Zeede
Member
Picked up my first pistol, a Beretta U22 Neos, and took it to the range tonight. Man, I did a lot of things wrong, but it was fun, and my buddy met me at the range and brought his Colt 1911. What a different world that was!
I've since read some articles about proper technique, so I should be better prepared next time out! However, shooting my friend's 1911, and reading about the different pistol shooting games has gotten me thinking about my first centerfire pistol. I know I've posted a few threads here and there asking about different ones, but now I've had some real shooting under my belt (I don't count shooting a little of my friend's .357 mag revolver), and a pistol of my own to practice with, I have a better idea of what I want.
1) I do mostly shotgunning these days, Trap mostly, but a little of Skeet and Sporting Clays. As a result, I don't want to buy a 9mm and then a .40 S&W, then a .45 ACP. My budget allows one centerfire purchase. And that's going to be .45 ACP. Some of the three-gun require a .22 LR (U22 Neos), a centerfire, and then .45 ACP. Might as well kill several birds with one stone (if I go the reload route, I like the lower pressure of .45 ACP).
2) I'm not interested in doing a lot of aftermarket work, and as a result, would like to keep discussions to out-of-the-box. A little trigger work is not out of the question, but let's keep things stock.
3) My budget is $900. That should allow me access to most of the Sig, H&K, and Colts. I'd prefer something closer to $500 or $600, but I would consider paying a bit more.
4) I've held a Springfield Armory XD-45, Smith & Wesson M&P, and Glock 21 Slim Line (I think that's what it was). I've only fired my friend's Colt 1911. Out of all of those, the 1911 felt best in my hands, followed, surprisingly, by the Glock. I really hated the M&P's grip, and the XD-45 felt chunky. Oddly though, while the 1911 felt the best in the hand, the recoil was surprisingly high. I kept the shots on target, and the gun didn't slip, but it was harsher on my hand than I expected. I almost wonder if a slightly thicker grip would help me keep a better grip on the gun.
5) Recoil. I know from shotgunning that gun fit is a huge determining factor for felt recoil, and I surmise it is the same with pistols, but are there any that are generally held as having less recoil? I thought weight would be a big factor, but obviously it's not the only one.
6) Accuracy. Last in my list, but definitely not the least important. I love my CZ 452 FS to death because it is so accurate right out of the box.
So, my ideal .45 ACP pistol would cost about $600 or so, have soft recoil, be similar to a 1911 grip (but maybe a bit thicker) and be accurate out-of-the-box.
Thanks!
Cameron
I've since read some articles about proper technique, so I should be better prepared next time out! However, shooting my friend's 1911, and reading about the different pistol shooting games has gotten me thinking about my first centerfire pistol. I know I've posted a few threads here and there asking about different ones, but now I've had some real shooting under my belt (I don't count shooting a little of my friend's .357 mag revolver), and a pistol of my own to practice with, I have a better idea of what I want.
1) I do mostly shotgunning these days, Trap mostly, but a little of Skeet and Sporting Clays. As a result, I don't want to buy a 9mm and then a .40 S&W, then a .45 ACP. My budget allows one centerfire purchase. And that's going to be .45 ACP. Some of the three-gun require a .22 LR (U22 Neos), a centerfire, and then .45 ACP. Might as well kill several birds with one stone (if I go the reload route, I like the lower pressure of .45 ACP).
2) I'm not interested in doing a lot of aftermarket work, and as a result, would like to keep discussions to out-of-the-box. A little trigger work is not out of the question, but let's keep things stock.
3) My budget is $900. That should allow me access to most of the Sig, H&K, and Colts. I'd prefer something closer to $500 or $600, but I would consider paying a bit more.
4) I've held a Springfield Armory XD-45, Smith & Wesson M&P, and Glock 21 Slim Line (I think that's what it was). I've only fired my friend's Colt 1911. Out of all of those, the 1911 felt best in my hands, followed, surprisingly, by the Glock. I really hated the M&P's grip, and the XD-45 felt chunky. Oddly though, while the 1911 felt the best in the hand, the recoil was surprisingly high. I kept the shots on target, and the gun didn't slip, but it was harsher on my hand than I expected. I almost wonder if a slightly thicker grip would help me keep a better grip on the gun.
5) Recoil. I know from shotgunning that gun fit is a huge determining factor for felt recoil, and I surmise it is the same with pistols, but are there any that are generally held as having less recoil? I thought weight would be a big factor, but obviously it's not the only one.
6) Accuracy. Last in my list, but definitely not the least important. I love my CZ 452 FS to death because it is so accurate right out of the box.
So, my ideal .45 ACP pistol would cost about $600 or so, have soft recoil, be similar to a 1911 grip (but maybe a bit thicker) and be accurate out-of-the-box.
Thanks!
Cameron