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Im new and hoping you can help


the-cowboy

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Ok I'm new.... and this below is my theory (you are not required to buy in)

Im am looking at a 2 pronged approach. I want to get in to competitive shooting. Additional background I have a 12 yr old son I want to share this sport with.

My plan is to purchase (this is where you guys come in) a pistol that is a worthy ispc uspsa some sort of practical shooting etc platform that I can start with. I would like to know the brand and the caliber you like and quantify your answers please.

The second prong is I will be purchaseing an exact duplicate in a airsoft version. Trigger time on an airsoft is better than no trigger time at all (my theory) plus that's where my son comes in we can have friendly competition here at the house. And he and I may compete in airsoft shooting events. So if you have airsoft experience also please I would love to hear from you.

My requirments in the airsoft realm are

I want it to be gas blow back Full metal Highly upgradeable ( I love the race gun look) and a match to the real pistol I will have to start off.

Thank you in advance for your comments.

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A 12yo isn't the same as a full grown man, the same gun probably wont be a best fit for both. Go to some matches, watch the matches, and handle some guns in the safe area. Asking, "What kinda gun should I buy for a shooting sport is like asking, "What kinda car should I buy?" Most any name brand gun on the market has it's good and bad points. The forum has a ton of info about different platforms. Spend a few weeks reading and learning and then you'll be able to ask more informed questions.

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First, you need to figure out what division you want to shoot in! IDPA, Limited, SS, Production, and Open are all gonna have different requirements on gear. Some guns you can use for more than one division, others you can't.

My plan is to purchase (this is where you guys come in) a pistol that is a worthy ispc uspsa some sort of practical shooting etc platform that I can start with.

The easiest to start with would be Production, and cost the least as well. Any XD, XDM, Sig, Glock, etc., and a couple of extra mags, with some holders would get you started. If after you get your feet under you in Production, then move to Limited, pretty much the same gear, with higher cap mags and (I think) you can do some mods to the gun (trigger work, etc.).

Open is a different creature entirely. Compensated guns, red dots, lighter triggers, lightened slides, Open can get quite expensive , quite fast.

You are in the right place to ask the questions though!

Welcome to the sport!

Edited by GrumpyOne
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First, you need to figure out what division you want to shoot in! IDPA, Limited, SS, Production, and Open are all gonna have different requirements on gear. Some guns you can use for more than one division, others you can't.

My plan is to purchase (this is where you guys come in) a pistol that is a worthy ispc uspsa some sort of practical shooting etc platform that I can start with.

The easiest to start with would be Production, and cost the least as well. Any XD, XDM, Sig, Glock, etc., and a couple of extra mags, with some holders would get you started. If after you get your feet under you in Production, then move to Limited, pretty much the same gear, with higher cap mags and (I think) you can do some mods to the gun (trigger work, etc.).

Open is a different creature entirely. Compensated guns, red dots, lighter triggers, lightened slides, Open can get quite expensive , quite fast.

You are in the right place to ask the questions though!

Welcome to the sport!

thank you for the the responses

I may hav not been as clear as I thought I was being

my intentions are to shoot production to start with no mods (so i would like recomendations on something that can fair well outta the box per say)

my intentions are to share the sport with my son on the airsoft side till he shows to be mature enough to handle a real firearm

i I had hoped that maybe somebody had played around possibly in both arena's (real gun competition and airsoft competition) I cant believe im the first to think of it. but from my research so far events are not very plentiful in my area so I was thinking of doing both to speed up my learning curve and the bonus of spending time with my son. and thank you grumpy for not having a bad attitude and telling me to do research. I know I can read "joe4d" Im more interested in personal experience opions at this point from those who have been there and done that

Edited by the-cowboy
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I am certainly not an expert in anything, but I would suggest a Glock 19. You can shoot USPSA, IDPA, and purchase an airsoft that is very, very close to the real thing. But again, if you have not already done so, go to some matches and observe and ask questions. This is the greatest group of people you will ever meet that will be very willing to assist. The next thing is use the "search" function and read, read, and learn. You are not the first one to ask this question.

Great sport and great people...enjoy...

George

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First, you need to figure out what division you want to shoot in! IDPA, Limited, SS, Production, and Open are all gonna have different requirements on gear. Some guns you can use for more than one division, others you can't.

My plan is to purchase (this is where you guys come in) a pistol that is a worthy ispc uspsa some sort of practical shooting etc platform that I can start with.

The easiest to start with would be Production, and cost the least as well. Any XD, XDM, Sig, Glock, etc., and a couple of extra mags, with some holders would get you started. If after you get your feet under you in Production, then move to Limited, pretty much the same gear, with higher cap mags and (I think) you can do some mods to the gun (trigger work, etc.).

Open is a different creature entirely. Compensated guns, red dots, lighter triggers, lightened slides, Open can get quite expensive , quite fast.

You are in the right place to ask the questions though!

Welcome to the sport!

thank you for the the responses

I may hav not been as clear as I thought I was being

my intentions are to shoot production to start with no mods (so i would like recomendations on something that can fair well outta the box per say)

my intentions are to share the sport with my son on the airsoft side till he shows to be mature enough to handle a real firearm

I am 12 year old junior shooter. Currently I am shooting a S&W M&P 9mmL. I love the gun. There are different back straps for them and they are very comfortable. They are also reliable if you know what to do and what not to do. There is a also a M&P CO2 air soft replica of the gun. I have one but the magazine will start to leak gas after a little while. There is also a ton of load data here on this forum for any gun.

But since you mentioned you wanted a gas blow back air soft the Glock might be for you. Either a G17 or G34 would be a great choice.

http://www.mannyusa.com/Firearms_Training/product/Airsoft_HFC_Clone_Gas_Blow_Back_Pistol.html

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Well then! With production, you have an absolute myriad of choices for gear. No one person or group can tell you what is best, only what is best for them. Many like Glocks, or CZ's, I personally like the Springfield line of XDM's. What it boils down to is, what do you feel most comfortable with? What fits your hands best? Which is the easiest to point? Since almost everyone has a different shaped hand, what feels and points good for one person, might not be the ticket for someone else. Me personally, I don't like the grip angle on Glocks, just doesn't feel right to me. Cost is also a factor. While you can pick up an XD pretty cheap, an XDM will run you a bit more. I'm pretty sure that there is an airsoft model of an XD or XDM, and CZ's.

Will you be reloading or using factory ammo? With production (correct me if I'm wrong guys!), all scoring is minor, so you can load down your rounds (if you are going to load your own) and not shoot full power loads, thus letting you get better, quicker (at least in production!). And loading your own, once the intial investment is made, is about half the cost of store bought ammo. The biggest problem right now with loading is primers are pretty hard to find.

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In Production it's pretty hard to beat a Glock 9mm. The Models 34 and 17 (the Practical/Tactical semi-longslide and full-sized service gun respectively) are the most popular choices. If you're going to shoot 9mm, you don't have to download your ammo because factory 9mm is right where you want it already, and these days 9mm hardball is literally the least expensive centerfire cartridge you can buy. So, 9mm in Production, definitely. Some people will argue for the downloaded .40, but these are experienced handloaders who have the equipment, and are willing to invest the time, into working up a downloaded cartridge recipe they believe might offer them some advantage.

If you love the race gun look, BTW, you're not going to be able to get that in Production because race gun mods are outlawed in that division.

The problem with the "I'll shoot the real gun and both my son and I will shoot the Airsoft" approach is that a 12-year old's hands are, in overwhelming probability, way smaller than yours. For you to shoot a real gun and an Airsoft replica of something like a Glock, no problem. For your son to shoot the same thing...not so much. For him I'd suggest something like a single stack 1911 with flat mainspring housing and short trigger. You want to get the overall size of the grip, and the reach to the trigger, as short as possible for 12-year old hands. Fortunately such Airsoft single stack 1911 replicas are readily available.

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Now were talking :D .....I have ran thru alot of scenarios in my head and I hadnt taken in consideration the hand size issue. Ty for bringing that to my attention ...I can fix that easily by getting me a gun/airsoft that fits me and get my son a airsoft that he likes /fits him.... Im sure that will tickle him anyway :) Im also interested in the process.... I know alot of it is personal preference and trial and error but how individuals end up shooting the caliber the do. I like the economy of 9mm that has been mentioned so Im really starting to lean that way ( also the berretta m9's or Beretta 92 Vertec....Can anyone think of any down sides to the 9mm or that gun?

Thank you and keep it coming

Edited by the-cowboy
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No real downsides to 9mm in Production. It's far and away the most popular choice, for good reasons.

The only (possible) downside to the 92 and Vertec might be that, due to a large gip and very forward-set DA trigger, both guns have really long trigger reaches that are going to be too much for anyone with less than medium-large hands. The DA/SA trigger system will also require more training to master than a gun with a single, consistent trigger pull, but that can be overcome with dedicated practice.

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There really isn't any downside to 9mm for Production. I decided to set up a dedicated Production rig and bought an M&P Pro in 9....even though I wasn't set up to load 9, and I can get lots of .40 for free. I load .40 in bulk, ,38 Supercomp in bulk, .45, 10mm, .38/.357, and 44-40 in small quantities, and it still made sense to go with a 9.

For your son, the big thing is going to be grip size and how the gun fits his hand. For most folks I generally suggest looking at a Glock 34 or 17 first and everything else second (and I'm no huge fan of Glocks). My wife is very petite (5'2", 105lbs), with small hands. She doesn't like the way my Glocks (G22, 23, 27) feel, but loves the feel of my M&P with the small backstrap on it. The first time she tried it, she said "oh, this is a wussy gun...anybody could shoot it". :D

Don't shy away from something like a CZ...the 75/SP-01 family has a very nice feel to the grip that should work well for smaller hands. R,

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I would also suggest a Glock 34 or a 17 for production. You still could move up to Limited with the Glock,but you would be shooting minor against mostly major guns. You could even convert your Glock to a open gun with a conversion kit for under $500. :cheers:

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Don't shy away from something like a CZ...the 75/SP-01 family has a very nice feel to the grip that should work well for smaller hands.

If you're going to do that, though, the CZs really are cocked and locked guns. In uncocked, DA first shot mode the trigger reach is WAY long.

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Not sure about the airsoft, but my 12 year old and I shoot M&Ps. He uses the small backstrap and I use the medium or large.

Why not involve him in USPSA? With proper training, you might be surprised to find that he is safer than most of the adults you shoot with (mine is).

I did just order an airsoft M&P and will report back once we try it.

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There really isn't any downside to 9mm for Production. I decided to set up a dedicated Production rig and bought an M&P Pro in 9....even though I wasn't set up to load 9, and I can get lots of .40 for free. I load .40 in bulk, ,38 Supercomp in bulk, .45, 10mm, .38/.357, and 44-40 in small quantities, and it still made sense to go with a 9.

For your son, the big thing is going to be grip size and how the gun fits his hand. For most folks I generally suggest looking at a Glock 34 or 17 first and everything else second (and I'm no huge fan of Glocks). My wife is very petite (5'2", 105lbs), with small hands. She doesn't like the way my Glocks (G22, 23, 27) feel, but loves the feel of my M&P with the small backstrap on it. The first time she tried it, she said "oh, this is a wussy gun...anybody could shoot it". :D

Don't shy away from something like a CZ...the 75/SP-01 family has a very nice feel to the grip that should work well for smaller hands. R,

It is not an airsoft, but there is a neat little CO2 BB pistol that is a replica of the M&P. I use it to shoot in my garage when I can't get out to the range. The cost is way low and the trigger is terrible, but it is better than not getting to shoot. I use it for fundamentals only such as dot drills, etc. Unfortunately, the backstrap is not removable.

Here's the link to it at Sportsman's Guide: http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/sw-mp-air-pistol.aspx?a=455798

Just a thought. Hard to beat for $40.

Good luck!

Kyle

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There really isn't any downside to 9mm for Production. I decided to set up a dedicated Production rig and bought an M&P Pro in 9....even though I wasn't set up to load 9, and I can get lots of .40 for free. I load .40 in bulk, ,38 Supercomp in bulk, .45, 10mm, .38/.357, and 44-40 in small quantities, and it still made sense to go with a 9.

For your son, the big thing is going to be grip size and how the gun fits his hand. For most folks I generally suggest looking at a Glock 34 or 17 first and everything else second (and I'm no huge fan of Glocks). My wife is very petite (5'2", 105lbs), with small hands. She doesn't like the way my Glocks (G22, 23, 27) feel, but loves the feel of my M&P with the small backstrap on it. The first time she tried it, she said "oh, this is a wussy gun...anybody could shoot it". :D

Don't shy away from something like a CZ...the 75/SP-01 family has a very nice feel to the grip that should work well for smaller hands. R,

It is not an airsoft, but there is a neat little CO2 BB pistol that is a replica of the M&P. I use it to shoot in my garage when I can't get out to the range. The cost is way low and the trigger is terrible, but it is better than not getting to shoot. I use it for fundamentals only such as dot drills, etc. Unfortunately, the backstrap is not removable.

Here's the link to it at Sportsman's Guide: http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/sw-mp-air-pistol.aspx?a=455798

Just a thought. Hard to beat for $40.

Good luck!

Kyle

DocMcG

There actually is a airsoft version of the M&P. The one you have is the .177 bb version. Here is what I have.

http://www.pyramydair.com/s/m/Smith_and_Wesson_Spring_M_and_P_40/1573

I think that it is a pretty good air soft gun. It has a long trigger pull but that will make your real gun seem that it has a very nice trigger pull. The only con about it is that after a little while, the magazine will start to leak when you try to put a new CO2 cartridge in. But you can always buy new magazines.

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Not sure about the airsoft, but my 12 year old and I shoot M&Ps. He uses the small backstrap and I use the medium or large.

Why not involve him in USPSA? With proper training, you might be surprised to find that he is safer than most of the adults you shoot with (mine is).

I did just order an airsoft M&P and will report back once we try it.

Thank you and yes that is my intentions to get him involved as soon as he proves competent and mature enough to do so. Im kinda old school maybe... but as a youngster I hunted 2 seasons with a wooden gun (some people refer to it as a stick lol) before I was allowed to carry a real gun afield. I was already at that point a very capable shot but the hunting evironment is very different so he made me cross fences, climb trees, cross creeks ...you get the point..... with what I was to percieve as a loaded stick. Heaven forbid if you accidentally pointed the stick at someone. I never did ! but my cousin made the mistake once crossing a fence. He got his butt spanked with the stick (not viciously) but then he had to go all way back to grandmas and hang with women the rest of the day extremely embarrassing, but lesson learned.

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No real downsides to 9mm in Production. It's far and away the most popular choice, for good reasons.

The only (possible) downside to the 92 and Vertec might be that, due to a large gip and very forward-set DA trigger, both guns have really long trigger reaches that are going to be too much for anyone with less than medium-large hands. The DA/SA trigger system will also require more training to master than a gun with a single, consistent trigger pull, but that can be overcome with dedicated practice.

Thank you and excellent point

Definetly double action or da/sa is off the list

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There really isn't any downside to 9mm for Production. I decided to set up a dedicated Production rig and bought an M&P Pro in 9....even though I wasn't set up to load 9, and I can get lots of .40 for free. I load .40 in bulk, ,38 Supercomp in bulk, .45, 10mm, .38/.357, and 44-40 in small quantities, and it still made sense to go with a 9.

For your son, the big thing is going to be grip size and how the gun fits his hand. For most folks I generally suggest looking at a Glock 34 or 17 first and everything else second (and I'm no huge fan of Glocks). My wife is very petite (5'2", 105lbs), with small hands. She doesn't like the way my Glocks (G22, 23, 27) feel, but loves the feel of my M&P with the small backstrap on it. The first time she tried it, she said "oh, this is a wussy gun...anybody could shoot it". :D

Don't shy away from something like a CZ...the 75/SP-01 family has a very nice feel to the grip that should work well for smaller hands. R,

It is not an airsoft, but there is a neat little CO2 BB pistol that is a replica of the M&P. I use it to shoot in my garage when I can't get out to the range. The cost is way low and the trigger is terrible, but it is better than not getting to shoot. I use it for fundamentals only such as dot drills, etc. Unfortunately, the backstrap is not removable.

Here's the link to it at Sportsman's Guide: http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/sw-mp-air-pistol.aspx?a=455798

Just a thought. Hard to beat for $40.

Good luck!

Kyle

DocMcG

There actually is a airsoft version of the M&P. The one you have is the .177 bb version. Here is what I have.

http://www.pyramydair.com/s/m/Smith_and_Wesson_Spring_M_and_P_40/1573

I think that it is a pretty good air soft gun. It has a long trigger pull but that will make your real gun seem that it has a very nice trigger pull. The only con about it is that after a little while, the magazine will start to leak when you try to put a new CO2 cartridge in. But you can always buy new magazines.

Thanks I will take a look at those

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I would also suggest a Glock 34 or a 17 for production. You still could move up to Limited with the Glock,but you would be shooting minor against mostly major guns. You could even convert your Glock to a open gun with a conversion kit for under $500. :cheers:

I am going to try to go to the gun shop today and look at some of these and others.... see what feel I like and dont like and see if I cant eliminate some of the candidates. Thanks

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That's interesting to know I would prefer to have a platform I can do production in both organizations if possible. Due to the limited amount of events in my area I'd like to be able to go either way or both so I can get in more events. At least till I determine if I prefer one or the other.

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Don't shy away from something like a CZ...the 75/SP-01 family has a very nice feel to the grip that should work well for smaller hands.

If you're going to do that, though, the CZs really are cocked and locked guns. In uncocked, DA first shot mode the trigger reach is WAY long.

I looked at a semi auto cz85b I was kinda impressed with today . They also had a cz75b & sp-01 so I did a quick check to see if the equivalant was available in a airsoft so fAr all I found was a kwa. Kz75 replica cz75 but I kinda prefer the ambidexterous safety of the cz85 but I'm kinda leaning towards the cz 75b because of the pairty. The shop man said the cz shoots insanely good ! Thanks for the heads up

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