CKing866 Posted September 18, 2012 Share Posted September 18, 2012 I'm pretty new to the sport and started in single-stack, because that's what I had. Recently, when I thought I had a mechanical problem with my "match" pistol (Kimber Team Match II), I shot a few practice stages with my carry weapon (Kimber Tac Pro II) and found myself shooting noticeably better. Turns out I shoot better groups with the Tac Pro as well. This seems counterintuitive to me because the Tac Pro has a 4" barrel and the Team Match has a 5" barrel (accompanied by a longer sight radius). Both pistols are essentially stock. Both supposedly come with match-grade barrels from Kimber. I'm not necessarily complaining, but am trying to figure out why. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoMiE Posted September 18, 2012 Share Posted September 18, 2012 Probably because with shorter barrel recoil, your grip is probably better on 4" or you hold onto it more. Also since sight radius is shorter you have to put more attention on sights instead of just pointing the 5" pistol. Basically you have to have better fundamentals to shot a shorter gun just as well as a larger one, or so has been my experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g mac Posted September 18, 2012 Share Posted September 18, 2012 Maybe, you had more practice and experience with your carry weapon, and you had already developed muscle memory with it. Just any thing else, just gotta get use it first, and there's a "break-in" period. Try shoot it for at least 6-months, and see what happens then. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hi-Power Jack Posted September 18, 2012 Share Posted September 18, 2012 CK, any differences in trigger and sights? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarge Posted September 18, 2012 Share Posted September 18, 2012 Could also be as simple as one gun preferring the ammo more than the other gun. Switch ammo and things might even reverse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seeker Posted September 18, 2012 Share Posted September 18, 2012 I also noticed that sometimes I "seem" to shoot my SIS Pro better than my full size. It "appears" to me, that those big night sights rise and settle back into the notch quicker and neater than the narrow FO sites on my Competition guns. However I know that it's more my perception. I think HoMIE and G-Mac both offered reasonable answers. I know that when I put my SIS Pro (my carry) gun through it's paces I'm using loads that are close to the SD loads I carry. 180-190 PF 185gr Hollow Points. Therefore since I'm anticipating a more substantial thump I'm using a more substantial grip. In addition the SIS pro has the stock 22lb Recoil spring as well as the stock 23lb spring. This adds to the different dynamics experienced than with a 5" 1911 with a 14lb recoil spring, a 17lb mainspring and 168-170 power factor 230grain ammo. One thing that I found to be important, is to to do most of your training using the pistol and ammo that you compete with since the dynamics you are accustomed to, will be the difference between "timing the gun" or fighting the gun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reinz Posted September 20, 2012 Share Posted September 20, 2012 This is going to sound weird, but how old are your eyes? ......uh you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CKing866 Posted September 20, 2012 Author Share Posted September 20, 2012 CK, any differences in trigger and sights? The triggers are about the same design and feel about the same to me ( I don't have a tool to measure pull weight). The sights on both are factory original: on the 4" are tritium as opposed to the 5" which sports a black blade and fairly wide front post. For group shooting, the blade and post seem to give more precise sight alignment, but the 4" gives better groups. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CKing866 Posted September 20, 2012 Author Share Posted September 20, 2012 This is going to sound weird, but how old are your eyes? ......uh you? Not a bad question, as that may play into it. I'm 46 and starting to use cheaters to see up-close things clearly . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CKing866 Posted September 20, 2012 Author Share Posted September 20, 2012 Thanks for the insight and suggestions. Next time to the range, I'm going to try to compare the grip-force I use on each and see if there is a difference. The 4" has an aluminum frame vs. stainelss steel on the 5" so there is a 10 oz. difference in weight, but again, that seems counterintuitive. I do have to say that i "like" my sight picture with the tritium sights on the 4" more than the blade and post on the 5" but that preference is eroding as I shoot the 5" more. I'd hate to concede that my older eyes are the cause, but that could be an issue. I'll let you all know if I figure it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reinz Posted September 21, 2012 Share Posted September 21, 2012 (edited) What I am about to say goes against everything we have always been told about sights. However, Massad Ayoob, wrote an article about this confirming my own personal experience. We have always been told longer barrels, i.e., longer sight radi-i is better, right? Well what happened to me around 45 years of age is that all of a sudden I could shoot my Officers framed 45's and 2" Pythons better than my Gubmit models and 6" pythons. I could not explain it. Then one day while reading American Handgunner, Ayoob was explaining how as we age our eyes adapt "better" to a shorter sight radius over the traditional longer one. I would have chalked it up to total BS if I had not been experiencing it for the previous 6 months myself. It all made sense the way he explained it. Forgive me for not knowing the proper explanation. That MAy be part of the OP problem. Which of course is why I asked his age. Don't fight it, just go with it. Edited September 21, 2012 by Reinz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris iliff Posted October 6, 2012 Share Posted October 6, 2012 Yep, eventually we all end up in open!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toolguy Posted October 6, 2012 Share Posted October 6, 2012 There are many variables in the mechanism too. One gun may simply be more accurate than the other. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue edge Posted October 6, 2012 Share Posted October 6, 2012 Thanks for the insight and suggestions. Next time to the range, I'm going to try to compare the grip-force I use on each and see if there is a difference. The 4" has an aluminum frame vs. stainelss steel on the 5" so there is a 10 oz. difference in weight, but again, that seems counterintuitive. I do have to say that i "like" my sight picture with the tritium sights on the 4" more than the blade and post on the 5" but that preference is eroding as I shoot the 5" more. I'd hate to concede that my older eyes are the cause, but that could be an issue. I'll let you all know if I figure it out. Maybe let someone else shoot these guns, it may not be you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattwaage Posted October 8, 2012 Share Posted October 8, 2012 Is there a pattern to your "Better shooting?" Do you drop shots low with your 5 inch or right or left or high? With the extra inch of slide are you pushing or pulling the gun around more than the 4"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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