Balance and Perception Are Strange

An interesting lesson I recently learned about the difference between balance, weight, and perception.

I recently acquired the 4 5/8" 9mm Trail Gun that had been up on the in-stock page. When I picked it up, I immediately got a sense of it being solid and perhaps a bit hefty in the hand. When I got home, I picked up my 7.5" barrel Ruger Single 7 (the same frame, but chambered in 327) and had the subjective impression that the Single 7, although having a longer barrel, felt comparatively *lighter* than the Trail Gun. I rationalized that perception by attributing it to there being only 5 charge holes, rather than 7, in the Trail Gun and perhaps the outside diameter of the barrel on the Trail Gun being a bit thicker (although the barrel walls were likely thinner).

Contrary to my perception, however, I was very surprised when I put each on the scale and found that the Trail Gun was indeed 3.1 oz lighter than the Single 7. This was confirmed when instead of holding each in the hand, I put them on my belt. I noticed that unlike in-hand, the Trail Gun dragged my pants down a bit less.

This got me curious about the science and art of designing these things with how they are used, not just designing to certain specs on a page. E.g. although the Trail Gun felt a little heavier in my hand, I also *feel* like I could maintain more grip over it were I in a tight spot and I'd be less likely to lose control over it than the 7.5" Single 7.