A material used in the finish of a pistol/revolver grip.
The base of the handle is usually made of the same material as the body (see below), however, for additional convenience, the design may include pads that differ in composition from the body. Therefore, the material of the handle (material of the overlays) is specified separately in the characteristics. Also note that many models are available in several finishes at once. As for specific options, they are as follows:
— Plastic. The most popular material nowadays: models with plastic handles make up the majority
among pneumatics, and
among “floberts” and starting pistols(specifically, models for a blank cartridge almost all have similar handles). This is due to the fact that plastic is quite durable and practical, pleasant to the touch and at the same time inexpensive.
- Wood. Material designed for fans of the classics. The tree has a characteristic appearance, for which it is mainly valued, it is pleasant to the touch, but inferior to plastic in practicality: such handles are more susceptible to scratches, chips and cracks, and at the same time they cost more. Most models with grips made of this material
are flaubert revolvers, and most often wood is not the only finish available. But
pneumatics in a tree is extremely rare.
- Rubber. Rubbe
...r is somewhat softer than plastic, which makes it more pleasant to the touch, moreover, it does not crack even from strong impacts. On the other hand, it has no other noticeable advantages, but it costs much more. Therefore, pneumatics with rubber grips have not received distribution, and most Flaubert revolvers with this feature are available in other finishes.The total weight of the weapon. As a rule, the "empty" weight is indicated in the characteristics, without consumables (bullets / cartridges, cartridges).
This parameter has two meanings. On the one hand, a heavy pistol / revolver is tedious to hold on weight for a long time; in addition, the increase in weight is often associated with an increase in the length of the barrel, due to which the center of gravity shifts forward - and this further increases the inconvenience. On the other hand, massiveness gives an additional resemblance to military weapons and an overall impression of solidity, and in models with blow-back (see above) it also reduces the perceived recoil. Therefore, many consider significant weight to be an advantage rather than a disadvantage.
Note that in models chambered for Flaubert and a blank cartridge, the weight more or less corresponds to military weapons of a similar model or size. In pneumatics, the dispersion can be quite large, especially since not every such pistol is copied from a combat one. It is worth noting here that PCP models are the most massive (see "Type"): due to the built-in tank, the weight of such pistols is usually
1 kg or more. Multi-compression pneumatics are a little lighter - here you can find weapons weighing
up to 900 g and even
up to 800 g. The maximum figure for AEGs is
900 - 1000 g..., and in the lightest models, the weight does not exceed 700 g. And among the spring-piston and gas-balloon models, almost any weight is found - from small ( less than 600 g) to significant (more than 1 kg).
