Webley's - is it all in the grip?

A place to discuss all things Webley. As this is probably the most collected airgun maker we felt it deserved a section of its own.
Post Reply
User avatar
pmh
Site Admin
Posts:1826
Joined:Sat Nov 10, 2012 5:07 pm
Webley's - is it all in the grip?

Post by pmh » Thu Aug 29, 2013 9:35 pm

Over the past few weeks we have been comparing the performance of various Webley pistols.

Whilst there may be slight variations in body shape, and individual components, they are fundamentally the same.

As such, once running to their optimum , performance should be very similar, so last night, we decided to stick with the same pistol, a Webley Premier E Series, and take a look at grip.

I had read many articles on how best to hold pistols that have a piston operating in the opposite direction to the norm, so it was good to see if there was any credence in changing grip.

To be consistent with previous trials, our usual 3 shooters took it in turn to fire 5 shots each.

Standard Grip H&N Excite Pellets

Our first grip was the standard grip, the type a novice would more than likely use, with contact from thumb and all fingers, and reasonably firm pressure.

Image

Alternate Grip H&N Excite Pellets

Our next grip used absolute minimum contract, with the first finger on the trigger, and the thumb gently squeezing the grip.

Image

Distinctive groups started to appear, but the overall distribution is just slightly larger than that of the standard grip.

Target Grip H&N Excite Pellets

Our final grip was the target grip. This is where the thumb and little finger do not contact the grip.

Image

Much improvement with a distinctive group starting to appear.

Now that we had determined that group size was dramatically reduced by using a target grip, we decided to look if changing pellets would reduce the group further.

Target Grip Geco Pellets

This is where things started to get interesting. The distinctive group previously achieved disappeared, but 1 shooter did get all their shoes in the black (a bit hard to see but they are all there).

Image

Apart from the flyer (pulled shot?) the overall group size is tighter than with the H&Ns.

Target Grip Eley Wasp

Again, 1 shooter managed to get all shots in the black, but the overall group size is the worst.

Image

A bit of a disappointment really, as we were all secretly hoping the humble Wasp would win through. After all, this was probably the type of pellet most used when these pistols came out.

In conclusion, pistols of this configuration do appear to shoot tighter groups with the target grip.

Kind regards,



Phil
M0KPH
I now have so many airguns I've had to make a list, which is >>HERE<<
>>North Manchester Target Club<<

User avatar
pmh
Site Admin
Posts:1826
Joined:Sat Nov 10, 2012 5:07 pm

Re: Webley's - is it all in the grip?

Post by pmh » Sat Aug 31, 2013 10:49 am

Thread now completed with text and pictures.

Kind regards,



Phil
M0KPH
I now have so many airguns I've had to make a list, which is >>HERE<<
>>North Manchester Target Club<<

Certus
Sharpshooter
Sharpshooter
Posts:430
Joined:Sun May 12, 2013 9:34 am

Re: Webley's - is it all in the grip?

Post by Certus » Sat Aug 31, 2013 7:06 pm

Hi Guys,

Thanks for posting the interesting results relating to the effect of differing grips when shooting the Webley air pistols. I have always used the same basic grip when shooting my FAS 604 or any of the Webleys. As I'm sure you will agree the main thing when attempting to shoot tight groups is consistency. As the grips on the FAS are anatomical, it's much easier to consistently achieve the same hold than on a Webley or any other non-dedicated target pistol. Having said that, the principles should remain the same if a little harder to implement. I try to always place the back of the grip firmly in the web of my hand and hold the pistol with about the same pressure as I would use to hold a hammer when tapping home panel pins . As you say, care must be taken to ensure the trigger finger does not come into contact with side of the frame and although I lightly rest my thumb on the thumb rest, I make sure no pressure is applied.

In my experience, the single biggest influence on accuracy with spring air guns is 'follow through' which ironically is one of the easiest elements to consistently implement.

Regards

Brian

Post Reply