Fine Gunmaking

Balancing a Double Gun, Part II

In March/April I explored the arenas of weight, moment of inertia (MOI) and the effect of recoil pads as they relate to shotgun balance. This time I'll discuss the process and results of balancing a side-by-side field gun, with some conjecture about historic methods. I'd like to give you some idea of how important MOI is to a gunmaker. First, one must recognize that gunmakers have been conscious of dynamic handling qualities for many generations, and the dilemma of building lively and well-balanced guns of proper weight has been with us for a couple of centuries.

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