I figured Gen 3's existence also had to do with military contracts, not just with the US but around the world. I could be wrong on that.Originally Posted by Noah
I figured Gen 3's existence also had to do with military contracts, not just with the US but around the world. I could be wrong on that.
I'm sure you're right, I should have said "California and existing contracts".
All I know for sure is my Gen 4 21 got sold after I shot the worst match I ever shot with it and I like the Gen 5 enough that I don’t see myself buying anything else.
No, for the simple (but also slightly complicated) fact that PF doesn’t tell you the whole story about felt recoil. All else being equal, a 185 grain projectile at the same power factor as a 230 grain round snaps a lot more due to the difference in powder charge required (bigger charge for the lighter projectile).
One can, of course, play games with variables such as COL, different burn rate powders, and different spring rates, but you can’t just make a statement based on pf alone. This is a deep rabbit hole.
I love the weight of the Lite, but as you say, they are muzzle light.
But then I screwed a silencer on it. Oh, my. That pistol is more fun than should be allowed.
@SW CQB 45I am heavy 45.
I can basically carry anything I want commercially available.
I have never messed with an FN other than a nasty trigger 9mm FN that an officer wanted to pack on duty (I had to approve for duty carry). I think an out of the box 1980s SW revolver had a better trigger. I told him about Apex.
Glock 21 was a good piece.
I had a USP, it was BIG. I sold it. It shot good.
I was heavy into SW4500 when we could not pack 1911. I got scared when SW dropped 3rd gen series as I ran some rounds thru my guns and broke parts. I sold everything. 4506, 4516, 945, 845, 4563PC, 4566PC and Shorty 45.
Which comes to single stack 1911. It's just my choice. I am labeled old school at work. I talk about my times in the 70s, 80s and 90s when life was simple. Many will fault me with my choice (low capacity). Remember, I am on the top side of my career and recently got moved off the streets as a LT and driving a desk again. I like their quirkiness and I am a tinkerer that can't leave well enough alone. I shoot competitively with the same platform and sometimes my duty piece. Many tell me to go to Staccato, but I don't care for how it feels in my hand and the thumb safety edge is not dehorned or blended and digs painfully into my hand web area.
Mainly shooting around cops for the past 34 years, there are many who don't shoot it well. I like to stay on top of my training with the 1911 platform as my peers put me on a stage when I shoot. They are waiting for me to make a mistake or hope my gun will malfunction so they can call me out. My most recent blunder was forgetting to chamber a round on a 6 second stage and got called for 3 past the whistle violations. I ate it.
I teach basic firearms to cadets and tell them the 1911 is an enthusiast piece and it makes more sense to carry what the dept issues.
If I was not heavy into 1911 and still was a .45 dude.... that G21G5 would be my ride.
I have a good quantity of Gold Dot 230.
Here is my 94. The young officers will come up to me (joking) and would say.... you were my idol till you shot a 94. They leave notes on my door. I tell them that's the prettiest 94 they will ever see.
[img]https://i.im/LX9R2T
I was all irons till someone on this forum (I cant recall who) but in a PM they told me to modernize.
I still have not returned it to duty. I need to pump more rounds through it and hope to work out a slide stop/empty mag sticking issue.
As a heavy .45 man, have you tried the Clark three leaf spring that has four leaves? It's been standard with their (his) Bullseye pistols for decades. I hadn't ever tried one until just recently. I've put them into six 1911s now and they improved the trigger pull from 'a decent amount' to 'holy shit'. They're cheap, too.
I actually have a Clark 4 leaf (brand new) in my parts supply.
I have never tried to install it. Some 5 years ago, I had a lot of play time to mess with projects but that free time has dried up.
I am hoping to find some tomorrow and hit the range for a bit. The weather might be a factor.
If you're going to be a bear….be a GRIZZLY!
Of the ones I installed, none required any fitting.
[QUOTE=RJ;1545563
Thoughts? You guys have shot a lot more .45 than I have, would you agree that it's possible to objectively group .45 ammo by recoil on the basis of power factor?[/QUOTE]
Power factor is too complicated to group the way you suggested.
Competition shooters have long reloaded ammo to certain power factors to meet the standards for competition and reduce recoil to get soft shooting loads. Many shooters are loading ammo that made power factor but was very soft shooting by loading small amounts of fast burning powder under heavy bullets. 45 revolvers shooters in the past were using Clays powder for a soft shooting load.
Second .45 dedicated range trip of 2024 (well, mostly .45 focused). Shot my other G21 Gen 5 (factory sights, no talon grips), and my new HK45C V7 LEM.
The G21 Gen 5 was easy to shoot well as always. Incredibly easy to control and make the bullets go exactly where I wanted with. No flinch. I shot a G19.5 along side with 115gr Magtech, and while I shot very well with the G19, I was measurably better with the G21.
I will need to work on myself shooting the HK45C, however. I do love the LEM trigger system and find it easier to manage than DA/SA, and I will be sending off my USP 45 FS's to have the Hybrid Match LEM installed. I believe flinch is the reason that my shots are consistently low and left, and the group sizes themselves are rather wide but do have some consistency. It's definitely me, not the gun. When I really concentrated and didn't flinch, it was bullseye every time. I don't doubt this has mechanical accuracy on par with a custom gun.
This is the first time I've shot a compact .45 in several years. I used to not have flinch with my HK45C V1 (though the safety lever would eventually cause bleeding so I got rid of it). I don't flinch with my G21's or my full size USP 45's. The G21 in particular is as close to effortless as it gets, as I've said before. I probably should've eaten a good meal before I went to the range, that might've helped. I had just had a 100 calorie small cup of cottage cheese earlier in the morning. I find it easier to steady myself after having eaten something earlier in the day.
I shot a total of 316 rounds through the HK45C. Flawless reliability as would be expected, but here is the last 8 shot group at 21 feet. Target is 12"x12". It was the last magazine of the session:
In comparison, here is the last 8 rounds I fired out of the G21 Gen 5 at 21 feet. Same 12"x12" target:
That's not my best work with the G21 Gen 5, especially at that close of range, but my excuse is that I was getting fatigued and hungry. I'd also shot about 400 rounds through the G19 I was vetting beforehand.
I'm receptive to any advice on how to improve my skills with the 45C (and the G21 for that matter). I do really like the little HK and I am committed to mastering it. Sometimes on smaller pistols I find the Hogue slipover grips to give a little bit more to hang onto. Maybe that would help? I also have granulate Talons on the way for the HK, but they got snowed in in CO before this session.
The large grip of the G21 really helps make it easy to shoot for me. Same with the USP 45 to a slightly lesser degree. I feel like if I had more to hang onto with the 45C, that could help, but at the end of the day I think it's flinch and otherwise technique that is causing me to shoot like this. In the target above I threw one round in particular.
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