Should you practice with your main gun an your backup daily?

[darticus]

Shooting everyday but noticed that when I shoot with my backup it messes me up with my lighter gun. Should you only practice with your main 10 meter gun? Thanks Ron

[David Levene]

Should you only practice with your main 10 meter gun?

IMHO, yes. Your main gun is your main gun because it suits you the best. If your backup is at all different then it means that it is second best (for you). Do all of your training (other than occasional function testing of the backup) with your main, that's the one that will win you the matches.

If you have to change to your backup then you are changing to an inferior gun. Much better to carry a full set of spares for your main gun together with the tools and knowledge to fit them quickly.

Even better is to ensure that your main gun is so well maintained that it doesn't let you down.

During my competitive years I never had to change to my backup in either C/Fire or Standard Pistol. 3 minutes to change a firing pin, less than that to change a hammer box, about the same to change a sight assembly, spare magazines within easy reach, etc.

Others may (probably) disagree.

[darticus]

Last year we talked about "The Victor" High Standard for target practice. I never found a Victor that was nice yet but I did buy a High Standard early issue Supermatic Citation that has a great trigger , 1969, and Military marking. Just wanted to tell you and ask if you were familar with this gun? Thanks Ron

[David Levene]

The last time I shot a High Standard, I cannot remember the model, was a club gun when I first started shooting in 1980. One of the few things I remember about it was that care was needed to open the slide without running your fingers into the rear sight assembly.

edit note: Thinking about it, I'm not sure whether the "painful sight" problem was on the High Standard. It might have been on a Hammerlli 208. It was a long time ago.

[Mike Taylor]

David Levene remarked: " I'm not sure whether the "painful sight" problem was on the High Standard. It might have been on a Hammerlli 208."

In my (painful) experience, it would be the High Standard, David!
I have both the HS 107 and the H208. The slide on the HS is much shorter and so there is less distance between the slide serrations and the rear sight bridge as compared to the H208. When racking the slide back on the HS, particularly when the hammer must be cocked, too, it requires real care not to rip ones hand on the rear sight blade. Not a problem with the H208. YMMV of course :-)
Mike T.

[Spencer]

The last time I shot a High Standard, I cannot remember the model, was a club gun when I first started shooting in 1980. One of the few things I remember about it was that care was needed to open the slide without running your fingers into the rear sight assembly.

edit note: Thinking about it, I'm not sure whether the "painful sight" problem was on the High Standard. It might have been on a Hammerlli 208. It was a long time ago.

David, it was probably the High Standard. I have one that continues to shave bits of skin (this after some 30 years of 'experience').

My 208 has not bitten me once (touch wood).

Spencer

[CR10XGuest]

If your "backup" does not shoot as well as your "primary" then it is not probably not fulfulling its function completely.

But, based on available resources (read money, etc) or goals, it may not be necessary for some competitors to have a "backup" of the same quality as the primary.

Personally, after traveling hundreds of miles to a match, my backup had better be just as good as the primary; so I can compete just as hard and with NO execues on the part of the equipment.

Cecil

[Steve Swartz]

My backup guns are identical to my primary guns . . . well, except for the serial numbers . . .

Steve Swartz

[Shooter77B]

I had a problem where i had to use a backup gun in a air pistol match. I would say pactice with both equally.

[Used to shoot a bit!]

I trained next to Schumann in Suhl (East Germany) once in the early 90s.

He was shooting customised Walther OSP at the time. He had two identical pistols and he would shoot a few series with one then put in back in the box and shoot a few with the other. I guess he wanted to check they were both sighted and functioning prior to the match.

So, a back-up really has to be the same.

[jackh]

Same gun for an elite shooter - Yes.

For a duffer on the upswing of the shooting experience - Doesn't matter so much.

Assuming you have a second gun at all.....