help me pick a gun for IDPA / HD

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tuj

tuj

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Hi fellow shooters!

I have an extensive collection of bullseye pistols, but I'm looking to get more into IDPA. I also want a gun that doubles for the SD/HD role.

Here are my 'must-haves':
-9mm
-active safety

Right now I have a S&W 5906 that I like quite a bit, but I would like to get something a little newer. Thoughts?
 
No DAO unless the trigger is really good (and I can't imagine any DAO's have that great of triggers). SAO is ok, as is DA/SA. Size should be full-size, not looking for concealment. Really I'm pretty wide open as to what I'll consider. Whatever it is, I would like the trigger at least in SA to be very good. Adjustable sights would be nice but not required. Capacity should be at least 10 in the mag. Price under $1k or so.
 
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I bough a 75th anniversary Hi-Power just cuz. Nice bluing and it's a well balanced, intuitive pointer with fast follow-up shots, some versions come with adjustable sights.

I got to liking it so much at the range that it's become my CCW IWB carry, like it better than 1911s. :)
 
How about the FN DA/SA pistols? If I wanted a DA/SA, those would be what I would be looking at first.
 
CZ sp-01 shadow

Good IDPA from the box, it's a DA/SA style gun with a 18rd mag
CZ_75_SP-01_SHADOW.png


Tho with a little work these can be one of the best guns with a light smooth double action pull under 5lbs and a short (1911 like) single action under 3lb.

If this is the route you want to go Cajun gun works (CGW) makes some great parts and has good prices and CZ Custom (CZC) has the short reset trigger system which you have to send your gun in to have done but I'm guessing it's well worth the time and money.

CGW
http://www.cajungunworks.com/
CZC
http://czcustom.com/CZ-Custom-Pistols.aspx
 
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I would say FNX-9 or a Sig P226/229.... I would lean toward the Sig P226 if funds allowed.


Other options include the Beretta 92/92A1/M9/M9A1, HK USP, HK P30, HK P2000. There are many others, but those are what would be on my list to choose from.
 
I've shot a Beretta 92 and honestly I thought the trigger was crap, especially the DA. The SA was obviously a lot lighter, but I didn't like the feel of the break. It also felt very 'upright' to me in my hand. I guess I'm really picky about my triggers. I'm also an accuracy junky since I shoot bullseye.

To give you guys an idea, my collection now looks like this:
-Ruger MKIII (w/ VQ internals)
-IZH-35M
-Pardini SP
-STI Spartan
-Les Baer PII 1.5"G
-Pardini GT-45
-S&W 5906TSW

Thinking strongly about that CZ Shadow, but really there are so many choices, I'd like to narrow it down and then go try to find examples to shoot.
 
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I've shot a Beretta 92 and honestly I thought the trigger was crap, especially the DA. The SA was obviously a lot lighter, but I didn't like the feel of the break. It also felt very 'upright' to me in my hand. I guess I'm really picky about my triggers. I'm also an accuracy junky since I shoot bullseye.
Click to expand...

I feel the same way about the Beretta 92 series, but I just had to throw it out there because it filled so many of your criterion. With accuracy being such a high priority.... my vote for the Sig P226 still stands...
 
Was looking through the latest IDPA magazine a week or so ago, and it showed the results of the NATIONALS.

Glocks outnumbered all other brands by a significant margin. No other brand even came close.

While I like CZs and CZ clones, I also have a Kahr, a Kel-Tec, a Glock, an M&P Pro (which I love), a BHP and several SIGs, I think you'd be hard-pressed to do better, for IDPA, than starting with a Glock 17 or Glock 34. (I'd go with a 34.) Then, after you've competed for a while, you can decide whether you want to refine your Glock or take a different path.
 
I know Glocks dominate the scene, but I am not comfortable with a gun that doubles for HD without an active safety. I agree they are great guns, and if I was going for range-only, I think my choice would be the 34 for sure. I've dry-fired a 34 and the trigger was surprisingly 'acceptable'.

Have any of you shot a Pardini GT-series? The trigger is just amazing on those guns. I'd love it if there were something out there with that trigger feel.

I know the trigger feel probably isn't all that important in IDPA (at least probably for for a beginner like me), but I am a fairly good shot; I made 'Expert' in bullseye.

Partially this is just an excuse to get another gun, but at the same time I would like a competent defense weapon and relegate the S&W (which there is nothing wrong with; I like it quite a bit) to back-up duty.
 
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Actually, it just hit me that that the Sigs that I listed don't have a "manual" safety. They use the long DA first pull as the safety, but they still should be considered.
 
I think you would be hard pressed to find a better DA/SA trigger than a tuned CZ.

Also Accuracy is above normal from the start and needs no attention.
 
Tho with a little work these can be one of the best guns with a light smooth double action pull under 5lbs and a short (1911 like) single action under 3lb.
Click to expand...

Wow I like the sound of that. My only DA gun (the 5906) has a very smooth, non-stacking 11lb DA pull and a 3-3.2lb SA pull with little take-up, a clean break, and very little over-travel. It's really quite surprising. I heard the TSW variant that I have was made a little differently, it supposedly has thicker frame rails and I don't know what else, but that might have included a better than average trigger as well, I don't know.

But a 5lb DA pull you say...I really like that.
 
CGW makes some of the parts required to get it that low. On his website check out the ultra-lite kit. I have it and can say the DA pull is really light with the 8.5 hammer spring. I have a CZ 75b as my carry gun and run a 13lb hammer spring as the 8.5 just seems to light for that.

Also I should note that he says it will only work 100% that low with federal SP primers but I haven't ever had any light strikes with it.

I'm not sure how low you can go I know people have got the DA under 4 but your splitting hairs at that point. Here's a older post where we talked about trigger pull on the CZ forum But schmeky(owner of CGW) is always coming up with new stuff.

http://www.czfirearms.us/index.php?topic=42990.0
 
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I know Glocks dominate the scene, but I am not comfortable with a gun that doubles for HD without an active safety.
Click to expand...


I understand, but only a relative few guns really come with safeties, nowadays -- most of them seem to have decockers. And, as they tell us, the most important safety isn't on the gun's frame or slide -- it's between the shooter's ears. And, of course, just keep you finger off the trigger until you're ready to pull it. <grin>
 
Ruger SR9. Striker fired so it's got consistent trigger pull - stock adjustable sights and it has a manual thumb safety (I'd prefer it didn't, but sounds like its a good thing for you).

The M&P with the thumb safety isn't a bad choice either, though if you want the adjustable sights you'll need to add it as an aftermarket option.

As an owner of a Beretta (92FS) and a SIG (P6) they're good guns but I think there are better choices on the market. I used to have a CZ-75. Sold it because the sights were off, but I loved the trigger and ergonomics of that gun.
 
No DAO unless the trigger is really good (and I can't imagine any DAO's have that great of triggers). SAO is ok, as is DA/SA. Size should be full-size, not looking for concealment. Really I'm pretty wide open as to what I'll consider. Whatever it is, I would like the trigger at least in SA to be very good. Adjustable sights would be nice but not required. Capacity should be at least 10 in the mag. Price under $1k or so.
Click to expand...

For WELL within that price range, you can get an M&P9 with thumb safety, and an Apex trigger kit. Great trigger, safety, 9mm, 17+1 capacity, "modern,"... it's pretty much everything you were looking for.
 
Take a good look at the H&K USP 9mm and P30s/P30Ls. Expensive, but you won't find a more reliable, over-engineered handgun anywhere. Besides, it sounds like you plan on actually shooting this thing, so you are probably already aware that the initial cost of the weapon is practically nothing in the long run.
 
Bullseye pistols are a little different from the combat type used in IDPA, but not by much. What's your best bullseye pistol?

I would then pick a similar combat pistol so the transition is simple.
 
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