40 Cal Recommendations Please

[revhigh]

When I bought my 75B, I was a litte disappointed that it didn't come with adjustable sights - but consoled myslef that they could always be fitted later. But now I'm starting to get it: Give the CZ a load that it likes, and it hits pretty much where it's aimed.

Exactly ... I, too, am a big fan of adjustable sights, but adjustable sights like the ones on a Gold Cup are a liability in a combat gun ..,.. they are just too fragile. For range use ... excellent !!! YOu can't get a better sight picture, but fixed sights that shoot to POA are what you should look for in a combat gun. WHich is why I'm not in a big hurry to replace the crappy miniature sights on the Springfield GI ... quite simply ... they work.

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[soldernut]

When I bought my 75B, I was a litte disappointed that it didn't come with adjustable sights - but consoled myslef that they could always be fitted later. But now I'm starting to get it: Give the CZ a load that it likes, and it hits pretty much where it's aimed.

Exactly ... I, too, am a big fan of adjustable sights, but adjustable sights like the ones on a Gold Cup are a liability in a combat gun ..,.. they are just too fragile. For range use ... excellent !!! YOu can't get a better sight picture, but fixed sights that shoot to POA are what you should look for in a combat gun. WHich is why I'm not in a big hurry to replace the crappy miniature sights on the Springfield GI ... quite simply ... they work.

REV

Makes sense. Your Springfield GI - and accompanying target - speak for themselves.

But it also makes me wonder about a thing or two.

First off, I'm over 60 years old. Not exactly combat material - so why would I care about a "combat" gun?

Well, except for combat-like situations which might include concealed carry (something I don't - and probably won't do) or home self defense.

In CC, I can see the advantages of smallish, smooth sight designs simply because one could "draw" with less chance of interference. But if doing CC, a full sized service pistol, like your Springfield 1911 - or my CZ 75B are probably not good candidates anyway. For CC, I'd be looking for a different gun entirely.

In a home defense situation, retrieving a gun from my nightstand (or other hidey-holes) wouldn't be affected by the sights. For years, my "nightstand" gun was a Ruger KGP-141 (357 revolver, 4" barrel, adj. sights). I never felt like the sights would be any kind of impediment.

So 90+% of my reasons for having a handgun are about fun - range work and plinking.

Then, too, I wonder about some of the competitions. I haven't looked in to them, but I understand that some are designed to emulate combat situations. But I wonder if they're sufficiently "life-like" to make adjustable sights impractical?

I've been playing with a friend's 9mm, an older Taurus PT-101 9mm. It's a full-size service pistol that looks to be pretty well made. It shoots very reliably, and groups way better than my Ruger P89. But it has a problem: no matter what ammo he and I have fed it, it hits low, and left of POI. The error - at a mere 10 yards, is a couple inches in each direction.

I could probably fix the lateral error by drifting the rear sight some, but hitting a couple inches low at ten yards isn't so easy to correct if the gun is equipped with "combat" sghts.

To make matters worse, the front sight is...

1: Too stubby to fix thinigs by filing it down, and

2: Integral to the slide. And I mean integral. It's not drifted or pinned in - it's part of the slide....

To fix it, he'll either have to find a different slide - or pay somebody to mill a dovetail into the slide were a different front site could go.

It's really a shame. It looks like it'll cost more to fix than the gun is worth. And yet the gun seems to have real potential. It's too bad the gun didn't come with adustable sights - right out of the box.

 

[soldernut]

Springfield base GI model ... used LNIB $400 + used S&A Magwell ($50) + trigger job to my specs (2.5-3 lbs), total frame and slide deburring, and polished feed ramp ($55) + used full length tungsten guide rod & EGW bushing ($25) + SA laser etched grips ($25)

One thing I forgot to ask: Why the Magwell? And why the S&A?

I'm sure it serves some constructive purpose, but it can't be accuracy, can it?

The rest I think I can understand - but I'll ask anyway:

How does the tungsten guide rod affect things?

Also, the bushing. I understand that the barrel slides in it, but I'm unclear about its actual role. In theory, isn't the barrel supposed to remain locked to the slide until the bullet exits the muzzle? If so, it would seem that the bushing wouldn't have much influence on accuracy.

[an aside: I was once told that part of the reason for the poor accuracy of the P89 is that the barrel unlocks way too soon.]

I could be wrong, of course. I don't understand the operation of auto-loaders all that well. Is it the case that the bushing is involved in holding the barrel "on target" during firing?

Then there's the question of which bushing you choose. I assume that the OD of all 1911 barrels must be the same, or third-party bushing makers wouldn't stand a chance. But how do you choose one particular aftermarket bushing over another?

One last question: Is there anything the 1911 owner can do to affect just when the barrel/slide unlock?

 

[revhigh]

One thing I forgot to ask: Why the Magwell? And why the S&A?

I'm sure it serves some constructive purpose, but it can't be accuracy, can it?

How does the tungsten guide rod affect things?

Also, the bushing. I understand that the barrel slides in it, but I'm unclear about its actual role.

I could be wrong, of course. I don't understand the operation of auto-loaders all that well. Is it the case that the bushing is involved in holding the barrel "on target" during firing?

One last question: Is there anything the 1911 owner can do to affect just when the barrel/slide unlock?

Hey Soldernut !

I'll try to answer some of your questions.

First the S&A magwell. S&A is Smith and Alexander, the brand name of the mag well. The main reason that I put it on is because I wanted to change from an arched mainspring housing and short GI trigger to a flat MSH and long high speed target trigger that could more easily be tuned to the way I wanted the gun, which is a sick 2.5 - 3 pound trigger pull. A friend had the S&A magwell laying around, as well as the full length guide rod, extra EGW (brand name) bushing, and a few extra pairs of the laser etched grips. The magwell is used in competition guns to make it easier and quicker to slam a mag in (due to the larger, flared, funnel type opening) and the mag bumpers are installed to add a little extra length to the mags so that they can be seated easily due to the extra length of the magwell, as well as cushioning the mags a little when they're dropped hundreds of times on the ground/floor during IDPA or IPSC or other speed competitions.

The bushing is typically 'fitted' to the barrel and gun by 'honing' it slightly to get perfect fit, which can improve accuracy. The guide rod, IMO, does nothing for the gun except make it a little heavier in the front, thus reducing muzzle flip slightly (LOL), and adding adding another 'trick' accessory.

I normally don't do anything to my guns that doesn't make the gun functionally better or more accurate, but I got all these parts from a fellow 1911 buff who sold them to me very inexpensively. It turns out that I actually really learned to like the magwell, grips and full length guide rod just for cosmetic's sake, and the gun with the long trigger and flat MSH makes it feel like a totally different gun. I don't modify any of my Colt 1911's, so the Springfield was fun to tinker with and not worry about losing any money or changing the gun. It turned out that it ended up being an absolutely spectacular shooter (as you can see), and it also has the absolute BEST trigger that I've ever felt on ANY 1911, and I've shot a whole bunch of 1911's. It's so light that it's almost scary, and of course could NEVER be used for carry. I won't even let anybody else shoot it unless I know they're a very experienced shooter, with absolute perfect range discipline, and even then with very strong warnings that the trigger is EXTREMELY light.

I don't know anything about the technicalities of the locking/unlocking workings of automatics. Cheese or some of the other more technical gun people may be able to help you there.

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[soldernut]

I don't know anything about the technicalities of the locking/unlocking workings of automatics. Cheese or some of the other more technical gun people may be able to help you there.

REV

It's something I've been curious about for a long time, so I think I'll post a question about it.

Thanks for all the other info.