Shoot better with a SHORTER barrel?

[Bigtanker]

Guns Magazine had an interesting article by Mas Ayoob.

The Long And The Short Of It | Guns Magazine

It deals with the shorter sight radius of a G26 vs the G34 in competition. For people with eyesight that is not the best, the shorter sight radius of the 26 offered a clearer sight picture which in turn, tightened up the groups.

I understand that this is with experienced shooters but it was a good article.

 

[rockhopper46038]

Bill Wilson has written that he runs a 4" 1911 instead of a Government model for this very reason.

 

[sloughfoot]

I wish I had longer arms. Barrel length doesn't matter much for accuracy. Seeing a clear front sight does matter.

 

[Dead Duck]

So what you're all saying is.........









Your Barrel Shrinks with Age.

 

[lovemachine]

Doesn't Hickok45 have a video on short barrel vs long barrel pistols?

 

[Leo]

WHatever the barrel length is, being able to focus on the front sight is everything. My vision failed the opposite. Even with 6 pairs of prescription shooting glasses, all ground 1/8th diopter different, I was able to do better with a longer sight radius barrel than a shorter.

If the ability to focus is not a problem the longer sight radius will always win. Before people decided that a pistol was a two handed device, skilled 1911 bullseye shooters would add Aristocrat brand sights that would move the rear sight to the back of the slide and the front sight would actually stick out in front of the barrel an inch or two. Precision riflemen still often use front sight extensions or mount the front sight on "bloop tubes" to gain another 6 to 8 inches of sight radius.

 

[Harley46982]

I turn 40 this year and since the eyes are the first to go, I'm telling my wife I need a Wilson Combat Professional as a present!

 

[Leo]

I turn 40 this year and since the eyes are the first to go, I'm telling my wife I need a Wilson Combat Professional as a present!

Good planning and forethought!

 

[Bigtanker]

So what you're all saying is.........









Your Barrel Shrinks with Age.

 

[xM3RC1L3SS1x]

So what you're all saying is.........









Your Barrel Shrinks with Age.

I'll have to keep that in mind.

 

[8th SPS USAF]

One of my shooting buddies and I ,used to shoot a lot of IDPA matches with his Glk 26 and my MP 9 c. Still did very well. Pistols we carried, even though we both had longer bbled ones.

 

[45fan]

I have found a tendency to shoot better with my 442 over my other revolvers. Recoil issues aside (my bigger revolvers are .357 and 44 Mag) I still shoot better than the big guns shooting the specials instead of the magnums.

 

[rockhopper46038]

I turn 40 this year and since the eyes are the first to go, I'm telling my wife I need a Wilson Combat Professional as a present!

That would be a fine choice! I think I've settled on the Commander as the perfect compromise between speed and precision for me. I don't have the vision problem (at least not yet), but I find I'm a touch faster out of the holster and on target with the shorter barrel. I'd probably stick with my Bill Wilson Carry if the Officer sized grip wasn't just a teeny bit too small for a perfect grip. It works, but the full sized grip works a bit better.

 

[Willegene]

So what you're all saying is.........









Your Barrel Shrinks with Age.

 

[Jeremy1066]

I've always shot my G26 better than my G19, but I think it's more ergonomics (palm swell mentioned in article) because neither keeps up with the G34. (I'm lucky enough to have 20/20 at 42)

 

[TopDog]

I think all the variants on a gun come into play and any one does not necessarily have a greater effect than any of the others. Wow that statement was about as clear as mud to me and I am the one that said it.

I very diminished vision my left eye and have diminished vision in my right. I had always shot with both eyes open until the physical damage to my eyes. And I am a firm believer in the theory that shooting both eyes open is vastly superior to shooting with one eye shut. Now I have to shoot with one eye closed. I shoot the 5 inch PPQ better than the 4 inch, all things be relatively equal with those two models the sight radius is the only real difference between the two. I shoot the 4 inch PPQ better than the 5 inch Glock 34, I think because the PPQ trigger is so much better. I shoot better with all my 5 inch 1911's than I do with any of my other 4 inch handguns with the exception of the PPQ.

Bottom line, for me, I think the accuracy with a handgun starts with the trigger and then all the other factors come into play. That small distance in sight radius does not make the biggest difference for me and I have diminished vision.

 

[indiucky]

At one time I had a Sig 245 and a full size 220 also in .45 ACP...

I always shot the 245 better (even with my pinky dangling)....It was weird and I am glad to know there is at least some science behind it!!!!

 

[88E30M50]

That's an interesting article. I've always liked the shorter barrel guns and tend to shoot them well. I wonder if it's also being impacted by the shorter barreled guns having front sights that don't move as quickly, letting older eyes that are losing sensitivity pick them up easier. The same degree of movement in a long barrel pistol results in a sight that's moving quicker than it would when compared to a short barrel pistol. That slower moving target might be easier for the eye to pick up on.

 

[Hohn]

There's also the fact that a much shorter barrel is much stiffer in bending. Higher natural frequency means far less amplitude at the same energy input.

shorter barrels could be more mechanically accurate.

 

[Dead Duck]

There's also the fact that a much shorter barrel is much stiffer in bending. Higher natural frequency means far less amplitude at the same energy input.

shorter barrels could be more mechanically accurate.

Well - There might be hope for us old guys after all..

But the trick is - Will my girlfriend buy your reasoning......especially after I told her my barrel's going to get smaller.