doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Handling characteristics of some very lightweight

Stan and I had a nice "sit-down" over his gun and my MOI machine. He brought a Yildiz .410 SXS. The comparison of the handling numbers of the Yildiz and other very light weight guns is shown below.


Note that the Yildiz has swing effort numbers much more like a 6# to 6 1/2# gun (typical Brit game weight gun) than like a sub-five pounder. Note that the HWR (the measure of compactness) is much higher, indicating a higher proportion of weight away from the center (action area). The barrels and stock have more of the weight than is typical for this weight of guns. This agrees with Stan's ability to shoot this gun well. Few people can handle well the light weight and low swing efforts such light guns usually exhibit.

Questions?

Rocketman, as always this is great stuff. By having you in our area and being able to spin and determine the MOI of a number of my own guns, I have learned that I need the center of gravity to be beyond 4 1/2" and the MOI to be greater than 1.4 for me to shoot a gun well.

Your table here shows that those numbers are hard to achieve with guns lighter than 5.4 pounds, I suppose because the weight of the action overcomes the weight of the dainty stock and barrels. So the obvious question is what made the Yildiz relatively barrel heavy?

The barrels are quite heavy relative to the stock and, especially, the action. 4 to 6 oz added at the butt plate of this gun would probably bring the balance point to your prefered 4 1/2" and would move the MOI up even more. Yet, the gun would then barely break 5 1/4 pounds.

An interesting gun for someone wanting to shoot a .410 SXS on a budget and/or with a modern gun.

Rocketman,
Any chance of getting more info on the Rigby 20-b?
schmjh@pacbell.net

Sorry, Steve, it is one I grabbed off somebody's table. I have started taking better notes lately as there have been some questions about some of the guns. It is really light for a 20. It is near what many people can shoot reasonably well. It would be easy to up the weight a few ounces at the butt (increase weight and both swing efforts), but you might have to add some weight at the muzzle if the balance moved to far back for your comfort.

Rocketman, this is the first time I have seen this chart. This is very interesting. I have often wondered how to 'quantify" feel and this seems like one way.

How do measure the HWR?

Rocketman, have you measured some of the more common "production" guns? I find that I shoot my '70's vintage SKB 20 ga, 26 inch barrel gun better than any other sxs. Others have the same experience. What is it about these guns?

All Right!!!!

Finally,, I am at the top of something!

That's my little .410 at the top of the list and it is an odd ball gun. The stock is 15 5/8" of straight stocked, (no extension), walnut, the barrels are almost 28".

The gun is shade over 4 lbs. The proofs are early Birmingham .410, no C for cartridge (pre-1905?). It has spent it's entire life shooting off-the-shelf .410s.

When shooting, I tell folks, "think, Iver Johnson single shot, only welded together."

To shoot it, I use the Steve Cobb method of .410 shooting, hold way,,,way, out on the barrels to get leverage.

I have 2 other .410 sidelevers.

A .410 central hammer, sidelever, single shot, "Poachers Gun", (less than 4 lbs).

The coolest is an over/under, sidelever, central hammer, .410 w/
3" .410 UK proofs (whatever that equates to in the US.)

Joe

Rocketman,
Thanks.

Don,
I have a Parker Repro, 28g, 28", splinter/straight stock, that tips the scale around 5 lbs 10 oz. I thought the 28" bbls would give the gun some extra MOI, but this thing really has such a light forward feel that I don't shoot it well. Do you have data on such a gun for reference?

Thanks
Chuck