Hey all, I guess this is protocol here huh? I shot my first USPSA shoot last month and I'm hooked. I've had a lot of tactical handgun training over the past 11+ years (LE stuff), but this was my first time in a competition setting. I used my duty gun (G17) and did OK for my first time out. Shooting production, I got 7th overall out of 17 against mostly open and limited shooters (6 stages: 12th in one, 3rd in another, two 7th and two 8th place stage results). It wasn't an official USPSA sanctioned event, but it was against USPSA members at a club I belong to, and USPSA rules were enforced.
I was so hooked I went out and got a new G34 and put in a Ghost trigger kit (connector and all the springs...pull measures at 4# or just a bit under)and Warren/Sevigny sights. Following suggestions, I got the Blade Tech DOH holster, Safariland 773 mag pouches and a CR Speed belt. Right now, I'm running three mag pouches but will probably get one more at some point. My second shoot is Saturday, and I still have some questions, so here goes.
Would you all suggest I stay in the production class, or move to limited? The only real difference would be I can load my mags to 17 instead of 10. Based on my past experience and having an idea about the demographics of those that participate, there are very few production shooters at the club I go to. With the exception of one stage last time (flubbed mag change and penalties for missing a target), I smoked the other production shooters. I guess the advantage of staying in the production class means more mag change practice. The advantage of being in the limited class means less mag changes = faster stage times theoretically, however I did most of my mag changes between stage sections.
As an aside, I'm working on my grip since I've typically held my Glocks like a revolver (support thumb covering my strong hand thumb because I have really big hands) and have been working on a typical semi-auto grip with both thumbs pointing forward. I'm a pretty good shot and changing my grip has been hard to do since I'm trying to overcome a lot of muscle memory, but I think this will improve my shooting in the long run. The G34 is super accurate with the extra sight radius, and I'm getting used to the lighter trigger. I've only put a couple hundred rounds through it, and I know there is no substitute for trigger time, but I have a full time job, three kids and a wife that take almost all of my time. I'm also trying to figure out a way to actually practice this stuff; I don't have access to steel targets. It's a work in progress.....