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The Continuing Evolution of the 1911
Performance
Race guns, like race cars, are built to close tolerances and sometimes need a
break-in period. A note in the carrying case suggested running 500 rounds
through the Grandmaster to burnish moving parts for smooth operation.
Nonetheless the test gun ran like a champ right out of the gate and functioned
perfectly through the firing of some 500 rounds.
The trigger on the Grandmaster is polymer with a flat face, a style popular with
a number of top shooters, It’s readily interchangeable to suit different styles
and hand sizes. Fifteen tries with my Lyman electronic trigger gauge gave an
average pull of 3 pounds, 10 ounces, with a variation of oniy about two ounces.
In terms of trigger feel there was a slight initial takeup, some barely
discernible smooth creep and just enough over-travel to provide reliability as
the gun got hot and dirty.
It’s an outstanding pull by factory standards, though on the heavy side for
competition Most competition shooters in Open division like lighter trigger
pulls, generally 2 pounds or less. Not so long ago a reliable, durable 1# to 2#
pound pull in a 1911 would have been considered impossible, but with today’s
precision manufacturing techniques and hardened steel materials they are not at
all uncommon. Wisely, STI tuned the trigger to be controllable by shooters just
starting out in competition, while more advanced shooters can have their
gunsmith tune it to meet their needs.
After unpacking the STI pistol I disassembled it and gave it a thorough cleaning
and inspection, then lubed it using a new product I had on hand called Montana
X-Treme gun grease. I like this stuff because it comes in a hypodermic style
tube for precise application. That was all the lube the gun got through 500
rounds.
Scary-Accurate
Accuracy testing was done at 25 yards from a sandbag rest, firing five-shot
groups with a variety of factory ammunition from Black Hills, Federal and
Winchester. The average of 20 groups was 1.42"; the largest group 1.90" and the
smallest .95". Best groups were with Black Hills 124-grain +P HPs and Federal
147-grain subsonic HPs. Both averaged about 1.11".
Back in 2002 Massad Ayoob and Charlie Petty conducted an interesting test
comparing hand-held accuracy to Ransom Rest groups, using the same guns. Ayoob
felt firing 5-shot hand-held groups and measuring the best three shots gave
results similar to 5-shot groups from the Ransom Rest. With a couple of
exceptions the results tended to support his view.
Long ago I had a job in which analyzing data was an important part of my work. I
quickly learned not to go chucking out data just because it didn’t seem to fit
the pattern.
"No one will win or lose a match based on a cocking serration pattern, but there's nothing wrong with looking good."
In statistical analysis there is little enough
data at best; you don’t discard any of it unless you are certain it’s anomalous.
In accuracy testing the only time I’ll discount a shot is if I know it was my
fault, meaning I called it as a bad trigger break immediately after the shot.
But for believers in the best-three- of-five method, the average three-best
group size was .48”, the largest group .90’, and the smallest group .084”. If
you don’t believe the last one, I don’t either but fortunately I had a witness.
My friend George McLaughlin, a fellow IPSC shooter, was watching with a
binocular. After the first three shots I heard him say, “Wow!” The next two
shots opened the group to average size, but those first three were virtually
through the same hole.
Sometimes I think there should be a standard testing protocol used by Handgunner
staffers, but I can just imagine “His Editorship’s” reaction: “I wear out two
pairs of boots a year kicking butts just to get these guys to be consistent in
paragraph format and fonts. Now you want me to actually try to make them
consistent in gun testing? I can hear the whining now — and you know how I hate
whining.”
A Racer
A full house pistol such as STI’s Grandmaster compares to the average production
pistol much the way a Formula One racecar compares to a regular passenger sedan.
I’m perfectly content with my Honda Accord and Chevy 4x4 pickup, but dang, it
would be fun to run a couple of hot laps in a true racecar. It sure is fun
driving a true world-class racegun once in a while.
For more info: STI
International,
(512) 819-0656, sales@stiguns.com,
www.stiguns.com.
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