How to compare two or more pistols

[Kevin]

I should stop watching Youtube videos of gun reviews. My question isn't about the video so much as testing methods. I'm wondering what the best way to test two or more pistols. If you shoot them one after another, is that the best way?

I'm just thinking that if you become use to the grip and controls of one pistol, the second pistol would obviously feel different. Would you be able to shoot the second pistol as well immediately following the first? Does this question make sense?

I'm just wondering about the second pistol, if it will appear as if it isn't performing the best, simply because of operator error? Not error so much as just muscle memory confusion. If there is such a thing.

One of my favorite things to do is take 3 or 4 of my .22's to the range and see which one shoots the best. For example, I've got a Mark II, Browning Buckmark and a Smith and Wesson Model 41. But I've not considered this aspect. Each of these pistols do indeed have different grips and triggers of course. I now wonder if I should take one at a time, and then compare paper targets after the fact. This is something I haven't done.

I only mention Youtube, because the gun reviews love to do side by side comparisons. I'm watching one right now, a Beretta 92 vs a CZ Shadow 2.

 

[mr surveyor]

I can only speak for myself on the issue of shooting various different handguns, back to back, and expecting to do my best. My hands develop a bit of muscle memory with my handguns after shooting several rounds. That muscle memory carries over to the next handgun for quite a few rounds before it (hopefully) settles in. I've learned to never try to "evaluate" the virtues of more than one handgun at a time. If shooting several handguns during the same range trip that I've handled for a long time in the past, I expect the need for a bit of "retraining the muscle memory", but would never think it would be fair to evaluate any "new to me" handgun after handling others first.

just me

jd

 

[GunnyGene]

What's the goal of your comparison testing? I get the impression that it's more than just how the gun feels in your hand. Perhaps you should define your goal(s) more precisely and build your tests to be more oriented to a specific characteristic. Sort of a filtering process.

 

[beentheredone]

I think you're thinking too much.

 

[eveled]

In a defensive situation. You won't have time to readjust or settle in. So maybe there is value in seeing which one you shoot well cold.

Interesting points, but don't overthink it is also good advice.

 

[kmoore]

The best, hard to say. Here's some tips. You first need to already have developed good shooting skills. Grip, sights, trigger control. Those change from gun to gun but are still basic.
Testing: know how the guns works by instruction or reading the manual. Handle the empty gun, aim the empty gun dry fire the empty gun. Do so until you have the right grip, sight picture and trigger control.
Load the gun, weight and balance have changed. Practice aiming it until you're comfortable to shoot it. Holsters? You did not ask that question.
Some don't want dry firing but, you should know the trigger pull before sending rounds down range.

 

[Dan in MI]

The first thing I do is grab the gun over the top with the weak hand. Then grasp it it with my strong hand. I then bring it up and see where I am looking. If I am not looking at both sights dang near in alignment I may well be done. If it has ways to adjust the grip then I will continue. I feel that it should come into position naturally and this is my test. In a 1911 I need a flat MSH. Arched does not work for me.

After that it's down to accuracy and ease of use.

top left- test grasp, Tr - good alignment, bottom both bad.

 

[turd]

maybe you should get a ransom rest, anything else will be about which one you shoot better

 

[Mobuck]

Each hand is a bit different so some pistols will fit better than others. Some pistols 'just feel right' and some will NEVER feel right.
When I was searching for a smaller carry pistol, I felt one model would fit my needs at a price that didn't tax my budget--UNTIL I held that model in my hand. As soon as I picked it up, I began to dislike it due to the grip, trigger reach, and overall feel. When I tried the Taurus G2C, the feel was totally opposite and I knew I didn't need to look further. I've never second guessed that choice.
After a long shooting life, I can shoot most anything BUT some are just easier to manage and that's the key if you're choosing between SD handguns. People show up here with new (or new to them) guns to test fire and often they ask me to shoot the guns and give my opinion. All that does is either show the gun's owner how poorly they manage the new gun or put me in the questionable spot of telling them their new shooter is a POS.
If I really want to make an honest suggestion of someone's new gun, I shoot it left handed(I'm right hand dominant BTW). If I feel comfortable and make good hits with the offhand, I can honestly say the gun is 'shoot-able'.

 

[Kevin]

This is great! Ya'll bring up some good points I hadn't considered.

I guess in a way I was thinking of that saying about "be careful of the man who only has one gun" or something to that effect.

The next range session I'm definitely going to think some more about all of this. And perhaps just bring one gun.

Thanks!

 

[rugerguy]

remove the element of "human error, tiredness, grip angles" and put them on ANY "rest" as noted above the ransom rest BUT the need for all the different grip adaptors gets a bit pricy AND time consuming,,,,,,we gave up on them years ago.....

 

[Johnnu2]

"Beware the man with one gun, he knows how to use it."

J.

 

[gunzo]

Ransome rest is a valid point, but a shooter may or may not shoot the best machine rest candidate well. So it still boils down to what the shooter shoots best.

I have a Gl 19 that holds 15+1, but I shoot my 48 much better. It has a 10+1 capacity. I've chosen it for the shoot ability, weight, feel & carry ability. Trade offs,, any, all of it.

 

[contender]

The concept has merit. Evaluating different guns at the same time MAY give differing results.

But as noted,, what are the goals of any comparison? Accuracy? Reliability? Comfort?

But one thing not mentioned is the actual testing conditions.

You can take a single gun to the range one day, and do a test. Then go a different day with different conditions, and a different gun, and try & compare things. But conditions such as sunny vs overcast, calm vs windy, etc can also affect the outcome. It's well known that the position of the sun has a direct affect on a sight picture.

To be truly as accurate as possible in trying to do any testing,, is to do a few things. One,, same day & same conditions. Handle the first gun for a few minutes, then shoot more than just a few rounds with that gun, (say 10-12 rounds,) put it down, take a few minutes break, handle the second gun during your break. Then after a bit of adjusting to the different gun a bit, shoot it with the same number of rounds on a different target.
Basically try & be as identical as possible in the use of each firearm, when the conditions are the same.

Many feel that motor memory will affect things,, (some mistakenly call this muscle memory) and it can. But if you allow your body & mind a bit of adjustment time, that can be mitigated.

I often have tested all sorts of handguns, and do so trying to eliminate as many variables as possible. Duplicating all the very same things is hard.

BUT,,,,,,,, often,, unless you are dealing with a few very accurate guns,, and have excellent skills, and a good rest,, you may well discover the minor differences can not be easily seen.

All the top level competitors I have spoken with all say they like to begin a practice session by doing several reps of the basic drills with dry-firing,, prior to doing any live fire practice. It's to tune in and hone the motor memory skills to the gun they are using for practice.

 

[alchemist11]

I should stop watching Youtube videos of gun reviews. My question isn't about the video so much as testing methods. I'm wondering what the best way to test two or more pistols. If you shoot them one after another, is that the best way?

I'm just thinking that if you become use to the grip and controls of one pistol, the second pistol would obviously feel different. Would you be able to shoot the second pistol as well immediately following the first? Does this question make sense?

I'm just wondering about the second pistol, if it will appear as if it isn't performing the best, simply because of operator error? Not error so much as just muscle memory confusion. If there is such a thing.

One of my favorite things to do is take 3 or 4 of my .22's to the range and see which one shoots the best. For example, I've got a Mark II, Browning Buckmark and a Smith and Wesson Model 41. But I've not considered this aspect. Each of these pistols do indeed have different grips and triggers of course. I now wonder if I should take one at a time, and then compare paper targets after the fact. This is something I haven't done.

I only mention Youtube, because the gun reviews love to do side by side comparisons. I'm watching one right now, a Beretta 92 vs a CZ Shadow 2.

Good post! I think youtube is a good start, but the different youtuber's opinions vary and even their results vary. Is it the guns, the ammo, how they shoot it etc? I am currently stuck with too much money tied up in too many guns, which I haven't shot in years/decades. My resolution is to sell alot of them off and keep the best ones. So which ones do I keep?!?!?!? My criteria: weight for carry, caliber effectiveness vs recoil (ease of shooting and recovery for a follow up shot), and then accuracy! Accuracy is important to me. Bullet holes spread around like an open cylinder shotgun is useless to me. I'll keep fun guns to shoot, ie plink but just so many, and caliber effectiveness for the intended purpose with the other criteria is important. I took out a freedom Arms 97 4.5" 32 oz, 45 to the range yesterday. Surprisingly, the 45 acp cylinder was not fun to shoot with the recoil straight back into the palm due to the grip angle. I had a FA 83 in .357 that had the exact same problem. But the 45 colt with 250gr lead bullets at 1140 fps had a snappy roll to it, that was tolerable. Accuracy was 1.5" groups standing at 17 yrds. Damn sweet to carry at that weight, the caliber would be very effective in terminating all threats East of the Mississippi. So that's a keeper. Now onto the next ones.

 

[Mike J]

I should stop watching Youtube videos of gun reviews. My question isn't about the video so much as testing methods. I'm wondering what the best way to test two or more pistols. If you shoot them one after another, is that the best way?

I'm just thinking that if you become use to the grip and controls of one pistol, the second pistol would obviously feel different. Would you be able to shoot the second pistol as well immediately following the first? Does this question make sense?

I'm just wondering about the second pistol, if it will appear as if it isn't performing the best, simply because of operator error? Not error so much as just muscle memory confusion. If there is such a thing.

One of my favorite things to do is take 3 or 4 of my .22's to the range and see which one shoots the best. For example, I've got a Mark II, Browning Buckmark and a Smith and Wesson Model 41. But I've not considered this aspect. Each of these pistols do indeed have different grips and triggers of course. I now wonder if I should take one at a time, and then compare paper targets after the fact. This is something I haven't done.

I only mention Youtube, because the gun reviews love to do side by side comparisons. I'm watching one right now, a Beretta 92 vs a CZ Shadow 2.

My comment is probably somewhat off topic but I don't get comparing a Beretta 92 to a CZ Shadow 2. My experience is somewhat limited but I did get to shoot a 92 FS years ago & a friend of mine has a couple of Shadow 2's. I have have shot his Shadow 2 Blue a couple of times. Maybe I'm wrong but I've always thought of the 92 as more of a duty or service style handgun. The Shadow 2 Blue was designed for competition. They are both very nice high quality handguns but to me comparing those two guns is kind of like comparing apples to oranges.

 

[Kevin]

My comment is probably somewhat off topic but I don't get comparing a Beretta 92 to a CZ Shadow 2. My experience is somewhat limited but I did get to shoot a 92 FS years ago & a friend of mine has a couple of Shadow 2's. I have have shot his Shadow 2 Blue a couple of times. Maybe I'm wrong but I've always thought of the 92 as more of a duty or service style handgun. The Shadow 2 Blue was designed for competition. They are both very nice high quality handguns but to me comparing those two guns is kind of like comparing apples to oranges.

I'm with you. I don't understand the comparison of those two guns either.

@contender Thanks for the comments and ideas. I do write in a journal when I shoot. I write notes down about my reloads. What works what doesn't etc. I try to note the weather also.

I really like the idea of a warm up exercise. That is something I've never thought of.

Hey! Next October at your range, 5 minutes of yoga before shooting!!!!

And thanks again to everyone else for the comments. They are all helpful.

 

[KIR]

I think you're thinking too much.

Ya think?