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What is a "palm swell" for?

50K views 14 replies 11 participants last post by  Ga. Skeet 
#1 ·
What is the advantage of having a palm swell? Do only expensive guns have them? I guess you can even buy pads to create one on a gun. I shoot sporting clays only, with Beretta
AL390, Ruger Red Label, or Sigarms SA5, I don't think they have palm swell. So what? Just curious.
Thanks
 
#2 ·
They're just for comfort and have nothing to do with performance (although someone may cook up some sort of perceived advantage). Generally speaking, it's usually found on higher end guns. I like the feel of a palm swell and I have it on my Zoli, but I'm quite happy with my other guns that lack the palm swell. Pure personal preference.
 
#5 ·
I agree with Albanygun, they do serve a performance-related function, by ensuring that your hand is in the same position every time. That assumes, of course, that the palm swell is in the right position to fit your hand.

But I agree with Kevin on 2 points - I like the feel of a palm swell, but I can get by just fine without one when I have to.

The stick-on palm swell is a POS - and I don't mean Pride of Spain. The one I tried was much too big for the grip of my gun, and the adhesive would not hold. I tried some special 3M spray adhesive, and that wouldn't hold it on, either. Bummer!

There is a kind of shooting gloves that have a pad built into the palm, and that might give you the feel of a palm swell, but it is worthless for locating your hand, which is the purpose of a palm swell in the first place.
 
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#9 ·
Obviously a graduate of the "whatever works" school of gunsmithing.

One of my shooting buddies has an ugly piece of foam rubber taped to the stock of a Beretta 682 Gold E...... sort of an expedient adjustable comb..... he claims that he's going to do a proper adjustable comb one of these days..... the rest of us figure that the foam is permanent, since it's already been almost a year.
 
#12 ·
Gar-dog - that's only happened to me when shooting English stocked guns, due to the unnatural angle you have to hold you hand at. I'm not sure what would cause it with a pistol gripped gun (which I am assuming you have). Perhaps you are trying to control the recoil with you wrist? Is the gun too light with a lot of muzzle jump? That's about all I can think of...
 
#15 ·
A palm swell that is fitted to your hand is a great thing. It not only puts your hand in the same position everytime but it helps control recoil because the hand has something made for it to hold in the right position.
If it is not made for your hand it can feel terrible. :D
 
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