Tell us your IPSC pistol history!

9X21

9X21

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Some of us who been in & out of shooting over the years have seen a steady evolution of competition pistols. Mine went something like this:
1988 Colt Gold Cup .45 singe-stack
Fit Wilson comp myself & it actually worked!
1989 Caspian framed .45 single-stack
I build in my basement w/ Dan S "Mr. Bill comp" kit, it actually worked too!
1990 Caspian framed .38 Super single-stack comp guns
two build by Dan S, No more home gunsmithing, the Arms race was on!
1991 P-9 time!
two build by Dan S, had to add tasco red dot scopes by year end!
one more built by George Huening by 1992, 175 PF broke lot's of slide stop pins.
1993 Bought used caspian wide body in 9X21, built by Matt McLearn & EGW
1994 Another Caspian wide body in 9x21
built by Jody Joseph from CT., Accu railed, Aimpoint, nice, but big & heavy!
1995 STI 9x21 with .40 extra upper end built by Joseph
Two guns in one, (limited was just starting)
1997-2003 Took hiatus, job & kids left little time for shooting!,
I had lot's of money during that time, wonder why?
2004 Returned to the fun of IPSICK, lower PF to 165. Sweet!
All my equipment is out of date! What to do? All my gun plumbers not in the book anymore.
2005 Bedell Shorty's in 9x21
silly 2MM longer than 9major!

Tell us yours
 
This should be an interesting thread.......I'll play!

1989- Started out with a S&W 745 .45 stocker right out of the box. Used it for only a couple months before I got tired of the Thumb safety working the wrong way.

Late 89- Colt Delta Elite 10mm. Stock. Found having an extra round over the .45 guys was great!

1990- Put the Bomar cut in the slide myself and sent a barsto barrel to DanS for him to thread and add his two chamber comp. Shot this very well performing 10mm all year into the next. Downloading the 10mm round to 175 was a dream!

1991- Got hooked after shooting a DanS built EAA witness race gun in 9x21. Ordered mine from DanS that very night. Latest and greatest high cap on the market built by a proven Local Gunsmith. That gun ROCKED!! I wish I still had it today. The Red Dot sight came in to play mid 91 so I had to get one of those. I choose the Propoint. Was then asked by a connection to a japanese manufacturer to test out a new scope and agreed. Mounted a 40mm tube on it and took off! Welcome to Master Class !

1992- Got tired off some of the politics that were going on in the sport at that time and started a family I retired from the sport.

2005- Hired DanS at my place of employment, got to talking about the good ole days of shooting and decided to shoot again. Found out that there were now a bunch of classes to choose from so I returned shooting a Barry Hurd built single stack Caspian/Springfield Armory .45 in limited 10.

2006- built my own Para .40 limited gun. Working the kinks out of it when I am able to shoot.

Thats my story and I'm sticking with it!
 
Me next! Although remembering what year I did things is a little blurry.
1980, read an article about IPSC, looked like fun, found that a local club ran matches. Took my 1911A1 to a semi local smith that I read about. Shot a Combat Commander in the mean time. Finally got the 1911A1 back, not happy. Being a machinist, I knew I could do better.
Maybe 1981, build Colt Mk 4 Series 70 Gov't Model. 45ACP, Bomars, NM barrel, checkered. I don't remember if beavertails were available at that time.
Couple years later, started playing with compensators. Eventually started making the MBTS comp (Mr Bill, Two Stage) Mr Bill of SNL fame :) Shot the comped 45 a couple years.
A single stack 9MM is in here too, did that for 9 pin at Second Chance. Shot it in a couple matches.
Para Ordnance frame kit in aluminum. In 45 ACP. 13 round mags.....heheh take that Devel!
Single Stack 38 Super, full profile comp, hooked trigger guard, lot's of checkering, serrations, stippling, mag well of my design.
1990 or 91. Need more bullet!! TZ 75 in 9x21. Rules said we couldn't load 9x19 to major. Italy to the rescue!! The "squirt gun" was long slided for more weight, to stay together longer, welded on beavertail, mag well, more checkering, serrations and stippling. A scope grew on it at some point.
Next came a Chip McCormick frame for 38 Super again. This was made by Virgil Tripp, using Chip's fame for marketing. Got tired of shooting this one. They finally made Open and Limited class. Sold the fat super, pulled out the Series 70 and shot limited for a while.
2005 Hal and I kinda gave each other the "bug" and started shooting IPSC again. Rejoined USPSA, got my old number back!!! Wooo Hooo....something to show the "new" shooters :) Dusted off the old Colt again.....
Hmmmm....still need more bullets!!
Now, SVI framed .40 sits in the shooting bag. Yup, Bomars again, bull barrel, slightly lightend slide,( it looks trick) no heavy frame, huge Dawson ICE magwell, stippling, serrations etc.
Whew!
 
That doesn't even cover the othervarious match specific guns. Long range pistols, early chopped AR's, and my favorite, the box mag fed Remington .22lr pump rifle!
 
That's easy...
'03 Mansfield/MRA steel matches with CZ 75 (I guess my P9 phase)
'04 USPSA with a Santurri Caspian 1911 .45 in L10
'05 USPSA with Santurri STI .40 in Limited (had to get one after seeing PistolPete's SV!)
'06 USPSA with Santurri STI 9major in Open
next for '06 is to shoot some IDPA with a new Santurri STI 9mm in ESP or go full circle with the CZ in Production.
 
GTOShootr said:
That's easy...
'03 Mansfield/MRA steel matches with CZ 75 (I guess my P9 phase)
'04 USPSA with a Santurri Caspian 1911 .45 in L10
'05 USPSA with Santurri STI .40 in Limited (had to get one after seeing PistolPete's SV!)
'06 USPSA with Santurri STI 9major in Open
next for '06 is to shoot some IDPA with a new Santurri STI 9mm in ESP or go full circle with the CZ in Production.
Click to expand...

Steve,
You've only been playing this game for 3 years and want a cool nickname?????
 
GTOShootr said:
No, I'm all set for nicknames. I've finally lived down "Psycho" from highschool.
Click to expand...

Psycho,
I like it,
I seen this kid shoot, he's pretty good for only 3 years in the league.

I think we have Steve's nickname![laugh2]
 
I have a suggestion for Steve...How about "Grasshopper"

Learning at the feet of our local Master Matt Joe......

Ah Grasshopper, when you can snatch your pistol out of your holster and double tap in .97 secs..you will be ready.........
 
Hammer
I was thinking the same thing. Although, if he shot a bit more like Rusty did, Psycho would be far more appropriate!!
Of course there's "Baby Face" Pete!
He'll learn to be careful for what he wishes for. :)
 
Mine's probably the shortest

2006 Started out with a S&W 1911, been having fun every since

oh and ordered a Bedell shorty because Open looks like alot of fun
 
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Supermoto,
I think the IPSC history of the majority of posters on this site will be like Psycho's and yours. You're beginning your version of history. We were in your position a couple or few decades ago.
As you probably read, Hammer shoots several Bedell guns. Good reputation, reliable, and nice cosmetics. If I didn't pound on my own guns, I'd have given serious consideration to Dan Bedell's work.
 
Here is my IPSC history:

03 Shot at MRA steel matches starting with a Sig P226 .40. Everyone told me I "NEEDED" a 1911. I wasn't sure why but I went out and bought a Dan Wesson 1911. Started shooting it a little bit and was told I "NEEDED" to put a comp. and C-More etc. on it. So, I did and shot open with a single stack for steel matches. Now that I had an open gun I "NEEDED" a limited gun so I bought an SW1911 when they first came out. Didn't shoot the gun that well so it went into the safe.

04 I watched my first IPSC match and decided I "NEEDED" to shoot IPSC. Then I saw Rob Boudries SV and decided I "NEEDED" one. A couple of months later I received my SV double stack .40 w/full dust cover, stipled grips, Bomars and F.O. I've since added an Ice Magwell and Brazos Micro dot front sight. I've been shooting this gun since.

05 I took the entire year off of shooting to do Kart Racing. Sold some guns, bought a kart, trailer, and tons of gear. Decided racing wasn't as fun as shooting so I sold all my gear and got back into shooting.

06 I was at the Marlboro gunshow and saw Rob Boudries JP Rifle and decided I "NEEDED" one. Big plans of shooting 3 gun (which I have yet to do) I had JP build a Rifle for me and I also bought a Benelli M1 shotgun.

Decided I wanted to shoot open so I gave Brazos a call in January to build an open gun. Ordered a 4.5" barrel race gun that should be done this week or next week. Hopefully, I'll be able to give some of the open guys a run for their money... haha

Also, thinking of building a baby brother to the Brazos by having him build a limited gun for me as well. This would make the open and limited gun very similiar. We'll see how the open gun shoots first.

Pete

ps. Great topic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
I’m not an IPSC pistol shooter, and I don’t know a lot about the stuff you are talking about, but the competitive enthusiasm is familiar.

Neat topic. More posts please.

B
 
I didn't get a chance to so I'll have to wait till the Area 7 match in a few months. I got the call that my open gun will be done soon so my focus has been on that.

Pete
 
1st match ever some time in 96 i think- HK USP 45, where i finished like next to last or something. Even ran out of ammo in those silly little 10 round mags I had at the time on a stage.
2nd match and for a few years after-
Used Caspian 1911 in the evil 9x21, apparently Bruce Piatt's gun at one time as it was stamped BP1. This gun eventually was shot so much it became a 9x23 on it's own. After hating the unreliability of it, in like 98 or 99, I spent $1900 on a year or two old:

Para 38 super this gun went on to serve me very, very well. And it was a sad day before the Aware match after like 7 years of use when the slide broke. Although I'm sure some would say it was about time it finally broke.

For one match, 2004 Aware- friends Para 38 super built by Dave Santurri, which i pulled all the parts out of and put all my old gun's part's into, won A class, finished 3rd.

Then came the current gun:
38 Super SVI IMM version with 2 hole schuemann bbl and 4 top, 2 side port comp. This gun went and won A class at the Little Big Match, threw me into Master class and went and won the Aware match for me. I hope it lasts me as long as the Para did, and it better not stop at Master.

For limited guns i'll use either a para limited 45, or SVI longdust cover 40
But those guns dont come out often
 
38supermatt said:
This gun went and won A class at the Little Big Match, threw me into Master class and went and won the Aware match for me. I hope it lasts me as long as the Para did, and it better not stop at Master.
Click to expand...

I have a feeling it isn't the gun that brought you into Master.... hmmmm I could be onto something. LOL
 
PistolPete said:
I have a feeling it isn't the gun that brought you into Master.... hmmmm I could be onto something. LOL
Click to expand...
Of course it's the gun!! Geeze you haven't shot this game long enough to have figured out it's always the gun, at least for the upper classified shooters!
Raw talent and time put in couldn't possibly have anything to do with it....sheesh :)
 
After shooting PPC since the late 70's, I got into IPSC late in life. 1999 I started club matches with a Para. It was OK but I really wasn't having fun.

Went to a 625 in 2000, a 610 for a while but now have gone back to blue guns. I now shoot a 25-2 with a 6.5" barrel and a very nice action job. Shoot a similar 25-2 in IDPA with a nice trigger on that. (They may be changing color as I am really looking hard at NP3)

Worse experience was not being properly prepared for a major match and the 30 plus round field courses. Shot it with IDPA gear and ran out of ammo before I finished. That will never happen again.

Although it takes a little more belt to hold the same ammo you open shooters do, I can go to the line with 48 rounds and be ready.

Yes, I am a revolver shooter. You may see me in single stack occasionally or in Production, but I am a revolver shooter. Just because we are a little old fashioned, doesn't mean we rode the short bus to the range.[grin]

What a great sport.

Regards,
 
Well I guess I'll throw mine in.

"98" shot my first match at Pelham with a Norinco 1911. shot about a dozon or so matches with that. from there went to a custom P14 limited. the frame cracked so I got a new frame and built a P14 open gun. ( which today is my open pin gun) at the time I could not get it to run right so I gave it up.
Then a fellow shooter says hey! I got an STI limited gun for sale. Well I bought that and shot it for a couple years.
Then i got an itch to shoot open again, bought an STI open gun from a guy I shot with on ocation. That would not run worth of S**T. so I turned it in to a Modified gun and shot steel with it. Again went back to limited with a long dust cover SVI built by Santurri.
I think around "01" comes Revolver, A 586 4" cut for moon clips. That did not work out too well. got a 5" 625, much better! Shot that for a few matches, got bored, went back to Limited with a Fred Craig Fantom Caspian.
Got bored, went back to Revo with a 4" 625 PC. "03" shot my first Area7 match with it, took 2nd Revo div. at that match.
early "04" went back to open with a Caspian 38 super. had that rebuilt into a 9mm Major in late "04". By mid "05" I got my "A" card with that gun.
Today, Back to revo. 5" 610 and a 6.5" 610. Been shooting those since March.
In the mix of the years I have shot,
Sigs
glocks
caspian limited 9mm Minor
open Revolvers

Who knows what i will shoot next.
 
In historical order

1. Gold gup (the gun I had laying around when I found out about IPSC)

2. Colt 45, single chamber comp, built by Guy Hammond of AZ

3. Colt single stack 38 super, singls chamber comp, built by Jake Kempton,
bought used.

4. 38 Super CAspian wide body, 4 chamber comp, built by Bob Javery of MA

5. SVI/Infinity 40 S&W wide body

6. SVI/Infinity 38 super/supercomp wide body w/Cmore (test fired only; I've
got to try open again one of these days)
 
This is a GREAT thread. Who thought that reading history could be so much fun? (By the way, my wife doesn't care about the old guns; she's only worried about the next gun. When I bought my first pistol, a Sig, I told her that I was only playing the game to get more comfortable with the only pistol that I would ever buy.)
 
Dan Hurley said:
This is a GREAT thread. Who thought that reading history could be so much fun? (By the way, my wife doesn't care about the old guns; she's only worried about the next gun. When I bought my first pistol, a Sig, I told her that I was only playing the game to get more comfortable with the only pistol that I would ever buy.)
Click to expand...


And she believed you????????????
 
Heck, I even believed myself at the time. Who could have guessed?

I told myself, "Never gonna get a race holster. Never gonna buy a race gun; what good is it?" I think I go through that "denial phase" in every hobby I try.
 
Dan Hurley said:
Heck, I even believed myself at the time. Who could have guessed?

I told myself, "Never gonna get a race holster. Never gonna buy a race gun; what good is it?" I think I go through that "denial phase" in every hobby I try.
Click to expand...
Was that a limited gun, or open gun that recently arrived from Texas?????
 
Ok my turn..

Late 2003, early 2004 I got bored with the HighPower rifle shooting events so I started showing up at MRA to play at their action shooting events (Knockdown steel, Pins, Plates..) it didnt take too long and I was hooked.

At the time I was shooting some stock HKs - I wanted a dot gun so I had Dave Santurri build me an open 45acp SVI bowling pin gun - kinda a waste for a double stack gun - but I loved how it fit my hands.

I then wanted a double stack "Steel" gun - it was an STI 2011 built by Alan Zitta (thanks Nick). I initially bought the pistol to shoot steel plates, then in September 2004 hdgun took me to my first IPSC match - hooked again - that weekend I decided I would skip the upcoming Highpower rifle season and concentrate on Action Pistol shooting (steel and IPSC) - I have not looked back since..

Ok,jump to 2005, I show up at a couple IPSC matches and decided the STI pistol was a bit too light and I needed a dedicated IPSC pistol pistol - mr 9x21 shows me his Bedell gun and the next week I had one on order.

My first classification got me my "B" card in Open and right now I am knocking on the "A" door (74.9%)

Last month I got my "B" card in Revolver

and in a couple weeks I am gonna try to get classified in Limited.

This is a great sport - I can't remember the last day (or year) that went by that I did think about or talk about shooting.

Paul
 
Last edited:
Dan S said:
Was that a limited gun, or open gun that recently arrived from Texas?????
Click to expand...

That Texas immigrant is a Limited smokewagon; but I have got some serious envy issues as I read about these Open guns. (Try to keep this a secret from my wife.)
 
Good,
I hope all those good limited shooter's go to OPEN, so I can go to limited and maybe be a big fish in a small pond![rofl]
 

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