As some of y’all are aware, I’ve sent the last six weeks dabbling in USPSA’s Single Stack division. For those of y’all that don’t know what Single Stack division is, it’s the 1911 or “Two World Wars!” division. That’s right, I’ve been shooting a low-capacity somewhat-antiquated iron-sighted 1911. More specifically, I’ve been shooting the Dan Wesson PM-45 that I’ve mentioned in other posts earlier this year. And the experience has been both entertaining and educational.

Before getting into what I’ve learned, it might be useful to know that Single Stack is, for all intents and purposes, a dying division. Participation in the division has been dropping year over year for quite some time. Over the past twelve months, participation is at an all time low of 2.6%. This makes Single Stack the 3rd least popular division barely inching out Revolver and Limited 10 combined.

That certainly begs the question, why participate in Single Stack at all? It’s a great question and my answer is three fold.

First off, a friend once told me that each division has something to teach us. It’s not necessarily that what one division has to teach can’t be learned in other divisions, but the each division makes certain lessons far more evident.

Next, USPSA started when 1911s were all the rage. This makes Single Stack, arguably, the division that started USPSA. In a sense, there is a historical aspect to Single Stack division that some, including myself, will find nostalgic. That nostalgia, when felt, enhances the final reason.

The final reason is because it’s fun. And fun is really the only reason any enthusiast needs to find motivation to participate in something.

So what did I learn from shooting Single Stack? Let’s get into it.

Reloads Matter

The magazine capacity for Single Stack division is limited to 10 rounds for minor power factor (9mm) or 8 rounds for major power factor (40 or 45 cal). Regardless of power factor, or cartridge, the capacity in the division is among the lowest compared to other divisions. It’s right on par with USPSA’s Revolver division that is limited to 8 rounds and Limited-10 which, as the name implies, is limited to 10. It doesn’t matter which way you slice it, low capacity limits translate into more reloads.

Fast and consistent reloads matter in competition. This holds true for most divisions in USPSA. An exception can often be made for PCC (Pistol Caliber Carbine) division in which a reload on a stage is the exception rather than the rule. Another exception can sometimes be made for Open division using a “big stick” with a capacity of 29 or 30 on short and medium courses making a reload unnecessary. In the other more popular divisions, folks often use magazines with 20-24 rounds which means having to plan a single reload for most stages. Still, the difference of 2-3 seconds between a fast and slow reload can make the difference between stage win and a loss.

When it comes to single stack, that reload time is multiplied by 2 to 4 times. Think about that. Two to four fast reloads might account for two to six seconds on a given stage. Whereas slow reloads might account for four to twelve seconds of reload time on a stage.

To make matters worse, the narrow skinny 1911 magazine is less forgiving to angles of insertion. This means that not only do reloads have to be fast, but the only way to make them fast is to have consistently precise reload mechanics down pat. That is a requirement to being competitive in Single Stack division.

Stage Planning is Your Friend

Like reloads, stage planning is important for all divisions. Coming up with the most efficient way to attack a stage while leveraging your individual skills and abilities is critical to being more competitive.

The number of reloads required to complete a stage in a low capacity division like Single Stack really highlight the importance of a stage plan. Failing to plan for or execute a reload often results in running empty when attacking an array of targets which yields a standing reload which, in turn, forces a standing reload that eats up valuable time.

Consequently, forcing a plan that runs one near dry without leaving a buffer for make up shots before the next reload might force one into an unplanned slide-lock reload or, worse, a standing reload. The net result is additional time required to finish a stage which decreases hit factor (scoring performance).

It’s not just that the slide-lock reloads are slower than speed reloads or unplanned reload adds time. Unplanned remediation requires cognitive processing to adapt and adjust. That is it takes time for the brain to recognize what has happened, select remedial action, and begin execution. In many cases, resolving the unplanned activity can result in the preloaded stage plan to be discarded entirely and the rest of the stage is a total wreck. It’s a stimulus that can induce a mental “tilt” condition which is bad all the way around.

Having a good internalized stage plan that can be confidently executed given one’s skill level is absolutely essential.

Your Go Signal Is Visual, Respect That

See what you need to see. Respect the sights. Shoot at the speed of sight. These are some of many sayings that emphasize the same thing. Your vision is your go signal to break the shot. Whether one is using iron sights or a pistol mounted optic is irrelevant, sending a round down range before the muzzle is aligned with the target is going to yield a less than acceptable hit.

The challenge here is two fold. Under confirming, that is sending the round before confirming muzzle and target alignment, is problematic as it results in either giving up points or giving up time with a make up shot. Over confirming, that is waiting to send the round to get more visual confirmation for proper muzzle and target alignment than is needed, is problematic because it means giving up time.

It might appear that I’m leading in to discuss the visual process requirement differences between iron sights and pistol mounted optics. While there are some notable differences, mainly iron sights demanding processing more inputs in a more nuanced manner compared to pistol mounted optics, that’s not what I’m after here.

Rather it’s that under confirming, which is an easy thing to do when attempting to “go faster”, is notably more problematic in low-capacity divisions like Single Stack than higher capacity divisions because one simply doesn’t have a lot of extra rounds to send make up shots. One or two extra make up shots can result in unplanned slide-lock or empty conditions mentioned in the previous section.

Conversely, over confirming every shot to avoid unplanned conditions yields a slow stage time which is not reflected positively on the score sheet or in standings.

We want to respect the visual go signal, but no more than is necessary. Of course, this applies to all other divisions as well.

The Lord’s Caliber Is a Beast

This lesson is hard for me to admit, but the truth is if I could go back to the 1911 purchase decision I made earlier this year after my buddy talked me into signing up for the 2024 Texas 1911 Championship I would buy a PM-9 instead of the PM-45. Don’t get me wrong, I have zero regrets about buying the PM-45 and doing everything that I did the last six weeks leading into the championship match. However, in retrospect, here is the reality.

Based on the championship match results, in which the seven of the top ten performers (including the top five) shot major power factor (8 round limit with 40 or 45 cal), I can make the argument that major power factor might be more competitive than minor power factor (10 round limit with 9mm). However, that assumes that one can afford to shoot it and can do so without hurting themselves.

The thing is, after shooting about 1500 rounds of 45 ACP over the last six weeks, the financial expenditure in ammo alone was about over 50% more than what it would have been had I shot 9mm. I suppose that expenditure could have been less egregious with hand loading one’s own ammo. However, that assumes on is set up for loading their own. Otherwise, the initial investment would make that expenditure gap even more egregious.

The other thing is that my arthritis and 45 ACP did not play well together. Granted, this is very specific to me. However, I can’t deny that by the third stage of every match I shot over the last six weeks I was feeling some arthritis related pain in my strong hand wrist and elbow. Having arthritis related shoulder and neck pain by the end of each match was commonplace. At the risk of projecting here, I’m going to go out on a limb and say that the recoil difference between 45 ACP and the 9mm shouldn’t be disregarded. Yes, they are still both just pistol cartridges. Given enough shooting volume, the difference will be felt and the recovery time will reflect that.

Maintenance Procrastination Is Risky Business

I often hear folks say things like, “one shouldn’t have to clean and lube a reliable serviceable pistol to keep it running”. Or, “just make sure the 1911 is wet and it will run”. I understand the notion behind these statements. At the same time, I saw a larger than average number of malfunctions and stoppages at the 2024 Texas 1911 Championship than I have at any other match I can recall. Furthermore, those malfunctions and stoppages ceased after the offending 1911 was field stripped, quickly cleaned, and lubricated.

It’s not uncommon for folks to point out that 1911 and 2011 pistols require more maintenance than modern striker fired pistols. I think there is a lot of truth to that based on my experience with both of those platforms this year. In some ways, that reminds me of a major selling point of modern vehicles – it’s “low maintenance”. While my inner lazy likes the idea of less required maintenance, I can’t fathom a scenario where a little extra “TLC” can be negative.

So what if your modern wonder nine runs for several thousand rounds without cleaning even when it’s dry? I mean, it’s great that it does. Shoot more and clean less? That sounds fantastic! But at some point, stoppages are going to start. So why not prevent that by stripping it, cleaning it, and lubricating it? I’m not suggesting anyone to be militant about that and make sure it happens after every use, but perhaps doing that every few months rather than once a year or once it starts having issues isn’t a bad idea. If not that, then how about before a big match? That very well might make a difference in one’s match results.

What’s Next

With the championship match out of the way, I’m ready to go back to 9mm. I haven’t quite finalized my plans for 2025, but I’m leaning towards going back to Carry Optics and knocking the dust of the CZ Shadow 2. I miss shooting that gun and I want to spend some time with it.

As far as Single Stack goes, I’m not 100% sure. I wouldn’t mind shooting the Texas 1911 Championship in 2025. However, I would prefer to shoot that with 9mm over 45 ACP. I guess that means that 9mm 1911 is in my future. Nothing is set in stone, so we will just have to wait and see.