USPSA Action Pistol Match - 12/09/2023

USPSA Action Pistol Match at 41 Lead Farm in Lubbock, TX. I was shooting my custom V8 ported Staccato P 2011 in the Open division again at this match. I felt like my performance was pretty good with only a few hesitations, one or two reloads that didn't go as smoothly as I wanted them to, and several make-up shots on a long distance head shot on the last target of the last stage. I ended up in 8th Overall out of 47 total. I'm really liking the 2011 platform these days, and I really like how solid this custom Staccato P is with the direct mounted Holosun 509T optic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zv63XaXJrQ

Outlaw Steel Action Pistol Match - 11/18/2023

Outlaw Steel Action Pistol match at 41 Lead Farm in Lubbock, TX. I was planning on using my newly upgraded STI Tac-Lite 4.0 2011 for the next few matches, but I was dry-fire and live-fire practicing with my custom V8 ported Staccato P 2011 earlier this week, so I decided to just use it at this match in the Open division. The Tac-Lite 4.0 is actually a flatter shooting gun now with the inline top barrel ports and lighter weight aluminum frame compared to the V8 ports and heavier steel frame of the Stacc P, but they are both very flat shooting guns with very little perceived recoil. I also love how low the Holosun 509T optic sits on the direct milled slide of the Stacc P. I had a few bobbles at this match which hurt my overall score. On the first stage, right out of the holster, I neglected to disengage the thumb safety and then my first shot after that was a miss due to being flustered, so it threw me off for the rest of the stage. I also had several misses on other stages where I had to make up the shots, but after reviewing the video I realized that some of those misses were actually hits and I just did not hear the hit and thought I had missed... wasted time there. I ended up in 7th place Overall out of 35 total.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbR33efycl8

USPSA Action Pistol Match - 11/11/2023

USPSA Action Pistol Match at 41 Lead Farm in Lubbock, TX. I was using my recently upgraded STI Tac-Lite 4.0 2011 in the Open division. Unfortunately my camera wasn't working during the classifier stage so I was only able to record four of the five stages.  This upgraded gun runs really fast for me due to it's lighter weight and ported barrel. I didn't have any issues with the gun, but I had a miss on one stage and a "no-shoot" hit on another stage, so my final results for the day suffered a bit. I ended up in 8th place Overall out of 39 total. I plan to carry and compete with the Tac-Lite for several more matches as I feel like it is a really capable gun, and it is very fun and easy to shoot fast!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWBo2g3Zg48

Upgrades for the STI Tac-Lite 4.0 2011 Handgun

I upgraded my older STI Tac-Lite 4.0 with some barrel porting done by Impact CNC Machine and installed my favorite optic, the Holosun 509T! I purchased the mounting plate for the 509T from Dynamic Weapons Solutions over a year ago. The mounting plate is supposed to fit onto a 1911 slide that has already been milled for the Trijicon RMR 1911 mounting plate. It took 3 months to get the plate, and I was so frustrated with how long it took that I just stored it away and forgot about it. Fast forward to almost a year later, and I decided that I would install it when the slide and barrel came back from Impact Machine. Unfortunately, it did not fit the slide... at all... so I had to custom fit it to my slide and then refinish it in Graphite Black Cerakote. I also koted and installed Ed Brown thin ambidextrous thumb safety levers so that my high grip on the gun with my gorilla hands don't inadvertently engage the safety while shooting it. Dawson Precision recently came out with a 4.15" version of their tool-less guide rod for the new Staccato P Heritage, so I installed one of those with a lighter recoil spring since the barrel is now ported. This gun shoots SUPER flat now, and the lighter weight of the aluminum frame makes transitions from target to target very quick. For me, it is the perfect carry gun... until I buy another new gun... or modify another existing gun. 😎

Update 2024: I am now doing step cut grip chops on 2011-style grip modules, so I chopped the original full-size grip that came with the gun, which eliminates the magwell, but is much easier to conceal and looks a lot better than the old VIP grip without a magwell.

Outlaw Steel Action Pistol Match - 10/28/2023

Outlaw Steel Action Pistol match at 41 Lead Farm in Lubbock, TX. I was using my new CZ-USA Shadow 2 Compact that I recently acquired and customized in the Carry Optics division. The gun performed just like a full-size gun! CZ really hit a home run with this one. The weather was cold, wet, and muddy, which usually messes with my focus and performance, but I ended up in 4th place Overall out of 34 total, so it was a great day. 💪

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPZewSyp2tA

USPSA Action Pistol Match - 10/14/2023

USPSA Action Pistol Match at 41 Lead Farm in Lubbock, TX. I have recently been carrying and practicing with my Walther PDP Compact after completely re-contouring the large backstrap again, so I decided to use it at this match. It now feels sooooo good in the hand with the modified backstrap, and I feel like I can shoot it much faster than I've been able to in the past. As expected, the gun ran great and my performance was pretty good... except for the first stage with long range steel targets with the sun blaring down through the optic window.  I ended up in 7th place Overall out of 35 total.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4JqHcGhco0

Previously recontoured large backstrap on the left

Newly recontoured large backstrap on the right

The beavertail was also previously recontoured

Outlaw Steel Action Pistol Match - 09/23/2023

Outlaw Steel Action Pistol match at 41 Lead Farm in Lubbock, TX. I was using my compensated ZevTech OZ9C in the Open division at this match. This gun has been plagued with problems from the beginning and I thought I had resolved all the issues with the gun by replacing several parts with factory Glock parts, but at the last match that I used it, it had a couple more light primer strikes that I wasn't for sure if it was a primer issue or still just a problem with the gun. I've been using the OZ9C for my live ammo practice recently and experienced a few more light primer strikes (1 or 2 out of 100 during each practice session), so I replaced the safety plunger in the slide, and it is now running 100%. No issues at all with it during my recent live ammo practice of approximately 300 rounds, or through another 150 rounds at this match!. No major mistakes from me at this match. Just a few misses that I had to make up, but otherwise it was a good day for me. I ended up in 6th place Overall out of 44 total. 👍

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Om8pSQsMs8

Zev OZ9C with X-grip and Radian compensator 

USPSA Action Pistol Match - 09/09/2023

USPSA Action Pistol Match at 41 Lead Farm in Lubbock, TX. I was using my custom Sig Sauer X5 Legion again as I wanted to give it a chance to redeem itself after I had accuracy problems with it at the last match due to me not properly zeroing the optic. The gun performed great with zero issues, and my performance wasn't half bad either. Lots of challenging but fun stages at this match with plenty of long range steel targets for me to verify the gun's accuracy. I ended up in 7th place Overall out of 48 total. 👍

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F81jUz2ap6s

USPSA Action Pistol Match - 08/19/2023

USPSA Action Pistol Match at 41 Lead Farm in Lubbock, TX. I was using my custom Sig Sauer X5 Legion again at this match because I wanted to give it another try since I installed a new Gray Guns competition trigger kit to hopefully allow me to be more accurate with the gun.  The new trigger feels awesome now at just under 3 pounds with the "intermediate" springs, but unfortunately I was still having trouble being accurate with the gun. The first stage was a complete dumpster fire for me as I couldn't hardly hit any of the long distance steel targets (20 yards away or farther), which was the majority of the targets for that stage. The rest of the stages were okay, but they were all mostly paper targets within 15 yards. I was so bothered by my poor performance with the gun that I decided to stop by my indoor range on the way home to check the zero of the optic.  To my disgust, I discovered that it was shooting about 3 inches to the left at only 10 yards! 😩 It's no wonder why I couldn't hit anything with accuracy past 15 yards!  It's very possible that when I originally installed the optic on the slide after Cerakoting it, I just aligned the dot with the iron sights to get it in the ballpark but forgot to actually go zero it!  All this time I was blaming the mushy Sig trigger for my accuracy issues with the gun, but it appears that it was just not properly zeroed. 😖 Now that it's been properly zeroed and the trigger is much better, I'll give it another try at my next match to see how I do with it.  I ended up in 25th place Overall out of 72 total. 😕

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Oeelbp_VHI

USPSA Action Pistol Match - 08/12/2023

USPSA action pistol match at 41 Lead Farm in Lubbock, TX. I was shooting my ported CZ-75 SP-01 in the Open division with my normal concealed carry gear. I had several personal performance issues today... a missed shot on each of the two swinging targets on the first stage, and I also fired an extra shot on the second stage that was "Virginia Count" (i.e. - no make-up shots allowed), so those 3 penalties put me at too much of a deficit to place well at this match. Despite the penalties, I can see from reviewing the video that my speed with the CZ was pretty good (for me)! The gun ran great and I had a lot of fun in the 103 degree Texas heat. I ended up in 13th place Overall out of 50 total.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbEPxrida-o

Outlaw Steel Action Pistol Match - 07/22/2023

Outlaw Steel Action Pistol match at 41 Lead Farm in Lubbock, TX. Again shooting my new custom Sig Sauer P320 X5 Legion. The gun has been running great during my live-fire practice sessions, and I've been slowly getting used to the trigger and the recoil characteristics of the gun. I still can't run it as fast as some of my other guns, but it's been fun shooting it. The stages at this match were all challenging and fun, and my performance wasn't too bad. Ended up in 5th place Overall out of 54 total. 👍

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qQxMEZ2SoU

USPSA Action Pistol Match - 07/08/2023

USPSA action pistol match at 41 Lead Farm in Lubbock, TX. I was shooting a new gun in the Open division that I recently put together from parts... a custom Sig Sauer P320 XFive Legion with a ZevTech Z320 XCompact Octane slide and a Parker Mountain Machine Ultra compensator and barrel. After texturing multiple Sig TXG tungsten infused heavy grip modules at RFV Tactical for some of my USPSA friends, I was so impressed with the grips that I decided to get one to build my own custom P320. While this gun definitely shoots flatter and faster than a P320 without a compensator, it still isn't nearly as flat and fast as any of my CZs, 2011s, or Glocks due to the high bore axis and mushy trigger. I plan to shoot a couple more matches with the gun before I go back to rotating through all of my favorites. I ended up in 14th place Overall out of 58 total. Unfortunately, I had a miss and three no-shoot hits (and a LOT of make-up shots), so I definitely didn't perform as well as I usually do with my other guns.

UPDATE: I recently discovered that I had not zeroed the optic properly, which explains all the no-shoot hits and the need for a lot of make-up shots at this match. 😕

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ya_hsVpiSEI

Outlaw Action Pistol Match - 06/24/2023

Outlaw action pistol match (USPSA-ish rules with IDPA scoring) at Amarillo Rifle and Pistol Club. I was shooting my CZ SP-01 that I recently had the barrel and slide ported and wanted to try it out. The gun ran great and my performance was decent. It took a little longer than I thought it would to get used to the double-action first trigger pull of the CZ again during dry and live fire practice a few days before the match, but I got it worked out. I came in 1st place Overall out of 9 total with a 27 second margin. 👍

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLHBdXu2KcU

USPSA Action Pistol Match - 06/10/2023

USPSA action pistol "Classifier" match at 41 Lead Farm in Lubbock, TX. After doing a lot of testing between my custom V8 ported Staccato P, my newly ported CZ-USA SP-01, and my ZevTech OZ9C with a Radian Ramjet/Afterburner barrel and comp, I determined that the OZ9C was the flattest and fastest shooting gun that I own without a doubt. I even bragged about it on Instagram! So, I decided to run it at this Classifier match in the Open division. Unfortunately, I had two light strikes which hurt my time a little and frustrated the crap out of me since this gun had been running flawlessly until this match. I ended up in 5th place Overall out of 48 total, which is not bad, but I wish I had done a little better. Oh well, still more fun than mowing the lawn or doing laundry! 😁

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rccr0Js58kA

Outlaw Steel Action Pistol Match - 04/22/2023

Outlaw Steel Action Pistol match at 41 Lead Farm in Lubbock, TX. Still shooting my custom V8 ported Staccato P 2011 (still loving the gun too), however my performance was really off. It was cold and windy again, which really wreaks havoc on my focus, so I was going way slower that I would've liked. No major mistakes other than an unexpected first shot into the berm on stage 2, which was embarrassing. I fully expected to come home, review the video, and be utterly disappointed in my performance, but it actually wasn't that bad. 😜 I ended up in 4th place Overall out of 43 total.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtOPtxTWYTs

USPSA Action Pistol Match - 04/08/2023

USPSA action pistol match at 41 Lead Farm in Lubbock, TX. Shooting my custom V8 ported Staccato P 2011 in the Open Division. Still trying to get the right balance of speed with acceptable hits.  Went too slow in some sections of stages, too fast in other sections, and had two misses on the first stage which is hard to recover from. Ended up in 7th place Overall out of 53 total.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jy_9OK2CWvc

Outlaw Steel Action Pistol Match - 03/25/2023

Outlaw Steel Action Pistol match at 41 Lead Farm in Lubbock, TX. It was cold and windy at this match and it was causing me to not be focused on shooting as I was expecting it to be warmer and did not bring a heavier coat to keep me warm in between stages. The first three stages went okay, but they weren't very fast as I only had one miss/makeup shot. On the 4th stage I had several misses that took time to make up and I forgot to get my planned reload done on the 5th stage and ended up running dry and had to finish the stage with a flat-footed emergency reload. I also had a few trigger freezes with my new custom V8 ported Staccato P 2011 which just look like weird hesitations on video. Despite my mistakes and slower runs, I ended up in 4th place Overall out of 37 total.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJANeCAcdu0

USPSA Action Pistol Match - 03/11/2023

USPSA action pistol match at 41 Lead Farm in Lubbock, TX. I was using my new custom V8 ported Staccato P 2011 in the Open Division. The gun ran great and the V8 ports work really well even with my lower powered reloaded ammo that I use for matches. I had a few minor mistakes (more like weird confusion hesitations), a couple instances of trigger freeze (typical for me with 2011s), and a miss on a target on one of the stages. I ended up in 9th place Overall out of 72 total, which was a really large turnout for our area. 👍

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7ox4yJHs70

Custom Staccato P Handgun

With the recent initial frustration and disappointment with my Springfield Prodigy 1911DS, and the frustration with Bul Armory's lack of supply of their newest generation of 2011-style guns in the US market, I decided to sell my first generation Bul ArmoryTac Commander and purchase a used 4.4" Staccato P 2011 handgun to customize and to have for holster test fitment at RFV Tactical. I knew that I wanted to have it direct milled for a Holosun 509T red dot, so I picked up an iron-sight only version and sent it off to Impact CNC Machine to have it milled for the optic and then to DSC Gunworks to have the barrel and slide ported in a V8 configuration. After getting the slide and barrel back from Impact and DSC, I textured the grip while retaining the star logos, pinned the beavertail grip safety (because the previous owner permanently disabled it), cut the front of the frame's dust cover at an angle to better match the factory cuts on the slide, completely dehorned the slide and frame of all their sharp corners and edges, and then Cerakoted the slide in Graphite Black (H-146) and the frame and beavertail in Stainless (H-152) to match my custom two-tone ported Staccato C2.

Having the slide direct milled for the optic rather than using Staccato's optic mounting plate system allows the Holosun 509T to sit really low and there are no additional small screws that might come loose if they are not torqued and thread-locked properly. 👍

I plan to use this gun for daily carry and to compete at action pistol matches for a little while going forward. Surprisingly, this full-size 2011 is an ounce lighter than my 4.25" Springfield Prodigy 1911DS, but it actually has much less muzzle flip due to the V8 porting even with my lower powered reloaded ammo that I use at matches.

IDPA Action Pistol Match - 02/22/2023

Indoor IDPA action pistol match with my Springfield Prodigy. I designed all the stages (I kept it simple) and ran the match, but we had a small turnout with only 6 people total. I got a little sloppy on the fourth stage trying to push my speed and then slowed it down too much on the last stage, but I still came in 1st place Overall with a margin of over 8 seconds. The Prodigy has been running 100%, but I am considering going to go back to rotating through different guns for carry and competition until I finish my new custom Staccato P that I am building. Carrying and competing with the same gun every week gets a little boring for me. I may even rotate my Sig XCarry, Walther PDP, and Shadow Systems MR920 into the mix to keep it interesting. Who knows what I'll do next... 😎

Update: I finished the custom Staccato P build a few days later, so I will be shooting it for a little while going forward. 👍

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQsUPYSFm6k

USPSA Action Pistol Match - 02/11/2023

USPSA action pistol match at 41 Lead Farm in Lubbock, TX. I went back to shooting my Springfield Prodigy 1911 Double Stack again after finally receiving the RMR-footprint optic mounting plate that I ordered in September of 2022. 😒 During my recent daily dry fire practice sessions, I have really been trying to consciously grip the gun harder so that I can shoot the gun faster in live fire. I've been carrying and dry fire practicing with the Prodigy for over a week to get used to it, but I ended up getting a blister on the top of one of my fingers on my strong hand from gripping the gun so hard with my support hand. Apparently the fingers of my support hand land differently on top of my strong hand when gripping a 2011-style gun. This blister forced me to change my grip slightly just to avoid pain when gripping the gun. You can see on the last stage in the video that I actually had to re-acquire my grip during my draw because of the pain from establishing my grip wrong. 😵 Due to this, my performance wasn't as good as I would've liked and I ended up in 12th place Overall out of 59 total. The 2011-style gun is still a great platform, and I am going to run the Prodigy at a few more matches just to get used to it. I am also building a custom Staccato P 2011 with a ported slide/barrel, so I plan to dedicate some time to the 2011 platform for a little while.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aF1rwC-JlIg