New female shooter--gun choice advice?

[Jensey]

I am brand new to shooting, had not touched a gun a year ago. I had a friend teach me to shoot and I am now addicted. I love it. He told me I should try competition shooting and it looks like a ton of fun, so I am researching it and am taking a competition shooting class for beginners next week. I would like advice on a good gun choice. I am a female that does not weigh a lot, so I do worry about recoil, but the most accurate I've ever shot was with his Taurus 1911 .45ACP. He said I can use his Glock 17, but I will have to buy magazines and holster and I would prefer to buy those things to go with the gun I buy for competition. He taught me to draw with the 1911. Should I go with a 9mm, or bite the bullet and get a 1911 so it scores major? Open to any and all advice. This is such a neat forum with a wealth of information, and a little overwhelming!!

[Poppa Bear]

It is a lot about feel. Can you control a 1911 chambered in .45? Or, is the recoil more than you want to deal with? Is a double stack gun to big for your hands? Or, do you have no problem forming a solid grip? Is a long trigger pull hard for you? Or, can you control the trigger easily. Only you can answer those questions. Do not take up a specific gun just because others say it is what you need. If possible try other competitors guns even if it is only in the safety area. Finding out what fits your hand is the biggest challenge. From there you can refine your choices based on the type of gun that seems to work for you.

[gixxerjunky]

My girl started with a M&P9. That is what felt best to her and she is a lefty so the ambi controls was a bonus. If you are planning to shoot much then a 9mm is the cheapest for factory ammo. It is still expensive when you shoot a lot especially in the current market.

[Aglifter]

The easiest for you would probably be Open - but that's a heck of a jump.

Otherwise, I'd say a Glock 17 - a 1911 is fine, if the frame fits your hands well - its really just whatever fits your hands best.

Edited February 10, 2013 by Aglifter

[Noximus03]

My wife is built much like you describe yourself. She wanted to get into competitive shooting as well, and I put every gun I own in her hands. The double stack guns didn't agree with her so much because she has small hands. She could shoot them all just fine, but it wasn't comfy to her. I put a 9mm 1911 in her hands and she loved it. She still shoots in that division.

Poppa Bear is 100% right. It's all about feel. If its possible, run a mock uspsa stage with your options and compare the feel. Test, test, and test some more. Good luck, and welcome to the sport and the forums!!

[Jensey]

Thanks guys. This forum is great, I'm glad I found it. When my friend mentioned competition shooting to me I laughed. But then I thought it sounded fun. I was worried I would not be welcomed into the community since I am sure to start out slowly! But everyone seems so welcoming and understanding of newbies and all our questions! It is great. I am an ER nurse and my coworkers and husband think I am nuts for wanting to shoot so much, but I love it. Of course my kids think I'm the coolest mom around for wanting to shoot USPSA! ;-)

I am going to borrow my friend's 1911 (since he has the holster and magazines) for the class and maybe I will get to try out some others while I'm there!

[gixxerjunky]

I don't know of a single shooter that won't let a new shooter at least handle their pistol. Just tell them that you are using a borrowed pistol and looking for something yourself. I actually find it awesome when people want to shoot my Shadow Custom. Then when they like it I feel even better as they want one. The USPSA community is also very welcoming to new shooters. Just go slow and pay attention and you will be fine. Where are you located?

[Jensey]

I'm in South Carolina, on the border with Augusta, Georgia. I actually work in Augusta and shoot in Augusta.

[Poppa Bear]

A large part of getting a feel for a gun is ensuring you can handle the controls. Can you easily put the safety on and off? How does the trigger feel? Can you rack the slide? Can you easily hit the mag release button?

[Jensey]

You are right Poppa Bear. My first gun I bought was a Smith and Wesson M&P .22. I got it because I wanted something I could afford to shoot a lot and that I could manage racking the slide and mag release easily. I am glad I got it and still love shooting it, I just can't shoot USPSA with it. I need to decide between 9mm and .45 and then I could look seriously I guess. Do minors and majors compete against each other? I keep thinking I will need all the points I can get, but that is probably the wrong mindset.

[gixxerjunky]

Well you could get a 9mm 1911. I wouldn't worry about scores for awhile. When you start getting to the point of really wanting to be competitive you will most likely be wanting a different pistol that better fits you. Seems like a tradition I see anyway. People but a gun and run it for awhile and want something different. I'm guilty of that.

I think production is a great choice because most likely any pistol you buy fits it and you don't have to modify it. You also need to set aside 200-500 for a belt, holster, mag holders, and extra magazines. I usually carry 5. If you go single stack then most of the shooters will be shooting major.

[Jensey]

How does a 9mm 1911 shoot? I've definitely thought about that option but those are hard to find, especially right now!

[RangerTrace]

How does a 9mm 1911 shoot? I've definitely thought about that option but those are hard to find, especially right now!

For the "fun factor" alone I would recommend a 1911 in 9mm. Like someone already mentioned, don't worry about the minor/major scoring issue and just learn to shooting the 9mm accurately.

[johnny1gun]

How does a 9mm 1911 shoot? I've definitely thought about that option but those are hard to find, especially right now!

For the "fun factor" alone I would recommend a 1911 in 9mm. Like someone already mentioned, don't worry about the minor/major scoring issue and just learn to shooting the 9mm accurately.

+1.

Edited February 10, 2013 by johnny1gun

[Bob DuBois]

One of the females here went through Glocks, M@P's and ended up with a STI Trojan in 9mm. Might just borrow from friends till you understand the game a little. Ask some of the local shooters if you can handle their pistols after the match, they will be more than glad to help you out. Many will let you fire a few rounds. We have a local indoor range that has a large selection of rental pistols might have something like that in your area.

It is about feel, ease of reloading the pistol. How the gun points for you is a big deal.

Pistols, you get what you pay for. While you might not want something top end try and purchase quality.

[markm59]

Jensey,

My wife started with a Taurus 1911 in 45. She had problems develop over time due to the recoil and muzzle blast. When I finally convinced her to shoot a 9mm her scores and times improved dramatically so now she beats me every once in awhile . Start with a 9. Shoot Production division where you aren't penalized for shooting minor. Also look at the Springfield XDM series which is what my wife was shooting. The XDM comes with interchangeable back straps to help people with small hands. Though you can't go wrong with the 1911, we own several.

[Poppa Bear]

You are right Poppa Bear. My first gun I bought was a Smith and Wesson M&P .22. I got it because I wanted something I could afford to shoot a lot and that I could manage racking the slide and mag release easily. I am glad I got it and still love shooting it, I just can't shoot USPSA with it. I need to decide between 9mm and .45 and then I could look seriously I guess. Do minors and majors compete against each other? I keep thinking I will need all the points I can get, but that is probably the wrong mindset.

A quick run through of the divisions and scoring:

Open- Min caliber 9/38 scored major and minor.

Production- Min caliber 9/38 and ALL scored minor.

Limited/ LIM 10- Min Caliber 9/38. Need .40 or larger for Major, scored both major and minor.

Single Stack- Min caliber 9/38. Need .40 or larger for major, Scored both major and minor.

Revolver- Min Caliber 9/38. scored both major and minor.

All divisions compete between themselves so Major vs Minor can impact the score for all divisions except Production. The A zone is worth 5 points either way so accuracy is important. With the exception of Revolver and Open, Major gives you the benefit of more points while Minor gives you the benefit of greater magazine capacity. A 9mm SS or Limited gun can hold more rounds than one chambered in either .40 or .45.

The best way to approach the game is to find the guns that work well for you. Then decide which divisions they fit into the best. Some advice related to that is that for Production the gun HAS to be on the approved Production list, and 1911 style guns are not approved for Production. They can only be used in Limited, Lim-10, and SS divisions, (They can be used in Open also but we tend to go to the 2011 platform for that)

If you go with a 1911 platform you can download the cartridges so that they do not make major PF. As your skills improve, and your ability to handle the recoil improves you can increase the charge to where it makes major PF again.

Most important is to get out there and have fun. Do not worry about major vs minor PF scoring. Do not worry about being as fast as the other shooters. Just learn how the game works because the rest will come with practice.

Edited February 10, 2013 by Poppa Bear

[ktm300]

How does a 9mm 1911 shoot?

In a word, great. Less recoil to think about and less cost to shoot it.

As you are in SC I shoot a match in Spartanburg twice a month on the 1st and 4th Saturdays. If you already have a rig for a 1911 you are welcome to borrow my 9mm 1911 and shoot a match with it. I shot it for two years in SS minor and did pretty well with it. The web site for the club is shootspsa.org. Its a good match and you could try out another flavor of 1911.

Just to be clear the gun is not for sale. I just like to see new shooters get a chance to try some different guns before they end up buying one. I bought 4 or 5 before I found what I really wanted to shoot.

[Koppi]

Hi Jensey,

I'm a little late in this topic but here is .02, one option that I have not seen here in this topic is a way to save money in the long run and not get beaten up on the way. If you buy a .40 or .45 you can down load to minor until you learn to match manage and gain shooting ability. Than you can work your loads up to major over time and not be beaten up on the way. You may not even notice the change, if your lucky!

GOOD LUCK!

[Jammer1911]

I agree with Trace, for the fun factor alone (not to mention cost) the 9 mm 1911 is an amazing platform. I recently got one an am enjoying so much I may switch to shooting minor for awhile. JMHO

[wgj3]

You mentioned having an M&P .22, if you like it and it fits you well, going to an M&P 9 fullsize or Pro. You would have a very competitive gun for Production with a little trigger work. It has the interchangable backstraps to help with fit.

If you later wanted to try Limited, you could add a magwell and some mag extensions and shoot minor with a few extra rounds. I dont believe that the major/minor scoring strrts to matter much until you get up to the higher classes.

And, you would still have your mp22 for cheap practice.

Downside to 9mm 1911 is that they can be a bit finicky with ammo and feeding reliability. Not always, but can be. Having your gear run is about 50% of having a good match.

[Jammer1911]

I hear that alot about 9mm in a 1911 platform. I havent seen that with anyone yet. I have alot of friends shoot 1911 9mm in idpa and they havent experience that anymore than any other caliber. Most Malfunctions I have seen in any 1911 has been attributed to poorly reloaded ammo or cheapo magazines.

I agree though, find a platform you are comfortable with and practice practice practice, and in reality a S&W M&P Pro in 9mm might be cheaper to get started if it werent for the freenzy and inability to find reasonably priced magazines.

[Bergie]

Hi Jensey

If you are not reloading your own ammo the .40 and .45 are going to be very expensive to shoot.

I am female and not real big either. I have shot a 9mm 1911 for years and I love it. If you look at the results of Single stack Nationals for the last 4 years the top female shooters are shooting minor...there is a reason for this. They can handle it better so they shoot better with it and they have more fun. Don't worry about shooting major or minor at this point. Just learn the game, be safe and have fun.

[JerryShoots]

My wife Niccole favors the Walther PPQ. I've learned in the relatively short time we've been married that her gun interests follow some fairly even trends. Experimenting with offering similar guns to my other female friends and family showed me the following trends...

- 9mm and 45 were the most liked calibers even in very similar pistols. 40SW was strongly disliked by 13 out of the 15 women that took part in this.

- Striker type firing mechanisms were strongly favored with only two women choosing a single action 1911 and 1 selecting a DA/SA HK USP

- Non traditional sights were not well liked. Three white dot was slightly favored over fiber optics even on identical guns

- Women in general are more concerned with taking care of their skin than men tend to do. This was their reasoning for disliking guns with rough textured grips are aggressive checkering. Furthermore 25 lpi checkering was strongly disliked while 30 to 40 lpi checkering was well liked. Stipple was not preferred but moderate grip tape was well liked.

- On a timer the best groups at 7 yards under 5 seconds were from a 9mm.

On a non pistol side note my wife astounds me with her rifle shooting! I have never seen someone so naturally talented with a long gun.

If you like Jensey my wife says she is happy to talk to you if you want to email her. All information aside you will probably get the most value out of speaking to other women who shoot. I'll PM you her email feel free to use it.

[toothguy]

I am brand new to shooting, had not touched a gun a year ago. I had a friend teach me to shoot and I am now addicted. I love it. He told me I should try competition shooting and it looks like a ton of fun, so I am researching it and am taking a competition shooting class for beginners next week. I would like advice on a good gun choice. I am a female that does not weigh a lot, so I do worry about recoil, but the most accurate I've ever shot was with his Taurus 1911 .45ACP. He said I can use his Glock 17, but I will have to buy magazines and holster and I would prefer to buy those things to go with the gun I buy for competition. He taught me to draw with the 1911. Should I go with a 9mm, or bite the bullet and get a 1911 so it scores major? Open to any and all advice. This is such a neat forum with a wealth of information, and a little overwhelming!!

http://www.shootingusa.com/PRO_TIPS/JULIE_GOLOSKI/julie_goloski.html