John Tuley

Thanks for all the input so far! Some comments/questions: Bobby's already tuned the trigger. I'm really just looking to keep the gun running in case of breakage. When "a set of punches" is mentioned, is there a particular range of sizes to keep around? I assume a hammer would be the brass/nylon mallet type? Is fitting a set of spares something I'm likely to sweet-talk a gunsmith (preferably Bobby, since he has the gun, or will when it gets back from getting the Atranite treatmente) into doing, or is the margin just too low for them? Remember, this is the first pistol I'll have owned that doesn't come with scary warnings about "do not take down past this point unless you're a qualified armorer, since you suck and we hate you."

I ordered a .40 cal, bushing-barreled Trojan from Freedom Gunworks, which is almost ready (just getting the Atranite treatment and then it'll be mine, all mine!). Since this is my first 1911, can the forum maybe help me figure out what to pick up to fill the following bins: Range bag spare parts Range bag tool kit Home spare parts Home tool kit I'm not a gunsmith, I don't play on TV and I never stayed in a Holiday Inn Express, so I'll still send the pistol to someone qualified for major work; at least until I build up experience and confidence with the gun's internals over time. But in the meantime, what's likely to go wrong that a mechanically-inclined quick learner with a good reference (which I'm looking for) could replace? Thanks, -- John.

The NRA will let you get an "associate" membership for $10/yr (instead of $35); the only difference is that you don't get a magazine. You do still get mail saying "OMG YOUR MEMBERSHIP IS ABOUT TO EXPIRE SEND MORE MONEY NOW" a month after renewing. (BTW: Thanks, USPSA, for sending one, timely renewal notice!) I did this for a couple years, as I feel the same way about their publications. Front Sight, on the other hand, I actually do read and enjoy. To cancel this drift, I would be for a digital-only Front Sight but I understand why it won't happen. The comments made by various individuals about giving a copy or two to prospective members, I hadn't thought of . . . but now that I've heard the idea I'm going to steal it when I see my gunnie friends on Tuesday! -- John.

Doctor to patient: "Your problems might be neurological. Let's do a simple test: name ten words that start with P." The patient replies, "Okay, sure. Pen, printer, pump, psychiatrist, photographer, pterodactyl, ptomaine, pneumatic, psalm, day." Surprised, the doctor exclaims, "Aha! You must have a brain tumor! Day doesn't start with a P!" Calmly, the patient says, "I don't know about yours, but mine always does!"

I think it falls in the gray area of you can do it if you want to. I know the reason they don't use it and that is so many rimfires have safeties that are not easy to engage/disengage under the pressure of competition. I found the Ruger 22/45 particularly annoying, while the Buckmark is not too bad. You can use it almost as well as a 1911. My Buckmark's safety is awful. It's not in a bad place, but it sure is stiff. I never use it. (The safety, that is . . . I love my Buckmark!)

I'm going to echo the sentiment that if you're calling it IDPA, run it by IDPA rules; if you don't want their rules, don't use their name. One time I showed up to a club's "USPSA" match. No safety area, no MD. Five stages that were 36-40 rounds, and a legit classifier. Rules about number of shots per position ignored (which I realize are just "suggestions" for club-level matches anyway). Safety procedures that I'd come to expect from other clubs weren't in place. Long story short: I didn't get the experience I was expecting (or was prepared for), left early and didn't go back. If I had known that it was a USPSA-like match, with extra-long stages and some other rules ignored, would I have just brought more ammo and enjoyed myself? Sure. But I was expecting a USPSA match, since that's what I had been told was being put on. Not getting that soured my day with that club. If you want to practice something other than the "usual" range experience, please call it a "practical" match, "tactical," "defensive," whatever -- just not the name of an established game with its own rulebook. I've been to matches at other clubs that just called their event "combat league," and knew to come, shoot their way, have fun, and most importantly not have expectations about rules based on other games I play. Please, for those of us who have expectations about things labeled "IDPA," "USPSA," "IPSC," etc, use the name of the game only if you're going to play by that game's rules. By doing what you're doing, you're confusing people who come expecting that game, and you're also doing a disservice to your own members if they ever go to a sanctioned IDPA/USPSA/etc match, where they will have to follow the organization's rules and may be confused about the differences. That said, it sounds like you're putting on events that are what your members want. Don't stop doing that; it's great to have people come out and shoot. If the IDPA rules would just get in the way, don't use them. Just rename your match to avoid confusion. That should also serve to shut up Timmy, since the IDPA label that he's clinging to will be gone. -- John. PS: I'm also all for helping out the new guys whenever possible, as long as they understand that an exception to the rules is being made for them and it can't keep happening indefinitely. Get 'em hooked and playing safely, then get 'em playing by "big boy rules."

With the Ready Tactical pouches being so slim, are people bunching them together? How well does this work on a CR Speed belt, where you need some velcro contact every now and then to prevent sagging? I'm coming over to SS from L10 with a H&K where I had four widely-spaced adjustable (2x 773 and 2x CR) pouches. Secondly, for those running the 771/773s, do you put a few right-handed pouches up front, and use lefty pouches in the rear, since they only angle the one way? (I noticed one person say they did this; just interested in the broader picture.) Thanks! -- John.

If you've got the cash, check out GoLite. I've got something from Cabela's (basically like this) that's a whole lot cheaper, and certainly effective (Gore-Tex). It packs down to about a 10" long, 5" diameter cylinder. GoLite is probably superior technically (lighter, packs smaller). I don't know about their current line directly, but I used to to own some of their ultralight (packed down to a tennis ball) water-resistant (no membrane, just a coating) jackets. Good stuff, but if you're not backpacking the Cabela's gear is probably good enough and much cheaper. -- John.

Looks nice, except that I'm looking for a .40, not a .45. Thanks, -- John.

To all, Thanks for all the input so far. It seems like the majority opinion (though not everyone's) is that the Trojan would be a good choice for the money, and to get the magwell done right off and wait for everything else. I think I'll mostly go with that; my tendon injury leaves that weak-hand trigger finger a bit weak and unable to curl the last 30 degrees or so (only a couple months out, so still holding out some hope for PT). So I'm definitely getting a long trigger with short, smooth, light weight. Everyone's input is much appreciated. As pjb45 pointed out, I definitely don't have the budget for a full-on custom job; a few upgrades to a Trojan is about all I can muster right now, and that's if I sell something (kidney, HK, whichever sells quicker) first. It's too bad for me because I was raised squarely in the "buy once, cry once" camp. I contacted Brazos a couple months ago and heard back that his shop has more business than he can handle with 2011s alone and he wasn't interested in upgrading a Trojan for me. Too bad for me! I'm doing my diligence and looking at the dealer forums to try to make a good choice of smith. My second hope is that it will be fun to learn more about the internals of this platform and start doing some upgrades myself. That's something I've never felt too comfortable about on my Italian and German pistols, but the 1911 has a lot of good information and parts . . . and plenty of guys who know what they're doing who'd be more than happy to fix my mistakes (for a price, of course)! Thanks again, -- John.

You forgot the free range bag! Thanks for the heads-up on Atlanta Arms.

Jake, Of that list, which things would you recommend a new-to-1911s shooter get right off the bat, and which should I hold off getting until I have a better feel for the gun and its foibles? Thanks, -- John.

It's also almost $200 more (list prices); sure it includes the ambi safety but that's not a big ticket mod anyway. I'm not sure if I want the rail that badly; it would be good for the nightstand but I for $20 I added a bit of rail to my Nordic tube clamp, so now my M2 holds a light and is the primary-bump-in-the-night gun. So while it would be nice to have rails, I'm thinking it might be nicer to have $200 worth of ammunition instead. ETA: the Duty One also has a 5" bull barrel, making it illegal for USPSA single stack. I suppose I could always shoot L10. That's a compromise I'll have to consider. Thanks, -- John.

Hello 1911 gurus, I'm looking to buy my first 1911, after shooting Berettas and HKs for the last few years. I'm looking to find a .40 for competition (USPSA single stack) and carry. Let's assume that I'm stubborn and my mind is made up to go with some sort of .40 single stack, to keep the discussion simple. My basic requirements are the following: 5" bbl, .40 caliber crisp, smooth trigger; around 4lb with short travel but a long insert (is that the right word?) for my monkey fingers (Note: I recently lacerated the flexor tendon of my weak-hand trigger finger, so a "good" trigger really is a necessity.) runs factory ammo (JHP for carry and FMJ until I can afford a reloader) slim magwell (S&A, Techwell carry model, or similar that keeps the "natural" profile of the grips) fiber front sight, black rears ambidextrous safety a rail would be nice but would be the first thing to ditch if the price shoots up My gut feeling is to get a Trojan (so no rail) and have it worked over by one of the smiths with good reputations on this forum, but I'll consider anything in that general price vicinity. As I read and search on the forums, I'm seeing this fancy guide rod and that fancy hammer . . . but these seem like choices best made sometime later, when I have an idea of how the gun shoots and what each mod would do. I have a reasonable mechanical aptitude but have never worked on any of my guns (nor do I have the tools to do so), so I want this one to start off right (hence a good 'smith to start). My question (which I didn't find satisfactorily answered in my searches) is the following: knowing what you know today, and my list above, what work would you have done to the gun before you ever touched it? What would you wait and change yourself and/or send it back in to get done? I don't have an exact budget, but let's try to keep it in the neighborhood of a Trojan plus the planned trigger work and magwell. Magazines and accessories are a separate question, which have been rather nicely covered elsewhere. Thanks for your input and assistance, -- John

What about a tube where the last few inches (just enough to hold the spring and follower) can capture the spring/follower and then break open, allowing all the rounds to slide out? Maybe before breaking it open you'd have to manually insert a pin to capture the follower, but that's not so bad, right? Of course, optimally some sort of mechanism would automatically engage when you started to open the front end of the tube and do the capturing for you, but this would add a degree of mechanical complexity and thus increased chance of failure. --John

I think the counter-argument (playing devil's advocate here) is that they're not preventing you from acquiring a non-sporting shotgun . . . so long as it was domestically manufactured. This study does not suggest anything to prevent you from hanging all the long tubes, side rails, night sights, and fore pistol grips on a Remington 11-87. So it doesn't trample on 2A rights, since you don't have a right to imported arms. Now, that being said, I think the whole thing stinks. If those fancy shotguns are made illegal, Open shooters will start playing in the divisions I want to use, and I will get my butt kicked. No, seriously, this whole thing is ridiculous. The only good news right now is that this "study" is just that; it is not law or policy. It is something that may be pointed to in a court ruling to create some precedence, so not . . . but until that time, I'm concerned since I have a Benelli M2 with a Nordic tube (and rail on the clamp); it's now unclear to me if this is a violation of 922r since the current configuration is not "sporting." -- John

Are you sure that's Zen? Sounds a lot like quantum mechanics to me. Maybe they're the same?

You make a good point. I guess I was thinking along the lines that nearly every gun a new shooter would bring (in a caliber larger than .355) fits into Open at the very least and probably Limited. Would it be competitive in either of those? Probably not . . . in fact, it's downright discouraging to shoot in one of those divisions with a stock gun (in my case, an unmodified USP Tactical .45 in L10 for two years) when everyone in your division has fancy 2011s, Tanfoglios, or tricked-out Glocks and XDs. I guess I hadn't considered that fully. However, I still think that part of the point of Production is the challenge of planning all the reloads. Whether the majority of the guns used can hold 15 isn't the point. As I said before, I think it's just like soccer: we impose an artificial handicap on the players precisely because the game is more interesting that way. -- John

Pardon me for asking what may be a stupid question, but why does it matter what division the new guy shoots in for his/her first match? I showed up with a USP Tactical .45. I shot Production the first time (because the USP .45 only holds 12) before finding out my gun isn't approved for production. When I took my dad to his first match, he shot an XD9. I had him say "limited" at the registration table so that he could load all the way. Now, on my first day, my dad's, and most other new shooters I've encountered, the differences in divisions are not on one's mind. That newbie shooter is mostly thinking "damn, this is a lot of fun!" with a little bit of "I hope I don't screw up." Most new shooters are focusing on shooting the match safely to come up with strategy, stage plans, and all the other jazz that it takes to be competitive. Tell them that they signed up in production so they can only load to 10, and most will just do it; or, if you offer them the option to shoot that match L-minor or Open-minor, who cares? It's not like that score is likely to get them an awesome classification anyway. By the time they decide to come back, and start caring about divisions and classifications, they'll pick the one that best suits their gear and how they want to play the game. I simply see no reason to push all those day-one shooters to Production -- or any other division. When they sign up, ask what they're going to shoot today, then advise them of their options. They'll figure out the divisions sometime after the initial adrenaline wears off and they decide why they're there, and learn some of the subtleties of the rules. If they want to be competitive in Production, they'll get the gear and (hopefully) start practicing with it. If they just show up to have fun doing something different, who (including the shooter) should care what division they end up fitting into? -- John.

There's this other game I've heard of. It's called "soccer," and maybe you've heard of it. too. Most new players come to the sport with equipment including four working limbs, but the rules say that it doesn't matter how many you've got, you can still only use the bottom ones. Lots of people (including some pros, if what I saw of the last World Cup is any indication) wish they could use their extra limbs, but the rules haven't changed to allow this. Why? Then it wouldn't be soccer anymore, it'd be some other game. USPSA is a game. Games have rules. Sometimes the rules are artificial; if they were obvious and natural we wouldn't have to write them down, 'cause everyone would follow them naturally. To make another analogy: if you don't like 5 card draw, go sit at the Hold 'Em table. Don't go telling the 5-card guys their rules are stupid as you pass their game, just politely enjoy yourself with the other rules. -- John.

Since moving to Colorado and starting work on my PhD, I've never had time, cash and/or gear to shoot a match. Today's my birthday, and my wife convinced me to go buy some ammo and shoot. So today I got to shoot my first USPSA match in over two years. I'd just like to say thanks to Squad 1 at the Boulder Rifle Club for being a great bunch of guys to shoot with today, and to the MD for putting on a tough and fun match! (And of course my wife, who let me go have fun this morning.) --John.

Well it's 8K but add all the transfer fees and WA sales tax. https://www.gunsupplies.co.nz/firearms/pistol/limcat-guns-razorcat-series-238 That was in New Zealand. Comes out to about $6450 US, and that's probably still overpriced since they have more restrictive laws (or so I am told), plus there's international shipping, customs, etc. I can't find pricing here, but I bet it's more like $5K. -- John. ETA: for comparison, a Para GI Expert (US MSRP: $599 US) is listed for $1295.95 NZ ($972.82 US). I think there's a bit of a markup going on, probably including reasons mentioned above.

Has anyone tried Weaponshield? Supposedly by the creator of the original formula for FP-10. My wife likes it, because it doesn't smell awful. but I find it to be a really effective CLP (better than Remclean, anyway; haven't tried Breakfree). You can even get a free 1/4oz sample. I've switched to this after starting out as my dad taught me: Hoppe's #9 followed by Hoppe's oil, then trying Militec-1 on my pistol (yeah, I was reading the HK forums too much at first ), then Remclean. I feel like the actions are smoother with Weaponshield, and since it's a CLP, it's nice to just have one bottle out (unless I need copper solvent), and even nicer to not have to clean the #9 off everything before lubing. Right now I'm running it on everything: AR, M2, Beretta 92 and HK USP. But if someone out there knows a good reason that it's a bad idea, I could be convinced. -- John.

I'm right-handed/left-eyed. My left hand is pretty dextrous as a support mechanism for small tasks, but I really can't shoot well with it. So I shoot everything right-handed. No big deal on a pistol, of course, except that I tend to shoot arrays left-to-right (gun is in the left half of my vision). My AR has a 3.5x ACOG. That "Bindon Aiming Concept" that Trijicon talks about seems to work really well for me, but I haven't yet shot a match with it. When the scope starts to settle and the image isn't a blur of movement, my right eye just picks up the picture naturally and I line up and go. The last time I shot "trap" (launcher on the firing line, not downrange) I noticed I started out with both eyes open, then when I acquired the target I focused on the sight and closed my left eye. Admitting that these were close targets, I hit 17+/25 with my 20" M2. (I've tried tape over the left eye, but then I'm too slow at picking up the targets.) Short answer: my weak-side shooting is awful, so I continue to shoot strong-side as much as possible. While doing that, I keep both eyes open as much as possible, and only close the left if it's interfering with my sight picture. -- John.

Maybe this is a little off-topic, but I've been considering replacing my HK USP .45 Tactical with a 1911. The only problem is that this gun would have to do triple-duty: carry, nightstand (so I'd like a rail for my light) and competition (USPSA, but I might give IDPA a try). Right now I carry the USP in a BladeTech UCH, and it's not the barrel but the grip that gives me the most trouble, which is why I'm considering the slimmer 1911 frame. Realizing that no gun will perfectly fit both competition and defensive roles, could anyone make a recommendation? Budget would be whatever I can get when I finally come to grips with selling the USP (my first purchase ) and gear, which (I hope) would come to around $1500. Thoughts? Thanks!