What makes a 1911 a wad gun

I mean what is different about it?

Top one is a wad gun. The bottom one is a hardball gun. It can be as simple of an answer as the ammo used or as complicated as how much changing you really do to a basic 1911. I could shoot SWC ammo in the bottom pistol but wouldn't really want to shoot full hardball in the top one. I could, by just changing the springs but as much as it costs to get it to function great with reduced loads and accurized I wouldn't want to beat it up. Also lots of shooters feel that the dot makes it a wad gun. Just my .02
 

A few key points come to mind:

- Properly chambered and throated for SWC bullets
- Reduced power springs
- Tight fit match barrel ie. Kart
- Tight slide to frame fit
- Quality trigger job at approximately 3.75 pounds
- Quality adjustable irons or rib to mount a red dot

That should get you started.

Ok so mechanicaly there is a difference! I see a little better now

I would say a larger range of what is allowed to be done to & feed a wad gun,  the base gun is still the base gun.

In my experience, the Wad gun is a gun that DOES NOT meet the limitations of a 1911 “service pistol” as defined in the CMP rules. Larger, extended sights, rails, ribs, and even optical sights. I would also say that 90% of all “Hardball” guns would shoot SWC lead bullets just fine with a recoilspring adjustment.

So, to me, a “wadgun” is a 45 that isn’t a “service pistol” under CMP rules.

To me (IMO), a wad gun is a target pistol.  It uses specific ammunition and has an intended purpose for shooting sports.  A trap/skeet shotgun or ISSF target rifle fall into the same category. The distinction all these share is that the firearms are not intended for use as weapons.

Much like a baseball bat, axe, pipe wrench, crowbar, and a sundry of other items which can be used as a weapon, they are not intended as weapons - I make the same association with a wad gun.  A wad gun is not a weapon by that definition, although it is based on the configuration of a weapon, and is only intended for punching holes in pieces of paper.   Others may have different views, but I like to think my opinion has some reasoning.


p.s.  That definition doesn't fit a ball gun or service rifle, even though they are used in competition, since the competition is configured to use a service weapon. ISPC is a similar competition where those definitions don't fit (or, it's harder to make that argument).

This is exactly what I thought! When I put in a 10-12 lbs spring my R1 Enhanced shoots Semi-Wadcutter’s perfectly. Here is what I am trying to do. Tell me your thoughts. My funds are limited so I need to get as much out of my 3 pistols as I can. I want to shoot SWC when I can and shoot hardball too. So far I don’t have a problem doing it as far as results goes my scores go up with SWC over hardball. I want to shoot both match’s at the nationals this year

James Hensler wrote:This is exactly what I thought! When I put in a 10-12 lbs spring my R1 Enhanced shoots Semi-Wadcutter’s perfectly. Here is what I am trying to do. Tell me your thoughts. My funds are limited so I need to get as much out of my 3 pistols as I can. I want to shoot SWC when I can and shoot hardball too. So far I don’t have a problem doing it as far as results goes my scores go up with SWC over hardball. I want to shoot both match’s at the nationals this year

you don't have to shoot hardball any safe jacked ammo is the new rule.

Now it appears to me that my Remingtonor any Remington for that matter is NOT allowed!!! Funny one the the Companies who helped win the war their stuff is not allowed

Lots of Remingtons being used. Where does it say they are not allowed?

James Hensler wrote:Now it appears to me that my Remingtonor any Remington for that matter is NOT allowed!!! Funny one the the Companies who helped win the war their stuff is not allowed

yes whats your source?

Here is from the 2018 CMP service pistol/rifle rule book

4.2.3
U. S. Government or Colt M1911 Service Pistols or commercial versions of the same type (M1911). These pistols may be chambered for any cartridge with a bore diameter not less than 9mm and not greater than .45” and have a barrel length not greater than 5.100”.

4.4.2
Service Pistol. Service Pistol competitors may use any safe ammunition that is loaded with metal-jacketed or metal-plated bullets. Non-jacketed, wad-cutter or lead bullets may not be used.

Ok I rechecked the CMP Pistol rulebook approved pistols section. I didn’t see any Remington pistols. Then I relooked and the page said approved other pistols so I was wrong