9mm minor or major

J

Jefferson

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I know there is a little bit of a difference in recoil,

can someone point to a historical thread or if not shooting IPSC should one go with the minor,

trying to shoot a compensated gun before buying one but not sure if I should go with one over the other

thoughts

Jeff
 
All my 9mm major guns work great with light steel challenge loads. (Not all guns will do this)

You would be at a big disadvantage shooting minor in IPSC though.

Atlanta Arms manufactures 9mm Major ammo.
 
madcow said:
Scoring was the major factor in shooting major/minor, but made no difference if you shot only "A"s.

hey Ken?
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That's correct but here is how I see it. If you happen to hit a C with Major, you lose a point (matches have been won/lost with fractions of a point)

If you happen to hit a C with minor, you lose 2 points.

You lose twice as many points shooting minor if you hit a C. That's a harsh penalty!

Now, if you happen to hit a D, you should feel very lucky no matter what you're shooting.
 
While the other posters all state very valid points, I shoot open class 9mm minor in IPSC. I do this for one simple reason; I am there to have fun. I know this puts me at a disadvantage in scoring and may reduce my chances of winning matches. But as stated I am there to have fun, enjoy a sport I have great respect for, and meet great people. I have nothing to prove, trying to be the best, as hey I am not. But, I am very competitive even shooting minor. To many think they have to be the best, with the best equipment and always trying to win every time out. I choose to enjoy what I do and have fun doing it. If I happen to win every now and again then bonus. Besides, I can always increase my loads and shoot major again if I so choose for matches later.
Please do not think I am trying to bash anyone here that competes. But for those just starting out or returning like me after years away, go with what you have and build up slowly. Equipment and what you shoot are important, but accuracy, speed and competence are more important. This comes with practice and experience. None of this will matter if you are not having fun in doing any of it.
 
Only reason to shoot 9 mm major in USA at least is for magazine capacity.. not sure if that's even applicable to Canada. Go 40, much easier to find ammo if in a pinch.
 
bsand said:
Only reason to shoot 9 mm major in USA at least is for magazine capacity.. not sure if that's even applicable to Canada. Go 40, much easier to find ammo if in a pinch.
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Usually you can get one extra round in the mag by shooting 38 super comp. (30 SC vs. 29 major 9) They say you will feel a little less recoil with the super comp as well but I really can't tell the difference.

The best thing the 9 major has going for it is that you can leave your brass behind, even in practice because it's so plentiful and cheap. Of course, this doesn't apply at ranges where they require you to pick
it up.
 
a very interesting post for me to read, I am in the same boat, quite competitive but with my inability to run and do 100 push ups not looking to be on the podium.

please take a minute and expand on the decision to buy the minor, resale v recoil v whatever, it is of interest to see how you came about your decision

I seem to be leaning towards major in a trubor or matchmaster, as you only live once

Jeff

Trainer019 said:
While the other posters all state very valid points, I shoot open class 9mm minor in IPSC. I do this for one simple reason; I am there to have fun. I know this puts me at a disadvantage in scoring and may reduce my chances of winning matches. But as stated I am there to have fun, enjoy a sport I have great respect for, and meet great people. I have nothing to prove, trying to be the best, as hey I am not. But, I am very competitive even shooting minor. To many think they have to be the best, with the best equipment and always trying to win every time out. I choose to enjoy what I do and have fun doing it. If I happen to win every now and again then bonus. Besides, I can always increase my loads and shoot major again if I so choose for matches later.
Please do not think I am trying to bash anyone here that competes. But for those just starting out or returning like me after years away, go with what you have and build up slowly. Equipment and what you shoot are important, but accuracy, speed and competence are more important. This comes with practice and experience. None of this will matter if you are not having fun in doing any of it.
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kanada kidd said:
Usually you can get one extra round in the mag by shooting 38 super comp. (30 SC vs. 29 major 9) They say you will feel a little less recoil with the super comp as well but I really can't tell the difference.

The best thing the 9 major has going for it is that you can leave your brass behind, even in practice because it's so plentiful and cheap. Of course, this doesn't apply at ranges where they require you to pick
it up.
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38 super brass ain't cheap lol, I have like 8k 9 mm cases after 3 months of collecting. Probably not worth the extra round in my.opinion.
 
The basic context of my wisdom, if you want to call it that, is simple. I started shooting IPSC in the mid 1990’s with a stock revolver. From there to a stock Browning 9mm, and finally to a Colt 1911. The Colt started basically stock with a red dot sight that put me into open class.
Over the years that Colt has become a full open race gun with all the bells and whistles. (Nowlin barrel with titanium comp, mag well, extended and ambi everything plus a full rebuild last year with new everything). BUT this took me years to get everything the way I wanted it. My Colt functions well with factory loads just as well as with major loads. The comp may not compensate quite as efficiently as with major loads, but I have never had any problems with stock ammo either.
Too many new shooters think that if they have this or that it will make them the best shooter and win competitions. Get what you can afford, and with time build from there. Minor or Major class if you are just starting out in my opinion is of little concern.
The whole purpose of shooting for me is to have fun. Yes I have spent money improving my equipment over the years, and yes even with all this I do still shoot minor, often with factory ammo. I have the choice of shooting both major or minor with the same gun. But take your time and enjoy the sport of IPSC. Who knows, we may even run into each other someday at Provincials or even Nationals
 
If you're going to use a compensated gun then you'll want to shoot Major. Compensators reduce recoil by redirecting the gasses from the fired cartridge upwards and sideways. It may seem counter-intuitive but they need heavy loads to reduce recoil - there needs to be lots of gas to counter act the recoil. If you were to shoot a Minor load in a compensated gun there would not be enough gas produced to negate the recoil. The compensator won't do it's job and would in fact actually cause more recoil due to the additional weight hanging off the front end.

If you can, go to a local IPSC match and watch the Open shooters with their race guns. A properly tuned Open gun will have very little to no muzzle flip. Compare the amount of muzzle flip from Open guns to Production guns (almost always 9mm Minor) and you'll see a substancial difference.
 
Snow Dog said:
If you're going to use a compensated gun then you'll want to shoot Major. Compensators reduce recoil by redirecting the gasses from the fired cartridge upwards and sideways. It may seem counter-intuitive but they need heavy loads to reduce recoil - there needs to be lots of gas to counter act the recoil. If you were to shoot a Minor load in a compensated gun there would not be enough gas produced to negate the recoil. The compensator won't do it's job and would in fact actually cause more recoil due to the additional weight hanging off the front end.
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The comp will cause more recoil with minor loads? Really? Come on guys, think before you write.
 
After re-reading what I wrote, your right, it doesn't make sense! What I was trying to get at is an Open or comp'd gun that isn't pushing enough gas through the comp, will make the after-shot recovery more difficult (not the recoil). The red dot or whatever sight you're using will be dancing all over the place where as a properly tuned combination holds on target consistently. Hope that makes more sense!
 
Go ahead and just get a trubor or matchmaster in 9 major and don't look back. Pickup a case of Atlanta ammo 9 major if you don't reload and break the gun in. In most cases or with minor spring changes you can also then shoot 9 minor in it as well once the gun has been cycled and broken in. Best of both worlds and just in case you change your mind they are some of the best options for resale. I have personally shot a match master with major and minor loads and it worked great with both. Contrary to the advise given by some of our "experts" above the 9 minor shoots so soft it is amazing and really 40 in a race gun is not going to help you out with resale or performance.

So buy once and cry once and move ahead. You can play with both major and minor and have some fun in open. Plus you won't have to ask the same question over and over :) kidding (kind of)

PS even if you can't run far or do 100 pushups (most shooters probably can't either) Major is the way to go in IPSC open division. No contest
 
Snow Dog said:
After re-reading what I wrote, your right, it doesn't make sense! What I was trying to get at is an Open or comp'd gun that isn't pushing enough gas through the comp, will make the after-shot recovery more difficult (not the recoil). The red dot or whatever sight you're using will be dancing all over the place where as a properly tuned combination holds on target consistently. Hope that makes more sense!
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Nope still confused ?
 
Most of the Race Gun from the factory are design to shoot major load, you need certain gas volume for the comp to be effective. If you want to go minor, then get a builder who can configure the gun to shoot minor( short bbl, shorter comp, lighter gun) Another alternative is to use a powder that can give you you gas volume that will let your comp works without making major. With 9mm's smallet powder capacity, some powders will work. Vhitavouri N105 will be a good candidate, 8.3- 8.5gr will almost fills up the case , lots of gas and still minor.
 
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