[Action Pistolero]

The pictures say it all. A 0.8" group at 50 yards.

I was doing some of my end of year maintenance and found the slide had some side to side and up and down play. I installed another set of rails that were .002" larger. Spent 5 minutes lapping the slide to frame and this is the result.

This gun was built by Bob Howard with the Predator Custom Shop in Knoxville, TN. I received it in May 2004 just 3 weeks before Bianchi. Round count is 150k and counting. This is the 4th barrel and has around 30k through it.

Specs:
Les Baer frame and slide
Kart 6" barrel chambered in 9x23
EGW 6" tungsten guide rod, 3 port aluminum comp and bushing
Tungsten spring plug
Swenson ambi safety
Koenig hammer
Cylinder & Slide sear and disconnect
Marvel oversize hammer and sear pins
STI trigger
Briley slide racker
Navidrex contoured grips
Gilmore shroud
Stick Shift mover base
Pride/ Fowler scope
Prone Pad
John Allchin thumb rest

Stats since 2004:
14 Regional wins
10 State wins
Bianchi Cup finishes: 17, 20, 5, 11 and 4th
World finishes: 13th and 7th

Attached File(s)

•  DSC00044.JPG (329.68K)
  Number of downloads: 279
•  DSC00047.JPG (340.3K)
  Number of downloads: 236
•  DSC00046.JPG (331.29K)
  Number of downloads: 139

[speculatorking]

Wow, thats one super accurate gun. Was the gun built with accu-rails or did you add later. Les Baer frames and slides are known to be super tight. Was that a 10 shot group at 50yrds?

This post has been edited by speculatorking: 02 January 2009 - 11:52 PM

[gm iprod]

What a piece of crap. If it was in something useful like 38Super I would give you $10 for it, just to take it of your hands, only as a favour for a mate.

[SharonAnne9x23]

Wow, amazing! My heart went all pitty-pat when I read 0.8" group at 50yd from a 9x23. I too have a 9x23 though not so accurate. I did install a Koenig hammer with C&S sear and disconnector though. By rails I too surmised Kreiger AccuRails. You did not say but is it a bushing barrel or cone? I am guessing bushing. I am sure you are down-loading the 9x23 for Bianchi. If you don't mind sharing, what is your load?


That 0.8" group is a testament to your gunsmith and you, the shooter.

[JThompson]

SHWEET!!

[Action Pistolero]

After the slide was lightened it was sent to Doug Jones for accu-rails.

I started using EGW's angle bored bushing several years ago. It's fit nice and tight. It requires a wrench and a hammer to disassemble.

With the exception of the prone pad, shroud, mover base and scope, the entire gun was bought from Brownell's. I chose Les Baer because of the tight tolerances he keeps on his parts. If the holes in the frame are not in the right place a good trigger pull is impossible. I have yet to find another 1911 frame that fits my hand like the Baer. The trigger, in this gun, has no perceived take up and still operates 100%.

Since the strings of fire in A/P are mostly 6 shots, the group in the picture was 6 rounds.

The load is:
Startline 9x23 comp brass
Federal Gold Medal Match primer
4.7 grs WST
Sierra 115 gr JHP moly coated by me
OAL is 1.250"

The group was fired with my practice rounds not my match stuff. The only difference is new brass.

GM,
Was that $10 NZ or US? At any rate, I believe I'll keep it. I believe in being frugal, but gee!

[Alan550]

I was a witness to that group shooting. It was a 6-shot group fired from sandbags. In testing like this, the first round that's hand-chambered is shot into the berm with the next 6 fired for the test. I'll let him share the load info if he wants, but several of us use the same powder and charge with different bullet weights and mfgs from 115 Sierra to 125 HAP and it's accurate for us all. But not as accurate as he can shoot one!!!

Alan~^~

[GrantJ]

Hey Kevin, thought I saw a speck of dust in that comp, you may need to clean it, may be you could get that group down to .5"

And what is this sandbag deal. Take a look at this, 12 shot group at 50, out of my Tanfoglio Custom Gold Team in 9mm with three called flyers, no sandbags just laying on the ground taking care of business. Measuring from the outside of the holes, total group size is 2.5". Remove the three flyers and we have 9 shots inside 1.25", not to shabby for an old fart, Ha!

GrantJ

 IM000749.JPG (864.86K)
Number of downloads: 113

This post has been edited by GrantJ: 03 January 2009 - 05:17 PM

[Allgoodhits]

GrantJ, on Jan 3 2009, 05:14 PM, said:

Hey Kevin, thought I saw a speck of dust in that comp, you may need to clean it, may be you could get that group down to .5"

And what is this sandbag deal. Take a look at this, 12 shot group at 50, out of my Tanfoglio Custom Gold Team in 9mm with three called flyers, no sandbags just laying on the ground taking care of business. Measuring from the outside of the holes, total group size is 2.5". Remove the three flyers and we have 9 shots inside 1.25", not to shabby for an old fart, Ha!

GrantJ

IM000749.JPG

Agreed, Grant gets the OFSPWORANCFGA, but his wife is a World Champ! Other than that, holly cow Kevin. All of us join in, if only I had a gun that shot that good, I then could...............!

P.S. OFSPWORANCFGA = Old Fart Shooting Prone With Out Rest And Not Counting Flyer Group Award

[SharonAnne9x23]

what is with shooting the first round into the berm? You can't do that in a match. I can see it now. Everyone shooting the first round into the berm as part of "load and make ready". Come on, hand chambered rounds DO count.

[Action Pistolero]

Martin,
I don't know where you come up with this stuff. I do know this, seeing what's going on in your mind would be a scary scene.

Grant, ya old fart, I wanted to see what the gun would do with taking me as much out of the equation as possible. I didn't want to have to deal with flyers. Nice group by the way. I'll see what I can do when I can get some time. Did you all shoot on New Years day?

Sharon,
In A/P we don't start shooting a stage at 50 yards. Most of the time it's 10 yards were a hand chambered round will not make a difference. I've had guns that it makes a difference and some it doesn't. I also fire several rounds in to the berm when I make an adjustment in the scope. There's no point in chasing a scope.

[NRAActionPistol]

Action Pistolero, on Jan 3 2009, 10:59 PM, said:

Martin,
I don't know where you come up with this stuff. I do know this, seeing what's going on in your mind would be a scary scene.

Grant, ya old fart, I wanted to see what the gun would do with taking me as much out of the equation as possible. I didn't want to have to deal with flyers. Nice group by the way. I'll see what I can do when I can get some time. Did you all shoot on New Years day?

Sharon,
In A/P we don't start shooting a stage at 50 yards. Most of the time it's 10 yards were a hand chambered round will not make a difference. I've had guns that it makes a difference and some it doesn't. I also fire several rounds in to the berm when I make an adjustment in the scope. There's no point in chasing a scope.

Kevin, you know I think you are the MAN!

Martin you are the MAN anytime/anywhere in AP, you know more about NRA Action Pistol then I will ever know!

Grant, you & your Wife push the envelope and one of you ALWAYS come up on Top! That is pure determination & dedication to the sport of NRA Action Pistol!

Sharon, I hope to meet you at the 2009 30th Anniversary NRA Bianchi Cup.

Happy 2009!

Tom...

[GrantJ]

Martin

I am humbled by your presence, and of course the World Champ and accept the OFSPWORANCFGA award with great pride. I wont go into a long acceptance speech, I know we all hate those, enough said.

Kevin

Sure did, it was 20 degrees when we got to the range but it warmed up a bit later in the day. Had a great time, shot a not very pretty mover with my open gun so figured I had nothing to loose so switched to the metallic for the rest of the day. It is amazing what you can do with eyes that don't work and sights you cant see, damn I need to get new glasses! It must be 10 years or more since I shot that much with metallic's, I need to talk to Warren and get him to make me some of those fiber optic jobbies then I will be good to go.

Did you get the dust out of that comp yet?

GrantJ

[gm iprod]

If there is dirt in that comp then it is in serious danger. Anything missed was clearly hiding inside the barrel and waited until Kevin moved to another port then jumped back in. That would be the only explanation.

And it was $10NZ, coz as DK said I surely am a cheap bastard. But I will up it $10US at the bar in Columbia. Seems fair?

This post has been edited by gm iprod: 04 January 2009 - 12:28 AM

[caspian1]

Kevin, your foster son just loved those groups. Now let's see how one of the best local 1911 smiths done rebarreling his gun. That is if his wing ever gets better so he can go ring it out and see what it will do. Hopefully we'll get you behind it and it will do a 0.7 at 50. Great shooting Kevin.

[HSMITH]

The group seems to be twice as high as it is wide, that gun probably has a half inch group in it when you figure out why. That said, under an inch at 50 is pretty damn sporty!!!

[SharonAnne9x23]

A/P thanks. That makes perfect sense now.

[Service Desk]

gm iprod, on Jan 4 2009, 12:28 AM, said:

If there is dirt in that comp then it is in serious danger. Anything missed was clearly hiding inside the barrel and waited until Kevin moved to another port then jumped back in. That would be the only explanation.

And it was $10NZ, coz as DK said I surely am a cheap bastard. But I will up it $10US at the bar in Columbia. Seems fair?

Richard - there won't be any dirt in that comp..... he cleans ithe ports out with Scotchbrite until they shine like a mirror ! OR !!! was he just doing that in your garage to remove a little weight from the comp ?? Very gamey..

Damn fine shooting in any ones book - especially mine.

Greg

This post has been edited by Service Desk: 06 January 2009 - 02:45 AM

[Allgoodhits]

OK Kevin, you have started something here.

I just shot groups off hand at 50 yds with my BC gun. I shot 6 one shot groups and they all measured between .356 and .358. I fired 6 more and got a very consistent result.

Amazed, I did the same test prone. My findings were not has good! Some of the holes were bigger! Yep, sometimes more than one bullet hit close enough to the other holes to actually touch. I need to get this fixed ASAP. I wouldn't want the scorers at BC to not be able to find all my shots

MJ

[Flexmoney]

HSMITH, on Jan 4 2009, 09:48 PM, said:

The group seems to be twice as high as it is wide, that gun probably has a half inch group in it when you figure out why. That said, under an inch at 50 is pretty damn sporty!!!

That was probably due to fluctuations in Earth's gravity.

[gm iprod]

Probably not recovered from shooting upside down for two weeks, and all those fish he stole.


Martin, I took my AR15 to the range last week and fired a 1/2" one shot group as well. It was real quiet too.

Kevin, found a bunch of stuff last week when I cleaned the loading room up a little, like the ammo for the AR that I spent who knows how long looking for. See above.

[Action Pistolero]

gm iprod, on Jan 4 2009, 10:28 AM, said:

If there is dirt in that comp then it is in serious danger. Anything missed was clearly hiding inside the barrel and waited until Kevin moved to another port then jumped back in. That would be the only explanation.

There is a reason for my madness. In 5 years of using aluminum comps I've only cracked one. From what Alan has told me, Dillon case lube works real well at keeping the carbon soft. He squirts a little in the comp and when he cleans the comp most of it wipes out.

And it was $10NZ, coz as DK said I surely am a cheap bastard. But I will up it $10US at the bar in Columbia. Seems fair?

I wasn't going to call you a cheap bastard. The bar thing works for me.

HSMITH, on Jan 5 2009, 05:48 AM, said:

The group seems to be twice as high as it is wide, that gun probably has a half inch group in it when you figure out why. That said, under an inch at 50 is pretty damn sporty!!!

Thanks Howard,
This is the main reason why I like the bushing to be good and tight. The problem with the group was more than likely caused by the nut behind it. I suffer from astigmatism(sp?), which while is corrected with my glasses, I am only able to get the focus that I want at 50 yards for about 10 minutes. Then things still get fuzzy. That's why I was using the sand bags.

Richard,
I can't imagine why it took you so long to find that ammo. I thought I had a lot of stuff in a small space. I'm still amazed that you actually found it considering you can't walk from one side to the other. You must have taken most of it out to the garage.

I took off on Monday for PA hoping to have a productive week and developed the flu on the way up there. I managed to get my work done there and return home Tues. night. I've been in bed with a temp of 103 until this morning. Things are still a little fuzzy.

If Sam gets tired of filling the primer tubes for you check out the posts on the RF-100. I tried the dimmer switch and only had 1 primer upside down after loading 5800 rounds.

Kevin

[oldtrooper]

Good shooting Kevin both Down Under and at home. I finally put the dimmer switch on my RF-100 and that solved the problem with the flipped primers. It takes a little adjustment but it runs like a dream when you get the speed correct.

Hope to see you in Lake Charles next spring if not before.

BTH

[gm iprod]

Kevin,

I have less stuff in the garage than for a long time (car still won't fit).

One less set of shelves in the gunroom.

All the presses except one SDB are back where they belong on the bench in the gunroom.

1M of free space under the reloading bench. But not for long.

All the bench on the left side of the garage is clear of gun stuff up to the 2nd set of shelves.

I have assembled the barbecue table and 4 of the chairs. None of which is blocking the garage.

RM