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SIG SAUER ® ACADEMY IS “MATCH GRADE” REALLY NECESSARY FOR A COMBAT HANDGUN? [ B Y G E O R G E H A R R I S ] In reference to firearms, the term match grade has a certain mystique as being better or having an advantage over the standard model of a particular product. For our purposes here we are going to limit our ideas and comments to handguns even though long guns can also be classified as match grade. In most cases a match grade handgun started life as a standard model with service grade parts and a performance standard that is generally somewhat less than that of the match grade product. Converting a service grade gun to one of match quality encompasses a broad spectrum of ideas and processes. The objective of match quality is most often thought of as modifying the gun to make it more accurate intrinsically and practically. This can be done by tightening the tolerances of the moving parts, replacing the barrel with one of higher quality, installing high visibility sights, applying a custom finish, adding competition grips, and refining the trigger pull, among other things. From a concealed carry perspective, some of the attributes of a match grade handgun are valuable and others are detrimental. At the top of the list of desirables for a fighting handgun is reliability. It won’t matter how accurate the gun is if we can’t get a bullet out of the barrel when we need to. We have had students bring guns to our Concealed Carry classes at the Sig Sauer Academy that were so tightly fit that they would only shoot ball ammo, and required a regular reapplication of lubricant during the day’s live fire drills just to keep them running. The intrinsic (mechanical) accuracy is usually outstanding in these pistols and is virtually always superior to the shooter’s ability to use it. The fact that it is unreliable determines that it is not a candidate for concealed carry or self defense. When it comes to reliability, those who replace their factory barrels with custom barrels that have match chambers are really walking a fine line. A match chamber is usually toleranced at a minimum dimension to achieve the highest possible level of accuracy. This allows no error for the cartridge that is on the large size of the ammunition specification to tolerate any firing residue left by previously fired rounds or any minor amount of dirt picked up from the magazine or carry medium. The mouth of the chamber at the transition point from the feed ramp, and the feed ramp itself, are critical areas in getting a single round from the magazine into the chamber. From a practical perspective, in order to insure reliability we must allow for the mechanical variables as well as the unknowns that seem to crop up unannounced. To be considered acceptable for self defense purposes, the gun should shoot any factory ammunition of the correct caliber with total reliability. The term match trigger has many definitions. Usually it alludes to the properties perceived as necessary for the shooter to deliver accurate fire on a specific target. These properties include trigger weight, smoothness, stroke length, and reset distance; all of which have diminishing value as the stress level increases. In fact, the higher values of trigger stroke length and weight, in moderation, serve to decrease unintentional discharges while having little effect on hit probability in street con- About the Author: George Harris has spent over 30 years in the field of adult education with more than 17 years at the SIG SAUER ® 12 Academy. He has focused his efforts in the arenas of small arms, small arms training and combat skill development. George has evolved from an infantry soldier, small arms repair technician, and drill instructor to become the coach and firing member of the internationally recognized United States Army Reserve Combat Marksmanship Team. As a competitive shooter, George has the coveted distinction of being Distinguished with both the service pistol and the service rifle. As director of the SIG SAUER ® Academy, George is committed to the safe and successful use of firearms by armed professionals and responsible citizens alike through using the SIG Principle of Training: Simple Is Good! Sponsored By: sigsauer.com 603-679-2003 USCONCEALEDCARRY.COM n CONCEALED CARRY MAGAZINE n JULY 2008
frontations. Double Action Only pistols and Double Action revolvers in the law enforcement community have supported this on an ongoing basis. Mechanically, match triggers are finicky in that they require regular cleaning, lubrication and adjustment to maintain their peak level of performance. They may be more prone to breakage as well, due to the more complicated design features as compared to the standard trigger configurations. Match grade or target sights are popular in that they provide that perfect sight picture for the shooter to precisely place shots on the target. Unfortunately, these sights are not as durable or practical as fixed or drift-adjustable combat sights. The sharp corners on the Patridge front sights and the flat blade rear sights will naturally snag on anything available, and their high mounting position makes the gun somewhat unwieldy and inconvenient. A better choice is a variable height, drift-adjustable system that is durable and allows the shooter to zero to the desired sight picture with the ammunition of choice. Standard grips on most pistols are satisfactory as they come out of the box. Although target grips may enhance the ability of the shooter to hit a target, they usually are larger than standard and are more difficult to conceal. If the standard grips are not acceptable, find the most compact grip that positions the gun in the hand so that the muzzle points naturally toward the target. It is as if you were pointing your index finger at the bullet impact point on the target. Ensure that the grip has a non-slip surface in all weather conditions but still allows the gun to be easily concealed without clothing or holster interference. When all things are considered, match grade may not be as important as it seems. Think about the accuracy needed versus the reliability necessary to fulfill the requirements for a concealed carry handgun. Consider the location, situation and conditions that are likely to require the use of the gun, and the answers will be forthcoming as to whether you need a match grade gun for concealed carry, or whether service grade will do. Simple Is Good! n The Sig Sauer Academy offers training from entry to advanced level, on and off site, for the responsible citizen and the armed professional. Training DVDs are available from the Sig Pro Shop, on line at www.sigsaueracademy.com or at your local dealer. It won’t matter how accurate the gun is if we can’t get a bullet out of the barrel when we need to. 10 Concealed Carry Magazine www.usconcealedcarry.com Volume 4 - October 2007 JULY 2008 n CONCEALED CARRY MAGAZINE n USCONCEALEDCARRY.COM 13
Page 1 and 2: REVIEW! RUGER LCP T H E U LT I M A
Page 3 and 4: CONTENTS 14 POCKET PROTECTOR The Ru
Page 6 and 7: LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Dear Editor:
Page 8 and 9: STREET TACTICS Stay back about six
Page 10 and 11: Compare that to looking and shootin
Page 14 and 15: Pocket Protector: The perfect pocke
Page 16 and 17: majority of owners will likely carr
Page 18 and 19: CCM PROFILE Josh Benson shoots with
Page 20 and 21: Josh fires an AR during the final q
Page 22 and 23: Bare As Comfortable to wear and at
Page 24 and 25: Whatever you do, keep your co your
Page 26 and 27: CONCEALED CARRY SAVES LIVES Part Tw
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Page 32 and 33: and Conc Disabled, but not an easy
Page 34 and 35: for many criminals. So I decided to
Page 36 and 37: POINT-COUNTERPOINT PHOTO BY OLEG VO
Page 38 and 39: the defender can feel misunderstood
Page 40 and 41: POINT-COUNTERPOINT Post If, in your
Page 42 and 43: FORCE-ON-FORCE NOTEBOOK 42 MOVE! Ge
Page 44: above and right: It is easier to dr
Page 47 and 48: Whoever remains from the panel is a
Page 49 and 50: JPFO LIBERTY CREW TAKE YOUR MONEY B
Page 51 and 52: Tracking target. Ten rounds are sho
Page 53 and 54: paraphrase Clint Smith, when have y
Page 55 and 56: Item No. Product Description Size Q

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