like everyone else everytime you pick up a gun that you do not shoot every day you have a different mind frame and a different way of going about things. You are way more relaxed and your just go out and "do it" not think, not nothing. (This is what everyone should do.)

If you honestly think that your Styer LP10 is better with a short cylinder then I would honestly give it a while and try. You might find that after a few weeks to a month your score will go back to the same scores as you were shooting with your Styer.

Only YOU will be able to tell which gun you like better. Don't go by score, you want to make your decision based on the facts of : trigger control, feeling of the grip, weight, ect.

I recommend on not switching back and fourth between guns. Stay with one and continue with it for at least 2 months. Just don't shoot practice matching and say you have the same mind frame as shooting at Nationals, go and shoot competions that are local that will get you in the same mind fame and then compair your scores.

Sorry for this LONG drawn out explination.

I hope this helps.