Posted: 10/6/2006 6:17:41 PM EDT
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Just wondering if anyone has any experience with the Trophy Match. If so, how does it perform and compare with other out of the box match pistols. I am a big springy fan and have standard loaded models, an operator, factory comp, and a trp. Any imput is greatly appreciated. Thanks Hammer Down! |
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Think of it as a loaded production model, and not as a full-blown custom piece. I needed a builder for SSA rig and started with a trophy match for the build. The down side to the pistol was the chamber was on the rougher reamed side, and the barrel link and bushing wasn't up to what I considered par for a match. Since the pistol was going to run mostly lead bullets, polishing out/slighty enlarging the chamber was going to be needed from the start anyway to allow the pistol to race run. Now having stated that, if the pistol were going to be used as a wad cutter rig, I would have been pissed in regards to the roughness/reamer groves in the chamber. Note: .476 for a wad cutter/jacket bullet match chamber, with lead bullet race chambers better with .479 chambers to insure cycling with they begin to foul out). Once the slide was finished lapped into the frame (read it's still a little to tight when new), the barrel link was swapped for the next size up to get the right lock up. Granted that the barrel bushing wasn't bad, it was on the replace side of my own standards for allowed wear when still new, so the bushing was just replaced. The FCG wasn't too bad, but it was MIM (won’t hold a trigger job), and the safety catch sear on the hammer was full width, so the FCG was replaced. The trigger lacked a take-up tab, and instead of replacing it, a take up tab was added to the unit to remove the trigger take-up creep. I like full-length recoil guide rods, but the pistol came with a two piece, so it was replaced with a single piece rod. Note: since this pistol only has to make 165 MPF, there was no need to add a tungsten rod, nor a reducer system to take recoil. With 200gr at 166, it’s has as much recoil as a 22 pistol. Last on the list was the mag release (just needed something for faster changes), so the standard mag release was swapped for one of Wilson older sweep back units so I could dump mags without having the grip change. So, if you are looking for something a step up from say a standard model, it's in the right direction, but if you are buying the pistol as a full blow out of the box race ready pistol, it's a bit lacking. There used to be a time when the Colt Gold cup were custom smith tuned and built, but over the years the gold cups have just become just another production model. Not sure if the Trophy matches where ever a full blow custom built pistol, but regarding nowadays, they are on the par with the rest of the production class loaded pistols, which isn't something to brag about. |
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Dano523 Thanks for all the info. You covered most everything I wanted to know. I have found one that seems to be at a pretty good price and has already been worked over by Phil Flack, slide to frame fit and trigger job. I have a Krt NM and a Barsto at home already should I need to go that route. I am selling my Colt series 70 Gold Cup to a guy in my unit when we return and want something to replace it with. Within the next few years, I would like to try a little IPSC comp. |
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Unless you are going to wad cutter/bullseye shoot with it, the barrel that comes with it should be good to go. SA does a good job at fitting the barrel to the slide, and as stated, even if the chamber is slightly rough, if you are going to use it for a USPSA or IDPA pistol with lead bullets, you will need to loosen up the chamber a bit anyway. Note: SA chambers the pistols in the .476 range, but it just depends on who was on the reamer and if the chamber is smooth enough or will need a polishing job. Worst case is you get a pistol for bulleye and find that the chamber is too rough/grooved, and just send the pistol back to be rebarreled and have the action tuned at the same time. Also just in case someone thought I was pulling any punches, I have yet to find a production SA barrel that wasn't in the need of a chamber polishing/action job. Let just say that on the last Micro Compact build, if I was planning on running this pistol out of the box, I would have more than a little pissed since in it's factory state, it was destined as a jamomatic. Not only was the chamber rough, the extractor wasn't tuned/tensioned, and don't get me started on the breach face and the throating job on the ramped barrel. Truth be known, the day that SA adds a FP block to their pistols is the day they just put themselves out of business. At least with the ILS system, you just change out the MSH and your done with the Lawyer crap. All and All, it just boils down to Imbel making a great forged slide and frame, and for a building point, with at least these two items on the positive side, if you can salvage a few of the other items that SA threw into the pistol during their build process, you will save some money in the long run by just reworking over one of their factory assembled pistols. |
Would you be kind enough to expand on this, please? IOW, why a looser chamber for lead versus FMJ?????? |
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Chambers in the .476 are great shooters, but when you get a few hundred lead rounds through them (not case mouth flushed Wad cutter types, but exposed nosed rubbing down the top of the chamber powder fouling), the ever so slightly burnt gun powder chamber fouling/leading builds up to the point that reliability drops out. With the chambers opened up to the .479, the looser match chamber will diminish the accuracy of the barrel a tad (more blow by during case fire forming), but the pistol stays reliable for hundred of rounds when running exposed lead nosed bullets. Note: the standard chamber for a production barrel is .4795, a jacket bullet is .451, where as lead bullets are in the .452/3 range depending on the sizing, then you have to add in case variance thickness. Again, my trophy match was built up as a USPSA and not as a bull eye target shooter. The slight increase in groups from taking the chamber up from the .476 to .479 would still keep me in the A zone, and I would not have to worry about clearing a jam with the clock still running. Now had the game plan been to run jacket bullets and accept the greater recoil of getting the jacketed bullet ammo to MPF speed due to the increased pressure needed to do so, then the chamber left at .476 would not be of concern. Bottom line is the pistol was set up for local run and gun games, and having a Jam that needs to be cleared will take you out of the hunt faster than anything else. And since most of the matches I attend to do not have a area to get a few fouling shots in after barrel cleanings between runs, running the chamber tighter with cleaning between runs is not a option (read a few flyers at the beginning of the run throws me off too much until the barrel fouls/settles in through live fire/the run). So to sum it up, N320-200 grain lead bullets up to MPF speed, equals a 13 lb recoil spring, and it like running the course with a BB gun that will eats the centers out of the A zone for hundreds of rounds without jamming (as long as I do my part and point the dam thing in the right direction each shot).  |
Why would you want that much jamming???????   Seriously, shooting a gun that light in recoil defeats the entire purpose of a match for me..............  My .o2 |
