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Questions and Answers for week ending:
November 13th, 2004
| Submitted By: |
Keven John of Grapevine, Texas |
| Category: |
Guns |
| Question: |
I have been shooting a Ruger P89 for the last three
years.
I am now looking to buy my first .45 ACP. I had my eye set
on Para's Warthog but after finally having one in my hand I was
disappointed. I have large hands and the grip was just too short.
Now I am on the search once again.
My pockets do not run deep, so $500 is where I would like to keep the
price. I am not particular about brand but reliability is a
key factor. What are a few suggestions?
Thanks for your time. |
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Rob's Answer: |
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The whole trick about little guns is they are harder to
shoot because they are smaller. If the gun is not for concealment
then get a standard size frame, as they kick less and are a whole lot
more comfortable to shoot. This generally leads to you shooting
the gun better. Little guns can be accurate. They are just
harder to get the same level of performance out of. I, of course,
prefer the Springfield Armory 1911s and work with Springfield to make
them the best you can get. Go to the Springfield web site and just
look through all the models. I'm sure you will find just what you
need. My recommendation is one of the loaded models (if you need
all the tricks) or a G.I. for the lowest price. Rob |
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| Submitted By: |
Hector Santisteban of Santa Fe, Argentina |
| Category: |
Guns |
| Question: |
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What kind of Dawson front sight do you use ( .090 ;
.100 or .125 wide )? |
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Rob's Answer: |
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It all depends on the sight radius and the rear sight
width. I am constantly experimenting, but prefer the .100 front
with a standard rear Bo-mar on a 5-inch slide. For the close
fast stuff like IDPA, I like a .125 front and a wider rear Heinie slant
pro of about .125-.150. The testing never ends. Rob |
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| Submitted By: |
Angie Abundez of La Puente, California |
| Category: |
Guns |
| Question: |
You shoot many different divisions in IPSC and in IDPA.
How do you determine what division you will be shooting when entering
a tournament, especially one that combines different divisions, such as
Production, L10, Limited or even Open all in one scheduled event?
Do you follow where the other top shooters enter or do you choose
differently to suit your needs?
In the past you have shot production or L10, where others have shot in
Limited. Since you have won so many titles, does it matter anymore
if you're not shooting in a division with other top guns? |
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Rob's Answer: |
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Many factors are in play when it comes to choosing the
category I enter at a match. Most of the time I enter the class
that uses the type of gun I prefer. This is usually an iron sighted
division. I prefer the guns that are more difficult to shoot and
only occasionally shoot Open class, just to shake the cobwebs loose.
Sometimes my employers want me to try a category and sometimes I just
pick the one I think I am the best in. The only time I have talked
to other competitors about this was before the USPSA Nationals this
year. I called Todd to see what he was going to do, and was
planning on shooting L-10. After getting to the match I wanted to
shoot Limited because it is proving to be the most popular now and I
wanted to be in a good tough battle. Plus Phil told me he was
disappointed I was not going to give him a chance to pay me back for
last year! I always want to win another title but that turns out
to be just part of the big picture. Rob |
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| Submitted By: |
Rich Dettelhouser |
| Category: |
Ammunition |
| Question: |
|
I forgot to ask you about your load for the six inch
gun. I test fired some 180's loaded for my 5" gun.
Too much muzzle rise. I tried some 150's that I loaded for my
single stack, but was too close to being minor with a 166 power factor.
Any way these shot good. I see what you were talking about with
that extra length on the slide effecting the sight picture returning.
With minor loads, this gun is a dream to shoot! It would be a
great steel gun! |
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Rob's Answer: |
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I just shoot Winchester factory 165 white box ammo.
It is a little hot out of the 6" but shoots well. I do not seem to
see much difference (between bullet weights) in my scores. I can
load something that kicks less but the muzzle flip just is not much of
an issue to me. Rob |
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| Submitted By: |
Michael Burke of San Diego, California |
| Category: |
Shooting Mechanics |
| Question: |
I absolutely believe in your Feb. 9th rant about trigger
pull. It's what's keeping me from moving up from B class to my max
potential. I believe my specific problem is not being able to
get conscious control of the trigger -- when the sights are aligned,
the gun fires, seemingly without any participation by me.
It's as if a Freudian archetype pushes my conscious mind aside for a
split second, jerks my (our?) trigger finger, then pops back into my
subconscious, leaving my conscious mind to take the blame for the lousy
shot. I realize this would be a good thing if the archetype didn't
jerk the trigger, but it does, and years of practice haven't been able
to train it not to.
Any suggestions (besides seeing a shrink, which didn't work, or
hypnosis, which didn't either)? |
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Rob's Answer: |
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It is time to learn how to pull the trigger. Avoid
fixation on the negative of jerking the trigger and learn to move
your trigger finger and nothing else. It's not the trigger
jerking that is causing the problem. It is the flinch that moves
the gun out of alignment during the firing of the gun that is the
problem. Good luck! Rob |
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| Submitted By: |
Steve Anderson of Grove City, Ohio |
| Category: |
Training / Practice |
| Question: |
Could you please describe your training regimen?
I'm curious how much live fire, how much dry fire, and how much your
training program changes before a big match.
I'm also curious whether you train the same things all the time, or
whether you tailor your training to specific matches or current
perceived strengths and weaknesses. |
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Rob's Answer: |
I handle my guns all the time! I
seldom practice dry firing drills but I do shoot very frequently.
I tend to train for whatever major event is next. Otherwise, I am just
shooting general drills and working on fundamentals.
Right before a big shoot I will be practicing the exact course of fire
if possible or something very much like it. I always work on my
weaknesses, with the plan to erase them and make them strengths.
Thanks for the question. Rob |
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| Submitted By: |
Rob Adams of Kennedale, Texas |
| Category: |
Shooting Mechanics |
| Question: |
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When gripping a 1911, how firm should my grip be?
Is there a benefit to wrapping the index finger of the off hand around
the front of the trigger guard or should I simply wrap my fingers over
my strong hand? It always works better for me to wrap my
finger around the trigger guard of a big-bore single action handgun, but
it seems to hinder accuracy on my 1911 shooting. |
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Rob's Answer: |
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I move my finger underneath the trigger guard because I
cannot keep it on the front without some kind of hook. I started
trying to place my finger on the front but soon gave it up. I feel
you may get better leverage against muzzle flip with your hand and
fingers lower on the frame than on the trigger guard. All that
matters is that you can return the gun quickly and consistently from
recoil. The gripping pressure and all the ins and outs
of the grip are hard to explain in text. I need to have hands on
to do it right. Suffice it to say you hold on as tight as possible
without straining or tremors or loosing the ability to manipulate the
trigger. Rob |
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| Submitted By: |
Andre Harris of Fishers, Indiana |
| Category: |
Guns |
| Question: |
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I am sure you are asked this question a thousand times,
so let's make it a thousand and one. I have a Kimber LTP II and am
looking to upgrade. I am not ready to move up the
open or
limited class of guns, so I am looking at the Wilson Combat Super Match
vs. the Les Baer top of the line. Do you have a preference or perhaps
another maker all together? Any help will be appreciated.
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Rob's Answer: |
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I would pick Wilson over Baer every time. I have
had both of them build my guns during my career and Wilson's stuff is
top notch. For the last 15 years, I have had all my equipment
built by Springfield Armory's Custom Shop and no one does better work.
They build the best high-end Custom guns you can get. If you want
something special, I would suggest you call Deb Else at Springfield, but
don't tell her Rob sent you. She will just tell you stories about
me that just couldn't be true! Take care, Rob |
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| Submitted By: |
Craig Outzen of Murray, Utah |
| Category: |
Guns |
| Question: |
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I am shooting 9 X 19 in my open gun and I was curious as
to your load. I know most everyone is shooting 125 grain bullets
and there are plenty of opinions and info. However, there seems to be
very little info on the 130-135 grain loadings for 9 major. I was
wanting to experiment with the 130-135 grain bullets and I would love to
hear your thoughts on this load. |
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Rob's Answer: |
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I used 121 and 135 grain bullets last year in Major 9.
I care less about the bullet weight than the powder, as that is what
makes the compensators work. I am now using a Winchester factory
load that makes major! It is a load not sold on the commercial
market, but it is very popular in the law enforcement community. It shoots a
127 grain bullet at over 1300 FPS in some of my guns. The load is faster
than its listed catalog velocity of 1250 FPS. All Winchester ammo
is tested in barrel lengths appropriate to the caliber, i.e., a 9 x 19
is tested in a 4 inch barrel. My 5.5" open gun is much faster with
this ammo. Rob |
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