Tony S45 Posted December 6, 2013 Share Posted December 6, 2013 Yes, I know that the 43 ounce IDPA weight limit is broken by the Match 9mm with the rail. When speaking to Tanfo Customer Service recently I asked about weight of my new Match and the gal said that they were re-weighing the guns. HUH? Has anyone weighed a new railed 9mm Match/one empty mag with a quality scale? I don't have a scale available to do so. Curious what the actual weight might be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
azgoose Posted December 7, 2013 Share Posted December 7, 2013 43.5 oz is what mine came out to. When you take the stock grips off, it makes weight easily. When you put them back on without the screws, you just barely make weight. The screws put you over. Either have the rail machined off, or drill some material out of the rail on the bottom side. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony S45 Posted December 7, 2013 Author Share Posted December 7, 2013 (edited) azgoose: OK, thanks. The local IDPA won't mind my Tanfo but I may want to shoot in a regional match later in 2014 and those folks are much more picky. I notice that you're an IDPA member too. I read the current rule book and I didn't find anything about shaving weight off of a particular model. Is that an acceptable practice when competing on a higher level? The regionals usually have the IDPA box to check each gun's dimensions but I've never seen a scale. BTW, what double mag pouch are you using for the 9mm larger frame mags? Edited December 7, 2013 by Tony S45 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
azgoose Posted December 7, 2013 Share Posted December 7, 2013 There was another member on here that got a ruling from Ray @ IDPA that the rail could be machined off since it would not be lightening the slide and also it would not provide a performance gain. So based on that, you should be able to take a large drill bit (not sure what size yet) and drill a few holes. You don't want to go too deep or all the way through, just enough to remove the weight needed. I am actually going to be shooting a new pistol I got yesterday from Preatorian97, a Limited Pro. This fits in the box and is actually slight larger than the Match. In our last state championship match last April, they did check the box dimensions, but did not weigh anything. Perhaps at a larger match, but no sense taking a chance. Same with ammo - always chrono your ammo, even if factory. As far as mag pouches, I just picked up a generic blackhawk 9/40 mag pouch. I will eventually have someone locally make a Kydex set for me. When shooting USPSA, I use a DAA Racemaster holster and mag pouches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nealio Posted December 8, 2013 Share Posted December 8, 2013 I don't think a big drill bit is going to go through that finish Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmbaccolyte Posted December 8, 2013 Share Posted December 8, 2013 (edited) I'd order the short CZ plastic guide rod and see if it fits (just for matches); it would certainly be lighter. You also might try drilling out the spot welds for the magazine spacer and loading the cartridges as long (O.A.L.) as will fit the chamber to enhance reliability (worthwhile only if you're really really close to making weight- for instance if the plastic guide rod idea works). I shoot a .40 loaded to 1.23" OAL and use the 10mm magazines, so the mags lack the spacer that are in the 9mm and .40 S&W mags. My Match has the rail, plastic grips and Henning's guide rod and when I weighed it on a postal meter a while back, it made weight. But not by much as I remember. I posted the weight on these forums at the time, but couldn't find it when I searched just now. Drilling out the inside of the frame at the exact location of each rail protrusion would require a talented machinist/gunsmith and so it would get expensive fast. Grinding the rail off (on the outside) would force you to refinish it and that would make it cheaper to just sell it and get one without the rail or one in a larger caliber. I think all the barrels have the same outside diameter, so the larger caliber barrels are lighter. Also a .40 can feel as soft as a 9mm (if you reload) and I don't think the brass costs that much more. Blade-Tech makes a good double mag pouch. Good luck. Edited December 8, 2013 by jmbaccolyte Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony S45 Posted December 8, 2013 Author Share Posted December 8, 2013 Excellent ideas from all. Thanks very much. Next local IDPA match is after the Holidays so I'll send the organizer an email re Tanfo's weight and see what they say. I'll also travel with an extra gun (small frame older Tanfo 9mm) to the matches in case an IDPA SO hasn't the heart to let me shoot my heavy gun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
azgoose Posted December 8, 2013 Share Posted December 8, 2013 You could also move up to a Limited Pro and not worry about weight or size. Fits in the box, makes weight. I put the wife's Match 9mm top end on the Lim Pro frame for a match today - was awesome. Almost no recoil at all. First match with a Tanfoglio today and I am getting rid of my 1911 and 2011. I am sold sold sold. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REAJZGSP8uA&feature=youtu.be Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
azgoose Posted December 8, 2013 Share Posted December 8, 2013 I was not referring to doing it on the inside of the frame, I was thinking of doing it on the outside. All you need is a drill press with a machinists vice (or any other way it could be secured properly). Agreed, a machinist would be overkill. Drilling out the inside of the frame at the exact location of each rail protrusion would require a talented machinist/gunsmith and so it would get expensive fast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nvbrasschucker Posted December 8, 2013 Share Posted December 8, 2013 Azgoose Shorten dust cover to 3.25 inches as per the new IDPA rules and you should lose your weight. nvbrasschucker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
azgoose Posted December 8, 2013 Share Posted December 8, 2013 You know, I never thought to even check the length of it. But with the Lim Pro, it's not a concern anymore Fantastic idea though. Azgoose Shorten dust cover to 3.25 inches as per the new IDPA rules and you should lose your weight. nvbrasschucker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prk Posted December 8, 2013 Share Posted December 8, 2013 the plastic grip panels are significantly lighter than the rubber ones also - I've never weighed them but the rubber ones feel pretty heavy. Also, I believe the finish is hard chrome, so if you drill through ( but you might have a hard time like Nealio said ) - you better touch up with cold blue or something Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BiggMike Posted December 9, 2013 Share Posted December 9, 2013 (edited) I shoot the same setup as azgoose. I also have the Eric Grauffel grips and the shockbottle magazine basepads. My weight is 43.2 ounces. If I move to the wood grips my weight is 42.5 ounces. I can also go back to the standard Tanfoglio base pads with the Eric Grauffel grips and I still can make weight, about 42.9 ounces. I don't see 2 tenths of an ounce causing a problem. Edited December 9, 2013 by BiggMike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony S45 Posted December 9, 2013 Author Share Posted December 9, 2013 (edited) Took out my Tanfo guide rod and weighed it on my not-so-accurate kitchen scale = 1.75 ounces. Looks like a polymer guide rod would certainly save approx. one ounce which is all we need to be legal. Dust cover length is a bit over the 3.25" limit measured from the back of the slide stop hole per the IDPA instructions. Anyone know if the earlier Match without the rail is within the 3.25" limit? Edited December 9, 2013 by Tony S45 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
azgoose Posted December 9, 2013 Share Posted December 9, 2013 I'll measure the Lim Pro dust cover tonight and post up the length on that. If it is over 3.25", it would look like there are no Tanfoglio's that would be IDPA legal. That would be a shame. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
azgoose Posted December 9, 2013 Share Posted December 9, 2013 Okay, just measured the dust cover on the Large Competition frame what comes on the Limited, Limited Pro, and Stock II / III (please let me know if I am wrong on these two). It measures at 3" or slightly under. The Match's rail measures 3 5/8". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony S45 Posted December 9, 2013 Author Share Posted December 9, 2013 OK. Thanks for the info, azgoose. I'm beginning to think that the Match was built by a committee (you remember the old joke about the committee trying to build a horse but it came out a camel after all the different inputs!) Perhaps a short customer survey by Tanfo would have determined that a shorter dust cover without the rail would also have allowed the Match to be IDPA legal in ESP. BTW, isn't putting the match slide on the Lim Pro also verboten in IDPA? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
azgoose Posted December 9, 2013 Share Posted December 9, 2013 Should not be. If it was SSP, I am pretty sure it would be, but with ESP it is legal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony S45 Posted December 10, 2013 Author Share Posted December 10, 2013 OK, my bad! You are correct about ESP. You used the Match upper to avoid the bull barrel on the Lim Pro. Would you please measure the Lim Pro 's length. It appears to have a slightly longer beaver tail. Need to know if it would fit into the IDPA box (8 3/4" X 6" X 1 5/8"). Looks like nvbrasschucker's idea of cutting off the front of the frame rail down to 3.25" or less would solve all IDPA problems for the Match. Not something that I'm qualified to do so I'll test the local IDPA waters and shoot the gun awhile before I ask a local very talented gunsmith to see what he can do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
azgoose Posted December 10, 2013 Share Posted December 10, 2013 The Lim Pro does not have the Cone Barrel so it is not subject to that 4.25" rule. It also just fits in the IDPA box, the only issue out of the box is the width and this is due to the safeties. Remove the right side safety and all issues go away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGWP Posted December 15, 2013 Share Posted December 15, 2013 Has anyone considered removing the weight from inside the grip. When I was fitting my mag well I had to clearence an area to accomidate the mag well bolt. I was aware of the weight issue and thought that would be a suitable place to lighten if I ever felt the need to make weight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nealio Posted December 16, 2013 Share Posted December 16, 2013 Hey I have an extra older match frame with low miles if anyone is interested. PM me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony S45 Posted December 19, 2013 Author Share Posted December 19, 2013 Nealio: Thanks for all of your help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now