The Shooter

Welcome to the club. You will not be disappointed. I got mine in 1995. Had malfunctions for two reasons: cleaned it and forgot to lube, you can't run any custom 1911 dry. Second, I waited too long to change recoil springs. The recommended interval i have heard is when the spring is one coil shorter than new. Mine was 3 coils short. The gun is not as tight as it used to be, but such is life.

I have small hands so I replaced the long trigger with a short one and also replaced the mainspring housing with a smaller one from Dawson precision. Fits my hand perfectly now.

I have had a LB P2 that I bought used 15 years ago. Only malfunctions were when the recoil spring was completely worn out. I no longer have to field strip with a tool and it still shoots better than me. The LB frame is slightly different from the other manufacturers. There is no radius between the trigger guard and the front strap. This makes it feel better in my hand. If I buy another 1911, my preference would be LB. The only other 1911 I have owned was a Colt Gold Cup. My only knock on the LB P2 is the blued finish which resulted in some minor rust. Duracoat solved the problem, but my opinion is it should never have left the factory without a rust resistant finish.

I have a Ciener platinum that works great on my single stack. It is much more reliable than my Ruger Mark 2. Does anybody know if Marvel or Tactical Solutions mags will allow the Ciener unit will work on my STI 2011?

I shot my first IDPA match in February and am hooked. For anybody reading this that is interested but scared about their first match, all I can say is go. Find someone from the club that has shot before and they will likely mentor you. One thing that has not been mentioned here is general safety/range rules about putting the gun on your belt. I shoot at a club where everyone basically puts the holster on their belt at their car and inserts the pistol. I shoot at another club that will throw you out if they catch you handling the gun somewhere other than a safe zone or stage. My best advice is leave the gun in its case and ask someone where the safe zone is to put your gun in the holster. As far as match supplies, I would add a hand towel or two to the range bag. I shoot in Texas and it is hot. Wiping the sweat off your face and hands prior to a stage can make your life much better. Also, I cannot emphasize going slow on your first stage. Concentrate on being smooth. I placed 8 out of 36 on my first match, mainly becuase a lot of shooters rush and don't plan their run. I just focused on doing things right rather than quickly.

Rifle specific is the key. I have a 1/9 16" AR that shoots 77s better than 69s. I have 22" 1/9 bolt gun that shoots 80s sub moa at 500 yards. Rules of thumb are nice, but there is something to be said for actually trying the load.