What Would You Choose As An All Round Club Competition Pistol

M

Mike H

New member
I'm hoping that I'll soon be able to start doing some club competition shooting again and I'm wondering which pistol would best fit the bill.

I've done some pin shooting at my old club in SW Pa with a 9mm and found that it was only suitable for shooting pins off the back of the tables. It simply didn't have the power to despatch pins set on the spots which are further forward. I don't want to go up to a .45 though because my wife needs to shoot it too and prefers 9mm over heavier calibers.

So would you consider a mid or full size 9mm to be adequate for general competition shooting and if so, which would you choose.

Advice Appreciated,

Mike H
 
Hello, Mike H. 9mm is my favorite all around pistol cartridge, but for pin shoots using a semiauto, I'd go with a .45ACP. I think that even though you want a 9mm gun due to your wife, you'd be better off with a 1911 in .45ACP, letting her practice with lighter handloads and working up to the competition loads........if you handload. As a Texas CHL instructor, we've had several women in their 70s qualify using 1911s with standard factory ball so it can be done.

If you wish to use a 9mm for this, I'd likely try and find a heavy one. That boils down to a 1911 platform. I think that STI and Springfield offer Gov't model 5" 1911s in 9mm and that might be worth a look.

Best and good luck.
 
Well, I really like my full-sized metal EAA Witnesses, and you can also get the same thing in the CZ75.

That's what I choose.......





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"all my handguns are competition handguns"
 
You got me confused for a sec- You say that 9mm doesn't have the knockdown power but yet you want another 9mm?

What type of 9mm are you presently using?

I agree with Mr. Camp. If you want increased knockdown power on the pins, then you should try a 1911. If the wife can handle a full size 9mm then she should be able to shoot a 1911. You can shoot reduced power reloads or lead bullets to decrease the amount of recoil. The .45 bullet will have no problem clearing the pins.

Another favorite is the Browning Hi Power. I have the Argentenian FM model and the wife has adopted it as her home defense pistol. I have had her through the ringer with guns I thought she could shoot and she finally- after 13 years of me trying to get her a pistol- she settled on the Hi Power. The BHP's and clones typically shoot better than the shooter could ever hold them and aftermarket extended length barrels are also available if you want some extra velocity.

Anyway, I just hate trying to pry my gun out of the grips of a greedy woman..oh yeah..that's right..I did buy it for her..cough..cough.. :D

I love and carry the .45 Cartridge, but I believe the only downfall is ammo expense compared to the 9mm if you don't reload or buy bulk. I can get 100 rounds of Winchester 9mm ball ammo for 12 bucks at Wallyworld. It's hard to beat that on a budget.

Good SHooting
RED
 
If it has to be a 9mm, but it also should be capable of being as powerful as a 9mm can be, I'd choose a Glock 34. You could load it with mild loads like the PMP ball or hot +P+ ammo.

If handloading is an option, then a .45 ACP or .40 S&W will work well for pins with warm loads and well for plinking with soft loads.
 
Glock 17 or 34 (if you don't want to carry it concealed when not competing) or Glock 19 (if you do).

I shoot IDPA using my G19, and haven't ever felt like I was "missing out" by having a 1/2" shorter slide and grip.
 
Mike,
If you want one pistol to do it all, then seriously look at a 1911 style. A 38 Super might be just the ticket. It kicks a little more than a 9mm, but not much. It has a little more power than the 9 in factory loads, and if done carefully in a supported barrel, it can be reloaded to near the hotter 357 mags. I personally would go for a SV/STI double stack 1911 if 40 as a good all around, but springfield armory has a new single stack 40 that is going for about $600-700. It's worth a look. Th 40 will give you a slight edge in pin shooting, and if you go on to IPSC or IDPA it will be competitive if you will.
 
Why don't you get a 1911 in .45 ACP and just download some .45 ammo? A 230gr. LRN and 3.4gr of Hogden Clays chronos in the 640fps range and is VERY soft shooting.

If your wife is learning proper technique, sooner or later she'll be quite capable of handling and enjoying full power loads and this way you don't have to buy another gun down the road (not that that that's a bad thing!).

I started my wife this way. She's small, thin, and not athletic and after a couple years of shooting the light loads, she can and does shoot anything.

If you do go with the downloaded .45 route in a 1911, use a 12lb recoil spring and optionally, a tungsten guide rod. The extra weight out front really changes the impulse which feels very slow and smooth.
 
Full size 1911 or Glock 17

I guess the question is why not use one of these two.

I have never seen an event where a 1911 with a 8 round or 10 round mag would not be perfect. A full sized steel 1911 does not have much recoil. My range uses 185 TMJ that even makes major. And the 1911 grip is thin for smaller hands.

If you really want a 9mm- you can't go wrong with a Police refurb Glock 17. I am a lefty and bought a CZ-85. But I would not have made a bad decision going with the Glock instead.

Those tupperware guys are weird, but they have fun at those GSSFs (sp?). 9mm is cheaper - but not as much fun


Good luck

S-
Shawn
 
I have used my P226 loaded with 147 grain loads for local pin shoots. I have also used 124 grain NATO ball with good success.
 
Don't know anything about pin shooting but if .40 works how about a Sig 229 with .40 and 9mm exchangable barrels?
Ronin
 
Thanks for the responses.

Ronin308 - I used to be a member at the South Connellsville Rod & Gun Club right on the WV border. I am actually English and my mother in law lives maybe 100 yards from the club, that's where pistol shooting started for me. It was here that I was introduced to the concept of pin shooting using a borrowed Taurus PT-99 (Beretta 92 copy) and 115 grain FMJ's, not surprisingly these had poor performance on the pins.

It's strange how few people talk about using the .40, it either seems to be "use a heavy nine" or "use a .45 with lead bullets". Most people at my club did indeed seem to use 1911's for pin shoots.

Thanks

Mike H
 
A 9mm like the BHP great - mild recoil, name brand ammo available for under $6/box (if you wait for the sales). And serious ammo is available for personal protection.

If you go to a .45, the traditional "midrange" target load is a 200 grain SWC bullet on top of 3.5 grains of Bullseye...some stiff "hardball" guns may need 4.2 grains of Bullseye to function, but that's still a light load. It's good for paper punching, accurate to 50 yards, with negligible recoil. But I wouldn't use it on pins; it might bounce back at you!
 
I agree the Glock 34 in 9mm would be the 'best' 9 IMO, but if it was me, and it is, I got the Glock 35 in 40s&w. I love it, super accurate- and fun to shoot.
 
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