Looking for some advice here,
I was in a local range last night trying out a handful of pistols I had under consideration, but I feel like I got almost nothing out of it. First off, I'm very inexperienced at shooting handguns in general, so just working on getting a good grip and trigger pull was pretty much absorbing any particular advantages or disadvantages any one specific model would have over another. Additionally, it really seems like most modern automatic pistols of similar type perform so closely that it becomes extremely subjective as to which pistol works better for someone. That said, at the upper end of the competitive scene, you seem to see some models more often than others - 1911s, CZs, a few Glocks, Sigs, S&Ws sprinkled in between, so there seems to be SOME advantage to be had.
So I'm trying to re-frame what I'm looking for in my head. To get the best possible start, should I be prioritizing:
Innate ergonomic features
- natural, comfortable grip width, circumference
- pointable grip angle
- indexable frame space, support hand fill space
- trigger face feel
Functional ergonomic features
- trigger type (DA/SA vs striker, rolling vs hard break)
- trigger reach, staging, break/reset, weight
- slide stop positioning/reach
- magazine catch positioning/reach
- magazine well flare/indexing
- total weight
- slide serrations
Functional/performance features
- perceived recoil, muzzle flip
- cycle speed, sight tracking
- mechanical accuracy
To give an example, lets compare some of the handguns that I actually shot last night. Between the CZ P-09, CZ SP-01, and Arsenal Strike One:
The P-09 Duty was absolutely the most comfortable simply to hold with the most natural feeling grip for me.
The SP-01 Shadow seemed to have more functional advantages in recoil and the trigger.
The Strike One had better reach for the mag catch but a comparatively slippery slide, alongside some functional advantages, but was not particularly comfortable neither in the grip nor trigger.
It seems like the second and third categories can be more easily dealt with through training or aftermarket, but at the same time, the first seems pretty loosey-goosey and not a major impediment when you can start out with other better features. A bit of a rant, but really, I should probably just go shoot more. It would be cheaper to use my own gun than to keep going to rent all the time though...
I was in a local range last night trying out a handful of pistols I had under consideration, but I feel like I got almost nothing out of it. First off, I'm very inexperienced at shooting handguns in general, so just working on getting a good grip and trigger pull was pretty much absorbing any particular advantages or disadvantages any one specific model would have over another. Additionally, it really seems like most modern automatic pistols of similar type perform so closely that it becomes extremely subjective as to which pistol works better for someone. That said, at the upper end of the competitive scene, you seem to see some models more often than others - 1911s, CZs, a few Glocks, Sigs, S&Ws sprinkled in between, so there seems to be SOME advantage to be had.
So I'm trying to re-frame what I'm looking for in my head. To get the best possible start, should I be prioritizing:
Innate ergonomic features
- natural, comfortable grip width, circumference
- pointable grip angle
- indexable frame space, support hand fill space
- trigger face feel
Functional ergonomic features
- trigger type (DA/SA vs striker, rolling vs hard break)
- trigger reach, staging, break/reset, weight
- slide stop positioning/reach
- magazine catch positioning/reach
- magazine well flare/indexing
- total weight
- slide serrations
Functional/performance features
- perceived recoil, muzzle flip
- cycle speed, sight tracking
- mechanical accuracy
To give an example, lets compare some of the handguns that I actually shot last night. Between the CZ P-09, CZ SP-01, and Arsenal Strike One:
The P-09 Duty was absolutely the most comfortable simply to hold with the most natural feeling grip for me.
The SP-01 Shadow seemed to have more functional advantages in recoil and the trigger.
The Strike One had better reach for the mag catch but a comparatively slippery slide, alongside some functional advantages, but was not particularly comfortable neither in the grip nor trigger.
It seems like the second and third categories can be more easily dealt with through training or aftermarket, but at the same time, the first seems pretty loosey-goosey and not a major impediment when you can start out with other better features. A bit of a rant, but really, I should probably just go shoot more. It would be cheaper to use my own gun than to keep going to rent all the time though...
