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What makes a well built competition gun ?


IHAVEGAS

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I think I've come to the conclusion that I really do not know what to look for in an IDPA / USPSA 1911-2011. My priorities are reliability, then accuracy, then as a far distant 3rd , looks. Reliability includes the need to run a minimum of 300 rounds of reasonable but imperfect (cleaned range brass and good lead bullets for example) reloads before cleaning is needed.

I can tell if the trigger feels right and if the gun feels good in my hand, beyond that:

1. Some folks want a very tight slide to frame fit. I don't know if a very tight gun is going to run dirty as well as a loose gun. I also don't know if you should look for a different fit based on specifics like caliber and whether you want to run light loads with light springs or etc.. I also don't know if there are other aspects of fit that are meaningful for function and observable by a layperson.

2. Some folks look for clean lines and lack of any surface imperfections. I don't know if there are any particular imperfections to look for, or feel for, that would tell you how to expect the gun to perform.

Anyway, for those of you who might have similar priorities, if someone hands you an unknown gun how do you make the determination of whether it is likely to be a good competition gun?

Edited by IHAVEGAS
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I think people over think myself included a competition gun or gun in general. If it is reliable and hits what your aiming at its good enough for competition. If someone hands me a unknown gun and its comfortable, reliable and hits the target its good to go in my book. Do you need a sexy gun no do we want them yes.

Edited by G34 CORDY
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Anyway, for those of you who might have similar priorities, if someone hands you an unknown gun how do you make the determination of whether it is likely to be a good competition gun?

Assuming you could:

  1. Reliability - shoot it under a variety of conditions with a variety of ammo
  2. Accuracy - while doing #1, determine if it meets your accuracy standard

Cosmetics are subjective. Some of the hallmarks of a well finished gun are:

  • the absence of tool marks on cut surfaces i.e. if the slide was tri-topped or the trigger guard undercut
  • careful blending of the surfaces that meet the hand i.e. grip/thumb safety area where these meet the frame
  • the same for where the rear of the slide meets the frame including the ejector and extractor
  • if a magwell is present, the inletting and blending of the opening to the frame

There's more and everyone has their own benchmarks but you get the idea.

You only need your first two priorities for a good competition gun. If the gun looks good too, that's gravy.

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My sti with only a new extractor gets cleaned every 1000ish. I'd guess it's kinda loose.

Reliability and accuracy are all that really matter to me. Light vs heavy vs 6in vs fiber are all preferences

Edited by Forgetful
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The 1911 has lots of history behind it. Every part has very specific demesion, and tolerences.

If you look up blue print specs, there will be standard specifcations and then there will be National Match specefication (NM). The NM specs were to tighten alignment, giving the barrel/slide/frame fit less variance and more repeatability...to give better accuracy. Along with that, chamber demesions often get tightened up. Then shooters want to minimize their loads (for feel), as well as minimize their springs. A lot of that piles up and works against reliability.

Then, we like to stack as many rounds into a magazine as we can get away with. Mags can be out of tune, have bad springs...the loaded rounds can be off a bit.

So, it's not just the gun. It is also the ammo. It is also the magazines. It is the springs. And, it is the shooter...in how they interact with the gun when shooting it and in how they expect it to perform (even though they have thrown the kitchen sink at it).

Plus, we shoot the crap out of guns in competition.

I'd look for a gunsmith with years and years of experience making cometition guns.

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The 1911 has lots of history behind it. Every part has very specific demesion, and tolerences.

If you look up blue print specs, there will be standard specifcations and then there will be National Match specefication (NM). The NM specs were to tighten alignment, giving the barrel/slide/frame fit less variance and more repeatability...to give better accuracy. Along with that, chamber demesions often get tightened up. Then shooters want to minimize their loads (for feel), as well as minimize their springs. A lot of that piles up and works against reliability.

Then, we like to stack as many rounds into a magazine as we can get away with. Mags can be out of tune, have bad springs...the loaded rounds can be off a bit.

So, it's not just the gun. It is also the ammo. It is also the magazines. It is the springs. And, it is the shooter...in how they interact with the gun when shooting it and in how they expect it to perform (even though they have thrown the kitchen sink at it).

Plus, we shoot the crap out of guns in competition.

I'd look for a gunsmith with years and years of experience making cometition guns.

What He said..

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