gohard

Thank you Gents.... off to hunt for a deal on a G34.

Hello All, I have been offered a deal on a G17L, but I am told it will not fit in the 'box' for production competitions. What disciplines is it legal for? Should I just spend more and get a G34? Someone said a G35 will accept other barrels to swap calibers.... any truth to this and should it be avoided? Thanks in advance for helping a noob. -AC

Thanks for the lengthy and informative post, INOV8TN. Just what I needed to stir my enthusiasm as I progress through my ten day California waiting period! AND NOTE FOR ALL: Do not buy form any websites owned by TGSCOM!! Not only did I have to wait almost two months for my gun (still waiting on my safe, which was ordered at the same time).... but they finally sent the damn thing out with 17 round mags (CA has a ten round limit)!! Luckily I already have four more 10 rounders.... or my FFL says without them I could not complete my 'safe handling test', in order to take the gun home. As for Front Site, I have paid my dues but have yet to book and go. From your advice, I think I am on the right track. It's also funny that Mr. Piazza (owner of Front Site) swears by the .45 for its stopping power, but chooses to carry a .40 S&W Glock. In his defense though... "Any gun will do, if you will!" The way I figure it, if I become a competent competitor in 9mm and save a load of money to buy more ammo and practice more, I will fare better with a .22 in a real situation than I would with a .45 without skills. I totally agree about the shot gun, but the real reason for home defense is for my wife (when I am not home). I am slowly progressing from a .22 and she thinks the 9mm has kick! A shotgun is cheap and probably the most useful in this situation.... but maybe after she does the shotgun course at Front Site or similar. As we progress, I am sure we sill have at least one of everything.... until CA forces us to move back to NV! And hey, I just found out that I can use my .22 in the Bianchi Cup... I knew I'd find a home for it!

True, that advice is going to help me afford a reloader in the short term... and although I hear Glocks are not "Perfection", I am sure they shoot far more perfect than I can! After showing my wife a video of Dave Sevigny with a G34 she said,"If that gun is good enough for him, it'll be good enough for us for a very long time!"

Thanks Kgunz.... and everyone else! I have purchased the Glock 34 from glockworld.com (TGSCOM). Although it was only $7 more than the LEO prices, it has taken nearly two months to arrive!! I have been nagging them and they are sending me several packages, the majority have not arrived yet. Hence, why I have had no more questions to ask from you guys. As for the wife.... she is definitely into it. Who knows, she'll probably take my gun and buy me the .40 cal version. I pick it up on Monday.... so all I have to do now is swallow my pride and get out there and show everyone how a noob shoots, but hopefully not for very long! Thanks again guys.... otherwise I would have bought a 2011 and be near broke for ammo after the first few weekends of shooting.

Thank you all so much again. So it looks like the Glocks have it, but I will try the others before I buy. One question about the Glocks: Many have recommended the G17, but it seems to me that the G34 would be better suited for the sport? Any illumination why I should choose a 17 over a 34? From what I can gather from you guys, it doesn't really seem to matter how much or little you spend on guns.... it will be dwarfed by the expense on ammo.... hence the many reloader recommendations. Viggen - thanks for your honesty..... 9mm vs. 45acp will save me enough money in the next year to buy .45 and a shotgun by the sounds of it.... I had no idea you guys go through so much ammo. Jim B. - I will certainly let you know about my experience at Front Sight.... as the ones I have heard so far vary greatly. Thank you all again for your kindness, honesty and great advice! -Adam

Thanks AikiDale for the cheers! Just so you guys know though.... Fosters is made for foreigners! I don't know a single Aussie that drinks that stuff.... unless there is absolutely no other choice! In all seriousness though, I will be taking all recommendations for guns that are competitive out of the box and renting them before I buy.

OK, once again, excuse my lack of knowledge... I am obviously wrong about Glocks. I thought they were an excellent choice for fighting in adverse conditions and any sort of weather, but I thought the trade off for this immense reliability was a slight lacking in accuracy. The reason I had not considered them is for this reason. My wife and I went to the range the other day and shot every type of Glock in 9mm. While the initial recoil did make my wife flinch and pre-empt the recoil before shooting, she quickly got over it. I personally had very little problem with any of them as far as accuracy goes (considering they were rentals). The reason I chose the .45acp is because we were told that if my wife (or I)wants to stop any intruder in his tracks (God forbid) that a 9mm just won't stop a crazed meth head (and there are lots near downtown LA). The idea of being able to afford two guns and cheaper ammo is very appealing though. So, if I do go the Glock route, would I be competing against similar equipment, similar caliber, or is it open as long as it is a production model? As for what we prefer... we honestly don't know because of a lack of experience. Aside from a Colt jamming on me, I have too little experience to know what we don't like. From what you guys have to say in other posts though, no matter what I buy... I'll probably be in the market for another soon. If Glocks are competitive in their division, I have no problems starting there... Thanks to all again for your advice!

Hello Everybody, My wife and I are from Australia, and brand new shooters that are eager to get into the sport. First off, please excuse my naivety, as my entire knowledge is based on much reading on the net. While being amused by emotionally charged red-necks and economically motivated magazine reviews, it seems I have finally found a place where people give honest and forthright advice (and more specifically about the sport itself), I have no choice but to plague you with questions that I am sure you have been asked before. We need to buy ONE good pistol, but here are the limitations: 1.We live in California This means a few bad things such as, magazines can hold no more than ten rounds; some manufacturers cannot sell any guns in this state (STI for example), the ones that do, have limited choices with no modifications allowed. The one thing not limited my choices is that carry permits are almost impossible to get here, so weight and size of the pistol can be catered more for accuracy than being compact. 2. I have set a limit of $2,000 for the pistol and extra mags. While this may sound like a lot for a beginner, my wife and I have decided that we want one quality gun with accuracy and reliability out of the box that is going to last us for years, or before I get the bug to buy something more specialized to move into a higher class. 3. The one pistol should provide as much variety of use in the sport as possible (as well as a home defense tool... as we just moved to Los Angeles). 4. We do have a Sig/Hammerli Trailside .22 pistol that I got to introduce my wife to 'things that go bang'. I am told that if I get a major caliber gun, I can use the .22 in a three gun match (and my wife is deadly accurate with it). With all these things considered, some have said that I should get a good single stack 1911 in .45acp I am considering pistols such as: Rock River Limited Match (saw one used for $1,700) Les Baer Premiere 2 Ed Brown, Wilson and the list goes on... Here are my concerns: 1. What are the cons of using a single stack 1911 .45 with only 7-8 rounds per mag? I am told that in competition, .40S&W is the way to go.... less recoil and more bullets per reload. Will I then have to buy a third gun to compete in three gun if I go with the .40 cal? 2. Will guns from top manufacturer's such as the ones listed above qualify for Production class? 3. Am I on the right track, or should I be considering a totally different type of pistol, such a HK or Sig? We will be attending our first match tomorrow, and will be asking these questions and many others, as they come to mind. We will also be attending Front Sight in Nevada for four days to learn basic good habits on general gun handling next month. I appreciate all advice before I part with our hard earned cash. Thanks in advance! -Adam