first pistol recommendation for target shooting

paulsingh

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hi all, shotgun shooter getting into handguns...

what would be a good first pistol for ipsc and traget shooting at range...


looking for reliabilty, affordable ammo and under 1000...


2::::what to look for when buyng used
 
Used Glock 17, cheap, reliable, 9mm ammo is everywhere and cheap.
And just think, if you get board of it you can melt it down and used to to take your lunch to work in.
 
+2 on the p226.
Another good choice would be the CZ SP-01. The best thing to do is shoot/handle as many different makes as you can. I would also consider picking up a .22, cheap to shoot and a great way to practice your trigger control, sight acquisition Etc.
 
Xd-9

Springfield XD-9 is the way to go. Great bang for the buck in 9mm. If you want .40 then check out a Tanfoglio LC. Now if you're really serious then go for broke, a STI Edge or SV Infinity.
 
For bullseye target shooting...

22lr

Entery level - I like Browning Buckmark, or used Browning Medalist...
If you can find one an IZH35 - great target pistol
Used Walther GSP

Centre Fire
38spl revolver, or a S&W model 52 - nice accurate pistol

hope that helps

Brian
 
Don't waste your time with either a (UGH!) Glock or 9mm... only one way to to 45 in a 1911 :)

9mm is harder to shoot and therefore more discouraging for a beginner. A good entry level 1911 will put you under your $1000 budget.
 
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You can listen to the Glockers all you want, but your best bet is a CZ Sp-01 Shadow.

There are multiple reasons for this gun. Its a 9mm, cheap ammo, as mentioned with the Glock. That is about where the differences stop. The Shadow is a DA / SA semi with a full dust cover and an amazing balance. Comes out of the box with fiber optic sights and is ergonomically sound.

The best part about it is the trigger pull. Its DA pull is about 7lbs, which is perfect for your first shot in IPSC, but after that, the single action pull breaks at around 2lbs. Thats something you wont find in a Glock or XD. They are duty pistols and the trigger will always break the same. With a 3.5lb connector and a polish you might be able to get the Glock down to 3lbs, still short of the Shadow.

Im not knocking the Glock at all, I own one and I love it. But if your thinking of doing any competing, I would go with something a bit more tuned and still in the same price range.

For the price, a Shadow MSRP around $750, the mags arent stupid expensive either should you choose to get active in IPSC.

Just my $.02
 
You can listen to the Glockers all you want, but your best bet is a CZ Sp-01 Shadow.

There are multiple reasons for this gun. Its a 9mm, cheap ammo, as mentioned with the Glock. That is about where the differences stop. The Shadow is a DA / SA semi with a full dust cover and an amazing balance. Comes out of the box with fiber optic sights and is ergonomically sound.

The best part about it is the trigger pull. Its DA pull is about 7lbs, which is perfect for your first shot in IPSC, but after that, the single action pull breaks at around 2lbs. Thats something you wont find in a Glock or XD. They are duty pistols and the trigger will always break the same. With a 3.5lb connector and a polish you might be able to get the Glock down to 3lbs, still short of the Shadow.

Im not knocking the Glock at all, I own one and I love it. But if your thinking of doing any competing, I would go with something a bit more tuned and still in the same price range.

For the price, a Shadow MSRP around $750, the mags arent stupid expensive either should you choose to get active in IPSC.

Just my $.02

Very true! I have a G17 and a CZ 75B, CZ is way better build and refine than Glock, the SP 01 Shadow to be the best verson of 75 series. Having said that, I love the Glock just same as the CZ.
Trigun
 
I notice there hasn't been an H&K sackrider in here yet, so I'll do it.

Get yourself an H&K USP9. No regrets.
 
I've stated on here a number of times that you have to go pretty far and wide to find a better all-around 9mm duty-type pistol than the SIG 229. You are unlikely to find a used one (people won't let them go once they start using them!) but look into getting a new one, or look at the 226 - which is obviously very similar. I think new is preferable, but CPO is o.k. too.

Everyone is a little different, and people look for different things in guns... but I can say that, for 9mm pistols, I went in this order in my aquisitions: GLOCK 17, Steyr M9-A1, Walther P99, HK USP and then the SIG 229. When I got the SIG I became a lot better shooter very quickly: speed , accuracy, consistency. I went from being average to being known as a good shot (among my friends and aquaintences anyway) in a couple of range trips. It is just a superb gun. For some reason it just works for me. I barely have to even try to get excellent results with it. It's superbly accurate, easy to get on target and keep it there even when firing fast, heavy enough that it doesn't bounce around all over the place but not so heavy that it tires your arms holding it up. The SIGlite sights are exactly what I like in a sight... and the two I have bought have been perfectly sighted in right out of the box.

Of the above guns I mentioned, I sold everything but the SIG. When my girlfriend's Beretta 92 busted we sold it off for parts and got her a P229R 9mm as well. Now we have two of them. And no, I didn't convince her to get one because I developed some SIG obsession by reading magazines and the internet. She conviced herself of the quality of the SIG by shooting mine and other people's 226's and whatnot. She has been going to the range with me every weekend for about 3 years now. She made up her own mind after having tried a lot of different guns herself. I myself came to appreciate the SIGs relatively late. When I was in my "obsessive gun groupie stage" (which, let's face it, everyone goes through for at least awhile) I thought GLOCKs were the gun (then I started shooting them and realized they were not really my thing - espcially with the stock barrel, the ones with the Bar-Sto barrels are nice though). The only other gun my girlfriend was considering for her replacement gun was a CZ-75b or similar type gun. I think that is where people should be looking if they don't like SIG or can't afford a new SIG or whatever. CZ-75b (and some of it's offspring like the Baby Eagle) are very nice guns at very nice prices.

I also have an HK P2000 and an HK P7 PSP in 9mm pistols now, but the SIG is the "real" gun. If I were (for whatever reason) wanting to show someone how I can shoot when I really put my mind to it, I wouldn't dream of reaching for one of those HK's (as much as I love them, and I actually shoot both those HK guns quite well). The SIG is just in whole different category... at least for me. It's the business.

Then again, I know people who shoot GLOCK better than anything else (which boggles my mind, but I've seen it with my own eyes and seen the video of them shooting competitions with them an kicking butt). Best to try out as much as many guns as you can (if at all possible), but certainly my advice is the 229, the 226, and the CZ-type gun... in that order.
 
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The best part about it is the trigger pull. Its DA pull is about 7lbs, which is perfect for your first shot in IPSC, but after that, the single action pull breaks at around 2lbs. Thats something you wont find in a Glock or XD. They are duty pistols and the trigger will always break the same. With a 3.5lb connector and a polish you might be able to get the Glock down to 3lbs, still short of the Shadow.

Even if you change springs you can't get 2lbs for SA, and 7lbs for DA only if you install lighter spring. With factory is more like 5-6 for SA and 9-11 for DA
 
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