TargetTalk

Sorry if the answer is obvious, but are compensated .45's allowed in bullseye competition? I'm thinking like those race-guns you see used in steel challenge matches. Allowed?

Yes, they are allowed. They don't work well with the ammunition popular with Bullseye shooters, so you don't see many of them.

Race guns are not built for the accuracy you need at 50 yards for Bullseye. It might be fine indoors on a short course.

Compensators are allowed but a lot of people have told me they cause your barrel to lead up with typical bullseye loads.
My understanding is that the race guns also have very light triggers. Legal for a bullseye 45 cal is 3.5 pounds.

tuj, I've been kicking that same can around.

I dont believe that a compensator would hurt your accuracy at 50 yards, there may need to be some tweaking to get it just right, but I think its the way to go. Been working up parts for my .45 wadgun to replace my hardball gun.

It seems that, with the 1911, your trying to get in the middle of two things. Strong enough recoil to reliably operate the slide, and recovery time from recoil.

The compensator should be placed on the barrel to keep it from pulling momentum away from the slide. Also, optic sights should be mounted on the frame to keep mass off of the slide, and possibly the slide should be lightened. The lighter the slide is, the less energy has to be applied to push it back, which means less recoil.

To feed a compensator you need an adequate volume of gas. The typical powders, bullseye, WST, 231, 700x, are not the way to go. Winchester makes AutoComp especially for compensated guns, there are other powders too, possibly H110. With a little experimentation a load could be found with low recoil that fed gas to the compensator.

Just my thoughts, good luck.

tuj wrote:Sorry if the answer is obvious, but are compensated .45's allowed in bullseye competition? I'm thinking like those race-guns you see used in steel challenge matches. Allowed?

Allowed, but impractical. Bullseye ammo is not powered enough to work the comp. Comps do not improve 50 yd accuracy. Cleaning nightmare.

No need to reinvent the wadgun. A regular accurized 1911 with slide mounted Ultradot is by far the most common winner.

jackh wrote:

tuj wrote: No need to reinvent the wadgun. A regular accurized 1911 with slide mounted Ultradot is by far the most common winner.

To add emphasis, in fifteen times at Camp Perry I've never seen a winner with a compensated .45.

I put a double port compensator on one of my 45 cal 1911's several years ago for IPSC shooting. I never noticed any change of accuracy, but here are two things I learned in the process. First, normal bullseye loads will not function the gun. 3.8 gr Bullseye loads will not even unlock the breech using a 13lb recoil spring. The gas jet upon firing is designed to drive the compensator forward and down, retarding the unlocking of the breech. Great for full power IPSC loads, bad for functioning of mid range bullseye loads. Secondly you have a great increase of muzzle blast from the venting of the gasses, as the higher the pressures needed for functioning, the better the compensator works keeping the muzzle down. Not a good way to make friends on the firing line! I sort of think that these negative factors among others, doom the popularity of compensated bullseye guns.

When I shoot USPSA and steel matches in AZ during te winter I avoid being close to the compensated gunshooters since the muzzle blast can not only be heard but also felt.

A compensator might make sense if you built a 9x19mm pistol with a frame-mounted dot sight just for the centerfire match. You could shoot 115 grain jacketed bullets with a not-so-fast burning powder to make the compensator effective.