Drills for Evaluating a Pistol?

[Religious Shooter]

I want to build a "back-up" to my Limited .40. I'm not sure if I want a 5" or a 6".

I have 5" and a 6" 9MM that I want to run drills with to see if I should build a 5" or 6".

If you were in my shoes, what drills/tests would you do to determine which slide length would be faster/better for you?

I use the .40 for USPSA Pistol and USPSA MG matches.

Thanks.

[JimmyZip]

Well, I would think that you would want to see how the sight radius difference affect your accuracy, so medium to long range poppers or better yet two plate racks where you can shoot one plate on one rack and one on the other at various distances. Also, various distance first shot drills to see which gun feels faster on the draw. (Although, how often do we draw to a target anymore? ) Then, set up targets with wide transitions both tight and far to get a feel of what weight you prefer when you get that thing waving around and have to stop it. Then Bill drills too. See which timing you prefer? These are where I really notice the difference between my production tupperware, and myTS. One is so light, the other so heavy.

Just my .02, JZ

[twodownzero]

I don't think it really matters. Build whatever you want. The length might make the sight picture look a little different, but at the end of the day, so many other factors determine where and if you hit the target that it's probably irrelevant if your muzzle is an inch closer to the target or not.

[dover0020]

Just my two cents but if I were building a " back up gun" I would want it to be identical to the one I shoot in competition in case I had to switch during a match or even a few days before a match. If it were me that is what I would base my decision on.

[Seth]

I have both a 5" and 6" limited gun in .40. Both built by Virgil Tripp and both virtually identical with regard to weight, sight picture, grip, trigger, magwell, you name it. From behind the gun there's absolutely no difference.

Until you pull the trigger.

The 6" gun does everything the 5" gun does, only more accurately and softer. With a 5" recoil system, it cycles at the same speed and a highly lightened slide ensures a consistent sight profile as the gun returns to battery.

To answer your question directly, I evaluated the guns by pulling the trigger with a timer. Nothing else tells you the facts. And the fact is that if my splits are just as fast, the sight picture returns to neutral just as fast and it handles from target to target just as quickly there's no point in the 5" gun.

Dismissing that extra inch of sight radius is absurd. That's almost 20% more detail you're giving up. It doesn't make you a better shooter, it gives your brain much greater detail for tough shots. What you do with that detail is up to you.

[Sean Gaines]

I shoot both religiously, and I like the 6" better than the 5", same weight and the gun tracks better. As far as bullseye accuracy, they are about the same. But when you shoot bullseye at speed, thats were the 6" shines. that extra inch may not seem like alot, but it makes a difference especially if you have shot 5 inch guns alot and then transition to a 6". you ought to try this, go shoot a 4" gun at speed and then go shoot your 5" and see how much better you do with regards to your hits and time.

Another option that some shooters here are doing is going to a 5.4" since you can shoot international with it. this might just be a happy medium, or something else to consider.

[bbbean]

Just my two cents but if I were building a " back up gun" I would want it to be identical to the one I shoot in competition in case I had to switch during a match or even a few days before a match. If it were me that is what I would base my decision on.

What he said. If you have to go to your backup mid-match (the reason you have a backup, right?), you don't want to be adjusting for different sight radius, balance, POI, or other differences.

BB

[Flexmoney]

RS,

I often run shooters with the 6in guns that look like they have a limp noodle in their hands. They just aren't gripping those guns well.

I'd certainly run Matt Burkett's timing drills.

[old506]

What do you mean by this:

"I often run shooters with the 6in guns that look like they have a limp noodle in their hands. They just aren't gripping those guns well."

RS,

I often run shooters with the 6in guns that look like they have a limp noodle in their hands. They just aren't gripping those guns well.

I'd certainly run Matt Burkett's timing drills.

[Seth]

Too heavy a slide combined with not enough grip tension makes the 6" gun look sloppy.

[Flexmoney]

I thought it was the nature of the guns for quite a while...and I had observed this with a variety of builders.

Now I have seen a few...in the hands of experienced shooters...that do seem to track well. These shooters are properly driving the gun, and it doesn't bounce around as much in their hands (they provide a better platform to shoot the gun).