Hello Mike R.
Please allow me to detract you for just a moment.
If you are going to compete, then the initial cost of the guns is not that important. At first it appears that way, but when you do the math you will see that over a couple of few short years things look a little different.
Now if you are talking IPSC Open Division you might as well be talking to a rock than me. But when the magic word, 'Limited' comes to mind, well, pull-up a chair and let-me-tell-you.
Back around, say 1986-87, the CZ family of pistols tryed their best to wrestle the 1911 market away from IPSC style shooters. There is nothing wrong with CZ's, they sponsored a bunch of individual shooters & matches, hung huge banners at the big and small matches & placed ads in the gun rags. Even Jeff Cooper built his Bren Ten on a CZ platform. But it just didn't happen for CZ; not IPSC, not for its shooters or Jeff Cooper. Why? Who knows? I don't. Okay. So what does this have to do with you?
Going down the CZ path is a mistake. You may think you will save some money or do something with a CZ that has never been done before, but, I'm telling you I've already seen the results from this type of thinking before and it just isn't there. If you will project your total pistol costs; parts-shipping-gunsmithing-jams because it aint right and you just threw away match fees-getting beat because of the jam-ammo selection-bullet weight speed configuration, cast-plated-powder-sights-magazines-magazine springs-number of mags, number of mags that don't work, number of mags you need, holsters..."well lets see...you have a 'what' again? And you want some mag holders too?" you will see that CZ is no bargin. Save some time & money and aggravation and listen-up.
In America, CZ and its clones are non-standard guns. They work. They're just not standard here and that means that you will pay more for that non standard choice than you would have if you chose to go with a factory stock Glock or Sig. You're reading this from someone who, if he'd had the money at the time, would have paid good money to put a aftermarket compensator on a 1970s Colt Gold Cup. Thank God for Springfield. Altering a Colt 1911 for IPSC was just as silly then as it is to try and 'Hot Rod' some Euro iron for IPSC is today.
I think IPSC is loseing a lot of shooters. It happens right after they realize they've been stomped by a less experienced shooter with a stock gun. Then they add-up the costs and conclude that they just spent 3 or 4 times as many dollars they thought they would or should have on the gun. Frustration sets in and they quit. God knows how many shooters I've sent home crying. Just because I said I have not been shooting IPSC lately, and just because this is the first time you've seen me here, doesn't mean it is my first time here, or that I've stopped shooting, or stopped practicing, especially my gun handling skills & movement. None the less, I've been stomped before and just as sure to be grinded into the peat gravel in the future. Ah, the taste of dirt.
"Yes, all these are all factory 230 gr. FMJs, yes that's a state-of-the-art 1985 leather rig, no those sights aren't ajustable, yes I did make all the reloads without a mag-funnel, no, never put one on, yes it's a real Colt. The blue ones are 7 shot and the silver ones are 8. That one is 10. Yes, those are my initals up there. How did you do?"
Sigs in 9x19 come with factory, works everytime, 20 rd mags. Glock 40s, standard 15 shot mags same same. Did I mention they also work right out of the box? Do you want to tinker around with pistols or do you want to shoot?We are talking limited right. Holsters & mag pouchs no sweat. No A_ _ K_ _ _ing the gunsmith or UPS or Deter in Euro land for parts. Home rolling your on ammo is a snap because everyone and their dog knows the reqirements for a uniform 9mm or 40 cal. Keep in mind I'm not the only one to realize this.
Springfield and Smith & Wesson and others have come to the same conclusion. They have come out with pistols to compete with Glock & Sig. That is fine. The value is still with Glock & Sig. Full size versions. Have fun.
