I’ve been doing more competitive shooting lately.
Mostly USPSA and some carbine matches.
I shoot Single Stack major in 45 ACP and I’m getting into Limited 10 major, which is the same gun but with 10 round mags. I shoot 45 ACP, since my gun was built for IDPA CDP.
For a rifle, I shoot a 20 inch AR15A2 HBAR.
All iron sights on everything.
I see these guys come out with guns with multi port compensators and magnified optics with ballistics drop reticles with offset red dots all zeroed at different ranges.
To me, all that is like having a nightstand full of vibrators. All it says is “I can’t perform satisfactorily without a whole bunch of extra toys.”
I have a Glock 19, and the only modification I made to it was putting on a custom backplate. I even kept the dreaded sites the gun comes with. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to get on board with the extreme modding of guns, but to each his own I guess.
There’s two types of people who modify guns.
Type one is actually needing to scrub off .01 seconds off their split times before the next competition, and the ghizmo thingy actually does that. A fact they can see when shooting timed drills, and looking back on previous practice sessions.
Type two puts the ghizmo thingy on their gun because dude #1 shoots better with it. However, he never puts in enough actual practice time for the ghizmo to make any real difference in either his speed or accuracy.
About the only “mod” on my rifles is the addition of a scope. As I’ve gotten older, my eyes (never that good) just can’t deal with rear sight, front sight, and target very well anymore. A couple of handguns sport spring kits, the rest of the handguns and the shotguns are pretty much box stock.
A RDS is utterly amazing on a long gun or braced pistol. See it, shoot it. Easy peasy.
So there’s an actual valid point to some of the gizmos.
I shot ISPSIC in the mid 80s in georgia. I had a box stock series 80 colt 45 with a polished feed ramp and wolff guide rod. I used to out shoot my buddy with his colt gold cup with a 3pound trigger, hienie sights , match barrel and a beaver tail. 2 days before I left I won my class…
Live and let live, guys.
Just shoot your own match. Did you do better than last time? Good. You’re improving. Did you shoot as well as you can? No? You should practice more, especially those weaknesses because everyone likes to practice strengths.
A person can suck just as bad with a perfectly stock 1911 or Glock as they can with a full blown Tac Timmy special. The presence or absence of mods does not indicate skill.