TargetTalk

I'm new to 10-meter match pistols and I'm wondering about barrel weights... is there any rule of thumb about where to place them, how many to place or even whether to use them at all? Is it just trial and error and personal preference? Is it better to have the weights out at the front sight, or closer to the rear sight, or just balanced between the two?

My EVO-10 came with four barrel weights, and from what I could tell by watching ISSF 10-meter pistol competitions on YouTube it seems that most competitors are using weights. Their placement seems to vary but since the weights are not the focus of the video coverage of these events, it is kinda hard to tell what the consensus is.

Right now I'm using all four of my weights. I have them like this (two on each side):



Thanks.

Barrel weights are very much a trial and error thing.
The setup depends on a number of personal feel things and alters how you hold and group.
With the weights to the rear, you are increasing the overall mass of the pistol with the center of
gravity to the rear. Muzzle flip is still evident but movement is slowed. Once moved off hold then
it is slower to recover the hold.
With the weights forward the barrel is a lot heavier, barrel movement is damped as is muzzle flip on firing
but it is a lot harder to hold on target for any length of time. Wobble or movement of hold is further but at
reduced speed of movement.
Start with no weights, learn what it feels like for a couple of months. Then try 2 weights at the front and
notice the difference.
Keep experimenting and within a couple of years you will know what is best for you.

David M wrote:Barrel weights are very much a trial and error thing.
The setup depends on a number of personal feel things and alters how you hold and group.
With the weights to the rear, you are increasing the overall mass of the pistol with the center of
gravity to the rear. Muzzle flip is still evident but movement is slowed. Once moved off hold then
it is slower to recover the hold.
With the weights forward the barrel is a lot heavier, barrel movement is damped as is muzzle flip on firing
but it is a lot harder to hold on target for any length of time. Wobble or movement of hold is further but at
reduced speed of movement.
Start with no weights, learn what it feels like for a couple of months. Then try 2 weights at the front and
notice the difference.
Keep experimenting and within a couple of years you will know what is best for you.

Thank you for your helpful reply!

"Couple of years..." :) But I'm impatient NOW!! :)

I started with no weights, then added the two at the front and my shooting improved. But the improvement might have been just due to my continuing to practice (from being a total beginner). Then I added the two weights further back and again there was an improvement.

I guess now I'll experiment with all four weights up front and see what that does. Then move all four to the back and try again. I've now got about 3,000 shots with the weights the way I have them, so I _should_ be able to see what difference there is.

Cheers!

It all boils down to physics. The more mass you can place as far away from the pivot (your wrist), the larger the "moment of inertia". This will tend to reduce the motion of the muzzle for a given amount of unsteadiness on your part.

However, the more mass you park further forward, the greater the "moment" of the weight, and the more you will have to use your muscles to lift and hold the muzzle up. It basically adds more torque that wants to drop the muzzle.

The ideal situation is to park as much mass as far forward as possible, WITHOUT wearing yourself out over the course of a match. That is both a very individual thing, and will change with time, depending on how much you practice, other physical training/activity, etc.

The older I get, the more inertia I need to damp my muscle tremors, and the harder it is to hold up the muzzle. Every year I have to re-evaluate just how much mass I want where.

Some people like to shoot with a light pistol. I find it bounces all over the place. I'd rather shoot tired & steady than energetic & wobbly.

Gwhite wrote:It all boils down to physics. The more mass you can place as far away from the pivot (your wrist), the larger the "moment of inertia". This will tend to reduce the motion of the muzzle for a given amount of unsteadiness on your part.

However, the more mass you park further forward, the greater the "moment" of the weight, and the more you will have to use your muscles to lift and hold the muzzle up. It basically adds more torque that wants to drop the muzzle.

The ideal situation is to park as much mass as far forward as possible, WITHOUT wearing yourself out over the course of a match. That is both a very individual thing, and will change with time, depending on how much you practice, other physical training/activity, etc.

The older I get, the more inertia I need to damp my muscle tremors, and the harder it is to hold up the muzzle. Every year I have to re-evaluate just how much mass I want where.

Some people like to shoot with a light pistol. I find it bounces all over the place. I'd rather shoot tired & steady than energetic & wobbly.

Another great reply! Thank you!

I'm going to do some practicing with all the weights moved forward and see how I like it.

Just a small update... I moved all the weights (four of them) to as far forward as possible and I've been shooting with it now for about 500 shots. And my score is definitely better this way. I like it!

At this point I doubt if I'll experiment with the weights all the way back.

Where to place the weights? In the box, then if you sell your gun they'll be there for the next person.

I don't like heavy guns or any weights on my guns, but then I'm fairly sure I have some kind of ligament disorder so there you go.
Then again we did a study using a Scatt-like system and found that people were much more stable without weights, if they could master the trigger release they did better and with less fatigue.

Weights simply mask poor technique, even in rapid-fire they make the recoil cycle longer.

the thing with weights is the pistol immediately feels better with them on, but shoot two 60 shot matches and a shoot off in a day and the weights can be a bad idea.

put the weights on the back and shoot for a week, including 60 shot sessions, and record scores and how the gun feels. then move them to the middle and then the front. after that take them off and do the same thing.

If you have access to SCAT do a few try's AFTER a 60 shot match, and see what the difference is.
I see a lot more folk not using weights at all now. unless you are very fit and strong I would recommend leaving them off but every body is different

97nick wrote:the thing with weights is the pistol immediately feels better with them on, but shoot two 60 shot matches and a shoot off in a day and the weights can be a bad idea.

put the weights on the back and shoot for a week, including 60 shot sessions, and record scores and how the gun feels. then move them to the middle and then the front. after that take them off and do the same thing.

If you have access to SCAT do a few try's AFTER a 60 shot match, and see what the difference is.
I see a lot more folk not using weights at all now. unless you are very fit and strong I would recommend leaving them off but every body is different

Thanks for your comments, Nick. I'm actually enjoying the pistol with all four weights at the front. And I seem to have no problem shooting 2-5 full matches (60 shots each) in a morning. Last weekend, I shot 17 full matches in a day and a half (it was raining and I couldn't go out and cut the lawn). (What doesn't kill me, makes me stronger!) And other than on weekends when I have more time, I usually shoot two full matches in the morning before starting work (my "range" is at my office warehouse) and again two after work once the staff have gone home. This over-doing (by everyone's standards) is probably making my arm stronger and I'm more able to hold the pistol steady for longer periods of time. And then if/when I do remove the weights and shoot with a lighter pistol, I'll probably do better still. At least that's what I'm hoping for.

I think that all this practice, practice and more practice is making me a better pistol shooter and a stronger one.

I certainly believe in practice, but I think you're kind of overdoing it. Think quality rather than quantity!

Two matches in a morning should be good, but three in a day is about max (to my way of thinking).

Good luck!

Don't forget to also give your left arm and shoulder a workout, otherwise you could be in for some trouble down the road.