Forgot to add, in Production division, if your gun is DA capable, the first shot must be in DA if the stage is a condition 2 (mag inserted, chamber unloaded) stage. Even if you gun is capable of C&L variant you still need to be DA for the first shot....
suggest me a gun for IPSC?
- Thread starter vanbeast
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another okie
Member
A used Glock 17 in good shape can sometimes be found for as little as $350. A couple of extra mags and a holster and mag pouch, and you're good to go for both Production class in IPSC and Stock Service Pistol in IDPA. The power factor thing doesn't matter in Production class in IPSC - everyone is minor.
What do you have already? Almost any revolver or semi auto will work for both IDPA and IPSC, and maybe you should shoot a little before buying anything new.
What do you have already? Almost any revolver or semi auto will work for both IDPA and IPSC, and maybe you should shoot a little before buying anything new.
Rob999, good advice, thanks. The only problem I have is that the only range ANYWHERE near me that rents guns is A) 90 minutes away and B) won't let me rent guns when I go in alone. I haven't been able to convince anyone to go with me...... anyone in Oregon want to go up to the CCC PSTC with me? 
okie, I don't currently own a gun. I'm really wishing I did, because then this wouldn't even be an issue.
So, I went and did a run around to the shops today and asked for advice from the shop owners (all the shops around here are small and staffed by their owners, who seem to be a pretty good bunch). One guy showed me a Smith 468? Something like that. Older, wooden grips, 9mm... nice looking and pointing gun, but with the comments people have said about Smith's, I'm sorta wary now. He also showed me a EAA Witness, which he told me was a CZ-75 clone. Is that true? It felt nice in my hand, but pointed way high for me.
The other shop was a different story. He seemed to believe that looking at a 9mm to lower the cost of ammo was ... shall we say, misplaced? He tells me that the local guys who shoot competitively usually just come in and buy boxes of Blazer, where there is only a $3 difference between 9mm and .45acp.
Normally, I would discount this as a sales pitch and move on to a different shop (this made the 3rd semi-bad experience at that shop). But then, he pulled something out of his case to show me. It was this gun with a really sexy dark grey matte finish and the words "Kimber Custom II" on the side. It felt right. It looks right. Everyone says it shoots right. The only problem is, it destroys my budget. Just the gun itself (with its *1* 7-rd mag) breaks my budget by about 60 bucks.
I'm trying SOOOOO hard to resist... I told myself I'd only spend $500 for the whole package... now I want to buy just a gun(!!) for more than that... not to mention the cost of getting enough mags to be able to complete a 50-60 round COF... jeeeeeeeez.
Should I save my pennies? I really wanted the lower ammo cost, but $3/box doesn't seem so bad... I'm still fairly new and ignorant as to the market and what guns are good guns and the game in general, so I apologize for all the questions.
Thanks a lot,
vb
okie, I don't currently own a gun. I'm really wishing I did, because then this wouldn't even be an issue.
So, I went and did a run around to the shops today and asked for advice from the shop owners (all the shops around here are small and staffed by their owners, who seem to be a pretty good bunch). One guy showed me a Smith 468? Something like that. Older, wooden grips, 9mm... nice looking and pointing gun, but with the comments people have said about Smith's, I'm sorta wary now. He also showed me a EAA Witness, which he told me was a CZ-75 clone. Is that true? It felt nice in my hand, but pointed way high for me.
The other shop was a different story. He seemed to believe that looking at a 9mm to lower the cost of ammo was ... shall we say, misplaced? He tells me that the local guys who shoot competitively usually just come in and buy boxes of Blazer, where there is only a $3 difference between 9mm and .45acp.
Normally, I would discount this as a sales pitch and move on to a different shop (this made the 3rd semi-bad experience at that shop). But then, he pulled something out of his case to show me. It was this gun with a really sexy dark grey matte finish and the words "Kimber Custom II" on the side. It felt right. It looks right. Everyone says it shoots right. The only problem is, it destroys my budget. Just the gun itself (with its *1* 7-rd mag) breaks my budget by about 60 bucks.
I'm trying SOOOOO hard to resist... I told myself I'd only spend $500 for the whole package... now I want to buy just a gun(!!) for more than that... not to mention the cost of getting enough mags to be able to complete a 50-60 round COF... jeeeeeeeez.
Should I save my pennies? I really wanted the lower ammo cost, but $3/box doesn't seem so bad... I'm still fairly new and ignorant as to the market and what guns are good guns and the game in general, so I apologize for all the questions.
Thanks a lot,
vb
MoNsTeR
Member
In all honesty, $3 a box difference is huge. Furthermore I can almost guarantee that the prices themselves are very bad in a relative sense. Just taking some guesses...
9mm: 150rds/match @ $7/box = $21
.45: 150rds/match @ $10/box = $30
And that's just the prices for shooting a match, don't forget you should be practicing every week, optimally shooting twice as many rounds per practice as per match. That would give a monthly ammo cost of...
9mm: 150rds/1match + 150-300rds/3practices = $84-$147
.45: 150rds/1match + 150-300rds/3practices = $120-$210
Now you start to see the difference. For just $27 more per month you can shoot twice as much 9mm in practice than you could .45. But wait, there's more! If there's a Walmart near you, you can get 9mm for $10.96/100rds. Which gives a monthly cost of about $66-$115 using the above round counts. And I'd be willing to bet that unless you live in a very competitive local market, ammo costs aren't as good as I've guessed. For example, around here you can't get .45 for less than $14/box.
Now you can probably guess why you're going to be getting strong recommendations to 1) start with a 9mm and 2) to take up reloading
9mm: 150rds/match @ $7/box = $21
.45: 150rds/match @ $10/box = $30
And that's just the prices for shooting a match, don't forget you should be practicing every week, optimally shooting twice as many rounds per practice as per match. That would give a monthly ammo cost of...
9mm: 150rds/1match + 150-300rds/3practices = $84-$147
.45: 150rds/1match + 150-300rds/3practices = $120-$210
Now you start to see the difference. For just $27 more per month you can shoot twice as much 9mm in practice than you could .45. But wait, there's more! If there's a Walmart near you, you can get 9mm for $10.96/100rds. Which gives a monthly cost of about $66-$115 using the above round counts. And I'd be willing to bet that unless you live in a very competitive local market, ammo costs aren't as good as I've guessed. For example, around here you can't get .45 for less than $14/box.
Now you can probably guess why you're going to be getting strong recommendations to 1) start with a 9mm and 2) to take up reloading
AZ Jeff
Member
Your opening line was "what gun should I get for IPSC?". A bunch of guys have offered recommendations, but the one thing that has not been suggested is to watch what the other guys are using in IPSC.
Since you are new to IPSC, you will probably not be shooting in "Open" class. You also stated you are on a budget. If you use the constraints of limited budget, and newbie to IPSC, you will find the typical IPSC (USPSA) shooter is shooting a Glock in "Production" class.
The Glock will probably serve you best for the following reasons:
1. economical purchase price(especially a used one)
2. economical to feed (if you choose 9x19)
3. "Production" class suitable, and Production will be where you are competing against other newbies
4. reliable/simple (good for limited budgets that cannot afford to keep a gunsmith on retainer)
Just my 2 cents coming from shooting IPSC since 1984........
Since you are new to IPSC, you will probably not be shooting in "Open" class. You also stated you are on a budget. If you use the constraints of limited budget, and newbie to IPSC, you will find the typical IPSC (USPSA) shooter is shooting a Glock in "Production" class.
The Glock will probably serve you best for the following reasons:
1. economical purchase price(especially a used one)
2. economical to feed (if you choose 9x19)
3. "Production" class suitable, and Production will be where you are competing against other newbies
4. reliable/simple (good for limited budgets that cannot afford to keep a gunsmith on retainer)
Just my 2 cents coming from shooting IPSC since 1984........
Jeff, thanks. I went to a match a while ago, and saw everyone shooting super expensive fancy guns. Just looked at the scores, almost everyone is shooting in Open. I asked a bunch of people who said "I shoot the SuperWhizBang Holepuncher 2000, but that'll be a little out of your range" while I was at the match, which is why I came here
Around here, I haven't been able to find a Glock (new or used) for less than 550. I also am not a huge fan of the Glock trigger/safety system, preferring DA/SA for my own peace of mind (my trigger discipline is not that great yet, so I'm trying to be careful).
Thanks for the advice, though, and I'll take another look for Glocks.
Around here, I haven't been able to find a Glock (new or used) for less than 550. I also am not a huge fan of the Glock trigger/safety system, preferring DA/SA for my own peace of mind (my trigger discipline is not that great yet, so I'm trying to be careful).
Thanks for the advice, though, and I'll take another look for Glocks.
AZ Jeff
Member
USPSA has an image problem, in that most persons first getting into the sport see the guys with the Open guns, or equally notorious Limited guns. The newbie then concludes he must have one of those two types of guns (which are VERY expensive) in order to compete.
The creation of "Production" class about 3 years ago is supposed to fix that. The intent with this class is to deliberately EXCLUDE the "fancy guns", and make it the place where the pistols that Joe Average owns can play.
Production has taken off with varying degrees of sucess at different clubs. It sounds like the club you visited was not one that has a big Production following. That, however, should NOT stop you from competing at that club in Production class, as it IS an official USPSA class, with equal standing to Limited and Open.
I would think you should be able to find a used Glock for somewhere around $400-$450. A police trade-in would be a real good example of this. Keep looking, and expand your search radius--they are out there.
The creation of "Production" class about 3 years ago is supposed to fix that. The intent with this class is to deliberately EXCLUDE the "fancy guns", and make it the place where the pistols that Joe Average owns can play.
Production has taken off with varying degrees of sucess at different clubs. It sounds like the club you visited was not one that has a big Production following. That, however, should NOT stop you from competing at that club in Production class, as it IS an official USPSA class, with equal standing to Limited and Open.
I would think you should be able to find a used Glock for somewhere around $400-$450. A police trade-in would be a real good example of this. Keep looking, and expand your search radius--they are out there.
AZ Jeff
Member
The Glock 17 is the full-sized model chambered for 9x19 (9mm Parabellum). It's probably the best choice for a budget-minded Production Class USPSA shooter.
As originally manufactured, it employed 17 round magazines. These are still available on the used market, but will cost you dearly--at least $60 each. Current magazines for this pistol only hold 10 rounds (per the limitations placed by the Crime Bill of 1994). These can be had for about $20 each, new.
I mention the magazine issue because you will need at least 3-4 magazines for USPSA or IDPA work, and new pistols come with 2 magazines, used pistols will only probably have one.
The Glock itself is such that it's pretty hard to render one unsafe without making it obvious.
I have bought several Glocks used, and aside from external finish appearance, here is what I would check:
1. trigger mechanism works as designed, and disconnects as designed when the slide cycles?
2. magazine latches in place, and mag does not come out when tugged upon without actuating mag latch.
3. slide runs smoothly when cycle by hand
4. sights secure on slide
5. no obviously missing parts
As originally manufactured, it employed 17 round magazines. These are still available on the used market, but will cost you dearly--at least $60 each. Current magazines for this pistol only hold 10 rounds (per the limitations placed by the Crime Bill of 1994). These can be had for about $20 each, new.
I mention the magazine issue because you will need at least 3-4 magazines for USPSA or IDPA work, and new pistols come with 2 magazines, used pistols will only probably have one.
The Glock itself is such that it's pretty hard to render one unsafe without making it obvious.
I have bought several Glocks used, and aside from external finish appearance, here is what I would check:
1. trigger mechanism works as designed, and disconnects as designed when the slide cycles?
2. magazine latches in place, and mag does not come out when tugged upon without actuating mag latch.
3. slide runs smoothly when cycle by hand
4. sights secure on slide
5. no obviously missing parts
jhisaac1
Member
VanBeast,
I shoot a S&W 410 in IPSC Production. The 410 is the .40 cousin to the 910. It's worked fine for me. By the way, you might also look into www.teamcroc.com. That is the IPSC club in Dundee Oregon.
Jhisaac1
I shoot a S&W 410 in IPSC Production. The 410 is the .40 cousin to the 910. It's worked fine for me. By the way, you might also look into www.teamcroc.com. That is the IPSC club in Dundee Oregon.
Jhisaac1
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