Bore Axis in a Pistol

[farook]

This question is specifically for Timmy others are also welcome to answer.

What is a bore axis in a pistol. Are they in any way different in hammer fire and striker fire pistols, does it effect recoil. Expert opinion please.

[Vikram]

Do you mean "bore axis"?

[farook]

Do you mean "bore axis"?

I heard the term in a gun review and don't know what it means...

[xl_target]

I would generally describe Bore Axis as the height of the (center of the) bore above your hand.

For example, (See photo below) a regular revolver would have a high bore axis in relationship to your hand while a Chiappa Rhino would have a very low bore axis in relation to your hand.


This term, generally only used for handguns, can be applied to revolvers as well as semi-auto pistols. In fact it can be applied to any handgun.
How Bore Axis affects different people, varies from person to person. It might help one person shoot better but might be a hindrance to another.
For example, some people might claim that the CZ75 pistol allows them to shoot faster as the felt recoil is less because of the low Bore Axis.
I have heard others say that handling that particular pistol is a hassle as their fingers get pinched between the trigger guard and trigger and that racking it is a PITA as the amount of slide over the fame is small.

Keep in mind that 90% of the reviews you read on the Internet are just opinions. What works for someone else might not work for you. When talking about personal preferences, there are very few absolutes.
Opinions are like toes, everyone's got one or more.

[farook]

Thanks for the reply XL Target. As a general rule do striker fire pistols have a higher bore axis as compared to hammer fire. Please do elaborate....

[TC]

Hi Farook,
Let me answer this. XL, I am sure, will throw some light when he logs in.
Although dimension wise most striker fired pistols and hammer fired pistols seem to have the bore axis at the same level I personally think those with striker pins should have a slightly lower bore axis. This is because in a striker fired weapon the striker rod runs through the striker spring and directly engages or disengages the sear while in action. The whole firing mechanism is contained inside the slide while the sear mechanism remains part of the main frame, as is the case with all pistols.
On the other hand, in a hammer fired pistol, which still contains inside its slide a striker or firing pin - either spring loaded on free-floating as in some .22 pistols - the hammer is part of the man frame with the main hammer spring located inside the back of the grip. For obvious reason, to allow the hammer to move up and down during firing the design has to allow that extra space, especially in case of pistols with concealed hammer, such as the .32 Colt or .22 High Standards.

Hope I could make my point.


TC

[farook]

I do get your point TC. Hope to see more discussion on this topic....Need I mention here that a target pistol which is always a sticker fire has a very low bore axis...

[TC]

Farook,
That's what I said - striker fired weapons have a lower bore axis than hammer fired weapons.
Now coming to competition grade pistols you are referring to - looks like a Walther GSP in the pic you posted - the fundamental criteria is to have the line of sight as close to the bore axis as possible, and more importantly, allow the shooter to have the rest of his palm in line with the bore axis, if not a little above it, for a much better control over the weapon. The pistol becomes an extension of the arm while all that the shooter concentrates on is the sight picture.
In other words, when the striker is firing the cartridge and the projectile is leaving the barrel the firing hand is placed behind all the action, and not below as is case in all standard pistols and revolvers. This is possible because Olympic grade pistols made by Walther and Hamerli don't have the standard slide and feed/ejection system. They feed through a mag placed ahead of the trigger and the cocking bolt is placed in front of that.

To have a better idea take a look at schematic drawings of free pistols made by Morini and other makers.



TC

[farook]

BTW That's a Italian made Pardini

[TC]

BTW That's a Italian made Pardini

My bad eyes.... but the action is the same as that of a GSP

TC

[farook]

Yup, with the exception of a morini all target pistols have the same internal mechanism. Must mention here morini has a very interesting design. Loads like a pump action shotgun.

[TC]

Farook,
Morini has been in the business for years and makes good pistols. The tube magazine is a new entity. But the more popular and time tested CM series pistols feed through box magazines just like the Hammerlis and Walthers. Anyway I was referring to their free pistols to explain the bore axis. Take a look at the orthopedic grips and you will see where the palm rests in reference to the bore axis.

Cheers

TC

[farook]

There it is TC

[TC]

This is the SP1. It is not a free pistol Farook. Free pistols are single shot .22 LR weapons specifically made for the 50 mt. event. They have the most sensitive triggers made by man and come with exquisite grips to fit every individual hand.

The rest, like the SP1 are auto-loaders used in the 25 mt. standard, rapid-fire and centre fire events. But I am sure you know all that.

TC

[farook]

I do know a bit about free pistols but never used one as we don't have them at our State Rifle Association. My expertise are limited to a .22 hammerli and .32 walter. They have a very low bore axis and a very light wt. trigger. When we ask a question to 5 different people they give their own point of views which opens up our mind, that's what these forums are all about....

I must say I am disappointed other members have not joined this discussion. I was hoping to hear from Timmy