Which pistol for IDPA?

J

jetdriver

New member
Okay, I am undecided. I am thinking about getting into IDPA locally, and have narrowed down the two pistols I want to get into to 2 or 3. I used to own a Glock 21, and liked it for many reasons. I currently own a smaller .45 for CCW. But, I am really interested in the Springfield XD 9, 4". I am drawn to 9mm for IDPA because ammo is cheap. I have narrowed it down to a GLock 21, or Glock 17. Or the SA XD9.

Pro's for the .45 that I can think of:

It's a .45! (i like .45...) but also I have another pistol in this caliber.

I have a Glock 21 frame, so I was thinking of getting a used 2nd gen G21, then I would have one frame with finger grooves, and one without.

I am very comfortable with Glocks, lots of aftermarket parts, etc.

Cons... ammo is expense, relatively speaking.

Pros for the XD9:

lots of 9mm ammo for practice.

I really like the ergonomics of the XD. grip angle...etc.
 
Nothing wrong with an XD, I mean Rob Leatham shoots one. But he works for Springfield. The rest of the SSP shooters use Glock, about 80%.
G17 is fine, G34 MIGHT be better.
G22 or G35 .40 cal would be good IF you reload, a light loaded .40 is said to be softer to shoot than 9mm hardball.
G21 costs more and kicks more, where is the competitive advantage?
 
jetdriver,

I think the SA XD9 is only allowed in ESP division, where most of the competition is 9mm/.38 Super/.40 caliber 1911's. Though there are plenty of people who do very well with an XD.

If you want to shoot in SSP, the Glock 17 or 34 are about as good as it comes.

Gene
 
At the 2004 IDPA Nationals, 330+ shooters competing:
95 Glocks, 5 of them G21 .45s. (and one G30 .45)
(43 G34s, 31 G17s, 6 G19s = 80 9mms)

Last year there were 8 G21s out of 90 Glocks, and that one G30.


Oh yeah, this year there were two (2.0) XD-9s.
 
If you reload, then the G21 would be just fine. I know a master class shooter that uses one and is very good with it, but again he reloads his own ammo using 185gr SWC's.

If you do not reload, the best choice is either the G17 or the G34.
 
A G17 etc enters IDPA in Stock Service Pistol, SSP, with a minimum power factor of 125. Common WWB runs around 1130 fps for a 115 grain bullet, PF 129.9. SSP was written FOR 9mm, pretty much.

An XD9 enters in Enhanced Service Pistol, ESP, (because it has a nominal single action trigger pull) with the same power factor.

9mm is just about perfect, cheap and adequately powerful.
 
Thanks again guys. This pistol is just for competition. I carry a 45 for CCW, but am thinking that 9mm is better for me for competition, because ammo is inexpensive.
 
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