Shoot whatever you have. In ESP, I've shot a wimpy-loaded .38 Super, a Browning Hi-Power, and a Delta Elite with full-power ammo. Each has its charms. I got pretty good in CDP with a full-size 1911, but this year I've been shooting a Detonics Combat Master, loaded 6+1, and am having a ball. The most important thing is to get out and shoot. A lot of people don't give their carry gun much thought, other than how it immediately strikes them when they hold it or sight down the top (wow, that's comfortable, and I like those 3-dots sights . . . not!). Actually shooting the gun under dynamic conditions can teach you a lot about your gun and how it suits you. The Detonics is my carry gun, but until I shot it at matches, I didn't realize the slide didn't always lock back, or that my standard grip allowed my thumb to ride the slide and cause malfunctions. After a half-dozen matches, I'm holding the gun differently, and have modified my mags - things that I may have never realized needed attention, otherwise. People will say IDPA is a game, and don't try to use it as "training", etc., but it is good trigger time, under conditions you won't face at the bowling alley-style range where most people shoot.