Recommend a USPSA / IDPA pistol

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01SVTvert

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My teenage son wants to get into competitive style shooting and I would like to buy a pistol that would be "good" for uspsa and / or idpa.

He thinks a Glock 34. I think maybe a 1911 S&W or similar. he is left handed if it matters.

I will be looking at the rules shortly to get an idea of what is allowed and not but I though others could chime in on their experiences.

Opinions, advice, experiences please.


Thanks
 
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I am sure you will get a lot of good suggestions here!
I have a G34 that I use in USPSA and IDPA, and I love it. It's cheap, reliable, and accurate. I also like it because they are very cheap to modify if he decides to do that. There are also a lot of after market parts and accessories. The beauty of it is that you can start out in Production, and then move on to Limited and Limited 10 with minor modifications, and even Open division if he wants to.

I don't live in MA, but I understand it might be a little difficult to get a Glock there, and you might have to pay a little more than the rest of us if you can find a dealer that will sell you one. I was just at a gun store in RI where I saw a used G34 for $475 that looked just like new. If I didn't have one, I would have bought it in a heartbeat...

Most importantly, get a gun that fit the shooter. It would be nice to try/borrow one before he buys it. If you belong to a gun club, there are usually a G17 around, which is very similar to the G34.

1911s are also a good option, but they are going to be a little more expensive, and I also think the Single Stack division (you cannot use a 1911 in Production) is a little more competitive where a lot of people have tricked out guns.
 
Either of those choices are good, he needs to decide what division he wants to shoot and go from there. Production is a nice and fairly inexpensive way to get started.
 
If he does a standard 1911 he will have to shoot Single Stack.

I would recommend an XDM or a M&P. The M&P9 would be a very good choice, is readily available in MA, and can be easily made competition ready with the Apex DCAEK.
 
If you have not already head on down to a USPA/IDPA practice and "shop around".

Just about every shooter I know who when asked about their guns/gear are more than willing to talk, and most of them their eyes light up and a this strange glow in their eyes if asked "may i hold your gun"... Some even go as far as offering you to fire it :)

You will see a large variety of "Stuff" try not to be overwhelmed. It would help IMO if you know what division you would like to start shooting in, or know what the divisons are. Production/SSP is widely popular, and locally has many outstanding shooters. Most gear is transferable in both USPSA/IDPA... Its a great place to start.

G34 is a great Production gun and also can be expanded on as time goes on.

Personally I am a M&P 9MM Pro fan. The M&P platform is a great value.

I did hold an XDM 5.25 recently, it felt really good, almost TOO GOOD :) Also ambi for lefties.
 
WeedWhacker said:
Just about every shooter I know who when asked about their guns/gear are more than willing to talk, and most of them their eyes light up and a this strange glow in their eyes if asked "may i hold your gun"... Some even go as far as offering you to fire it :)
Click to expand...

Some I know will even bring a gun, holster, mag carrier, etc. and let you shoot it the entire practice. :)

The vast majority of semi-auto IDPA shooters I've seen shoot a Glock 17/34 or M&P 9/9 pro.
 
Since you're a MA resident, you should consider the availability of preban hi-cap magazines for whichever pistol you settle on. Not a problem for IDPA with its 10 round limit, but if the pistol is also intended for USPSA being limited to 10 rounds is going to force a lot of reloads.

I run an M&P 45 in IDPA, myself. M&Ps really need either an Apex trigger installed, or a trip to a gunsmith. I'm also left handed. Most pistols can be used by a left hand shooter, just not necessarily the way a right hand shooter would. The biggest exception to this is the 1911 - it has to have an ambi safety for a lefty to run it well. Glocks would be worth looking at - there are a lot of preban 9mm Glock mags out there.
 
KMM696 said:
Since you're a MA resident, you should consider the availability of preban hi-cap magazines for whichever pistol you settle on. Not a problem for IDPA with its 10 round limit, but if the pistol is also intended for USPSA being limited to 10 rounds is going to force a lot of reloads.

I run an M&P 45 in IDPA, myself. M&Ps really need either an Apex trigger installed, or a trip to a gunsmith. I'm also left handed. Most pistols can be used by a left hand shooter, just not necessarily the way a right hand shooter would. The biggest exception to this is the 1911 - it has to have an ambi safety for a lefty to run it well. Glocks would be worth looking at - there are a lot of preban 9mm Glock mags out there.
Click to expand...

USPSA production is also limited to 10 rounds so there is no issue there. If you shoot a 9mm in limited the minor scoring of 9mm is going to be a disadvantage. If you want to shoot .40 that's a legitimate reason to worry about hi-caps.
 
I have shot USPSA with an XD45, 1911PD, and Glock 17. By far I enjoy shooting the Glock 17 but that could be that its 9mm so the recoil is easier to manage on follow-up shots. Just my .02 cents for you.
 
Shoot production/SSP with an M&P9/9Pro or a G17/34. A 1911 in CDP/Single stack is a viable option, but there aren't nearly as many people to shoot against locally. There are a few good shooters that shoot SS occasionally, but there's solid competition every month in Open, Limited, and Production. Getting started in Open and Limited is expensive and you can't use those guns in IDPA. The IDPA SSP and USPSA production equipment rules are almost identical and a Glock or M&P is competitive almost out of the box (Glock would be better with new sights, and a MA M&P needs a new trigger). You can get all the gear you'll ever need for about $1k. (Pistol, holster, 6 mags, 4 mag carriers,sights, and trigger).

ETA: What do you have for guns/gear now? I'd suggest trying a match or two with whatever you have and then buying what you really want.
 
I like my 34 quite a bit. the only thing I've done to it so far is the drop in trigger connector and replaced the sights.... twice. It shoots far better than I do and its been a blast to shoot.

If you dont want to pay the premium for Glock in MA, like other have said an M&P (with the trigger job) is a great bet. Ive got a 9c thats been a fantastic gun.

I've been considering trying my 1911 out next year... It seems like it would be fun.
 
Go with the 1911 usually very few others shoot CDP, less competition so you always look good no matter how bad you shoot..

Seriously though at least for me I find the great 1911 trigger a huge advantage. You can only load 10 rnds max so if you get 8 rnd mags you can have 9 with one in the chamber. I have found there is no disadvantage in mag capacity. The only thing you have to remember is to drop the safety as you draw...
 
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bbarer said:
Go with the 1911 usually very few others shoot CDP, less competition so you always look good no matter how bad you shoot..

Seriously though at least for me I find the great 1911 trigger a huge advantage. You can only load 10 rnds max so if you get 8 rnd mags you can have 9 with one in the chamber. I have found there is no disadvantage in mag capacity. The only thing you have to remember is to drop the safety as you draw...
Click to expand...

You can only load to 8 rounds max in the mag in CDP. Personally, I prefer to be where there's more competition. What's better starting out, coming in 2nd to the guy who's way better than you every month for the first year or two, or working your way up from last to 2nd to last to 10th from last to middle of the pack?
 
Let me start this with a statement. I do NOT own a Glock, I do not like the feel of a Glock in my hand.

As stated by someone else, I would suggest a Glock 17 0r 34. He can shoot production in USPSA and SSP in IDPA with pretty much the same gear. He can shoot GSSF matches if you are willing to travel which will give him more experience. No need for full cap mags although they are available. Controls can be switched for a left handed shooter.

Find Cuz on this board. Not sure if he switched his controls but he is a left handed Glock shooter and a very nice guy (in spite of what I was told at the rifle match [smile]) He can give you the pros and cons of Glock from the wrong hand side of things
 

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