u/greyeyedsniper

Hey. So. I just shot my third Steel Challenge match. I shot one about 9 years ago in rimfire pistol irons, one a month ago in rimfire pistol optics, then one last weekend in carry optics and classified for the first time at B. A very, very sloppy B but I'm in there. I shot one USPSA classifier like, uh, 12 years ago in production and classified as C but it lapsed I think.

Is there anything wild about shooting a Tier 2 match at this point? I don't feel terribly uncomfortable with procedures, rules, safety or anything other than being exceptionally anxious, but I don't think that has anything to do with match size or anything. I already registered just figuring how different can it possibly be other than being busy, but I have no idea and just want to make sure I know what to expect or things to anticipate. I tend to overprepare and I always bring a bazillion rounds of ammo, tools, food, water, etc. regardless.

So yeah. Getting back into it, just seeing what erryone's thoughts are. Thanks!

Alright, just need to vent. Bought a Spec Series R. Divisive gun, I understand, and I understand why, but it had a specific feature set that was very appealing to me and got me to an end state I was satisfied with without a lot of running around, sending the gun for work, etc. I also like an oddball gun and it's odd so I'm there for it. Bully bully, I'm excited, buy the gun.

I should also state, I'm NOT a stickler for minor aesthetic issues. I want to shoot the everloving shit out of all of my guns, I want to fiddle with them, I want to shoot competitions with them, and I want to let all-thumbs-newbies shoot them if it gets them fired up about shooting. Eventually you will at least slightly ding your shit up one way or another if you get out and active with most guns, so I'm not one to go over stuff with a microscope out of the box and I'll forgive a lot. As long as the gun shoots. And there's the rub...

So far, <500 rounds in, pretty even 357 and 38:

- The big one. Light strikes. 6 or 7 brands of ammo including stuff with CCI/Federal primers. Still somehow increasing. ~1/7. Strain screw is as tight as it could possibly be (They marred the screw getting it in so I'd hope so).

- Hammer drag. Nice score down the side of the hammer as well as an arc of scuffing on the hammer and inside the frame.

- Binding of the cylinder release. If you hit it just wrong it catches on something and binds, you have to back off and push forward to unhitch it. I'm sure there's a burr or something in there. Also managed to shoot itself loose after the first couple of cylinders because they didn't loctite it.

- Enough fore and aft play of the included optic to see, feel, and hear it move. This one might be on Aimpoint as I think it's their mount as well. Retorqued it to spec (With thread lock, as again they didn't use any) and the issue persists.

- Accuracy today took a bit of a nosedive out of nowhere as I was testing brands of ammo. Went from fist sized groups shooting decently fast to where I think I'd have trouble hitting an 18x24 even taking my time. Could be the optic, but that issue has been there I think the entire time.

- I think I'm shaving lead slightly now as well.

I was really one to think the dumping on S&W quality was overblown, but if there was ever a gun I'd expect them to get right it would've been a higher dollar, limited run gun. I give absolutely zero fucks about limited editions and things of that nature, but I thought at least part of this was paying for peace of mind.

There's part of me that wants to get into the guts and fiddle with it myself, but I was very much paying to NOT have a project gun so I'm going to see what Smith does. I'm pretty peeved. I feel like the R in Series R stands for something else...

Ok, vent over. Guns are cool and fun. I'll get over it.

Tier 2 Steel Challenge?