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Cold weather effect on handguns

B

benstt

Professional
Founding Member
Does cold weather have a different effect on pistols vs revolvers? My range buddy and I did our annual "ring (steel) in the New Year" thing on Saturday, and it was about 16* at the range. My revolvers were still dead on target but all my pistols were hitting low. Not just high-recoil 10mm rounds, but also 9mm banger rounds. It surprised me to see my POI shift with pistols but not revolvers.
 
Cold hands? Semis react and recoil MUCH differently than revolvers, your grip and hand position due to temperatures could account for any POI changes.

I can't imagine anything that would change steel slides or barrels or sights to the point that your POI would drop.
 
I was thinking maybe the ammo was cold, but if it worked ok in revolvers, I had no clue, I know when my dad would hunt in the cold, he kept his ammo in his pocket till he was ready to use it to keep it warmer then the outside temperature.
 
Yeah, I don't get it. My buddy had the same experience. We were both low at 25 yards with the pistols but the revolvers were juts fine. At first I thought I was flinching or anticipating the recoil from the 10mm but the .357 recoils just as much and that flew true. Then we got the same results with the 9mm, whose recoil is pretty light, and I got very confused. Maybe it is that the cold screwed with our hands.
 
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