For my own amusement, and to give the gun its due, I tried a pair of 5-shot groups using a correct offhand shooting stance. I actually do occasionally shoot offhand pistol, but it’s usually with a .22 Rimfire or when shooting a revolver single action. I don’t typically shoot a 1911 one-handed.
I immediately noticed that the added weight of the rib makes the pistol feel more settled in your hand, and also reduces recoil. I also noticed that this type of shooting requires a lot of concentration, and the success is mental as much or more than it is physical. More on that later.
Grip, Sight, Trigger. The gun roared, and my first shot punched the X out of the bullseye, as cleanly as you please. Yep. Killed it. Heck, yeah. I can shoot stuff. Move over, Miculek.
Pleased and confident, I finished the group, reloaded, and fired a second group. Of the subsequent 9 shots, the X escaped quite unscathed, and 5 of my shots failed to come within an inch of the ring. At 10 yards. I looked around for a puppy to kick, but there were none in sight. Dejected and scuffling my feet, I left the range with the dawning realization that Bullseye is nothing more than golf for pistol shooters.
Like golf, a tiny bit of Bullseye success is sooooo sweet, but failure is the more likely outcome. Also like golf, that one small taste of success makes you hungry for more. Lots more, and soon, but with more practice and custom equipment, and probably in a competitive environment with some friends.
Where’s that Springfield with its BoMar rib? Gone. Sold to an enthusiastic buyer to whom I wish the greatest of success, and many obliterated X’s. Where am I? Pondering my next pistol, in much the same way I occasionally ponder a set of golf clubs I know I couldn’t possibly use to its full potential. Pondering…..
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