Short v standard match pistols?

[Eric fwb 65]

Can anyone explain why most top shooters favour standard length target pistols over the short versions? I would think that the shorter barrel would give a steadier sight picture and more confidence to release the shot as a result. Is there a tangible accuracy advantage to the longer barrel?

[adiepie]

Longer sight picture = more accuracy!

But also means heavier, so harder to hold, but more stable.

You pays your money and takes your pick!

Adrian

[zooma]

The top shooters are usually very fit and have worked hard to practice their skills and are able to hold the longer length of pistol very stable to take full advantage of the longer sight line.

Certainly the shorter sight line does inspire confidence and there are plenty of examples of very good scoring using short length pistols so their accuracy cannot be challenged.

[hwtyger]

In theory, without internal compensators, a shorter barrel would also give more muzzle flip..(and is louder)
But, basic thing is: balance/weight. I think several woman and youth actually shoot the shorter one's on high comp level. Actually, our importer of Walther and steyr says, that lighter is the new trend in match shooting. Matchrifles are lighter, and steel cilinder are not used much anymore.
The shorter guns are much rarer though, if you have to buy sechand, you'll probably end up with the normal length.
In theory, shorter barrel should have shorter locktime as well.

Accuracy wont be an issue with those barrel lengths. Actually, the small Tau 7 Junior, has been tested with awesome group results, similar or better, than its large brother, the Match, with longer ánd selected barrel!?

[silvershooter]

Yes, a post on target talk describes why a shorter barrel is more accurate than a longer one, due to the vibration set up when a shot is fired, the shorter barrel has a greater thickness to length ratio so the vibration is less.

[zooma]

Yes, a post on target talk describes why a shorter barrel is more accurate than a longer one, due to the vibration set up when a shot is fired, the shorter barrel has a greater thickness to length ratio so the vibration is less.

Interesting - not heard that one before.

[craig9mm]

all the above statements are correct. also remember the long pcp pistols came out first ,the short ones are a recent development,
so people are reluctant to change.
I have both but my partner pinched the compact LP10. I added a weight to it over the chamber area,it weighed slightly more than the full length but felt much better.One day I might get it back.There was one one this site for sale for about 2 hours...

[tufty]

If any of the jumbo jumbo is true,then the Morini 162 short will be the ultimate pistol,as it's lighter but has the same length sight line as the full length as the rear sight is mounted further back.
Personally I believe it's more down to the fit of the pistol to your hand,a compact is hardly any lighter than a standard length pistol,and barrel vibration sounds like something to work one when you shoot at international level,if more people concentrated on getting their grips to fit properly and working on good shot execution they would see far better results.

[Rutty]

if more people concentrated on getting their grips to fit properly and working on good shot execution they would see far better results.

wot 'e said!

Rutty

[silvershooter]

The benefit of the short for me is that there is less weight at the muzzle end, and because I have long arms their is less leverage on my shoulder. A 60 shot match for me involves raising the pistol around 90 - 100 times including the sighters and abandoned shots.
There is a perception that somehow a shorter barrel would be less accurate than a standard length
Here is the post from TT

Indeed. All else being equal, pistols are more accurate than rifles and shorter barrels are more accurate than longer ones.

I get a kick out of making that statement, flat-out like that, since it seems so wrong to so many people. Back in the late 1970s and early 1980s, pistol silhouette shooters found that their pistols were, on average, so much more accurate than similarly engineered rifles that it wasn't even funny. Rifle shooters thought we were crazy but when you see pistol shooters calmly and consistently shooting snuff boxes (laid flat, so that only the smallest side is visible) off target stands at 200 meters with iron sights, you tend to get the idea that something is going on. At the time, I found rolling 8" plates at 400 yards to be simple enough to be boring.

Eventually, rifle shooters started thinking about harmonics and barrel lengths (and using tuners) and everyone came to realize that if you take a barrel of whatever thickness and cut the length in half, it suddenly becomes much stiffer. Those mini-rifles with 14" barrels are easy to make shoot; the ratio of thickness to length has been so radically altered that they easily achieve stiffness that makes rifle shooters green with envy.

[zooma]

Now that is very interesting !

I understand that most of the new .177 match rifles have very short barrels hidden inside a "traditional length" barrel sleeve - and the sleeve is just to stop them looking silly and more like a traditiional "rifle" is supposed to look?

...and it gives a place for the foresight to sit...and no doubt there are some dimension rules somewhere that need to be acknowledged as well!