There are many differences between an ‘out of the box’ 1911 and a National Match (NM)1911 – most competition shooters will tell you that. A lot of work goes into creating an NM, but the secrets of the trade tend to be closely guarded…which, I believe, is complete hogwash. Out of the box, a 1911 is meant to be versatile with any kind of ammunition – despite the fact it was originally created with military hardball in mind (230gr round nose, full metal jacket) – and under any kind of circumstance. It’s reliability was paramount and continues to be, but an NM 1911 ends up being quite picky about its diet – which sometimes gives it a bad rap to the ignorant class of shooter. There isn’t a more popular style of handgun, in the world, when it comes to competition shooting; be it Conventional Pistol, IDPA, IPSC or any of it. Hundreds of companies turn out the 1911 in one form or another, all fitting for what they’re intended. From ‘beer can’ guns to ‘race’ guns to the famed ’2″‘ gun – the 1911 wears many faces. Its calibers have changed over the years as well, and even the loads of those calibers. No longer stuck in the ‘.45 ACP 230gr FMJ’ arena, the 1911 can be found eating steady diets of (more…)
In 1958 both the Air Force Marksmanship School and the Air Force Gunsmith Shop were created by General Curtis LeMay. The Marksmanship School trained weapons instructors and fostered the development of the Air Force Shooting Teams. The Gunsmith Shop took on the role of maintenance, modification and R&D for Air Force small arms, especially those associated with “the teams”. It is no secret that the AF Pistol Team, overall, was untouchable from the better part of the 60′s through the mid-80′s. Shooters like Frank Greene, Donald Rupp, Arnie Vitarbo and many others, filed through the AF Shooting program and owned the field for many years. Specific to their success was the Gunsmith Shop’s ability to accurize the favored handgun, the Colt 1911/A1. Up to the creation of the programs by General LeMay, the Army Marksmanship Unit (AMU) had great success in developing the ‘Match Grade’ .45 for its shooters. By, roughly 1960 however, the Air Force was well on it’s way to surpassing the AMU through a bevy of far more stringent requirements. From hand fitting all parts to mandatory 3″ groups at 50 yards for hardball guns (the very things which are so commonplace today), the AF turned out hundreds of the finest pistols ever made for competition. There are some ‘old timers’ around today; Army, Air Force and even Marines, who attribute the military’s present-day .45 configurations, for Conventional Pistol, to the (more…)
