Honestly, if done right with known weights, it's probably just as accurate. I was about to go down that road, but I wanted a "real" gauge as I was in the process of repairing my wayward Kimber 1911. MidwayUSA was having one of their specials and I couldn't resist having an official tool to add to the collection.
Normally I'd try smoothing up the action by hand, but unlike the Smiths I'm semi used to working on, I wasn't sure what to smooth up other than the sear area, which I figure I can dry fire into a semi decent condition.
I also tried the DA on the RB tonight with my gauge. It only goes up to 8 pounds and the cylinder hadn't even begun turning with the gauge maxed out. Maybe I should order some weights to play with...