Match grade frequently refers to quality firearm parts and ammunition that are suitable for a competitive match. Sometimes it also refers to other devices and parts that are made with high precision in mind.

Description

firearm A firearm is any type of gun designed to be readily carried and used by an individual. The term is legally defined further in different countries (see Legal definitions). The first firearms originated in 10th-century China, when bamboo tubes ...

s, the term is used to refer to

ammunition Ammunition (informally ammo) is the material fired, scattered, dropped, or detonated from any weapon or weapon system. Ammunition is both expendable weapons (e.g., bombs, missiles, grenades, land mines) and the component parts of other we ...

and gun parts that are designed and manufactured in such a way that they have a relatively narrow

tolerance Tolerance or toleration is the state of tolerating, or putting up with, conditionally. Economics, business, and politics * Toleration Party, a historic political party active in Connecticut * Tolerant Systems, the former name of Veritas Software ...

and high level of accuracy. No standards are defined for its qualification and as such it is more of a relative term. In addition to its use in

shooting sports Shooting sports is a group of competitive and recreational sporting activities involving proficiency tests of accuracy, precision and speed in shooting — the art of using ranged weapons, mainly small arms (firearms and airguns, in forms such ...

, match grade equipment is often employed by military and law enforcement

sharpshooters A sharpshooter is one who is highly proficient at firing firearms or other projectile weapons accurately. Military units composed of sharpshooters were important factors in 19th-century combat. Along with " marksman" and "expert", "sharpshooter" ...

. Thus, many gun manufacturers use the term "match grade" to describe their products. For instance, the Heckler & Koch Mark 23 weapons system is considered so specifically tooled for combat that it is match grade, one primary reason that the pistol and its components were selected by the

United States Special Operations Command The United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM or SOCOM) is the unified combatant command charged with overseeing the various special operations component commands of the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, and Air Force of the United States Ar ...

(SOCOM) for service. The Springfield Armory XD-M (with 'M' standing for match) features components that were more advanced than those of the regular XD pistol, such as sights and the barrel, which are deemed match grade. The magazines have extended capacities for target or combat shooting and the slide also has a more durable melonite finish.

SIG Sauer Several brother companies that design and manufacture firearms use the brand name SIG Sauer . The original company, ''Schweizerische Waggon-Fabrik'' (SWF), later ''Schweizerische Industrie-Gesellschaft'' (SIG), went through several selloffs, ...

released a line of self-defense ammunition, Elite Performance Ammunition, which they deem to be match grade, for increased performance and reliability. Manufacturing match grade ammunition and other parts requires extremely tight tolerances and quality control. It is not unusual for match-grade ammunition and components to cost ten times more than comparable non-match equivalents, owing both to the increased labor expended in creation and much more rigorous testing. Match grade ammunition is often subjected to higher randomized testing to ensure consistency and accuracy, reducing the statistical likelihood of a

dud A dud is an ammunition round or explosive that fails to fire or detonate, respectively, on time or on command. Poorly designed devices (for example, improvised explosive devices (IEDs)), and small devices, have higher chances of being duds. Du ...

round. Match grade components are often selected by testing the performance of multiple, identically configured firearms, and then eliminating those that don't perform to expectation.

References

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Description

See also

References