MTSCMike

Our club did one several years ago with rifle. We had several "fault lines" on the trail that, once passed, you could not back up or shoot any missed targets to the rear. At the end of the trail was a long lane with steel swingers at about 100 yards. You could rest on a tree or go prone. Score keeper followed and scored targets as he passed them, pasters followed. It meant there was no time for the shooter to go back and see their hits/misses. One problem was the jungle walk made up such a large portion of the total time for the match that it became a big discriminator between shooters and pretty much decided the winners and losers all by its self. The other problem was some shooters didn't like the fact that they couldn't review their performance before the targets were pasted. I wouldn't try two weapons unless you find a way for the shooter to still have both when they finish. Going back up the trail to clear weapons takes too much time.

That sounds a lot like...PRACTICE

I use the LT-104 with DMS-1 centered and mounted as far forward on the receiver as possible and it gives me the proper eye relief but I shoot squared (not bladed) and I do not put my nose on the charging handle. My cheek weld is just forward of mid buttstock on a Magpul CTR set two holes out from fully collapsed. This set up allows me to shoot the DMS (at 1x) heads-up and both eyes on target just like my other rifle with an Aimpoint CompM4. The PEPR has almost identical eye relief characteristics when mounted the same way. If you shoot with your nose any more forward than that you will need something like the SPR-E to get the scope further forward. I don't think you would ever be able to mount the DMS-1 far enough forward with any type of traditional rings.

The shot should be called when the sight lifts instead of when it settles back into the notch. To me the settling back into the notch tells me that my grip, alignment, balance and pressure were correct and that determins when I'm ready for the next shot if it were a double tap. The sight settles so quickly that it should be back in the notch just as my eyes head for the next plate.

Notwithstanding the excellent post above and assuming that you don't have time to change sights or mounts...I would sight dead on at the longest distance I expect to shoot in the match. That is the distance that requires the most precision and the margin for error is smallest. If the sight is a smidge off at 10 or 15 yards it's of no concern. The "A" zone is large enough to absorb the slight error in POI. This is a short term solution at best but should get you through the match without having to waste brain power trying to dope a sight that is known to be off at distant targets. Set it and forget it.

Plates don't lie, plates don't know what "close" means, plates go down when you hit them right and when you don't they just sit there and mock you. Plates are evil but they are great fun to shoot. Slow down and aim. New plate shooters tend to shoot in a hurry because they think that is what they have to do and when they miss they tend to speed up to make up for the time lost by missing. Actually what you have to do is hit the plate no matter how long that takes. Load the pistol, bring it up to face level, extend to first plate while finding the front sight, deliberately aim at the very center of the first plate and while maintaining complete focus on the front sight and maintaining the sight picture, press the trigger without interrupting that sight picture. The plate will fall...guaranteed. Then eyes to the next plate followed very shortly by the pistol, repeat, repeat, repeat. Plates are the ultimate proof that a shooter "can't miss fast enough to win". However fast you can shoot and still knock every plate down with one shot is your current limiting factor. If the other shooter can do that faster then they will win...it's that simple. If you try to shoot faster than that you will actually be taking longer because making up a missed shot will always take longer than it would have taken to aim and hit it the first time. Don't take longer than you need to get that good sight picture but take the time to get it. Also, assuming the plates don't have to be taken in strict order, don't wait to see the plate fall or hear the "ding" before moving to the next plate. You have to just "know" you've hit it and move to the next. If you are waiting to see it fall you are wasting time. The only exception is when the plates must fall in a specific order or if you must confirm all plates are down before hitting a "stop plate". Don't miss and have fun!

No offense taken. I've been a USPSA CRO for 10 years and often the RM. My view: if a person has had a dangerous DQ, it is a good idea to take the day off. While I would agree that this person doesn't need to be running shooters through the remaining stages, I would encourage them to stay and paste, set steel, etc. so they can see how others handle situations similar to the one that DQ'd them. The only exception I can think of would be someone who argued about or questioned or protested a blatant safety DQ indicating they don't understand the sport and don't intend to learn. Then I would invite them to leave and not come back...ever. Otherwise stay and learn and pay your dues.

I have used the Pact Club Timer for years. They are easy to use, rugged, clip in your belt for self timing and feature several modes including par timing. http://pact.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=17&Itemid=63

+1 to this...Nearly every top ranking athelete has developed a "style" of their own, something that sets them apart from everyone else and gives them that slight edge they need to be the very best. But before they developed a style they had to master the fundamentals. If we all shot with exactly the same fundamentals and never developed a style then every competition would be a theoretical dead heat and no new styles would ever be developed. Someone had to be the first to use two hands, to shoot bladed like Weaver, to square up and shoot Isosceles, to cant the weak wrist and so on. But all good styles are grounded in the fundamentals.

To shoot well off a bag requires just as much technique and practice as any other position. It may seem like it should be easy but it can be quite difficult for some. I used to shoot metallic silhouette and hunt with pistols so I spent a lot of time shooting from a bag to develop loads and fine tune sights. I set my bags up in a two tier arrangement, like stair steps, so the butt rests on the lower step and the trigger guard rests on the upper level. I used to try to rest the barrel/dust cover, etc on the top bag but gas escaping from the cylinder gap on revolvers will cut the bag to pieces so I learned to use the trigger guard so I could shoot them all the same. Try to find a table/bench and stool arrangement that puts the pistol in a comfortable position and allows your arms to rest comfortably on a towel or blanket so your elbows don't get banged up. Use both hands and try to position the pistol on the bags so it maintains sight alignment on the target with very little hand contact. Use the strong hand very lightly and primarily to press the trigger. Use the weak hand to stabilize lateral pistol movement. The bags should provide all the vertical support and keep the sights aligned. You will have to find ways to align the bags like ammo boxes, wooden "shims", whatever it takes to adjust height. Use a target with a bull that is as close as possible to the full width of the front sight at the distance you want to shoot. It makes consistent sight alignment easier. Take your time to align the sights and focus entirely on the front sight. Press the trigger with the least amount of grip possible and let the pistol recoil with very little restraint. Dry fire a time or two to be sure the sights don't move at all when the pistol snaps. Once you master the bags you will be more confident than ever with your pistol's ability to group. It will make you a better all around shooter.

My Sabre M4 was sighted in with an A2 flash hider and later I added a PRI MSTN QC Brake. POI dropped about 3" at 200 yards but group size (4" with Aimpoint CompM4 2 moa dot) remained constant. When I bought my Sabre 18" piston upper I installed the same brake before I ever fired it. It shoots 200 yard groups in the 2.5" to 3" range with a Millet DMS-1 4x circle/dot reticle. Ammo for both is Federal XM193. I am loving this brake! Very near neutral muzzle rise on both guns and MUCH less blast (to the shooter) than others I've experienced.

IDPA recognizes a division for BUG (back up gun) but only local clubs ever use it. Our club held a BUG match years ago and it was a real hoot but most shooters considered it a wasted opportunity to shoot their main gun...a big mistake in my opinion. Pressure your local club to shoot a BUG match or at least a BUG suppliment to a regular match. I shot steel plates with my Guardian...great fun.

Put the FO in and touch up the back with a sharpie marker

Paint vs Practice...I choose practice. I never look directly at the mag well when I reload so I wouldn't see the paint.

Just tell your brain you aren't slowing down...you are just waiting for the sight to be on the center of the target before you break the shot. Why break the shot otherwise? The key is you are now focused totally on your front sight and by watching it lift you don't have to waste time scanning the targets for hits because you already know where they are. You will be faster AND more accurate than before...It's a Christmas Miracle!

It could be the sights...it could be operator induced...are you right handed? Sometimes when I start getting tired my shots go left due to a lapse in concentration and loss of proper trigger control. I start jerking the trigger (old bad habit) as I see the sights cross the target usually because I'm tired and my ability to hold a good sight picture is going away. The sight circle gets large and I get a little shakey and start snatching the trigger when I think the sights are centered. The result is usually a fairly nice group but all left and sometimes a bit low...the classic "trigger jerk group". If it is indeed your sights, and it is always a bit more left each time requiring adjustment, you should start to notice the entire rear sight base sitting more to the left in the dovetail. Was the sight easy to slide into place when you installed it or did you have to tap it in? If you have a set of calipers you can measure from the side of the slide to the side of the sight base in the dovetail and record the dimension. Next time it seems off, measure again and compare. Even loctite and set screws can become loose over time.

Nice to have someone here from Lower Alabama...that's LA, right?

Unless the OP deleted something before I read this, I don't see a "second guess". Sounds to me like a simple statement saying the OP never had a problem with Aftec but his gunsmith says they are not what they used to be and it appears from what I see that he is taking the smith's advice to heart and posting what his smith said about Aftec. I just had an IDPA ESP gun done and my smith said the same thing when I told him I had used Aftec before and been pleased with it. I went with his advice and we put a conventional in.

MSTN QC Brake mounted straight up because they put the vent holes at 1 o'clock when they drill them.

I went with the PRI MSTN Quiet Control Brake (straight model) http://www.pri-mounts.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=PRI&Product_Code=05-0092B&Category_Code=AR15_M16_ACC effective and really is quiet compared to most others (for the shooter, not necessarily the spectators)

I've had a similar problem trying to get back on the competitive shooting "horse" after a 6 year layoff. The shooting skill (accuracy) came back quickly but the stage management and trigger control skills still suffer. I have come to the conclusion that I am thinking too much. I know that I know how to do this but when I step to the line I start thinking things like "Don't screw this up like you did last time" or "Dang, there's a small steel in front of a no-shoot...I've had trouble with those lately". NEGATIVE thinking...just like stepping to the plate thinking "Don't strike out"...it pollutes your ability. I tend to shoot better when I focus on something positive like "shoot all A's no matter how long it takes" or "all steel falls with one round". Winning becomes secondary to satisfying myself with my performance as measured by my goal for that stage. I didn't win my last match but I had the lowest penalty percentage of all the shooters who competed. That made me feel better about my progress. From here on out I am approaching each stage as a learning and practice tool. Pick a focus for that stage and execute that focus regardless of being competitive. I am my only competition. You can "take a break" and still shoot...take a break from trying to be competitive and just shoot with a focus on improving one skill at a time.

But my Grandfather always told me: There's no shame in being ignorant, it just means you didn't know any better. But once you know better, to continue would be stupid and there is shame in being stupid. Or, in other words,...ignorance can be cured and then you gain wisdom...but as Ron White says..."You can't fix stupid"

Wish I could name a specific source...I have been blessed to have several shooting buddies who are accomplished 1911 smiths and I just did some "monkey see-monkey do" for a bit, modified my factory guns and eventually did several of my own builds from gunsmith parts. Google can point to several 1911 gunsmithing sources and I used to have a Bill Wilson maintenance video that was helpful. Just be hungry for knowledge and dive in. Even if you never intend to do any of your own smithing the info is extremely valuable for troubleshooting problems. 1911's are far and away the premier competition gun but most factory models need a tweak or two. The plunger tube is not usually one of them! The Performance Center should make that right for you. Treat every trip to the range or match as a learning opportunity. That way even a failure, while disappointing, can be a positive learning experience.

C.W. is correct. That said, some local clubs will fudge on distance from time to time or there may be partially obscured targets at greater distances which present small targets for "0 down" hits. I like to practice at distances longer than those expected in a match. This can make hits at shorter distances seem easy...sometimes.

No matter how well you prepare or how well you check your equipment something can still fail during a match. The plunger tube you lost was one of those things. Uless you happened to notice it was loose in a practice session or while cleaning the pistol, there is no way you could have predicted that failure. Carrying a back-up is an expensive proposition but usually the only good insurance for a major match failure. The fact that you continued to attempt the match after a plunger tube loss and the fact that you didn't know what that part was or what it did suggests that you have not become very familiar with your chosen weapon platform. Without being familiar with your pistol's design and features, you will be at a severe handicap when trying to diagnose problems when they occur. I don't mean this as an overt criticism, just a strong suggestion if you want to be a competitive shooter. As an example...as others have mentioned, the plunger tube provides mechanism which keeps the slide stop and the thumb safety in place and functioning. Firing the pistol with this part missing could have caused damage to your firearm or injury to you and the malfunctions you mentioned were absolutely guaranteed. A competitor with functional knowledge of their pistol would have known to stop when that part was lost and either used a back-up or simply not finished the match. There are many good gunsmiths for the 1911 platform and most likely one near you who you could visit and ask for some tutorial assistance. There are also many good books, videos, etc which can show you all there is to know and understand about your pistol's features and functions. If you want to be more than just a casual shooter then you will need more than a casual knowledge of your pistol. Shoot well and be safe.