[SatCong]

My competiton handgun (IPSC Limited 10) is an old Colt Government model 1911 on an Essex frame. I bought it used, years ago from a hardware store (remember when you could do that?) and it was just one of my pistols until 2 years ago, when I got the bug to train a little more realistically by participating in ipsc affilliated club matches. I turned it over to my favourite 'smith and he and I decided what needed doin'. We went with a new set of higher sights, lugged the barrel/bushing interface, beavertail grip safety, comp. hammer, new springs (18.5 recoil), grips, all wilson-combat 8 rounnd magazines, and a very light trigger--about two pounds pull. I specifically requested this last option, somewhat against Steve's (the 'smith) recommendations. He was afeared that should I use the gun in self defense that upon investigation the light pull would be used against me in any following litigation.
Well, I do not carry this weapon, except locked away in it's rig to and from the range/meet, so he finally acquiesced to my wishes.
The reason I had the gun set up this way was to teach myself to index my finger properly. Believe me, after the embarrasment of a couple of rounds through the range roof, I learned to index "properly". Now I have control of a very sensitive trigger. When I merely make a suggestion of a trigger pull it goes bang--very satisfying! Quite a tackdriver, too, much better gun than I am a shooter. Do any of you other learned forumites have a similar light trigger-pull approach? How has it worked for you?
SatCong
PS--BTW, Steve says the slide on this weapon dates to WW I. I often wonder where it's been and in what parts of history it has participated...

 

[RIKA]

SatCong,

I have a Colt Combat Commander that I gunsmithed myself. I bumbled into a 2lb trigger pull that won't follow. Love shooting it but absolutely won't carry it for defense after a friend measured the weight and commented "You don't intend to take prisoners, do you?" Most of my carry guns have about a 4lb trigger. Too bad a trigger that light is such a civil/criminal liability problem.

RIKA

 

[andy]

I've never seen the benefit of anything much under 3.5-4.0 lbs of pull, myself, except for bs that has nothing to do with reality, as in25m+,mulitple target, against the clock crap. Realistically, if you ever have to HIT more than 2 men, all of them more than 15m away from you, both armed with firearms, you with nothing but a pistol, you'd better be using cover, because if you aint, you are probably going to get shot. It just takes too long to get 3 such hits. 1 is going to get one shot at you, the second guy is going to get 2 or more shots at you,, and #3 is going to get 3-4 shots at you. Now that's a LOT of missing that THEY have to do, while you have to chest hit all three of them, with ALL that lead flying by your ears. So you aint going to hit them, and they are probably going to hit you. So why bother to practice such bs, much less "gear up" for MAYBE being able to do something so rare and so stupid?

 

[Garand]

My Gov't Model and my Combat Commander both have 3.5 lb trigger pulls and are both fitted with Wilson triggers, my 2 Vaqueros are fitted with 60 ounce triggers. All see a fair amount of competitive use.

 

[SatCong]

duece duece tre,
Like I said, <font color=red>*</font><font color=red>*</font><font color=red>*</font><font color=red>*</font>face, it's a competition only weapon, meant to train me. I train under conditions that will be MORE unforgiving than the real thing--overkill is not just a catch word.
Satcong

 

[KJUN]

My competiton handgun (IPSC Limited 10) is an old Colt Government model 1911 on an Essex frame. I bought it used, years ago from a hardware store (remember when you could do that?) and it was just one of my pistols until 2 years ago, when I got the bug to train a little more realistically by participating in ipsc affilliated club matches. I turned it over to my favourite 'smith and he and I decided what needed doin'. We went with a new set of higher sights, lugged the barrel/bushing interface, beavertail grip safety, comp. hammer, new springs (18.5 recoil), grips, all wilson-combat 8 rounnd magazines, and a very light trigger--about two pounds pull. I specifically requested this last option, somewhat against Steve's (the 'smith) recommendations. He was afeared that should I use the gun in self defense that upon investigation the light pull would be used against me in any following litigation.
Well, I do not carry this weapon, except locked away in it's rig to and from the range/meet, so he finally acquiesced to my wishes.
The reason I had the gun set up this way was to teach myself to index my finger properly. Believe me, after the embarrasment of a couple of rounds through the range roof, I learned to index "properly". Now I have control of a very sensitive trigger. When I merely make a suggestion of a trigger pull it goes bang--very satisfying! Quite a tackdriver, too, much better gun than I am a shooter. Do any of you other learned forumites have a similar light trigger-pull approach? How has it worked for you?
SatCong
PS--BTW, Steve says the slide on this weapon dates to WW I. I often wonder where it's been and in what parts of history it has participated...

I always wonder why people start doing those competition shoots for more realistic practice and then use a gun modified to all get out and back that would NEVER be considered a good concealed carry gun evenby the owners.

No offense to you personally, of course. This is just one of the reasons I don't like talking about these competitions at the range - especially with people who use words like " it isstock like all hell, but I'll fix that" to describe Glocks after saying they are the best gunsin the world. (If they are sogreat, why can't you use them like they were made? LOL.)
KJ

 

[SatCong]

KJUN,
Your points are well made and well taken. Considering the fact that I compete against folks who use guns costing upwards of 5k, in some cases, 10 rd. mags extended past the handgrip (which I do not carry and hence, do not use) I'm really very rudimentary in my equipment. I have, with the obvious diff in barrel length and trigger pull a competition gun that is very close to my carry kimber, in feel and deployment. The practice of drills such as reload, presentation, clearing of ftf, and etc. is still all valuable as training aids despite some minor discrepancies in the differences twixt actuall firearms carried/competing.
The whole trigger thing on the comp weapon was a drill I devised as a self-correcting evolution, to remind me to index until ready to shoot. I am, after all, a work in progress! I do hope to find myself in a IDPA club situation soon, and there I will actually compete with one of my carry guns.
SatCong

 

[TODD 3465]

This is just one of the reasons I don't like talking about these competitions at the range - especially with people who use words like " it isstock like all hell, but I'll fix that" to describe Glocks after saying they are the best gunsin the world. (If they are sogreat, why can't you use them like they were made? LOL.)
KJ

Very true....can't hardly seem to find anyone at a any match that hasn't done something to whatever gun they are packing. My Glock 34's, though ok stock, "still had to have" steel guide rods and a trigger polish job. Both easily done by me, I've never heard of one breaking but there's something about a 100% polymere guide rod that makes me shudder. About every 1911 I've owned has had at least similar basics done to it.
And, now that I think about it nearly all my long arms have had some sort of trigger job done on them. Only four, my two K-31's, Mini-14 and N.M. M1-A didn't need one.