Hi all,
I'm really tempted to try open, as many of my friends do, but I'm leaning toward an STI Steelmaster in 9mm minor rather than .38S/SC or 9mm major. I have a few reasons, first and foremost is ease of getting ammunition. The condo I live in does not permit reloading, and I just don't have the space for a proper set up with a progressive press. That may change in the future, but not for a few years. The other big factor is comfort - I really don't like the blast in the face from .38S/SC. I've also got some concern due to weight + recoil, since I have carpal tunnel and my dainty wrists are a wee bit sensitive to that. Finally, I do not want to invest in a custom gun, since that will raise the final cost over two thousand dollars.
I would add an Aftec extractor, likely have the trigger tuned and then fire a thousand runs to work out the gun before I start competition. Beyond that I'd deal with whatever issues came up. While I want to shoot open, I'm not planning on achieving GM status. I enjoy shooting, first and foremost, but I'm not trying to make it into the record books.
So, to my learned colleagues, I ask this: Is the Steelmaster a reasonably viable pistol for Open minor? If not,why and what would you suggest? I'm also curious to know what type of holster folks are using, and if STI mags are reasonably acceptable or should I invest in SVI mags (assuming I can get those in a timely fashion here in Canada).
Thanks
-- L