Competition Pistol Choice

hy2rogen

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I'm tossing around ideas for a new pistol for some competition shooting this summer. I have been looking into USPSA AND IDPA.

My thoughts are:

Glock 17
Glock 34
M&P 9

I am leaning towards the G34. Either choice would have some trigger work done. What are your thoughts? I appreciate it!
 
The G34 with a spring kit and Dawson sights is a nice production gun. Any of those is fine though, it doesn't really matter.
 
+1 on the G34.

If you polish the bearing surfaces in the trigger and install a 4.5 lb striker spring, you will have a very nice trigger for next to nothing.

A lot of people spend a lot of money replacing the Glock sights. I don't think its worth it to go big bucks. I spray sight black on the rear sight to eliminate the U notch and then put a $25 fiber optic in front.
 
If you're going to get into USPSA decide how far you're planning to go with this. If you want the good scoring, and to go far, you'll want something that meets major power factor. That rules out 9mm for either the open or limited class pistols. Meeting major power factor DOES have advantages over just meeting minor power factor. I easily got to major with my 1911 wide-body in .45 ACP with 255 grain projectiles moving at about 700-725fps. Soft, and little, recoil gave me fast follow-up shots on double tap targets. It also got me onto the next target quickly, and smoothly.

If you want to learn more about either USPSA or IDPA come up to PF&G this Sunday. At the raffle drawing there will also be people on hand to answer questions about both competition types.

BTW, when I was shooting IPSC there were at least one course per competition/day that required reloads after 7 or 8 shots. Which negated any benefits from having higher capacity pistols. I knew plenty of people with single stack 1911's that would smoke people using double stack pistols (grocks)...
 
My wife actually has the G34 that she lets me borrow for IDPA

I have a G35 that I usually shoot with the "cheater' barrel. Its a KKM 9mm conversion barrel. Its got the OD of a .40 barrel with the ID of a 9mm. So its very heavy. Set up this way, my 35 is noticeably heavier and softer shooting than my wife's 34. This setup is not legal in IDPA.

And if I want to score major in USPSA, I can put the Glock .40 bbl back in the 35.
 
If you want to be competitive in USPSA you almost have to reload.

There is no such factory load that Goldiggie is refering to. Its his own concoction. The same can be said for most major .40 loads. Factory .40s will make major, but will recoil much more than a well sorted out reload, making shot recovery slower.

One thing that even goldiggie will probably agree with me on is that if you want no hassles, get a glock. I don't want this to devolve into a Glock vs 1911 thing. I shoot both and actually shoot my les baer 1911 better than I shoot my Glocks, but it is not as reliable.

Get this statistic. In 8 years or so of IDPA use. My Glock 34 never failed to fire, eject and chamber a fresh round, in other words, ZERO malfunctions, in over 30,000 rounds of use. During that time I almost exclusively used aluminum cased blazer. That gun ate it up.

With my 1911 I used to have some trouble with oversized reloads. So now I chamber check every competition round. Even still, i usually end up with some kind of stoppage every 500 rounds, and the gun needs to be kept clean. This is mostly because for competitive reasons I've got a softer recoil spring in the gun. Stock gun with factory ammo, its totally reliable. But its not competitive that way. I'm going in circles. Its late. I hope I made some kind of contributions. Ha.
 
I developed the load with a friend when I was getting deeper into IPSC shooting... I could produce more once I purchased more projectiles (still available). Since I know, by heart, the recipe.

As for grocks, you'll not get me to agree on anything [good] about them. A well made 1911 is just as reliable. If you look at what I own, and have owned over the years, you'll not find a single grock among them. 99.995% chance you never will either.

Anyone that reloads will at least randomly check what he's producing. This is another reason why I don't have a progressive press. With the turret press (benefits of single stage, with higher production speed) you can easily check your reloads and not be 100+ behind and need to rip those apart to make them over again. But that's another thread.

I'd go for a pistol that you'll be comfortable shooting 300-500 rounds per afternoon/day from. For me, that was a 1911 style. Maybe because I grew up with one in my hand, it just feels natural to me. Plus, I have yet to find a DA trigger that I liked.
 
Gold - my concern is that I can get into a Glock with minor mods for decent money. If I were to go with a 1911 (which I like to shoot also) I would be partial to getting a nicely build one instead of one off the factory line at 600-800$.
 
$1600 will get you a very nice les baer Premier II
$1300 will get you a very nice Dan Wesson RZ45

Both of these guns are made in very small batches by a small group of pistolsmiths and are as good as anything out there.

The Springfield Range Officer is foreign made, but decent money.
 
You may find that either the glock or the M&P may not fit your hand. You don't want to be shooting a pistol in comp that doesn't fit.

M&P 9 Pro vs Glock 34 - both have the longer sight radius but the full-size 9 or 34 are also perfectly acceptable. Either way, try one and buy another if it doesn't work! Then you can have a spare or introduce another shooter to the sport.
 
If you're sticking to USPSA then I have to respectfully disagree with Gold on the power factor thing. You can spend quite a few years and a lot of matches shooting in Production division which only has minor scoring. And if you're going to go full tilt on this type of competition then you're going to be getting more guns anyway. There's nothing wrong with starting with a G34 and some less expensive mag pouches and seeing how you like things. Bill O and lugnut have both made Master class in production division driving glocks and I doubt either would say that it slows them down.

If you don't like Production with minor scoring and 10rnd mag limits then by all means shop around. In Limited the STI/SV double stack 2011 platform rules the roost although you'll find some glocks and M&P there as well. A nice 1911 is good for Single Stack.

We'll skip Open division for now, that's a whole different can of worms....
 
If you want the good scoring, and to go far, you'll want something that meets major power factor. That rules out 9mm for either the open or limited class pistols. Meeting major power factor DOES have advantages over just meeting minor power factor.
This is true for Open and Limited as stated, however, 9x19 rules the roost in Production. Since all calibers are scored minor in Production, a heavier than 9x19 caliber in Production is a liability, not an asset.

One nice thing about Production is there is a good chance you can participate using a gun you already own.

While originally thought of an an entry level division, Production has evolved to "full respectability", with many shooters of national champion caliber choosing that as their primary division (think Dave Sevigny and Bob Vogel).
 
If you're going to get into USPSA decide how far you're planning to go with this. If you want the good scoring, and to go far, you'll want something that meets major power factor. That rules out 9mm for either the open or limited class pistols.

Lots of dudes are shooting 9 major in open division.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Thanks for all the answers!

Gold I will do some more research on the various [STRIKE=Divisions]classes[/STRIKE]. I will definitely want to take this pretty far.

Just for clarification;

There are currently six Divisions that a competitor may compete in within USPSA. Production, Single Stack, Revolver, Limited, Limited-10, and Open.

Divisions are determined by the equipment you use at any particular match so that you are only competing against others using similar equipment.

There are also seven "Classes". Unclassified, D, C, B, A, M (master) and GM (Grand master). Classes recognize a shooter's ability within a Division. Classification is determined by your actual match results when shooting certain courses of fire that are set up the same way at all clubs from a course book, as well as your score at very large matches that meet certain criteria. (to ensure it is a proper representation of your skill)
 
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I would rather have a STI spartan for 600

$1600 will get you a very nice les baer Premier II
$1300 will get you a very nice Dan Wesson RZ45

Both of these guns are made in very small batches by a small group of pistolsmiths and are as good as anything out there.

The Springfield Range Officer is foreign made, but decent money.

If you are comfortable with the glock platform, get the 34 and shoot USPSA production. There is plenty of competition there. No need to spend big bucks on any fancy guns or gear.
 
Although not required, if you're interested in getting into the shooting sports of USPSA or IDPA an intro program is a great way to get started. Topics covered include saftey rules, equipment and divisions, how the scoring works, etc. There are several great programs put on by local clubs in the eastern-MA area. All require pre-registration so be sure to contact them ahead of time to signup. These usually fill up fast.

USPSA Intro Programs:
---------------------
Hopkinton - March 22 & 23, 2014
http://www.hopkintonheavyhitters.org/#!introclass/cjg9

New Bedford - April 26, 2014
http://rodgun-nb.org/ap/schedules/Intro to USPSA 2014.pdf



IDPA Intro Programs:
---------------------
Metro West Tactical - April 5, 2014
http://www.metrowesttactical.com/Upcoming-Events

GOAL - no posed yet
http://goal.org/training/schedule.html
 
+1 on the G34.

If you polish the bearing surfaces in the trigger and install a 4.5 lb striker spring, you will have a very nice trigger for next to nothing.

A lot of people spend a lot of money replacing the Glock sights. I don't think its worth it to go big bucks. I spray sight black on the rear sight to eliminate the U notch and then put a $25 fiber optic in front.

I'm one of those who replace the sights. I just can't stand the Glock sights. I use a Dawson fiber front and a plain black 10-8 rear sight.
 
Although not required, if you're interested in getting into the shooting sports of USPSA or IDPA an intro program is a great way to get started. Topics covered include saftey rules, equipment and divisions, how the scoring works, etc. There are several great programs put on by local clubs in the eastern-MA area. All require pre-registration so be sure to contact them ahead of time to signup. These usually fill up fast.

USPSA Intro Programs:
---------------------
Hopkinton - March 22 & 23, 2014
http://www.hopkintonheavyhitters.org/#!introclass/cjg9

New Bedford - April 26, 2014
http://rodgun-nb.org/ap/schedules/Intro to USPSA 2014.pdf



IDPA Intro Programs:
---------------------
Metro West Tactical - April 5, 2014
http://www.metrowesttactical.com/Upcoming-Events

GOAL - no posed yet
http://goal.org/training/schedule.html

This is great I will have to coordinate with my work schedule!


You may find that either the glock or the M&P may not fit your hand. You don't want to be shooting a pistol in comp that doesn't fit.

M&P 9 Pro vs Glock 34 - both have the longer sight radius but the full-size 9 or 34 are also perfectly acceptable. Either way, try one and buy another if it doesn't work! Then you can have a spare or introduce another shooter to the sport.

I currently shoot the G21 and it fits my hand like a glove. I shoot it decently albeit a little left. I was thinking about the 9MM cartridge for follow up shots and capacity, without concern/realizing the different classes for power.
 
I have had both a G17 and G34 (current gun) They both are great guns if you like the glock grip angle. I like the longer barrel of the G34 along with the sight radius. Either will do. I do like the M&P's they are nice but I'm a glock guy. It will just come down to what feels good in your hands.

Like another member posted a Glock 35 might not be a back choice either. With a conversion barrel and a few 9mm mags you can use 40 and 9.

Again best of luck. My choice would be the glock 34, gen 4 if you can get one. I love mine
 
When did "need" ever come into the equation??? [rofl]


Too true. BTW, the class MAShooter lists above Hopkinton - March 22 & 23, 2014 http://www.hopkintonheavyhitters.org/#!introclass/cjg9
Is now full. We have only ever run one of these each spring.

One thing we tell all those that are new to competition is NOT to go out and spend money on equipment right away. Bring whatever pistol you have and can safely handle. It will fit into one or more of the divisions and allow you to learn the sport and what works for others and might work well for you. I always bring lots of spare equipment to our classes so that the students can try it out. They tend to learn pretty quickly that it is the shooter that makes the difference MUCH more than the pistol they use.

When I began shooting USPSA/IPSC competition there was a new concept called "Limited" Division. Prior to that, "all handguns competed equally." Then the advent of customized pistols with double stack magazines, ported barrels, and optical sights created a need for separation of equipment.

I began with a $200 1911 .45, some surplus 7-8 round magazines, and a crappy nylon holster. I am now classified in all six divisions of USPSA and enjoy them all. I shoot whatever pistol I happen to pull out of the safe on match day.

Equipment really only makes a difference at the top levels of competition.

I also shoot IDPA on occasion with my box stock G-17 and a Glock sport holster. (About $15) . As long as I do my part, the scores will reflect my performance. I never feel disadvantaged due to the equipment I use.
 
I have had both a G17 and G34 (current gun) They both are great guns if you like the glock grip angle. I like the longer barrel of the G34 along with the sight radius. Either will do. I do like the M&P's they are nice but I'm a glock guy. It will just come down to what feels good in your hands.

Like another member posted a Glock 35 might not be a back choice either. With a conversion barrel and a few 9mm mags you can use 40 and 9.

Again best of luck. My choice would be the glock 34, gen 4 if you can get one. I love mine

Unfortunately a 35 with a 9mm conversion barrel is not legal in USPSA Production division.
 
I sold a M&P 9 to get a 34 to start in production. No need to shoot .40 in production and power factor is not relevant. The glock is good in that there are lots of cheap options for mags and parts, as I easily picked up a few dozen mags never paying more than $20 each. ( try doing that with m&p mags ). I'm still not in love with the grip angle and to be honest I hope to shoot more SS division this year than production. Still scrounging up parts for my 2011 limited setup as well.
 
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