What is an "Arm Rest"

In 2011 I was having trouble with a Colt Combat Commander, that nobody could shoot well.  After trying lots of suggestions, and posting photos of the internal parts, the people I was discussing this with suggested sending it off to Colt.  In 2014 I did so, and a year and a half it was returned, along with the "proof target" that I will try to attach to this thread.

On the target, there is a box at the bottom with information about the gun and the results.  At the very top, it says "SHOT FROM ARM REST".

I'm trying to figure out what this means.  It can't be a Ransom rest - is it just something like a sandbag that the shooter's arm would rest against, to stabilize the gun?

Could be a simple sandbag, or a more involved rest like this one:

Wow, fast turn around. Did they tell you what was wrong?

I came up with this on a Google search.  http://www.gunblast.com/images/TargetShooting-HandgunRest/DSC07055.JPG

For me, arm rest is the arms laying on a support from the wrists back.  The hand and gun are still free.  Those pictured above are same as sand bags to me.  Some of the best groups I shoot are arm rested as I described.  Here is one at 25

Jack I think your way is far better as I can sight in my pistols using my modified HySkore pistol rest where the dust cover sits in the metal V that is covered with thick leather and the grip rest on a sand bag and held aginst one ear of the bag.  I can shoot groups almost as tight as my Ransom rest but the POI changes when I shoot with out a rest.  The rest in my picture might be ok if the shooter rested his wrist between the ears of aq sand bag and didn't put the gun in the V support,.  BTW was that a SL or LL group?  Don

Jack posted 25

Love the hat on that Gentleman

Some of my left leaning associates might be offended by such a hat.

Magload wrote:I came up with this on a Google search.  http://www.gunblast.com/images/TargetShooting-HandgunRest/DSC07055.JPG

I have often wondered why the gloves on so many non-BE shooters.  Does it help?

He is also wearing Carhards. I'll bet it's cold.

will he be reminded about the ears on the ransom rest?

SNaymola wrote:Wow, fast turn around. Did they tell you what was wrong?

It was supposed to take a year.  A year later, they told me another year.  They actually got it back to me in about 18 months.  I tried not to "push them".  I was more interested in them getting it right.  The head of the custom department was involved in it, and he's the one who shot the target I posted.  

No, they didn't tell me what specifically was wrong, as so many parts were "wrong".  I can post the photos here if anyone is interested.  My best guess is that it had less to do with the barrel and bushing, and more to do with the way the gun "locked up".  If it wasn't locking up the same every time, there is no way a better barrel/bushing could fix that.  Since it was "defective" in this way from the beginning, whatever was wrong was that way from when the gun was purchased new.


Interesting - I remember the old sights as being more difficult for me to use.  The Novak sights seem much better, and it's easier to tell exactly where the gun is aimed - at least for me.

(I shouldn't really use the word "defective", as the gun would have been fine as-is for self defense.  I wanted it for target shooting.  I was told by people at Colt that with the proper attention, it would shoot just as well as the guns sold for target shooting.)

I'm still confused about what is meant by "arm rest".  

A Ransom rest totally supports the gun, so that's far more than an arm rest.

The photos above show the gun supported by the rest, not only by the arm, so they don't seem like a good answer.

I would think that an "arm rest" means the shooter is holding, and aiming, the gun, and his arms are resting on some kind of support.  Maybe I need to call Colt and ask what they mean...

I believe any rest where the gun is held is considered an arm rest.

james r chapman wrote:I believe any rest where the gun is held is considered an arm rest.

Any rest where the gun and the hand/wrist/arm has support too is an arm rest.  I can get nearly the same results with an arm rest, compared to a Ransom Rest, IF the gun has a good trigger.

- Dave

dronning wrote:

james r chapman wrote:I believe any rest where the gun is held is considered an arm rest.

Any rest where the gun and the hand/wrist/arm has support too is an arm rest.  I can get nearly the same results with an arm rest, compared to a Ransom Rest, IF the gun has a good trigger.

- Dave

Exactly.