Hi guys,

Shot bullseye for the first time with my commander was was offered to join the AF pistol team. Super excited and want to get started ASAP for Camp Perry next year. 

Current circumstances
- Team gun smith is backed up 3-6 months for accurzing and custom builds. 
- I could have a pistol loaned to me but I would like to start familiarizing myself with the platform immediately.
- I have not spoke with anyone about buying a used match ready gun yet.

The three guns I had in mind at different price tiers

- Springfield Armory Range Officer ($750)
- Dan Wesson Valor Blue (Carbon Steel) ($1350) Replace sights
- Les Baer Thunder Ranch ($1900) Replace sights

Any other recommendations?

Thanks

Join bullseyeforum.com

The Range Officer with adjustable sights is a good gun to use to start. It may need a bushing and trigger work.

Enjoy. Welcome. The AF team has some good shooters. You'll have fun.

Will do! Looking forward to it. The two i've met seem like great guys who are willing to help if the desire is there.

A 1911 only?  

CZ Shadow 2 with a SAO trigger.......  then CGW tuning.  
Sig X series

These come to mind.....

I have the same question - .45 ACP only?

Normally you have three classes in bullseye competition - .22 rimfire, centerfire (.32 caliber or larger) and .45 caliber.   Many, if not most shooters use a .45 ACP for both centerfire and .45 classes.

For .22 Rimfire:

The S&W Model 41 has been a long time favorite in .22 rimfire, but they are expensive.  

A Ruger Mk I or Mk II Target can be very competitive with not a lot of work.  A drop in trigger and sear, and possibly a lightweight hammer and firing pin and you're going to have a pistol that will shoot better than you will for a couple years at least.

A non lock back Marvel .22 LR conversion slide for your .45 is also a good option, and one that gives you the same frame and trigger in all three classes.

For .45 and centerfire:

A lot of shooters regard the Springfield Armory Range Officers as the best bang for the buck.  But most of them will also suggest you'll want to get a new trigger for it eventually, and some will suggest it needs a snugger barrel bushing.

The Colt Gold Cup was popular back in the day, but the specs on now are not much better than the Government Model.

The Kimber Gold Match II will shoot with one of the older Series 70 Colt Gold Cups, and shoot better than the Series 80 Gold Cups.   The Kimber comes with a good trigger and is basically ready to run.  I've had no complaints about mine.  The barrel, slide and frame are fitted in their custom shop and mine has retained excellent frame to slide fit, it's accurate and more reliable than either the Gold Cup or Springfield 1911's I've owned.  

Beyond that you have limited run and custom guns from a number of makers.  I don't recommend them though as in the end what will matter most is a decent (rather than spectacular) pistol with excellent coaching.  Good coaching will do a whole lot more for you than a high dollar pistol.

Unless the Air Force team is going to supply a loaner match built m9, THE gun to get is a les Baer national match hardball. Another option is the rock river national match hardball. Most of the guns you list either do not have the plain black adjustable sights essential for bullseye or have things that at least until the last CMP rules revision were considered against the rules for hardball competition like beaver tails round hammers and such. A really good 22 for bullseye is also essential and the best out for f the box and run gun there is the smith model 41

Thanks for the feedback! As of now, I am mostly focused on acquiring a .45 and following the route you mentioned of a marvel .22 kit. Branching out to a Smith 41 in the future sounds like a good idea. 

These guns listed do concern me with CMP.. Guess it would require me to buy another pistol  or just buy a hardballer and call it good overall...  Ill talk a a look at those pistols you mentioned. How come the Smith model 41 is regarded as best out of box? 

Where would be a good place to pick up a Baer hardball at?

consider a flat checkered (30lpi) trigger... my SW M41 has a preference for CCI Green Tag

Beaut gun, how much rounds thru her?]

Notice a lot of improvement with the flat face?

TLDelaney... yes, a gentleman by the name of Dan McDonald had a flat trigger on his 1911, and I immediately copied it, around 1983... he was an "A" class shooter before the M and GM designations...it allows you to get a consistent finger feel if you miss the draw a little and finger placement on the trigger...an older gentleman used to run the chronograph at Georgia State Matches and was then the US pistol champion from Camp Perry...I've forgotten his name... the following year he commented to me that he had added one for his match bullseye pistol after shooting mine over the chronograph

the SA pistol shown was my last single stack .45...I did all the machine work on it with the help of a good friend that built custom pistols at the time... around 1995... I retired it when I switched to the Glock platform... over 60,000 rounds

You can order direct form les Baer or any number of sources. Googling les Baer nm hardball should get you there. The bullseye grade marvel 22 conversion would allow the one gun for everything approach which is fine ( until something in the frame breaks and leaves you gunless )
Hanging out at bullseye matches you can usually find someone who has already "legged out" ( earned a distinguished badge) looking to sell a good hardball 1911 reasonable.

I'd be taking a hard look at a 1911 in 9mm.
2017 9mm rule change

I'd be taking a hard look at the springfield ro's. I own 2 of them, 1 in 45acp, the other in 9mm. both are box stock/no mods of any kind/as the came from the factory/box stock.




Not a hand/cherry picked target by any means. Was testing loads for 50-ft bullseye. This was the test target for that load.


Same ro/9mm testing a load @ 50yds.




While the s&w 41 is a good bullseye pistol you'd be better off with a marvel upper on your lower. I've owned shot 41's for decades using 5.5" bbl's, 7" & 7 3/8" bbl's. Sold everything off and bought a marvel conversion upper and never looked back.


The ro in 45acp is an excellent shooter also, not a cherry/hand picked target by any means. 10-shot test group for 50ft bullsye with a box stock (no mods of any kind) ro in 45acp.


I do know a little bit about  competition/bullseye pistols and what it takes to keep them in the black. Other bullseye firearms I use. A 10m pellet pistol/25m sport pistol/50m free pistol.


Still have/use the ppc revolver.



Starting out a box stock ro for $750 will serve you well. It will take you a little while for You to get to the point you can out shoot it. Get a marvel upper for the ro and enjoy. When you step up to a different centerfire you can use leave the ro lower/marvel upper together as a dedicated rimfire pistol.

Anyway just another opinion.

Thanks for this awesome input. Amazing how good of groups the RO can put up. Simply stunning for the price bang for buck. Thanks for sharing.

Call Crazy John at 1911 heaven and get a Les Baer with a 1.5" @ 50 yard guarantee PII.

He has the best prices in the country and is super easy to deal with.

I went full retard with upgrades to mine...

for someone starting out a range officer or Loaded with adj rear sight is hard to beat for the $ , I have shot some ok scores ( 270's ) with mine in LEG matches . I legged out shooting a AFPG 1911 hardball gun and my own Colt Hardball gun.

Les Bear / RRA HBalls are really good guns but $ 2x + a SA Range Officer and why spend the cash when you are going to get to shoot a Uncle Sam AFPG wadcutter & Hard Ball guns for free ????

The only down side is you can't sign out and keep gov weapons at home anymore.

I would recommend getting your own 22 target pistol first as most of the mil issued ones are thrashed .

For a 22 look for a High Standard Victor or older S&W 41..... or a Ruger MkII that has already been match prepped. Unless you want to drop the cash on a higher end gun like a Xesse , Benelli or Marvel conversion.