Why no love for pistol grips?

[Neomet]

Just wondering here. I know pretty much everyone other than Taran and a couple of crazies at our Rio matches use a classic stock for 3 gun shotguns. I'm just curious as to why. Nobody is trying to figure out how to ditch the pistol grips on their ARs and both are shouldered weapons. Granted there is greater recoil with the SG but I am not sure how that would play in. I can see it maybe getting in the way on quad reloads but nobody used them before quading became all the fashion. Is there some specific advantage to the classic stock or is it more that this is what everyone has learned on?

[TonytheTiger]

Perhaps it's just the uglyness? I can't speak to the pre quad load days but with it being the gold standard now I don't see pistol grips getting more popular any time soon.

[kurtm]

It isn't just a 3-gun thing. At the IPSC World Shotgun Championships, I didn't see a single shotgun with a "pistol grip" (outside of mag fed open guns). Now of course I didn't see EVERY shotgun, but I did see a great many of them and not one. It must be because the recoil addles the brain of shotgun shooters. I recommend everyone use one but me.

I would think that in most cases a pistol grip is an add on not designed with the system in mind. It makes a nice pivot point WAY below the line of the barrel and they have WAY too much drop just so it feels comfortable and allow the shooter to get his head down far enough. Both these fine attributes cause much more muzzle rise upon firing. On top of that, due to heavier recoil, there is an natural tendency to over grip the pistol grip causing erratic trigger control and there is a tendency to push forward on the pistol grip to help mitigate recoil causing shots to slowly go higher and higher in a rapid fire string like a plate rack. Now before you say well....Saiga, Molot, Veper, Acdal....etc. LOOK carefully at the design. You will fined that these guns are DESIGNED to have that system....more like an AR with a more straight line of recoil.......instead of the great big old down cast pivot point of the add on P.G. stocks........But what do I know, I'm a geologist, not a shotgunner!

[Neomet]

But you are a rock solid geoiogist. (sorry, couldn't resist)

[Jadeslade]

Some people like them I see them at every 3 gun match. Can take some work to get it to run correctly. Somedays they just feel good, some days they don't. Original equipment on a tactical shotgun and adapting those to a field gun can make extra work. Some call them turkey guns. John McClain runs one, and really fast, check his loading videos. Taran sometimes. Different people. Needs some muscle as mentioned above.

[Neomet]

But does that mean I not only have to lift weights but also wear the clown pants if I use one??

[Jadeslade]

Pretty much

[bmiller]

In the video I seen of Taran running a pistol grip, he is loading weak hand out of caddies. I wonder if he has switched to load 2 or 4? I think the pg would be in the way. Maybe he will chime in. I had an old 870 that came with one, and I hated it. I thought it looked cool, but after I tried to shoot with it I was not happy with it. Sold it.

[atomicferret]

So my agency decided some time ago that all shotguns needed to have pistol grips...probably for many of the reasons Kurt describes: "looks cool", "pivot point", etc...

In addition to all the problems Kurt stated, these pistol grip stocks also added about 1" of additional length of pull to the gun (so now it is too long for about 75% of the end-users) and it makes it really hard for a left-handed shooter to properly manipulate the safety.

[BobS761]

Here's my take on it. They just don't feel right....

[1chota]

there is a direct correlation between those who like pistol grips shotguns and harsh potty training.

[StealthyBlagga]

The real answer is that most shotgunners are closet Elmer Fudds

[kurtm]

And that right there is why I don't call myself a "Shotgunner", a dirty rotten "fracing geologist", but never a shotgunner!

[ogiebb]

But does that mean I not only have to lift weights but also wear the clown pants if I use one??

I think you can just borrow those pants from Looch Miss ya Brother!!!

[Neomet]

LOL!! Miss you too bro'. WSSSC is next weekend. You could come up and cuss 8 round mags for a couple days with us.

[Llandaff]

It isn't just a 3-gun thing. At the IPSC World Shotgun Championships, I didn't see a single shotgun with a "pistol grip" (outside of mag fed open guns). Now of course I didn't see EVERY shotgun, but I did see a great many of them and not one. It must be because the recoil addles the brain of shotgun shooters. I recommend everyone use one but me.

You missed me I was there, with Winchester 1300 with pistol-grip SpeedFeed stock.

I'm quite large and with long hands, and pistol-grip stock is more comfortable for me. I'm loading quads weak-hand.

[MikeE]

Mr Llandaff is shooting in Russian team, they got silver.

With better stocks maybe gold...

[Llandaff]

Finnish teams (gold) were using regular stocks

Regular (paddle) stocks are better for most people. They are natural and if you quads weak-hand you don't have to shift your strong hand grip on the gun.

I'm an exception because I prefer pistol-grip stock.

[thermobollocks]

ne argument I've heard is that it's quicker to acquire/release your grip for reloading, and if you're doing load-two or quads, there's no pistol grip to get in the way. Never played with it personally, though. The AR pistol grip generally doesn't get in the way for reloads unless you're doing something wrong.

[RPatton]

It isn't just a 3-gun thing. At the IPSC World Shotgun Championships, I didn't see a single shotgun with a "pistol grip" (outside of mag fed open guns). Now of course I didn't see EVERY shotgun, but I did see a great many of them and not one. It must be because the recoil addles the brain of shotgun shooters. I recommend everyone use one but me.

I would think that in most cases a pistol grip is an add on not designed with the system in mind. It makes a nice pivot point WAY below the line of the barrel and they have WAY too much drop just so it feels comfortable and allow the shooter to get his head down far enough. Both these fine attributes cause much more muzzle rise upon firing. On top of that, due to heavier recoil, there is an natural tendency to over grip the pistol grip causing erratic trigger control and there is a tendency to push forward on the pistol grip to help mitigate recoil causing shots to slowly go higher and higher in a rapid fire string like a plate rack. Now before you say well....Saiga, Molot, Veper, Acdal....etc. LOOK carefully at the design. You will fined that these guns are DESIGNED to have that system....more like an AR with a more straight line of recoil.......instead of the great big old down cast pivot point of the add on P.G. stocks........But what do I know, I'm a geologist, not a shotgunner!

My M1 was never 100% with the pistol grip. Went to a straight stock and that fixed it. I don't know why it did, don't really care.

[Durtywrench]

It isn't just a 3-gun thing. At the IPSC World Shotgun Championships, I didn't see a single shotgun with a "pistol grip" (outside of mag fed open guns). Now of course I didn't see EVERY shotgun, but I did see a great many of them and not one. It must be because the recoil addles the brain of shotgun shooters. I recommend everyone use one but me.

I would think that in most cases a pistol grip is an add on not designed with the system in mind. It makes a nice pivot point WAY below the line of the barrel and they have WAY too much drop just so it feels comfortable and allow the shooter to get his head down far enough. Both these fine attributes cause much more muzzle rise upon firing. On top of that, due to heavier recoil, there is an natural tendency to over grip the pistol grip causing erratic trigger control and there is a tendency to push forward on the pistol grip to help mitigate recoil causing shots to slowly go higher and higher in a rapid fire string like a plate rack. Now before you say well....Saiga, Molot, Veper, Acdal....etc. LOOK carefully at the design. You will fined that these guns are DESIGNED to have that system....more like an AR with a more straight line of recoil.......instead of the great big old down cast pivot point of the add on P.G. stocks........But what do I know, I'm a geologist, not a shotgunner!

Sometimes I feel like I know some but after reading your post I realize I don't know squat . Thanks for sharing !

Sent from my SM-G928T using Tapatalk

[Langenator]

I'm just going to guess, but most of the preferred shotguns for this game come from the factory with traditional stocks. The traditional stock works well enough for the vast majority of shooters, so why spend the $ to change it? And if the LOP is off, your nieghborhood 'smith is probably well equipped, and has plenty of experience, to either fit shims or sand it down.

Then there's the previously mentioned issue that playing with the stock has the potential to mess with the function of the gun. I'd imagine this is more of an issue with guns that have the spring in the stock.

[Flash74]

I'm just going to guess, but most of the preferred shotguns for this game come from the factory with traditional stocks. The traditional stock works well enough for the vast majority of shooters, so why spend the $ to change it? And if the LOP is off, your nieghborhood 'smith is probably well equipped, and has plenty of experience, to either fit shims or sand it down.

Then there's the previously mentioned issue that playing with the stock has the potential to mess with the function of the gun. I'd imagine this is more of an issue with guns that have the spring in the stock.

I think you hit the nail on the head. Why pay extra for a stock with a pistol grip. I always use a pistol grip stock since I have girly wrists. A conventional stock literally hurts to shoot. Having a pistol grip on your shotgun does not hinder load 2 or load 4. Edited November 21, 2015 by Flash74