Thread: Pistol shooters

For those that shoot pistols for IPSC, what are you using and why.

Thing I'm interested in hearing:
What gun, class and what power factor you running?

What belts, holsters and mag holders?

Lastly, whats it cost you in hardware(not ammo and reloading etc)

Thanks.

Originally Posted by Uplandstalker

For those that shoot pistols for IPSC, what are you using and why.

Thing I'm interested in hearing:
What gun, class and what power factor you running?

What belts, holsters and mag holders?

Lastly, whats it cost you in hardware(not ammo and reloading etc)

Thanks.

I started in Std Class 20 years ago with Para .40 S&W, traded up to a new and custom built STI 2011 in same calibre and still Std Class. Then moved from Std class to Open with a new and also custom built STI 2011. Now I sold everything and shoot a Tanfogilio IPSC model .45 1911 in Classic Division. Holster is / always CR Speed. Total Cost incl Belts, Holsters, etc etc, no idea and never added em up. Gun costs Original Para was $2K, STI Std Gun was I think 4-5K and Open gun was over 6K. Not included are the costs of my shotty and Ar(s) for 3 gun.

My .45 is also for sale currently as I have lost the motivation and this most likely will be the last year I keep my "B"
I have never owned anything other than 1911 type guns. JMB designed the best so why use anything else!!

Originally Posted by mikee

I started in Std Class 20 years ago with Para .40 S&W, traded up to a new and custom built STI 2011 in same calibre and still Std Class. Then moved from Std class to Open with a new and also custom built STI 2011. Now I sold everything and shoot a Tanfogilio IPSC model .45 1911 in Classic Division. Holster is / always CR Speed. Total Cost incl Belts, Holsters, etc etc, no idea and never added em up. Gun costs Original Para was $2K, STI Std Gun was I think 4-5K and Open gun was over 6K. Not included are the costs of my shotty and Ar(s) for 3 gun.

My .45 is also for sale currently as I have lost the motivation and this most likely will be the last year I keep my "B"
I have never owned anything other than 1911 type guns. JMB designed the best so why use anything else!!

Thanks - I've seen you 45 on the website. Sounds like a great package deal.

How did you find the double stack STI compared to the singles?

i have just started out , and bought a glock 17 , a gsg.22 (1911 style) and a sig 226 9mm .... also will get the nea ar15 .... pistols were cheap , $999 for the glk $699 for the gsg.22 and $1500 for the sig ... belts , mag holders and holster , around 3 hundy , or slightly more ....

Have a CZ SP01 Shadow in 9mm, Production class. Picked it because I've done a lot of rifle target shooting (still do) and trigger control is important to me. Mentally I found I was muscling the pistol when shooting a Glock. It's just personal preference, I like the 2lb trigger it has. Cost was @$1300

Holster is a BladeTech, holds the CZ firmly and nicely. I've also shot with a Double Alpha Race Master holster, which takes some getting used to. If you're starting off for the 1st time, the BladeTech one is good, firm, solid. Cost was @$200 ??

Belt and mag holders are Double Alpha - 4 mag holders and 1 magnetic which is my at 1st position. Cost was @$200 ???

Picked all of the above from Chris at New Zealand Travel ~ New Zealand Tourism ~ NZ Information and Chris was great in holding the CZ till my B and then P2P came through. While he had it, he even cleaned it after I shot it ! Nice man :-)

I shoot Production because it is a cheap entry level, although as I get older and my eyesight goes to crap I'll probably migrate to Open with a C-More like many people do. There's loads of new shooters to compete against which is good for an entry level shooter - there's nothing more demoralising than thinking you're doing good and getting smashed by someone who has been shooting for 20 years - and being 9mm, it's cheap and easy to reload on my Dillon Square Deal.

Grr, that's Competition Guns from Chris. Bloody forum won't allow me to edit the post

Originally Posted by Uplandstalker

Thanks - I've seen you 45 on the website. Sounds like a great package deal.

How did you find the double stack STI compared to the singles?

My grips were thinned on the STI's so not much different really and a 1911 platform is a 1911 platform so all controls where they should be. I am not a big fan of the newer "striker fired" guns. But its what you are used too.

I use a CZ SP-01 Shadow in production division. When I was in the market, I fired a CZ and a glock side by side. The CZ was much more suited to my grip, and I shot a hell of a lot better with it. I paid $1600 (which was probably too much but I wanted it).

Just starting to reload for it now I have collected enough brass. My current load is 135 power factor (4.3gr AP70N with 124gr CMJ) but will be tuning a load down to 130pf in the near future.

As for gear - I use a CR Speed WSM II holster,3 (soon to be 4) CR Versa pod pouches, and a CR speed belt. I think all up this cost $500 ish. I have also just put a DAA magnet in my first position for mag pickup stages.

On order I have 4 Mecgar 19round magazines to keep as match mags. I will continue to use my factory ones for practice. In the long run I will get another 4 mecgar mags for practice as well.

Pistol shooting really seems to be one of those sports where if you think you cant afford it, you probably cant. The ongoing cost with reloading ammo (think 200+ rounds per range visit) makes it somewhat pricey. Especially if you want to do well in competitions = lots of rounds down range.

Currently looking at some of the Tanfoglio range, the Stock 3 seems nice(the Limited Custom even better). Cost a little more(around $2200 with 5 mags) than the Shadow, and a heap more than the Glock. They do appear pretty nice, but need to find someone with one to try, otherwise the shadow could be a good option. The CZ Tactical Sport looks nice, but again would want to put some rounds through one first, and same price as the Stock 3.

Have fired a few Springfield XD's and they didn't feel quite right, the same with S&W M&P's - these while all in 40S&W. Even the H&K USP I've used was nice, but not nice enough to buy. Yet to use a Glock and not holding my breath that it's the right answer, maybe a starter though due to price.

If 1911, the Witness or Para seem to be the right direction.

Weather it is rifle, shotgun or pistol, you need to feed them something. On going costs are just a part of most sports(particularly shooting sports). I did shoot clay's every weekend for a few years and the feeding cost are not to much different. I'm pretty sure I know what I'm getting myself into(the wife might to be quite sure yet).

Thanks all for the info so far.

Keep an eye on TradingPost at PNZ too

I have big hands and a healthy respect for the late great John Moses Browning and his fabulous 1911 design too so I went straight to Para 1445's. I bought two of them, one was a Limited with the ambi safety which I added a mag well flare to and kept as standard class. The other I milled down the rear of the slide and fitted a C-more STS, compensator and mag well flare which I ran in open class. My belt rig was all CRSpeed.

I loved the .45, there's no doubt it's making Major and no doubt where the hits are, it's like chucking buckets down range.

I had a squib load in the early days, the second shot in a double tap went up the date of the stuck projectile and bulged the barrel just enough to jamb the slide bushing at the swelling. Both projectiles then left the barrel. I had the bulge turned down and kept that barrel as a spare. If it had been a nine mil or a 38 stupor, it would probably have written off the frame and injured me or the RO.

Double stack 45ACP rocks, all others eat shit and die. Just sayin'.

I think I paid 1850 new for the one I made Open, and about 1900 for the Limited.

I miss them...

@Uplandstalker there's a 2nd hand Tang 9mm for sale via Auckland Pistol Club here. And Kerry is selling his CZ Shadow for $1,250, he mainly does ISSF shooting so it hasn't had a hard life.

My std para was a better gun than my STI mainly cause it held 19+1 and would still easily fit the "box" where my STI was 17+1 and was wedged into tbe "box"

At the std champs one the start position was gun in box, mag in gun but not round in chamber. On signal remove gun from box load chamber and start shooting. There was a lot of cursing by a few of us trying to unwedge gun from box in a hurry

I use a tanfoglio force because it lets me change between 9mm and .22 as i have a 9mm upper

Setup for standard class as its single action

I use a double alpha pdr low ride holster and belt with hoppner and schumann speedmag puches