Fried Chicken Blowout

Looking to see if there's someone out there that can give some input on a possible relocation to western Montana. We'll be flying in next month to look around and see what we think. This would be the first of many trips before a relocation from Colorado would take place. We're looking to get away from the massive growth that has taken place here in Colorado. A friend of mine is moving to Missoula and another friend lives in Moscow, ID so we're considering everything in between the Missoula area and over into Idaho. Might take a few years to pick a firm place and get the move done. Both my wife and I are RNs with more than 20 years experience so jobs won't be an issue, we just need a hospital or two within realistic commuting distance. Haven't decided if we want to life in a small town like Hamilton, MT where there's a small hospital or out in the fringes of the Bitterroot Valley or even within Missoula. We'll be scoping that out when we're there next month. We'll be going as far north as White Fish, MT and as far west as Coeur d'Alene, ID on our visit so jump in if you have info! If there's any locals to this area that can provide guidance on where to look, where to avoid and so on that would be great. Also what's the access to ranges and USPSA/IDPA in the area? Thanks, Jason

Yes yes just looking to see what the opinions are and to make sure I wasn't missing something in the last couple years of being out of competitive shooting.

The P320 would be a prime example of the mag ban because I don't think you could get those mags at all before our ban and as such you can't claim you had them before. Which is fine, just narrows my choices till I move to Montana in a few years. Tired of the lame stuff going on in Colorado.

Part of the fun for me is the challenge of leaning a new platform. I've only shot the M&P in competition and it's time to move on. I don't take the competition aspect of it too serious, or I try not to because it's generally disciplining shooting at a B level and watching such better skilled guys and girls. But I don't specifically train for competition so I have to know going into it that I'll never be that good shooting a match ever couple months and never doing any dry fire.

If I went Glock, I think I would just get a 19 and use it for everything. I wouldn't shoot enough USPSA for it to really matter.

I noticed watching a video of it that it looks pretty compact for sure.

Well... I've never heard of the Walther Q5. I'll check that out and also look at the CZ DA/SA with a decocker and see if anything gets me excited.

Thanks for the response. The VP9 was on the top of my list. I was hoping to get some feel back form people shooting the VP9 in matches as well as hear the feedback on the trigger. I didn't realize the P10 had a compact version so thanks for that tip. Okay I'll check out the production list and see what's on it. Thanks!

I've also posted this in IDPA as I figured there was two separate groups of users on the forum to some degree. I shoot both USPSA and IDPA so I'm trying both forums to see what the suggestions are. Hopefully that's not an issue. I'd like to ask a loaded question here and see where it goes. I've always been a die hard M&P9 fan, from the very beginning. I've had 12 of them, became an M&P armor and modified about 75 pistols since they came out with Apex parts, sights and other products from Speed Shooters. In the last couple years life has side tracked me from shooting and I was thinking about selling the M&Ps to move into something totally different to help spur me back into shooting. Now that I've been out of both IDPA and USPSA for a couple years I've lost track of some of the rules so I figured I'd ask for both rules help as well as advice on the new pistols. So here's what I'm looking for... 1. Prefer NO Manual Safety - Which pretty much leaves me with only being able to choose a striker fired pistol otherwise I'd be interested in a CZ. 2. Standard capacity mag can't exceed 15 rounds because of Colorado laws, I don't want anything that makes it difficult to get mags. 3. Must be 9mm - No exceptions 4. Must also have a compact version available for carry and BUG matches. 5. Must have a trigger good enough from the factory that I don't have to overhaul it like I've done for years with the M&P - No exceptions 6. Should be IDPA SSP and USPSA Production Legal Give me some suggestions here. I'd be happy to entertain all ideas from people, but I've never been a Glock fan for some reason. Although I should go check out the newest generation of them just incase they strike me differently now. Thanks for the help in advance!

I'd like to ask a loaded question here and see where it goes. I've always been a die hard M&P9 fan, from the very beginning. I've had 12 of them, became an M&P armor and modified about 75 pistols since they came out with Apex parts, sights and other products from Speed Shooters. In the last couple years life has side tracked me from shooting and I was thinking about selling the M&Ps to move into something totally different to help spur me back into shooting. Now that I've been out of both IDPA and USPSA for a couple years I've lost track of some of the rules so I figured I'd ask for both rules help as well as advice on the new pistols. So here's what I'm looking for... 1. Prefer NO Manual Safety - Which pretty much leaves me with only being able to choose a striker fired pistol otherwise I'd be interested in a CZ. 2. Standard capacity mag can't exceed 15 rounds because of Colorado laws, I don't want anything that makes it difficult to get mags. 3. Must be 9mm - No exceptions 4. Must also have a compact version available for carry and BUG matches. 5. Must have a trigger good enough from the factory that I don't have to overhaul it like I've done for years with the M&P - No exceptions 6. Should be IDPA SSP and USPSA Production Legal Give me some suggestions here. I'd be happy to entertain all ideas from people, but I've never been a Glock fan for some reason. Although I should go check out the newest generation of them just incase they strike me differently now. Thanks for the help in advance!

I've thought long and hard on this one. The trigger design of the M&P really blows it for Production. I have several M&Ps, it's the only pistol I shoot, but I can't stand that hooked two-piece factory trigger. All mine now wear Apex Flat Faced Triggers (including my Shields), which are wonderful, but changing out that trigger shoe is illegal for Production. Now, it's not an issue with Limited or Limited 10, but I think you see more people there that are afflicted with buying the most expensive toys they can get their hands on and the M&P just doesn't fit into that market well. As an instructor I've stopped recommending the M&P line, except for the Shield, to students because the trigger is so horrible that it's difficult to teach new shooters without overhauling their new guns with Apex parts.

I've got the Vortex Strike Eagle and I'm totally not impressed. It's good for the money but optical clarity is really poor over 4x even after spending time on the phone with the Vortex rep talking all about the eye piece adjustment which has a non-standard function in this particular scope. My suggest is to stick with a quality 1-4x rather than a budget 1-6x. But there's a possibility that I got a lemon from Vortex. I'll give it a few more matches and if I'm still dissatisfied I'll send it back for them to check out.

I had the larger of the Hornady models for precision rifle brass, I was totally not impressed. Overall my Dillon tumbler did a better job. The ultrasonic left things kinda dingy and didn't do well with case lube on the cases. I think they have their use for cleaning the inside of the case but that's about it. There's no way I would mess with one for pistol.

https://www.magpul.com/products/moe-rifle-stock Comes in at 13.5" LOP as shipped but you can get a 0.8" extended butt pad and I thought it took the same spacers as the shotgun stock they make which should get you several more inches. But you'd have to check on that spacer working.

You may find that the newer 4.25" has the updated sear block without the ability to install the RAM. And I think that sear block also changes the ejector as well, but I can't remember. I remember working on a FS that had an angled or canted ejector, but it was a while ago. Can't remember the specifics, I just remember when I pulled it apart to do the work it stood out as different to me. Not sure if that different ejector would require a specific cut in the slide. But I could be remembering a Shield or something. If your ejector is flat and straight then just ignore my babbling.