Revamped gun choosing tool

[fpiki]

A while ago I posted on here with an online tool called a Piki to help people choose a gun that was right for them. I was really pleased with the response I got even though it ended in a judgment that the tool was underdeveloped and practically useless.

We've put a lot of work into revamping the tool to avoid such criticisms--we divided it into two, with one for finding a rifle or shotgun and another for pistols and revolvers; we've updated our info and added more entries; we've fixed bugs and mistakes. Now I'd like to know if you think we've done any better, and whether this tool is really helpful now. I'd love to hear about any successes or failures in evaluating guns you have with these tools, so hopefully we can continue to make them better in the future and give the world a place to get a straightforward answer on what gun fits their needs and specifications.

The rifles and shotguns Piki is here: http://rifles-and-shotguns.pikimal.com/
The pistols and revolvers Piki is here: http://pistols-and-revolvers.pikimal.com/

I'm excited to hear back from all of you. Thanks for you help!

 

[MattTheHat]

I got no further than looking at the #1 "pistol in this template" for conceal and carry. The Walther P22. Please!


-Matt

 

[kingpin008]

How are these lists/templates compiled? The choices seem a little bizarre to me.

In all honesty, I'll give ya an A for effort, but the end result doesn't strike me as all that useful.

 

[fpiki]

The lists are made by users and our staff--they are based in facts, but via each person's interpretation of which facts are important (and to what degree they're important). You can always check out what parameters the person used to make the template, and if you disagree, you can try making your own template to help others find what they're looking for.

 

[hardluk1]

Complete waste of time. A .22 of any kind is just not a viable choice for CC. Stupid. That killed this site for me right away and the difference between a p22 a kahr and a ppk is ,is , just a waste of time. template !!!!!!

 

[kingpin008]

Fpiki - to be brutally honest, I don't really see a need for this particular kind of site to begin with. If I want opinions on what gun is best for a particular application, I'm going to go to a gunshop and talk with people who spend their time around guns, or sign up at a forum like this one and post some questions.

Both of those two options give me access to information directly, without having to sort through templates and see what parameters were used for what, etc. If I have a question about why a particular commenter recommended a particular gun, I can ask them in (more or less) real time.

Also, for someone who is new to guns, having to use a slider to choose their search parameters for variables isn't going to help them find the info they want. It's going to stress them out. Heck, even for more experienced gunnies, it's clunky and frustrating. With an in-person visit to a gun shop or a question thread on a forum, this is avoided.

Like I said, A for effort, but it seems like an answer in need of a question.

 

[Flynt]

You lost me when you show a .22 as a good choice for a deer rifle.

 

[Shaky]

Went to the womens' template, set it: dimensions-extremely important, recoil-barely important, gun type and ease of concealment-unimportant, and ballistics-very important. It gives the Walther 22. I think it could use a bit more tuning.

 

[rcmodel]

+1 on needs more work, and a lot more gun knowledge.

A .500 S&W Raging Bull for the "cowboy in all of us"???? ***??????

And none of the S&W J-Frame revolver series made the top-10 list for either Conceiled carry, or Womens CCW.

Come on!!

rc

 

[MtnSpur]

I don't see the usefulness whatsoever. Let me handle a weapon, shoot it at the range if possible, get an opinion from someone that CC or hunts FTF. A template thing for chosing a weapon on the internet? Really?

 

[Tim the student]

Um, to be polite, it needs a fair amount of work.

 

[Ironclad]

I found it hard to figure out how to use. Not very intuitive. Also I have a slight problem with having all the calibers in mm. 11.43 mm?

 

[swingpress]

It doesn't seem to work in Firefox on a Mac, but the idea is interesting.

I think it would be more interesting, to me - someone who is familiar with guns but not ALL guns, if it selected potential guns by feature set.

For example: Double action first pull, single action second pull, 40 or larger, and reasonably concealable.

Another example: Manual safety, drop safe, and utterly reliable.

Last example: No manual safety, drop safe, no magazine disconnect.

 

[kingpin008]

Swingpress - I'm using FF on a Mac, and I'm not having any issues viewing/accessing the site. Maybe something on your end is off?

 

[swingpress]

Kingpin,

Could be. I run Adblock, NoScript, Flashblock etc. I expected it to work after allowing Javascript but that didn't get it.

Got it working by allowing JS from uservoice.com