pistols for match shooting

[jsams]

what brand and type of pistols do most people use in shooting matches? i would like to stay with a single shot. i have a traditions trapper but after 10 or so shots the hammer starts catching about halfway to the cap and throws my shot off. i called traditions and they just tell me how to fix it. i would but the hammer will not come off. bought it new about a month ago at sportsmans warehouse. lock is clean so its not from that.

 

[FishDFly]

It would really help for you to define what your upper budget limit is? It's hard to recommned a pistol with out that.

Take a look at:
http://www.cherrys.com/ped_pist.htm

It will give you an idea of what is available and a price range.

RDE

 

[DOUBLEDEUCE 1]

If you can find a good used Thompson Center Patriot, that might fill the bill for you. They were made in .36 cal and .45 cal. The .45 cal is the most common. You might be able to pick one up for a few dollars ( $250-400.00 ). You can't beat the warranty on them and they are all American made. The unfortunate thing is they are no longer being made. Thompson still stands behind them. There are still spare parts for them also. I have two Patriot pistols, and I love them. I have had no problems at all, and they are great shooters.
Just something to think about. :hmm:

 

[DOUBLEDEUCE 1]

I should add the Patriot is a good target pistol. I don't know how finnicky you are when it comes to target shooting. I think it is a cut above the some of the other lower priced production guns.

 

[FishDFly]

For some reason you do not see a lot of Patriot's on the line and I will not venture why. I have only seen one at the state level and none at a national level. Locally they do show up.

Years ago, when I started shooting pistols, I was financially broke. I shot my mentors Patriot and I started beating him with his own pistol. After a bit, he said "no mas", you are not going to beat me with my own gun.

I finally saved enough money to get a Patriot and did okay with it. Later, there was one custom pistol locally that was in favor for winning, back to the overtime to get one.

The Patriot has layed in the back of the safe for 20 years. In all honesty, there may be more accuracy in the gun than I think. One thing I know, it needs some attention to the trigger. If I devoted enough time to it, I believe it would win.

If you find one, buy it, there are no more as pointed out.

I have learned a couple of things about pistol shooting.

1. Qualtiy equipment is important
2. Dry firing is more important than #1
3. Live practice is more important than #2
4. Mental beats #2 and #3 combined (read all you
can)
5. See #1, and repeat

This will irritate a lot of folks, but inlines are winning pistol matches on the percussion line, not traditional pistols.

RDE

 

[renovato]

Personally, I think I'd just fix the Trapper. I have the Trapper and the Patriot both, and while the Patriot seems to have a little more intrinsic accuracy, the Trapper is much easer to hit with once you get the triggers tuned to the way you like them. It's a good way to get into match shooting and improve your skills before investing money in a more expensive pistol. Traditions should be able to walk you through lock disassembly, or one of the fine folks here can probably help.

 

[zimmerstutzen]

I have a Patriot and 20 years ago, shot a great deal of competition with pistols. I could never get the patriot to shoot worth a hoot. Always high, even though the sight was adjusted to the max. I came across a cheap Palmetto target pistol which looks and operates like an old Tingle pistol. I could do really well with it. Then I came across a home made Bubba'd pistol made or should I say cobbled with some TC patriot parts and a piece of rifle 11 inch rifle barrel and a home made two piece epoxied together stock. I won a lot of local matches with it. I suffered a hand injury (frx fingers)and couldn't hold it right and accuracy went to heck. I went back to the palmetto and won more matches.

Some folks just can't get used to the double set triggers on a TC Patriot. I also have problems with the sight picture on some pistols. Just not precise enough.

Being in condition physically makes a big difference. If you are not accustomed to holding a weight at arms length, a 3 lb gun will kill your shoulder before the first relay is over. For that reason a Tradition's Trapper is too heavy and too front heavy for the majority of shooters. Back when I did alot of shooting I actually worked my arm and shoulder to build up to holding my arm out for a few minutes without fatigue setting in. Now that I work a farm, my arms and shoulders are in pretty fair shape. When I first tried out for my college rifle team, I thought the coach was nuts when he expected us to run three miles after each practice. It took a while to set in, but being in shape helps with muscle tone for holding the rifle/pistol to aim. In addition, the better you are in shape, the slower your heart beats. When you are aiming and you see your front sight bounce with each heart beat, it makes a difference to have your pulse down to 60 or below.

A short hammer fall with a light weight hammer makes a difference in being able to hold the gun steady for follow through. Also a heavy trigger pull and sudden release often causes horrible friction. The gun should be set up for an even crisp trigger.

I've seen all kinds of pistols fired in competition years back. Some saw handle guns with left hand locks mounted on the right side backwards, they actually looked much like 1911 Gov't pistols. Other in line and box lock pistols, and underhammers. Even early short bolt action pistols. The problem with cheaper production guns is trigger set up, front heavy barrels, and poor sight pictures.

To make matters worse, there aren't many places where you can find examples of the various guns in one place so you can physically examines and hold them make comparisons side by side.

I'm in the market for a new target gun, but I will at least make the trip to Dixon's Muzzleloader Shop before buying. He probably has the best variety in muzzleloaders on the east coast.

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

Wouldn't you think they'd have separate matches for traditional and modern muzzleloading pistols? I suppose a lot of the people in muzzleloading today can't tell the difference and wouldn't care if they could. Beating a traditional sidelock pistol with a modern in-line ugly-as-sin whiz bang zip gun isn't anything to brag about and isn't really something to be brought up on a traditional muzzleloading forum anyway. But then again, the people who shoot these warts on the butts of true muzzleloaders probably think these guns are traditional. What a world we live in, huh?

 

[zimmerstutzen]

for all the hoopla, them inlines don't win as often as you think.

a good black powder gun smith can work wonders with a traditional gun, make em much easier to shoot accurately with a little tuning and adjustment

Some folks think of a side locks as the only traditional actions, but there were box locks and underhammers. Some folks think of box locks as in lines, however, there were box locks in the flint days.

 

[cal.43]

if you wan´t to win
your choice will be a Underhammer matchpistol like
Feinwerkbau Underhammerpistol

not cheap but worth the money

 

[FishDFly]

I have asked a couple of times if anyone knew of a black powder pistolsmith, I never had a response.

Kind of sad, I would think there is a need for one or there would be one. Pistol shooting seems to be increasing where I shoot. In fact we just added to new pistol matches.
RDE

 

[FishDFly]

National Aggs are:

1. Caplock Pistol or Percussion Revolver
2. Flintlock Pistol
3. Percussion Revolver

No inspection required for the above. It's a shoot what you bring.


Kentucky Flintlock-Inspection required
As Issue Revolver-Inspection required
Kentucky Percussion-Inspection required

The above is called the Traditional Agg.

There is tradition, it just does not exist in each agg.

RDE

 

[zimmerstutzen]

I had Brad Emig fix and tune a lock on my long rifle with excellent results. For side locks and triggers, I think most black powder gun smiths understand the dynamics. For how a box lock or underhammer trigger can be tuned, a modern pistol smith familiar with tuning modern pistol triggers should be capable. There was a rather famous pistol smith over in Bucks county PA who would tune pistols for competition and I ran into him at a range there. With a little coaching, he had me hitting a 6 inch bull at 100 yards with a 44 mag he had redone. I wish I could remember his name. (That was 20 yrs ago) and he could shoot far better than I could.

 

[horsetrader]

I shoot a Pedersoli "Mang in Graz" Right out of the box the gun was match ready. No modifications nessessary! Can highly recommend! In fact so good I am looking to buy a second one!

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

That makes a lot more sense! Thanks for clearing it up, Richard.

 

[arquebus]

In percussion pistols I now shoot a Pedersoli 'Carleton' Underhammer. It's .36 caliber, saw-handle grip, 9.5" half round/half octagon barrel.
I used to shoot a Hege-Siber, a German-made .33 caliber percussion target pistol. Beautifully made, but it just didn't fit me & I get on much better with the Carleton.

 

[jsams]

I bought a traditions trapper pistol and found that the rear sight is a very bad design. I also found that the lock did not work real smooth, so traditions has the pistol now. When i get it back and if it is no fixed, I will be looking at two others. should i go with the traditions William Parker or should I order the Kentucky pistol from Pecatonica River Long Rifle Co? pluses for the Ky pistol would be I could get it in .40cal. the same as my rifle but i would have to build it and I have never built a ml yet. whats my best option?
jsams

 

[torn moc]

Your " BEST" option??? I dont know what your budget is...but look at the Kutchenreuter, the Mang In Graz, THE SAWBACKS..., The Le Page, etc HERE: http://www.cherrys.com/ped_pist.htm
NOW THOSE ARE Nice Target Pistols!!!
and they aint Cheep!

 

[cmdrted]

another alternative is a pedersoli kentucky but the smallest i've seen was 44 cal.
I have the trapper flint, I agree with the rear sight, i pulled it and replaced it with a fixed sight i picked up at tow. The locks are not the smoothest, but on mine the reason is it wasn'nt properly inletted and down by the sear assembly it was hitting the wood in the mortise. a few minutes work with a 1/8 inch chisel fixed it no problem. the better news is it shoots great, 26 gr 3f 490 walyworld patch @ 2" at 25 yards off an improvised rest of carpet and a cement brick.

 

[erzengel]

If you are looking for real target pistols, first they are expansive.

As my forewriters already mentioned, look at the pistols form Pedersoli,

Mang, Le Page, Kuchenreuther, Charles Moore, Carlton

Siber my be a chopice too.

Another one is "Feinwerkbau History Nr. 1" Underhamme. http://www.feinwerkbau.de/ceasy/modules/cms/main.php5?cPageId=17


Custom made target pistol "Weber % Ruesch" in .31

http://www.mohr-vorderlader.de/weber_ruesch1.htm

If you want a pistol for the novize to try out and keep cost low, you might take a look at the Parker of London from Ardesa.



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