My Brain is cramping...Help.

[Kyle O]

I have been talking myself out of a .40 for about 2 years now.

I have a few 9mm, and a few .45, mainly stock guns. I reload for both, and the idea was to not take on any new calibers.

But, I am now really about to get a custom/semicustom double stack 2011 style something. And I cannot decide on which caliber.

It is driving me bonkers. I have never shot limited before, and am aware of major/minor scoring differences, so that has me on the fence. Am I really gonna disadvantage myself a ton, by getting a 9, or is the .40 really the only way to go?

I shoot the Pro-am every year, as well as a few outlaw 3-gun matches, so that has me thinking 9.

I would love to try limited, and be competitive, so that has me thinking .40.......

Dammit, my head hurts. Please, steer me the right way.

thanks.

[TCKev]

You gotta have a 40 in your lineup. If your gonna shoot Limited it's definitly the way to go.

[steel1212]

Time to go to bed lol

Edited October 16, 2010 by steel1212

[steel1212]

I have been talking myself out of a .40 for about 2 years now.

I have a few 9mm, and a few .45, mainly stock guns. I reload for both, and the idea was to not take on any new calibers.

But, I am now really about to get a custom/semicustom double stack 2011 style something. And I cannot decide on which caliber.

It is driving me bonkers. I have never shot limited before, and am aware of major/minor scoring differences, so that has me on the fence. Am I really gonna disadvantage myself a ton, by getting a 9, or is the .40 really the only way to go?

I shoot the Pro-am every year, as well as a few outlaw 3-gun matches, so that has me thinking 9.

I would love to try limited, and be competitive, so that has me thinking .40.......

Dammit, my head hurts. Please, steer me the right way.

thanks.

How many local matches do you shoot a month? How many times will you shoot PROAM and the OUTLAW matches a year? If you only have one 2011 make it a .40. You can down load for those that don't have a power factor. Hell several people get another top end in 9mm and they run that when they want to. Me, I have 2 .40s and a 9mm eagle. Then I have the Single stacks and the same thing, 2 40s and a 9mm SS, and some .45s Hell I shot PROAM with the 9mm SIngle Stack this year and finished 3rd GM. It wasn't the gun that hurt me in placement I can tell you that!

[Kyle O]

I had a feeling I'd get a bunch of "time for a .40" replies.

I think I just needed to hear it from someone other than me.

There really are no local matches, we have IDPA, but I'm steering away from that right now. Prob, gonna be 8-10 matches per year, next year.

[calishootr]

in USPSA style matches the 9mm in limited is gonna kill you in lost points scoring minor, the only way your going to 'win' shooting minor while everyone else is shooting major is to shoot basically 2 to 5 seconds faster than everyone else and not drop any points(can be done but its tough to maintain that level for multiple stages in a match)

I hate to sound like one of the 'sheep' but look at a USPSA match, look at what they are running in limited class??? are there any 9mm's??? doubt it, building a 9mm 2011 platform as an experiment to 'try it out' is an expensive venture for most, go tothe matches see what people are running, more importantly, ask WHY....

for me, if its a division that has major scoring then im goingto shoot a platform that gives methe optimal chanceto score as many points as i can get in that division, shooting minor in a division that has major, your only hadicapping yourself

[Merlin Orr]

IF you buy a nice custom 2011 you can get another top end for it and have both a 9mm and a .40. I have had Triangle Shooting Sports build me 2 guns with different caliber top ends.

The 9mm and .40 combo is a nice one as all you have to do is pop off the slide/barrel assembly and put the other on and (with the correct mags) you are good to go. My back up USPSA Limited gun is a 5" .40 but Benny built me a 9mm top end and I shoot it for IDPA ESP Division.

[Kyle O]

IF you buy a nice custom 2011 you can get another top end for it and have both a 9mm and a .40.

This I did not know. Thank you, my brain is working correctly again, and churning up some good thoughts.

[Jman]

Kyle,

Come on....40 S&W, it's whats missing right?

That and minor sucks

Jim

[Flexmoney]

For USPSA.... Minor sucks.

I'd rather shoot without sights, than shoot Minor in Limited. (I have done a bit of both)

[chirpy]

Just picked up a .40 myself after shooting a .45 in Limited. Love both (.40 just a tad more due to capacity!) but if the .40 had been available when I got the .45 I would have gone with the .40. That being said...reloading "Glocked" brass has been a pain for me! Probably should invest in a "Case Pro" or bribe someone who has one.

Richard

[CocoBolo]

Here the straight skinney, A 9 MM limited gun is useless as tits on a boar hog. I just sold a dual barreled 9/40 Infinity Limited gun, I kept my Dawson HPF Edge 40 so I can still shoot Limited when the mood hits. Get the 40 load it minor shoot it a couple matches then load it major and feel good about your decision. For the pro am and other non major pf events just down load the 40 to about 135/140 pf and have fun.

[Kyle O]

Thanks for the feed back gents.

.40 it is!

Now, 5 inch gun, or 6?

[chirpy]

Never fired a 6" but if I were to have one built right now it would be a fatfree 6".

Richard

[BayouSlide]

Check out this thread for a nice 6 in. with dual top ends (.40 & 9mm) that Bobby Keigans at Freedom Gunsworks built. Bobby is a nice guy to deal with both before and after the sale in the work he has done on my pistols. If I were springing for a custom, I'd call Bobby and would be asking for something like this: http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=115573

Curtis

[TheQuietMan2]

I have shot both in the single stack division.

My times and A-C counts are similar.

In minor, I lost DOUBLE points.

[lilbeauxdawg]

just a quick note on the shooting minor in limited. 2010 area 4 limited division 1st master 3rd overall was one by a guy shooting minor when his loads made a 163ish powerfactor i was told. 2nd master 5th overall was me shooting major and he got me by i believe 5%ish score wise. when it comes down to it if you can shoot and handle the gun well it doesnt matter if it is minor or major.

my opinion

lilB

[lrf]

I'm a rookie to USPSA, and have looked at power factors next to capacity(for anything but production where everything is minor and 10 rds, and wheel guns). I think the 40 is a good caliber. It makes major, and you also can gain some rounds capacity wise. For example, Para P1640 or Para P1445? That's a brand of gun I'm trying in my next match, and it's the P1640. So to sum it up from my initial observations you get the same power factor, more capacity in Limited, and the same or less cost to shoot the 40SW vs. the 45 acp. To take the 9 into perspective, unless you shoot all A's, minor PF will be a disadvantage.

Edited October 18, 2010 by lrf

[Josh Biondi]

.40..... no way

[PBA2]

For anyone that can answer. Just curious, as I have fought this same question 40 or 9? Does the downloaded 40 still have more perceived recoil than the 9?

[Justsomeguy]

I'm curious too... Are you guys saying you don't have to change the ejector between the 9mm and 40 uppers? I thought the 40 used the 45 ejector and the 9mm and 38 super used the 9mm type ejector. And is that true only on the STI or other large capacity frames or does that apply to the old single stack 1911's as well? Heck... I built a 9mm/38 super/9X23 single stack gun as an experiment a few years ago. I would get a new 40 upper in a heartbeat if I could put it on that frame. Frankly I've never held a 1911 40 upper in my hand to look at it. I have more than a few 40's but they are all on XD/XDm platforms.