Back to Marksmanship Basics-“Offhand” Shooting

If you’re bored with your shooting routine, here’s a little something that’ll make you stretch your legs a bit- classic, one-hand pistol shooting from the “bullseye stance”. The gun I used for this exercise is a mildly-accurized Auto Ordnance 1911-A1 “WWII Model” but you can do this with whatever you have.

Please understand that I am not a “bullseye ace” by any means; but offhand shooting has always intrigued me. I have shot with guys who could keep a 10-round string on a baseball at 25 yards- over and over again. The gun is held at arm’s length in the strong hand, and brought to slightly above eye level; it is then allowed to settle onto the target. This stance, while not perfect, conveys the basic idea:


A six o’clock sight picture is typically used. It should look like this:

Figure 2-4c. Proper. Control alignment is precise. Focus limited to front sight only, renders the sights distinct and target indistinct and sight relationship can be controlled constantly. Reference: www.bullseyepistol.com/chapter2.htm
From "Chapter Two of the Army Marksmanship Training Guide"
This page is rich with information, and if you are interested in shooting well with a handgun, in any discipline, you really should have a look at it.

When the sight picture is right, the ‘press’ begins. Steady, increasing straight-back pressure is applied to the trigger until the gun surprises you by going off. This is the only way to trigger the shot without disturbing the gun and pulling the shot. Since you don’t know exactly when the gun is going to fire, it recoils a little higher than normal. This is of no consequence. You maintain pressure on the trigger after the shot, and release the trigger only after the gun starts back down. Note the trigger is still depressed in the following photo, and my eyes are still on the target. This is called "Follow-Through" and it is added insurance that you don't throw away a shot that started with a perfect sight picture. Dig that fired case in the air! (circled)

Now I know there is probably a 'serious' bullseye shooter out there somewhere, reading this. I don’t mind if you have a laugh at the following, as long as you’ll offer some pointers in exchange. *

Results at 25 yards, from 10 rounds slowfire, and 5 rapid. I should have quit with the slowfire- I had a decent group going with the first ten.

And now for the killer-50 yard shooting. I could live with the ones just outside the black, but that ‘stinker’ above the first red “W” was the one that hurt.

Anyhow I thought it would be interesting to try this with my fixed-sight carry gun, using the load I carry in it every day. It's just your basic GI-style 1911A1, zeroed for 230’s, and with a pretty stock 4.5 pound trigger that breaks clean. The trigger itself is GI surplus with no overtravel stop.

I can tell you one thing for sure- shooting offhand from the bullseye stance will really bring you back to the basics of marksmanship. And the next time you shoot falling plates from 15 yards, don’t be surprised if you hit them so easy that you don’t even have to hurry to smoke the guy on the other rack. The fact is that the essential marksmanship fundamentals learned in offhand shooting, are easily transferred into the other "two-handed" shooting disciplines like IDPA, and IPSC. They are also absolutely invaluable in the defensive application of the handun. The old adage is true: "You can't miss fast enough to win."

For more on bullseye and the basics of marksmanship, see the “Encyclopedia of Bullseye” at www.bullseyepistol.com

Be safe, and have fun. This stuff can be downright addictive.

* And as it turns out, there WAS a 'bullseye ace' who read it- and you can benefit from his notes on this subject, at 'Tony's Bullseye Blog'.

Thanks, Tony!

Ruminations of an Old-School Pistolman…

I’ve been at this stuff awhile and it recently struck me just how radically our thinking on the subject of handguns has changed. At one time, the budding pistolero would read up on the collective works of various gun-gurus, consult a few experienced handgunners, evaluate his needs and then select a handgun.

The general consensus was that one should start with a good .22 handgun and this still makes a lot of sense. It was understood then, that a LOT of shooting would be required to make the journey from novice to expert. Close attention to established marksmanship fundamentals, and due diligence in their application, would still be required; or all that ammunition was simply wasted.

All this work with the rimfire was usually undertaken in the high hopes that perhaps in a year or two, we’d be ready for a real handgun- a .38 or .45. Committed individuals looking for some excitement turned to the .357 and hairy-chested, he-man types might eventually be able to handle the .44 (gasp) Magnum!

Our perception of marksmanship has changed, too. For decades, the gold standard of accuracy for both handgun and shooter was the X-ring of the Official NRA 25 and 50 yard pistol targets. For those unfamiliar with such things, the 50 yard target has an X-ring spanning 1.695 inches. Yes, people hit them regularly at that distance. They did it using ONE hand.

Boy, things are different today! Let’s look at some of the differences.

Today’s budding shooter wants to be an operator. No, not like Lily Tomlin; more like Steven Segal. This operator stuff is just too important for him to waste time with the little 22, so our stalwart decides that his first hand-fusil must at least be a 9mm. To determine what he should buy, he gets on the Internet and finds thousands of ‘cool pics’ of tactical-black handguns, equipped with all manner of flashlight mounts, etc.

The Internet is also where he seeks ‘expert* advice’ which usually means from the guy with the highest post count on his favorite firearms forum. The Internet has also changed the definition of accuracy, with the standard being more of those ‘cool pics’ of targets fired at seven to fifteen yards. Never mind that these targets would have gotten you laughed off the range in 1975.

I shot quite a bit on unsupervised, state-maintained public ranges a few years ago and watching this new generation of handgunners has convinced me that ‘accuracy’, in the classic sense, isn’t important to them at all. I watched in wonder as groups of 2-3 shooters would take turns loading magazines, while one of them would step to the line and empty those magazines as fast as they could jerk a trigger. 100-300 rounds would go downrange in a matter of 15 minutes, with volume of fire being the obvious goal. They were having just a hell of a good time exercising their Constitutional rights and I got a kick out of watching them.

I was usually one bench away, at the 50 yard line, busting cans or clay birds on the dirt berm with whatever handgun I happened to be carrying and/or hunting with. The hosers sometimes noticed I was actually hitting something, but few came over and asked for help on how to actually do it. When they did, the first thing I did was check their zero. Then I walked them through the basics of sight picture, alignment, hold and trigger release. I’d sit them down at my bench, let them shoot over my range bag and often within 20 rounds, I’d have them chasing cans across the berm. It ain’t all that hard when you adhere to the basics.

My perusal of the various Internet gun forums, tells me that many handgun shooters are interested in improving their results. Unfortunately, many get mislead into thinking that ‘mods’ are the answer so they bolt all manner of gee-gaws on their pistol in hopes of buying some skill.

When that don’t work, they watch videos of the various IPSC magicians charging through speed stages in colorful, sponsor-provided attire. Now these guys and gals are fast, and they definitely can shoot; but they didn’t get there by bolting fender skirts and fuzzy dice on their handguns. They did it by ingraining the basics of marksmanship, repeating them until they become second nature, and then making small changes in their technique that allowed them to do it faster. Yes, they burn a lot of ammo- but every round goes toward perfecting accuracy- so it can be done faster by means of committing it to the subconscious. Yes, ‘equipment’ plays a role- but only in the fine point spread that wins specialized matches.

No boys and girls, this modern age of handgunning, with all its fancy guns and equipment, hasn’t changed a thing. There are still absolutes and you must follow them if you intend to hit anything. You still have to zero your sights. You still have to align them, properly and in relation to the target, and you still have to press the trigger without disturbing them.

Want to get better? Want the subconscious ability to hit well under stress, when you life is on the line? The answer is to live with the gun. This topic came up in discussion awhile and my summary answer to the question follows. My good friend Rob Leahy of Simply Rugged Holsters thought it relevant enough to re-post it on his website:

“To me at least this means that you prove the gun, select a carry load and dead zero the sights to that load at 50 yards- meaning that a beer can divided by the front sight grows a hole through the middle. Then you build a bulk reload that shoots to the same spot. You might even build a third, small game and pest load which just cycles the action and also shoots to the sights at say, 20 paces.”

“From that point on you immerse yourself in THAT gun. For me that means ‘to the exclusion of everything else’. When the zero is dead-nuts, you get off the bench drone the accuracy work until you are sick of it. You shoot big and small game with it. If starlings or bluejays are a nuisance and they are dumb enough to offer safe targets of opportunity- they become delicacies for the barn cats instead. When the zero is proven to that degree, you start improving your own ‘zero’ by shooting bullseye targets offhand. When its ‘easy’ you ain’t improving- force yourself to do something harder!”

“For some variety, you do yank & blast (spitting distance), double-triple taps, point shooting and any other fast-close work that forces you to keep the gun running while moving around with it. I work hard enough at that aspect that I sometimes have to really hunt for mags I have dropped along the way. I don’t pay attention to where I changed magazines, or how I released the slide if I ran dry. (I do cuss myself for running dry, though.) All that matters are centerline hits- and that the gun seemed to run itself.”

“You’ll be through about your third 500 cast bullets about now, a pound and a half of powder and at least one bottle of Hoppes. It’s dirty work but few things are more comforting than knowing you can kill a 20-yard bluejay, with the gun you just shoved in your ‘work’ holster.”

I didn’t come up with anything new here. Elmer Keith painted an accurate picture of the process when he wrote:

"More time is required to master the handgun than any other type of firearm. To become an expert sixgun shot, one must live with the gun. Only by constant use and practice can one acquire a thorough mastery of the shortgun. You must work and play with it, eat with it, sleep with it, and shoot it every day - until it becomes a part of you and you handle it as surely as you would your knife and fork at the table." (Sixguns, page 57)

"Pistol shots are not born. They get that way by constant hard work and steady practice, studying each and every move and perfecting their technique..." (Sixguns, page 59)

I credit another friend, Jim Taylor for first citing these Keith quotes in his excellent article, Old School Gunology’ located on his page at the Los Angeles Silhouette Club’s website. A good collection of Jim’s work is available there and it is well worth your time to peruse it.

If you’re going to be loafing around the Internet, you might just as well read something constructive.


*Expert: "The Village Idiot, ten miles from home."

S&W's "Allied Forces" SW40VE

I recently acquired  a .40 S&W 'Sigma' in the ‘all-black 'Allied Forces’ configuration. The gun follows the 'VE' pattern and is about the size of a Glock 23. Smith & Wesson has a US Military contract for the 9mm version of this pistol, for disbursement to Afgan civil authorities. That contract was a  blessing to those of us who actually like the Sigma- but prefer an all-black pistol.

My introduction to these pistols came in late 1994, when I received a call to meet some other cops  to test-drive a new .40 caliber pistol. A nearby LE distributor hauled in a half-dozen Sigmas along with lots of ammo & spare magazines. We proceeded to shoot up his ammo and grin a lot. After a couple of magazines I was destroying Copenhagen cans out to about 20 paces. The Sigma's trigger reminded me of that found on Dan Wesson's DA revolvers; short, quick and all business. Our 'test' Sigmas chewed through nearly a case of ammo and never bobbled. For the first time in my life, I was becoming enamored with a rubber gun.

I thought the Sigma had potential, but S&W's good name was not enough to pry the LE market away from Glock. The Sigma suffered some early reliability problems; then came the Glock Lawsuit and those awful little 'Pocket Sigmas' in .380 and 9mm. Smith & Wesson busted their corporate hump and corrected these problems, but the 'Sigma Stigma' took hold and it still haunts an otherwise excellent carry gun. If you believe half the web prattle you read about the Sigma, you'd be inclined to rate them about three points above Bryco and two points under a good homemade slingshot.

So are the new guns better? I decided to find out. Through the good offices of Express Police Supply and Smith & Wesson themselves, I was able to obtain an Allied Forces SW40VE.

My trigger scale goes to eight pounds but judging from the readings, I'll call this one 9 1/2 pounds. This is consistent with  Jeff Quinn's 2004 Gunblast  Review of a SW9VE, and Jeff is a reliable source. A lot of people fuss about the Sigma’s ‘heavy’ trigger but it works in its intended role. Like a DA revolver, it is as safe for carry as any 'ready' handgun can be. A straight back press results in a surprise break; done consistently it produces good results. Do it inconsistently and you get fliers. There's not a pistol on the market that changes this absolute of marksmanship.

I took the 'Allied Forces' Sigma straight from its box, verified that the bore was clear and began pestering my Chief to head out to the range with me. Getting him to go to the range  is never much work, thank goodness. He’s gun savvy, he's an excellent shot, and he just flat likes to shoot.

The target below represents –

• 10 shots in 35 seconds at 25 yards
• 10 shots in 25 seconds at 15 yards
• Three sets of double-taps in 4 seconds at 7 yards
• Two bursts of three shots in three seconds at 7 yards, from ‘low ready’
• Emergency Action Drill, ‘Interview’ Position at Six Feet. 3 shots from the hip, strong hand only; shift to weak hand for two more shots. Time: 4 seconds

All stages, except the low ready stage, are started from a locked down duty holster.

Anything inside the 8 ring counts for 5 points and 7’s count for 4 points; 185 are points possible. I shot a 182 'cold turkey' with this gun; maybe two points under what I do with a fullsize Glock. My Chief easily hit a 'post-it' note, practically every shot at ten yards. My wife shot it later that evening and chewed a 10-shot string into a baseball-sized group, at 15 paces. The 'heavy' Sigma trigger doesn't bother any experienced shooter, with good hand strength, who pays attention to marksmanship basics.

This pistol was shooting a little to the right, so I tapped the rear sight over and shot this five shot, 50 yard group with the Federal 165 grain HST load. I was basically sitting on a  small tractor and shooting over one knee, with my foot up on the dash, so it’s not the solidest platform. Still, I think we are getting some useful accuracy here. Four shots in a little over 3 ¼ inches, with a flier in the orange dot. Not bad for a DAO pistol derided all over the web as having the worst trigger on the planet.

And here's what standing, unsupported 25 yard groups look like after six months on the gun-

The SW40VE is reliable. As of March 2011, it has digested 1100 rounds of  assorted UMC 165  grain FMJ,  Blazer 165 grain FMJ, Federal 180 grain  FMJ & JHP, Federal 165 grain Golden Saber and HST (duty load), 165 grain JHP reloads and my junk-critter, lead SWC load that barely cycles most fullsize .40's. The VE is not particular. No break-in was allowed and none was needed. There were no malfunctions whatsoever. This is exactly as it should be.

So what, if any, advantages does the SW40VE have over the excellent Glock Model 23? 

• For one, you get an extra round although it'd take an awful gunfight to need it.
• Second, you get a trigger that is heavy enough for any sane carry mode, yet light enough to shoot well if you'll only practice with it.
• Third, you get a grip angle that points naturally and dials the sights on target without conscious effort.
• Fourth-and this is subjective-but I have noticed that this Sigma recoils less than the G23, with any given ammo. It is enough to notice and if you're a recoil-sensitive shooter, it just might be enough to matter.
• And finally, you get a conventionally-rifled barrel with excellent chamber support. Frankly I like lead SWC's for all my non-duty or CCW uses and I wouldn't hesitate to employ them for defense if that's what was in the gun.

Are there disadvantages? Sure. Glock enjoys an amazing aftermarket support system that the Sigma will never have. The Sigma's trigger is 'harder'. Oh, and yes- people will make fun of you on the internet. Try not to cry too hard, will you? Or just tell them they're full of it and refer them here- to an actual shooting review of one.

A 'Handgunner's Diagnostic Target' for the New Age!

I have penned a few articles covering the Basics of Marksmanship, the Importance of Zero and selecting a grip that works for you, regardless of what’s popular at any given moment. I’ve covered the accuracy we should expect from a service pistol and our rightful expectations that such an implement should require no ‘Break In’. I hammer this stuff out because deep in my heart, I genuinely believe that an armed and proficient American populace enhances not only its own security- but the security of the nation as well.

To gain that proficiency, there are absolutes:

• If If you aren't zeroed, you ain't hitting anything. 
• If you aren't using a proper sight picture, expect the same result.
• A firm, consistent grip and solid shooting stance are required to maintain 1 & 2, and
• You can still screw it all up by yanking the trigger! 

Of course all this requires work, commitment and some genuine effort on the shooter's part. Oddly, this don't sit well with many contemporary shooters. These poor souls jump on the internet, post tales of their accuracy woes- and they want to hear anything except basic marksmanship principles.

Some of the advice they’re getting makes me scratch my head, too. One good Samaritan replied that poor accuracy (at maybe ten yards) could be cured by taking awhile “to let the gun ‘break-in’ and naturally find its own impact point.” I guess that gun was just wishing the shots around and then one day, as if by magic, it starts cooperating? Silly me.  All these years, I believed you had to confirm zero, align the sights correctly on the target and then press the trigger straight back without disturbing them.

Another favorite bit of 'expert advice' is to post a ‘Shooter Error Correction Chart’. These are useful in diagnosing problems with one-hand, precision shooting at 25 and 50 yards; but in my experience they are irrelevant for two-hand shooting at any distance. And of course, we don’t have a clue if subject pistol is zeroed- or the errant shooter is using a proper sight picture, grip or trigger technique. 

But nobody wants to hear that. Today, shooters want a graph, chart or webpage to solve all their marksmanship deficiencies in 5 seconds or less. So in keeping with the times, I offer the following:

 

PDF of Target

Feel free to print it, share it or shoot it. Judging from what I read in the Idiotnet- it certainly can't hurt. 

Colt's "New Rollmark" 1991A1 Government Model

This is a brand new, still-in-the-factory-grease Colt Model 01991. Serial number is in the 28138XX range, and in late 2005 it was purchased new by a friend who graciously agreed to let me 'test-drive' it and write it up for our 1911 section. The owner is an attorney, and former commissioned officer with an Army Reserve Unit; his MOS was Field Artillery- a "cannon cocker" if you will. Tom got his first taste of 'Old Slabsides' in ROTC Summer Camp. As with so many of us, the big Colt left a lasting impression on him, and his purchase of this pistol was the manifestation of those indelible memories.

The 01991 is Colt's most recent iteration of the "1991A1" series, and it is the standard 5" Government Model in blue finish, with 'double-diamond' grips and high visibility three-dot sights of the traditional pattern. It uses a standard GM-style hammer, grip safety and thumb safety. The gun uses Colt's well-proven firing pin safety introduced with the "Series 80" guns, and in the author's opinion this is the only one of its type worth having. Unlike the Swartz, it does not inhibit easy reassembly or reliability of operation. The 1991A1's are the lowest priced Colts in the line, and this is in evidence with the use of plastic for the long trigger and flat mainspring housing. While these things do not warm the heart of traditionalists, they do make the gun lighter and they are easily replaced if you are so inclined. There is no shortage of quality (spelled "Ed Brown") aftermarket parts for the 1911. Otherwise, recent Colts use forged or barstock parts where the competition often uses MIM; so this lessens the number of internal parts which are typically candidates for replacement anyhow.

These pistols are made to be used, and not fawned over. Yet Colt has made "using them hard" just a little harder, with recent cosmetic changes that made them much prettier. Gone are the huge rollmarks, black plastic grips and thick, matte blue. This newest version has a respectable finish, nice wooden grips and the famous "Prancing Pony" is back on the slide. There are, thank goodness, no 'beavertails', ski-ramp sights or front serrations present. For once, Tacticality got told to "Go fly a kite!" I for one couldn't be happier.

I field-stripped the gun before firing it, and gave it a good inspection in it's "as shipped" state. It is exceptional in almost every regard. The flats of the gun are polished just enough for a little shine, and the blue is flawless. The underside of the slide is finished better than the slide flats of many competing models. The feed ramp was slick as a whistle, and the extractor tension was right on the money. The rosewood diamond-pattern grips are dark, glossy and beautiful. The trigger was surprisingly light, and almost creep-free.

There were only two things which were different than I would have liked them. The slide stop's crosspin provides the index point for the barrel's lower lugs, and this consequently affects accuracy. The furnished part's crosspin miked at .197 inches; I have had best accuracy from those at the full blueprint dimension of .200 inches. Full-dimension replacements are easily available and reasonably priced. My only other complaint with the gun is entirely subjective. It has huge, bright white dots on the sights, and I do not shoot my best with these- as they tend to distract the eye from focusing on the outline of the front sight. This condition is exacerbated by bright sunlight, and the fact that the white paint over-runs the sights receptacles just a tad. Still, they are excellent for low light shooting up close, where defensive action with the handgun typically occurs. By logical extension, 'up close' is also where a lot of defensive handgun practice takes place as well. These sights are no hindrance for CQB work with the Colt.

The barrel is the heart of these workhorses, and as such it is worthy of independent examination. The 01991's barrel uses the later, narrow hood found on the "Enhanced" Colts. The exterior finish is perfect, as are its outer dimensions. It mikes precisely .580" at muzzle, and for .375" behind. Barrel diameter then reduces to .573" for the remainder of the tube. This barrel profile allows ample operational clearance for reliable function with a 'match bushing' should owner choose to install one. The bore itself is flawless, with sharp, uniform rifling and a mirror finish. This barrel features the new 'dimple' feedramp, which reportedly enhances function with hollow-point ammunition.

Standard “Wadcutter” throat on the left; new Colt “dimple” throat on right

I have had perfect results with the conventional throat, so I personally saw no need for this modification- but I know savvy '1911 men' who swear that this new version is reliable.

The barrel bushing furnished with the gun cams easily into the slide, and since the GI recoil spring guide is used, disassembly is easily accomplished without special tools. Its ID mikes on the high side of .583". In light of the barrel's .580" muzzle, this is significant. Years of building and rebuilding these guns have taught me that .003" barrel/bushing clearance is an ideal compromise for both excellent accuracy, and reliable function.

This superior finish and attention to "details that matter" is the essence of Colt, as opposed to the "Crank 'em out & spray paint 'em!" makers. In addition to getting a prettier gun, there's a difference you can feel and in my experience, they run better and shoot as well as anything out there. The pride of ownership matters, too.

Of course "pretty" ain't worth a hill of beans if they won't run & shoot, and it was time to find out. I loaded a couple of mags with Winchester USA 230 FMJ, and took the new 91A1 for a test drive. Since this was to be a test of the guns' fit, function and accuracy I started at 25 yards. One of the most important aspects of any handgun's 'shootability' and one that gets almost no attention from today's buyer, is this- Is the gun "zeroed" from the factory? Does it "Shoot where it looks?" I order to answer this question, I stapled a Champion "25 Yard Pistol Slowfire" target up at that distance, rested one elbow the fender of the Chevy and fired 5 rounds, using six o'clock hold. These are not large targets by centerfire pistol standards, measuring 11 inches across. The Colt acquitted itself admirably, with three of the five cutting the 1 ½" red center, and another but an inch above it. I still managed to lose one out of the black at nine o'clock- but the gun's fixed "3-dot" sights were perfectly zeroed for offhand shooting. I have seen guys at public ranges burn boxes of ammo trying to adjust the sights on their "match guns", and fail to get them any closer than this Colt came, right from the box:

Since that little exercise went well, I decided to concentrate a little more using the Champion's red center dot for an aiming point; I generally shoot smaller groups with a smaller target. Since I was shooting for a group this time, I was unconcerned that the group might be outside the black, with the center hold. Another target was hung, and another attempt made, again using the fender for a rest. Winchester USA 230 FMJ is decent ammo, but it has never been what I'd call 'really accurate'- before today. Five more rounds of it were fired, with a resulting group just under 2 ½ inches. Four of those stayed inside 1 ¾ inches.

I began to note a tendency to shoot a little left from rested positions, which may have been the combination of 50 year-old eyes and those big, bright dots on the sights. This would be easily corrected by tapping the rear sight over a tad, but that decision will ultimately rest with the owner. My guess is that he will shoot it, and be quite happy with the current setting.

I fired a few more rounds standing, using a Weaver stance and the original six o'clock hold. As long as I applied the basics of marksmanship, it was almost difficult to shoot outside the 5 ½" black bull. Not only was this gun a "shooter", but it was also easy to shoot well. The combination of good sights, a decent trigger, grips of just the right texture, and Colt's inherent smoothness all blended together to produce excellent results on target.

The gun had shown fine potential at 25 yards, so following day I decided to double the distance. Unfortunately other obligations kept me off my range that morning, when the light is good and our local bumper-crop of sweat bees are sleeping in. When I finally did get to shoot, the sun was just past its apex in front of me, and the bees were landing on me, and my sights while I was shooting the gun. I was also fresh out of B6 targets, so I substituted Champion's "100 Yard Smallbore Rifle" target instead. If there were ever a raft of excuses for poor shooting available, today would be the day.

I have found Winchester's 230 grain 'USA' JHP load to be a fine shooter in a number of .45's, so I tried that load first. The gun's tendency to shoot left in my hands was of course doubled at 50 yards but I resisted the urge to hammer on somebody else's sights, and stuck with the six o'clock hold. The sun was glistening off the white dots something fierce, and five shots produced a vertically strung group of 7", crowding the left edge of the paper. Four of those were inside 4", and I'm blaming the flyer on the danged bee that I kept having to blow out of the rear sight notch!

Since my time with this gun was limited I fired another five shots, this time using the Winchester 230 FMJ load. True to its military heritage, this gun actually preferred the FMJ load and it plunked four of them inside 3 ¾"! Now I have looked and looked at this next target- and unless you can find a 'double' I'm just gonna have to admit to losing one off the left edge of the paper. The cardboard backer in that location was already full of .45 holes, so it was pointless to try and determine which one was the stray- but any 1911 that will put four rounds of generic hardball in a group this size, is a fine shooter by any standards.

I might have been satisfied with that- but of course I wasn't. Conditions were better the following morning, so I headed back to the range. I had to know if this gun would actually shoot consistent, five-round groups as good as the 'four-rounder' pictured above. But this time, I stapled one of the 25 yard targets to a piece of Styrofoam artboard, big enough to capture the group wherever it landed. I figured "smaller aiming point- smaller group."

The smaller bullseye corrected my propensity to shoot left with this gun, by forcing me to hold closer to the center of the paper. I fired again at 50 yards, using the rangebag as an improvised rest. The gun shot a little high, but it immediately planted five rounds of WW/USA hardball into a 3 7/8" group. I knew then that this gun would flat shoot- and that the first 'four-round' hardball group was no fluke. If I hadn't tossed one of these to the left, this group would have been 3 1/4".

Can you imagine how well this gun would shoot with a .200 crosspin, a .001-over barrel bushing fitted precisely to the slide and plain, black sights? I'd guess the groups would halve, say 2" with match ammo? Add a trigger with an over-travel stop, and you would have a gun capable of worrying the daylights out of full-blown match guns. The Colt's barrel shot as good as it looked- but this came as no surprise to this old '1911 crank'. In my experience, recent-production Colt barrels always shoots this well. I have had top-name aftermarket barrels that wouldn't shoot a bit better than this stock Colt barrel did, given a .003 clearance bushing, fitted loosely in the slide. I also had a bone-stock 1991A1 Commander a few years ago, that would plant five, 230 grain Federal HydraShoks inside 3 1/2 " at 50 yards- with the factory barrel and bushing. It also ran for 3500 rounds without a single malfunction. There were no malfunctions with this gun, either.

Hell, I'll just go ahead and say it- replacing the barrel in a recent Colt auto is probably a waste of money which would be far better spent on a case of ammo.

Do I sound impressed? I am. Colt's entry-level 1991A1's have been this well-built for at least 12 years that I know of, and this newest version only reinforces my high opinion of them. I have carried them in harm's way almost twice that long, and have done so with complete confidence. The fact that Colt still produces them with such precision, speaks well of the outfit that has supplied this marvelous weapon for close to 100 years.

My little wife (an excellent shot and diehard 1911 fan herself) also handled and shot this gun. She was duly impressed with its beauty, accuracy and smoothness of function. She immediately wanted to sell her other carry gun, an "ugly old Springfield XD" and get herself a Colt. Peggi's a pretty (and) smart girl, and you can bet this is one time she won't get any argument from me...but I am gonna have her try a Commander first.

Whichever one she chooses, one thing is for certain- "Quality Makes it a COLT."