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Best USPSA Carry Optics Pistol


rootacres

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Can't find a gun much better than a Tanfo Lim Pro. Stock II would be up there as well, but is a little harder to make weight.
Lim Pro with mag extension and aluminum grips makes weight with a Vortex Venom sight and dovetail mount.
Machining the slide would save a little more weight as well.


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Whatever gun YOU like. The list is almost endless and the differences between them are so small it really makes no difference, we have seen this in production with the top spots being split between plastic and steel guns for the last several years.  

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I have a p320 X5 coming in 2-3 weeks and it has the removable plate to mount Sig's Romeo 1 dot. The regular 320 is a good gun, so I would imagine the X5 will be very good. And it comes with 4-21 round (140mm) mags

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1 hour ago, Travtastik said:

I have been leaning towards the 320 if I make the jump.  I am liking the fell and everything about the gun so far. 

My only problem with it was the high bore axis combined with the extra height of the red dot. it was just too tall for me.

 

I still have a p320 with a red dot milled in...but its in 45acp and is now my go to brush gun.

 

the bench

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I've been shooting Sig's for years and the 320 for almost two years. I have one in 40 set up for limited, and I don't have an issue with too much recoil. Design on the gun (lock time, recoil spring design, etc) and grip have more to do with perceived recoil than a high bore axis

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1 hour ago, DKnoch said:

I've been shooting Sig's for years and the 320 for almost two years. I have one in 40 set up for limited, and I don't have an issue with too much recoil. Design on the gun (lock time, recoil spring design, etc) and grip have more to do with perceived recoil than a high bore axis

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the perceived recoil isn't bad at all...just feels like I am looking at a red dot sitting on top of a shoe box..

 

the bench

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I have an XD 5.25 and shoot very well with it. I have also shot the new Sig and would not be opposed to it. I have several XD's and I got this one at a good price. Very accurate and the slide is not too heavy. I recently took 4th overall at a local USPA match and was very pleased.

 

If I was starting over and funds were not an issue, I would look at the CZ over the polymer pistols for the weight of the gun.

 

Since you can't run a comp and can not do any slide work, find one with factory lightened slide and good aftermarket support so you can tune the recoil spring.

 

Tuning out as much slide induced muzzle dip really helps on the double tap. Rise was not an issue for me. Dip due to heavy recoil spring was.

Edited by Broncman
Autocorrect...
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  • 2 years later...

Subjective. Max uses the 320X5, but whatever you enjoy shooting, you’ll practice more with. I had a Limited Pro, Stock II, Glock 17MOS, Sig 320X5, Shadow I, am currently setting up another Stock II. I think I like the feel of the X5 the best and it’s been 100% reliable with minimal maintenance. The Tanfos take work to get great, and I broke springs a lot, but they do feel great in the hand. CZ Shadow is probably a better built gun, I felt cramped up against the controls, just didn’t fit. The Shadow 2 is too heavy & will require milling. 

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15 minutes ago, OPENB said:

Subjective. Max uses the 320X5, but whatever you enjoy shooting, you’ll practice more with. I had a Limited Pro, Stock II, Glock 17MOS, Sig 320X5, Shadow I, am currently setting up another Stock II. I think I like the feel of the X5 the best and it’s been 100% reliable with minimal maintenance. The Tanfos take work to get great, and I broke springs a lot, but they do feel great in the hand. CZ Shadow is probably a better built gun, I felt cramped up against the controls, just didn’t fit. The Shadow 2 is too heavy & will require milling. 

 

I can’t believe how well you summed it up.  Those have been my exact experiences except I never bought a Shadow II because the frame just isn’t big enough for my comfort.  I really wanted the X5 or Shadow to work, but they don’t fit my hand very well.

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I took the easy route and stuck with my production setup (M&P) except with a Performance Center slide I got for cheap.

 

The rules allow for an overall weight (gun + optic + empty magazine) of 45oz. Slide porting is allowed. That helps heavier guns like the Shadow 2 get into Carry Optics.  

 

There are a couple of newcomers to the market since 2017:

Walther Q5 and Q5 Steel Frame (No DA pull to worry about)

Canik is another polymer option.

CZ also offers its P10 in a Carry Optics ready setup

Sig is offering the X5 Legion with tungsten powder added to the grip module to make it heavier. The skeletonized trigger looks neat.

ZEV has an offering that looks like it's geared towards CO--not sure if they have made the "production/sales minimum". It runs glock mags, so that's a plus.

 

I suppose the standard advice still applies:

  • If you're starting from scratch: ask a range buddy if you can try their gun for a bit (and be sure to ask of any additional work that has been done.). You might be surprised by a gun that you weren't initially interested in. I tried my buddy's Shadow 2 CO setup and thought it was great, but it had a some aftermarket parts that would add to the price tag.
  • If you're already in Production division: your current setup will probably work (mounting the optic is probably the biggest "hurdle"). It comes with the bonus of familiarity.

 

Honestly, the gun that's going to be best is the one that keeps you interested.

Edited by Rez805
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Thanks for the replies. I have been, and continue to, lean towards the Sig X5. Just looking for something new. I have been shooting a single stack in USPSA since well before there was a single stack division.....close to 20 years now. Something new not only sounds interesting, but my eyes really started to change about 1.5 years ago (45). As an added bonus 9mm is cheaper to reload than the .45 I have shot for so long. Now to just scratch some more pennies together to get what I want.

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I tried an S2 but at the time it just seemed too heavy so I decided to run an SP-01 in both PROD and CO. However, now that I’ve been running my Atlas Titan in LTD I’m thinking the weight of the S2 would be an easier transition. 

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2 hours ago, TriggerT said:

Thanks for the replies. I have been, and continue to, lean towards the Sig X5. Just looking for something new. I have been shooting a single stack in USPSA since well before there was a single stack division.....close to 20 years now. Something new not only sounds interesting, but my eyes really started to change about 1.5 years ago (45). As an added bonus 9mm is cheaper to reload than the .45 I have shot for so long. Now to just scratch some more pennies together to get what I want.

I shot 2011s prior to switching to CO.  I found the grip angle of the Stock II the most similar also.

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In order of importance to me:

  1. factory milled for the sights, plural, of my choosing
  2. makes weight with no extra milling
  3. plentiful aftermarket for mag and tuning options

I don't need a contingency program, I don't need a specific trigger action, I don't need a specific grip size or control interface.

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