Reply With QuoteMy wad gun is a series 80 gold cup that was built up by a now retired gunsmith in Jacksonville, FL named Jim Rose. Not very well known, but he was a bullseye shooter and built a lot of local guns that shot really well. I bought that gun because someone had traded it in and was sitting there used when I became interested in the sport.
My service pistol is a plain-jane Springfield 1911-A1 that I purchased for a relatively low price and then had Jim Rose build into a competition gun. He changed the sight, tightened up the slide-to-frame fit, worked the barrel link, put in a new barrel and link, did trigger work and stippled living daylights out of the front and back of the grip. The stippling is so aggressive that I could probably use it as a rough wood rasp if I wanted to. However, even on the hottest days, when my hands were sweaty and I was shooting hardball, it never moves around in my grip.
I currently have one gold leg and two bronze legs. If I ever get another leg, I'll go distinguished, but I just don't get out to shoot very much any more.
I recall that there is some reason why Gold cup 70s are not supposed to be the best for competition guns, but I don't remember what that reason is.
There are many pistols out there that are labeled "competition" or other such nonsense. Most of them are NOT straight out of the box competitive. Perhaps if you get into the 2K and up pricing, but as for me, I always had to watch my pennies.
My suggestion is that if the Coast Guard is going to issue you with a competition pistol, make sure that it has been worked over by a competent smith who knows what competition is all about. If you can get the CG to send it to either the Navy competition gunsmiths in Crane, IN, or the Army's AMU gunsmiths, you will end up with a very nice product.
If you are going to purchase your own, I would recommend you buy the least expensive, plain jane .45 pistol (and this is important) that is made out of good steel. (I say that last part because when I was competing, folks were buying inexpensive Norinco pistols, having them built into comp guns of one kind or another, and then they would wear out very quickly because the slides were too soft.) Then have a competent smith build it into a ball gun with good parts.
For .22 and centerfire, I shoot Hammerlis. I managed to acquire two 208s and a 280 with both barrels over the years. They can't be beat (although I can!).
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