IPSC - help me choose a handgun

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J2002

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Hello! I have had my RPAL for 4 months. Purchased a Ruger Mark IV to practice, have been shooting very regularly; the next step is to take a black badge course this fall. Question to all experts here: what would be the best 9mm handgun for someone like me? My budget is $2-3k. Long term commitment, something I can enjoy as my skills improve.
 
J2002 said:
Hello! I have had my RPAL for 4 months. Purchased a Ruger Mark IV to practice, have been shooting very regularly; the next step is to take a black badge course this fall. Question to all experts here: what would be the best 9mm handgun for someone like me? My budget is $2-3k. Long term commitment, something I can enjoy as my skills improve.
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So Blackface banned the sale of handguns 5 years ago. You could not possibly have purchased a handgun in the last four months. You cannot buy a 9mm handgun legally in Canada.

It would be best if you did not post easily disproved baloney on this board. 🤷‍♂️
 
J2002 said:
Hello! I have had my RPAL for 4 months. Purchased a Ruger Mark IV to practice, have been shooting very regularly; the next step is to take a black badge course this fall. Question to all experts here: what would be the best 9mm handgun for someone like me? My budget is $2-3k. Long term commitment, something I can enjoy as my skills improve.
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This part is BS I bought a Ruger Mark IV to practice with.

Now If a person lives in Alberta and this only applies to Albertans, then there is a work around. Not the purchase of and transfer but leasing one and then getting a ATT from the CFO, You must be an associate member of IPSC as well as a RPAL holder. I am not going to go into further details publicly on how this works but if you live in Alberta want to shoot in IPSC sanctioned comps and you want to know more PM me.

Keeping the sport alive the best way we can.
 
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NikiQue said:
This part is BS I bought a Ruger Mark IV to practice with.

Now If a person lives in Alberta and this only applies to Albertans, then there is a work around. Not the purchase of and transfer but leasing one and then getting a ATT from the CFO, You must be an associate member of IPSC as well as a RPAL holder. I am not going to go into further details publicly on how this works but if you live in Alberta want to shoot in IPSC sanctioned comps and you want to know more PM me.

Keeping the sport alive the best way
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I paid for the gun, the title got transferred to my gun range. It is for my exclusive usage, although I get everyone’s point - I did not personally purchase it. My apologies for not explaining it.
 
So you paid to rent a gun?

You going to pay 3000$ to get a 9mm that you're gonna be stuck doing lvl 1 ipsc matches?

As I expect that gun cannot leave the premises?

Prepared to pay alot. CZ Shadow or Shadow 2.
 
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Yes, essentially it’s a rental. Cannot leave the premises (unless in case of the match where they will bring it for me).
Thanks!
 
Ah, Quebec! That explains the setup completely.
The Quebec CFO operates under incredibly strict provincial rules (Anastasia's Law/Bill 9), so those club-vault rental structures are one of the few ways new shooters out there can get trigger time. It's awesome that your local range is handling the logistics to help you get your Black Badge and keep the sport alive out east.
Since you have a solid $2,000 to $3,000 budget and want something you can grow into long-term for IPSC Production or Production Optics, you want a heavy, all-metal competition platform that absorbs recoil and tracks beautifully.
Here are the absolute undisputed kings that fit your budget perfectly.
  1. CZ Shadow 2 (Optics Ready): This is the definitive "gold standard" of modern IPSC. It is an all-steel, heavy-frame beast with a phenomenal factory trigger. The sheer weight completely eats up 9mm recoil, meaning your sight recovery is lightning fast. Getting the Optics Ready (OR) version gives you the flexibility to shoot traditional iron sights now, and slap a red dot on it down the road.
  2. Beretta 92X Performance: Another spectacular, all-steel option. It features a frame-mounted safety, an incredibly crisp trigger reset, and a beautifully weighted slide that runs exceptionally flat during rapid-fire strings.
  3. Sig Sauer P226 Legion / Elite: A personal favorite of mine. It's an iconic DA/SA metal-frame gun. The Short Reset Trigger (SRT) gives you a crisp, predictable break that makes tracking your splits incredibly consistent.
One major piece of advice on your budget:
Don't blow the entire $3,000 on just the pistol. Since Canadian law restricts us to 10-round magazines, you will be reloading constantly during a 32-shot IPSC stage. You will need to budget a few hundred dollars for a rigid competition belt system (like Black Scorpion or Double Alpha), a dedicated competition holster, and at least 5 magazines to feed the gun during a match. Aim for a $1,500–$2,000 pistol, and use the rest to build a proper rig.
Good luck with your Black Badge course this fall! Welcome to the sport.
 
NikiQue said:
Ah, Quebec! That explains the setup completely.
The Quebec CFO operates under incredibly strict provincial rules (Anastasia's Law/Bill 9), so those club-vault rental structures are one of the few ways new shooters out there can get trigger time. It's awesome that your local range is handling the logistics to help you get your Black Badge and keep the sport alive out east.
Since you have a solid $2,000 to $3,000 budget and want something you can grow into long-term for IPSC Production or Production Optics, you want a heavy, all-metal competition platform that absorbs recoil and tracks beautifully.
Here are the absolute undisputed kings that fit your budget perfectly.
  1. CZ Shadow 2 (Optics Ready): This is the definitive "gold standard" of modern IPSC. It is an all-steel, heavy-frame beast with a phenomenal factory trigger. The sheer weight completely eats up 9mm recoil, meaning your sight recovery is lightning fast. Getting the Optics Ready (OR) version gives you the flexibility to shoot traditional iron sights now, and slap a red dot on it down the road.
  2. Beretta 92X Performance: Another spectacular, all-steel option. It features a frame-mounted safety, an incredibly crisp trigger reset, and a beautifully weighted slide that runs exceptionally flat during rapid-fire strings.
  3. Sig Sauer P226 Legion / Elite: A personal favorite of mine. It's an iconic DA/SA metal-frame gun. The Short Reset Trigger (SRT) gives you a crisp, predictable break that makes tracking your splits incredibly consistent.
One major piece of advice on your budget:
Don't blow the entire $3,000 on just the pistol. Since Canadian law restricts us to 10-round magazines, you will be reloading constantly during a 32-shot IPSC stage. You will need to budget a few hundred dollars for a rigid competition belt system (like Black Scorpion or Double Alpha), a dedicated competition holster, and at least 5 magazines to feed the gun during a match. Aim for a $1,500–$2,000 pistol, and use the rest to build a proper rig.
Good luck with your Black Badge course this fall! Welcome to the sport.
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Sorry I don't know anyone that runs a Beretta or Sig. Even Slavex moved to CZ from Beretta. Sigs don't fit everyone hands, the DA normally makes you have to change grip to reach. Also it written like AI. CZ Shadow got good recoil management because they lower the bore axis.

Sig I found had the most flip, as they got the tallest slide and top heavy.

Glock, SA XDM or CZ 75 Shadow or Shadow 2 would be the choices Id choose.

Esp if you are limited in club matches.

I started with Glocks and 1911s, then moved to CZ.
Dad started with Sig, then switch to XD and back to Glock.

If I knew what I knew now. 20 years ago, Id started with CZ. Spent alot of money trying to find the best.
 
Sig P320 is no slouch either in Legion, AXG, or SXG variants.
Just don’t use aftermarket magazine base pads.

Sig P226 and Glock are not great for speed games, IMO.

Get a VR training platform and dryfire a lot, most people who don’t practice just turn money into noise.
 
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