DeerfieldCurly Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 I am considering getting into a Limited gun for USPSA. Anyone care to weigh in on the pros and cons of these barrel sizes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry White Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 You could search, about a weeks worth of reading on that subject.---------Larry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
40S&W Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 This is strictly my personal opinion. Depends on wether you are using a 6", 5", or std. frame. Longer the frame the more weight in the nose (nose heavy). I'd be looking for a gun that has good balance and the weight toward the rear. 6" will give you longer sight radius but will be nose heavy, unless you lighten the slide & probably go with an alum. guide rod or setup for a 5" guide rod. 5" shorter sight radius but you don't have to lighten the slide unless you are using a stainless slide. Or you might like the balance with a stainless slide. I don't see any advantage to a full length frame other than asthetics. An inch in length does not sound like much but there is alot more weight hanging out in front, frame, barrel, slide. My recommendation is try shooting some 5" & 6" limited guns before proceeding. Better to know what you are ordering rather than be sorry for what you purchased. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roundabout Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 I don't have much time behind a 5" Limited gun, but in the past year I have put in some time behind a Bedell 6" gun and more recently a Carter Custom 6" gun. Personally, I just like the way the 6" guns look. My Bedell is a shorty frame with slide cuts and bull barrel whereas my Carter Custom is a full dust cover bull barrel gun that is internally lightened. Without a doubt the Carter gun is heavier but after shooting it a couple of matches, I grew to like the weight. I have a tendency to double tap and not necessarily wait for the sight picture on the target for the second shot like I should and with the lighter gun I'd throw more "Mikes". The heavier gun seems to be a little more forgiving relative to where my hits are going when I get stupid. Both guns are great shooters, but they do have slightly different shooting characteristics. I agree with the previous post, you should try both if you have the opportunity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aircooled6racer Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 Hello: I have both and like the 6" better. If you use a "Benny Hill Fat Free" style with a bushing barrel and lighten the slide it is a very sweet shooter using 165 grain bullets. The weight of the pistol is great around 36-39 ozs and balancing under the trigger guard of your strong hand. A heavy 6" pistol is a dog to shoot for me. It reacts slow and is heavy to transition for me. If you like a heavy pistol I would go for a 5" Edge type pistol with a lighter slide, using heavier grain bullets. I really like the longer sight radius since my eyes are not what they used to be Like the others have suggested you will want to try both if you can. Lastly it will depend on what types of stages you mostly shoot. If they are short distance hoser type then the 5" may be better for you. If they are long tight shots I will take the 6" everytime. Hope this helps. Thanks, Eric Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roundabout Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 Speaking of Benny Hill, one of my cronies is trying to sell his if you want a kick-ass pistol. http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=147096&st=0&p=1663686&hl=benny%20hill&fromsearch=1entry1663686 This is the gun that got me turned on to 6" pistols. I got to use it for a steel match and did surprisingly well with it having never used it in a match. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blaster113 Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 if its possible to get trigger time behind both types of guns that would be beneficial. A heavy 5" will shoot softer and more stable but be sluggish during transitions vs a lighter gun. most of us jumping into Limited started off with heavy 5" guns cause they're easier to shoot but then migrate to lighter guns. currently running a heavily lightened 6" bushing barrel gun after using heavy 5" guns for awhile. it is the shiznit for Limited. Light, transistions fast, shoots soft, flat and really like the extra sight radius for my half blind near sighted astigmatism eyes. won't go back to a 5". 5" guns are cheaper and easier to find on the used market. I would suggest starting with a used 5" gun, figure out your preferences and get used to the game, then decide about a 6". you can always unload it and build a custom gun once you figure out what your preferences are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OperationHitFactor Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 Both are great. I know this will sound generic, but I promise it's true. Pick the one you like the look of the best and shoot the crap out of it. Neither is going to give you a magical advantage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JakeMartens Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 (edited) Watched a couple on our squad today both long dust cover 5inch and 6inch, Cheely and Benny Hill 6 inch guns, long dust cover Brazos and Cameron Custom and short dustcover George Huening built guns, I saw no advantage of the 6inch guns compared to the others. The long guns actually seemed to look more sluggish compared to the others. The flattest shooting of everything I saw today was the Cameron gun, shooting 180gr bayou bullets. I have both a Brazos longdust cover, and a Jim Anglin built short dustcover. Now they shoot the same, I added a tungston guide rod and stainless steele mainspring to the Anglin gun and both the Brazos and it weigh the same now. Edited March 26, 2012 by JakeMartens Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benny hill Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 Jake a light 6", about 35 oz. will cycle faster than your heavier guns, just a fact of life. The main advantage is 20% longer sight radius. Most guns shoot slower with heavier bullets but faster with light ones. The 6" shoots best with 165 gr where most 5" ones uses 180's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigcraig Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 I was in Jakes squad yesterday, I agree with everything he said, in regards to slide speed. I have also been running a custom G24 for the last couple of years, with the thinking that the 6" sight radius was a benefit to me. After yesterdays match, using the GH2 short dust cover 5" gun, I have come to realize the 6" gun offers "ME" no benefit. Of the guns Jake mentioned above, I have shot the Brazos full DC 5", GH2 SD 5", Benny Hill 6" and the Cameron Guns 5" full DC. I feel I have finally found the combination that I like. I will be having George Huening buld me a 5" full DC Limited gun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aircooled6racer Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 Hello: A good test for the 5" and 6" pistols is a plate rack at 15 yards. For me the 5" is faster but I miss more plates Like any pistol you have to develope a load you like and works for you. I have tried bullet weights from 155-200 grain in the 6" and the 165 grain Montana Golds work the best for me. The Precision 170 are also good but just not as good as the 165's. As Benny stated above the key is a light slide and overall pistol weight. Just as a note I don't like heavy 5" Edge type pistols either. They shoot soft with 200 grain bullets but just not for me. I would try as many as you can to see what you like the best. Thanks, Eric Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benny hill Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 Hey! different strokes. It would be a shitty world if everyone was alike. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old506 Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 Benny, does it matter a large amount (or at all) where you take the weight off? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a matt Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 I shot 5in custom 2011 for about 16 mo. Then I got my hands on 6in cameron's. Now my 5in is my back up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merlin Orr Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 Without shooting all weights of bullets in all guns, IMO it is wasted breath stating that "this or that" pistol is faster/slower than.... whatever...... Fast powders, slow powders and those in between coupled with heavy and light and mid weight bullets... To say one has this or the other by just looking..... Not Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benny hill Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 Take the weight off the front as much as possible. Total weight is about 36 oz. with slide about 11 oz. This is what a light 5" weights. Remember a 1911 is recoil orperated so heavier is slower but some want slow and some fast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neomet Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 The one you want is the one you don't have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merlin Orr Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 The one you want is the one you don't have. WORD.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
splashdown Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 Lots of info out there on this topic. I'm not reading the previous 18 posts before mine. I'll just say that a 6" can do everything a 5" can do, and so much more. Be sure to cut some reciprocating mass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryan 45 Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 Speaking of lightened slides, does anyone run a lightened 5"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Sierpina Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 Speaking of lightened slides, does anyone run a lightened 5"? Yes, My 5" and 6" limited guns are within 1/4 ounce of each other. 35 ounces. The 5" is a bull barrel, the 6" a bushing. The 5" rides along in the bag as a spare. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a matt Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 +1 with Dan Sierpina. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TriggerJockey Posted April 21, 2012 Share Posted April 21, 2012 I love my six inch STI, sight radius is great. If you go six inch I recommend lightening the slide up considerably but it isn't gonna make or break it. I will say a five inch with a full length dust cover does give you more front end weight to control recoil but I'm just hooked on the sixers. If you ever see a Benny Hills Fat Free it's gonna be amazing almost guaranteed unless someone has abused it, every Fat Free I have ever had the pleasure of shooting has just been incredible. The build is normally a six inch bushing barrel, standard length frame with a 12.5 lbs recoil spring and a 14-16 lbs main spring with a pretty heavily lightened slide and oh how sweet it is to punch holes with......or knock down steel! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blaster113 Posted April 21, 2012 Share Posted April 21, 2012 (edited) Speaking of lightened slides, does anyone run a lightened 5"? I shot a Brazos full dustcover 5" with a heavily lightened slide last year. made A class with it. It felt a little sluggish on transitions with fully loaded 20 round mags for Limited, but it was stable and shot soft and flat with 180's and N320. major pf loads felt like minor. I really like how the gun shot overall, but decided to try a Cameron's 6" for the extra sight radius after the last Limited Nationals with all those damn tight shots. after getting used to the 6" weight/balance/recoil I feel like I have a little easier time with tight/long shots vs. the 5". With a fully loaded 20 rnd mag the balance is absolutely perfect with the 6". also like the fast slide speed; feels like I can shoot faster with the chopped up slide and light 165's. If I get another wild hair up my ass and change Limited guns again it will be back to a 5" with a full dustcover, bull barrel, aluminum guide rod and lightened slide. changing guns every year is pissing the wife off Edited April 21, 2012 by blaster113 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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