I have a few random thoughts/observations about this gun and pistol matches in general. I’ll try to make this post as coherent as possible.

I just started participating in various pistol matches with the goal of improving my skill and, more importantly, having some fun. There seems to be 3 kinds of people at these events:

1)The serious competitor – they’re only concerned with winning the game and they’ll employ the equipment and methods to give them the best chance. They use gear and low-powered ammunition that wouldn’t be used in a real life encounter. While some of them are very good, everything they do amounts to “negative” training IMO and I personally don’t have any interest in this approach. Additionally, I’ve noticed that some of these games reward speed over good shot placement. Some of these guys are blazing fast but their shots are all over the targets and they couldn’t be more pleased about it.

2)Folks looking to improve real life skill – I’m half in this group. I use a production DA/SA pistol with iron sights, factory ammunition and an OWB holster intended for actual carry. I try to handicap myself to whatever extent I can. Using a stock DA/SA gun is a handicap in and of itself. The matches are dominated by striker-fired and single-action guns (CZ’s are the overwhelming majority) that have been worked over. Also, I don’t do a mock shoot of the stage or dry fire my gun. Of course, I see the stage in advance and I see what the other people are doing but I don’t do a run-through myself. I step up to the line and go.

3)Casual shooters participating for comradery and fun! – my remaining half is here. I’m having a great time.

Last week, I picked up a WG P226. I gave it a good cleaning, greased it up and headed to a match in the evening. I went to the club a little early to put a few rounds through the gun. The gun appears to have the original and correct bar-dot sights (#8 front and rear). I was using S&B 115gr FMJ which I believe is slightly hotter than typical factory ammo. I prefer a combat sight picture and my expectation was that the rounds would land at the front dot. Not so. The gun was shooting about 4-5 inches above the POA at 15 yards. That was very disappointing and it became a real liability at the match because the stages had steel trees, bowling pins and various small knockdown plates. Also, I was really surprised and disappointed in the muzzle flip. I’ve fired many different 9mm pistols (including much lighter striker guns) and this was the worst example.

I shot a steel knockdown match yesterday; my first. Unfortunately, they put me in a squad with a few guys they called the “super squad”. These guys were good but a couple of them were real assholes. I had been warned about how some of these people behave prior to going.

Moving right along - I switched to 124 grain bullets for the match but I’m still high. Also, by the end of the match, I had a lot of misses. I just noticed this morning that my front sight had moved way over to the left. I can push the front sight completely out of the dovetail using my fingers with little effort. I put some blue loctite on it and hopefully that will remedy the issue.

So far, I have close to 400 rounds through the gun without any failures. I’m going to stick with the P226 for now and hopefully I’ll get better.

Most people go to a shooting match with the idea of winning or doing the best they can.
The equipment you see others using is because that seems to be the gear that is the most competitive. Nobody is sponsored at local matches.
Every match I have ever shot in scores by accuracy AND speed. You are not going to win anything if your accuracy is not there with your speed.
Shooters that are at the top will shoot any load or gun well because they are good shooters.

Try matches that are sanctioned like IDPA.

A few points in no particular order. I don't see equipment as a "handicap" until you get to the top levels...even then, national championships have been won with a DA/SA.

I also wouldn't "handicap" myself by not doing a dry-fire run. From a training perspective it doesn't matter either way...because a competition stage is not a tactical training event. It is not a surprise attack where you have to react and choose. The choices, targets, sequences aren't a secret whether you run through it or not. You already know the situation and what you are going to do.

What training/practice value you can get out of competition is marksmanship and manipulation of your carry gun, ammo, and gear under a tad of pressure.

A good training course with a shoot house, or best of all, FoF will provide the other parts.

quote:

Originally posted by Strambo:
A few points in no particular order. I don't see equipment as a "handicap" until you get to the top levels...even then, national championships have been won with a DA/SA.

I also wouldn't "handicap" myself by not doing a dry-fire run. From a training perspective it doesn't matter either way...because a competition stage is not a tactical training event. It is not a surprise attack where you have to react and choose. The choices, targets, sequences aren't a secret whether you run through it or not. You already know the situation and what you are going to do.

What training/practice value you can get out of competition is marksmanship and manipulation of your carry gun, ammo, and gear under a tad of pressure.

A good training course with a shoot house, or best of all, FoF will provide the other parts.

Yep, this. Games have rules, and penalizing people for following the rules up to the edge is a bit silly.

I shoot a lot of matches when its not winter here in Maine. I have strictly competition guns (you know the ones that the rules allow but you would never carry) and I have guns that I carry on an everyday basis. I shoot them both as part of fun and learning. But I would never use any new to me gun in a match till I know it would shoot POA/POI and run reliably. You signed up for that issue and you own it. And I would never trust Loctite to fix a dovetail problem.
FWIW>

Points taken. Let me say that I’m not an operator and I don’t pretend to be so I don’t want to sound like I’m putting anyone down. I’m just a guy that wants to get better.

I’m an average shooter. I’ve participated in about 7 events so far (5 different match types) and I’ve finished right in the middle in all except 1 (which I finished in the top quarter). In yesterday’s knockdown steel match, I finished 22 out of 47 in the pistol category. Two of the guys in my squad finished first and second and I had a hard time keeping myself from ATTEMPTING to chase them during the match. If all you’re interested in is the game, then by all means use every available edge that you can within the rules. I have no problem with that. But you’ll have an extremely hard time convincing me that shooting 20,000+ rounds of marshmallows a year is beneficial to anything other than the game. The muzzle of these guns don’t move at all. They’re swapping out springs and loading powder puffs.

quote:

Originally posted by hrcjon:
And I would never trust Loctite to fix a dovetail problem.
FWIW>

Honestly, I'm really not thrilled with that as a fix myself. I'll have to find a gunsmith. I guess they'll use a shim? What do you recommend?

I'd replace the sight but dimpling it is probably your best short term strategy