Combining mechanical and aesthetic perfection, these types of guns exude quality.
When you rack the slide of guns like these, theres no slop anywhere.
Can one of you guys shoot it and see if it does the same for you?
Is a high-end, custom pistol a waste of money? Or, is spending the money on such a handgun worth the investment?
If they happen to query the long-time shooter and competitor who manages my favorite range, he will oblige.
Invariably, hell send four or five rounds through the same hole at 7 yards.
…But I hate doing it, he notes.
Shown here are two very different Springfield 1911 pistols. The old-school TRP (below) is far more “feature rich” than the Mil-Spec (top), though the value of those aggregate features will be different from shooter to shooter.
I still contend the Springfield XD is a nearly unbeatable value.
Triggers would usually be rough and gritty, and ergonomics would almost always be lacking.
From that standpoint, the gun stores of today are rife with great deals and awesome products.
The author asks, “Do I need the TRP’s upgrades to shoot well? No, but if I want to shoot my best, they certainly help!”
Its a palpable difference!
Thats in my own two hands, at least.
Realistically, they may not turn pie-plate or shotgun pattern-sized groups into a single ragged hole.
Tritium sights are one example where the “bells and whistles” can indeed make guns much better adapted for defensive use.
Additionally, there are a lot of features that are designed around usage as much as accuracy.
For examples of the throw in,study a Springfield Hellcat.
Each of those features, however, is baked into the gun.
The TRP line is known for extremely well-done and grippy checkering. The specification is one element that makes the TRP more labor-intensive, but it does aid purchase and shot-to-shot consistency.
In other cases, a purchase might be motivated by the notion of retained value.
Phrased more succinctly: its true that most shooters dontneedthe bells and whistles to shoot well.
Go to forum thread
1911Series
HellcatSeries
XDSeries
The author installed a DPM recoil reduction system on his Hellcat. The change in recoil behavior is discernible, but still subtle.
In the current market, there are many factory pistols that offer the same kinds of upgrades a custom gun might. Is it worth your money to go completely custom or stay with a high-quality stock handgun?
