Changing between platforms

[freezingduck]

I enjoy shooting different plattforms like my Glock, CZ, Sig and so on, but will this damage my training?

Am i better of only shooting one plattform in all my training?

Is it okay to train two days a week with my primary and one day a week with something else? revolver, 1911, glock, CZ?

I ask because I really want to buy myself a 1911 in ,45 but I am afraid that it may confuse my little brain even more than before;)

Different triggers, different grip, different feel.

It looks like most of the big guys are running different platforms on occation, but primarly train with there main platform.

like shooting production to get a rest from open.

[Yagi]

If you enjoy shooting I do not think damaging your training by switching platforms...

Are you better only shooting one platform... maybe... it depends on how much work you are willing to do...You can train whichever gun you like in my humble opinion.

Why would it confuse your brain if you are shooting different platform? it is not like you are shooting all different platforms in a stage...

What i can tell you is that it does not matter which platform you train solely or cross train with...

What matters is "are you willing to do the work" to be competitive???

[MetropolisLake]

I don't shoot enough to be able to do it all. Have about decided that Glocks aren't for me, mostly because I like 1911's and it messes me up switching back and forth. The grip angle, safety, and trigger messes me up, grip angle more than anything. If Glocks had a 1911 grip angle I would like them much more.

Edited November 6, 2013 by MetropolisLakeOutfitters

[mwc]

Do what makes you happy! Sometimes changing divisions or platforms is all to need to rekindle interest. I get bored easily and enjoy changing things up from time to time.

[prk]

When I first started shooting competition pistol , I had one gun a Sig and I was pretty fast and accurate with it. What I didn't like was the da/sa - so off started my quest for the perfect gun. I tried almost every platform ( except Glock - don't like them , never have ) - M&P's, XDM's , Para's , 1911's. I found I really enjoyed the 1911 - it fit my hand well and I was very accurate with it, I could shoot it SS and CDP. At one point , I had over a dozen pistols - did my performance suffer - absolutely. I was way better when I only had one gun. The subtle differences in grip angles, front strap width, grip size , safeties, etc -- really threw off my game. If you check out the EAA/Tanfo thread -- what I settled on was one platform I could use in IDPA, USPSA and Steel - I have 2 frames and a bunch of uppers in all the calibers -- now I can shoot the same platform for everything. So , it's just something to consider -- but I did enjoy trying out all the guns.

[SilverBolt]

Someone once to me this. Don't fear the man with many guns, fear the man with only one gun.

[CC712400]

I shot production and single stack for two years, and after a little improvement I stagnated. Switching to limited changed everything around and has made me a better shooter all around, even going back to production.

That said, it definitely takes a few draw-and-dry-fire exercises to make sure I remember which gun I'm shooting.

[Dwight Stearns]

Someone once to me this. Don't fear the man with many guns, fear the man with only one gun.

I have a hard enough time beating the one with many guns. I'm dreading the day I meet that guy that just has one gun.

[johnhhuber]

Someone once to me this. Don't fear the man with many guns, fear the man with only one gun.

I really like this!

[ShooterSteve]

Every one is different. You may be able to switch back and forth. I tried a couple different platforms, and it didn't work too well for me. I ended up sticking with the 1911 and things settled down and got more consistent. You just need to give it a try and see how you do, but don't be surprised if it doesn't work out.

[45dotACP]

I've never really worried about it...but then I'm not a GM. Even if I were, I'd never let competition get in the way of having fun with shooting. I look at it this way. Guys like Dave Sevigny can shoot the FNS and then go right back to playing around in Single Stack...so go for it!

[GunBandit]

I'm a newb, but I say go for it. Have fun and shoot. Maybe you'll find one you like or do better with and stick with it.

[Magsz]

Even guys that are naturals at this have to TRAIN around whatever gun they're shooting.

These guys can shoot all guns well but they EXCEL when they spend the time and the rounds getting acquainted with the timing of the gun. I guarantee that when they transition between platforms they put a fair number of rounds down range to get back in tune with the way the gun cycles.

Personally, as a B class shooter ive found that i perform the best when i stick to ONE gun. I can shoot a glock equally as well as i can shoot my CZ but i dont feel confident in my ability to REALLY run the gun at speed unless i dedicate myself towards learning that particular recoil cycle. NO gun recoils the same. They're all different and i much prefer to stick to one gun.

Im less about shooting lots of guns and more about performing up to my given standards with my chosen platform.

[blaster113]

decide what division/platform you want to compete with most of the time; ie Limited with a 2011. do most of your dryfire/live fire practice and shoot most of your matches with that platform. then play with other platforms once in a while when you feel burnout coming. if you practice hard enough, burnout will surely come around. switching around once in a while will help liven things up. though trigger time is trigger time, if you switch around too much its hard to improve in any one platform. I'm guilty of that somewhat cause I love to shoot matches, but I spend 90% of my match time in Limited with a 2011, a little in Open and about 1% in Production with my favorite handgun, a lightly used but modded Sig P226.

[Cold Absolute Zero]

In my humble opinion if you want to progress fastest in a specific division pick one gun and shoot it. I told myself that I would shoot my g34 until I made M and other than a few fun matches in limited with a g35 that's what I did. It really motivated me to dry fire and practice because I wanted to try something else.

Definitely not "the" way but it is a successful technique for me and my goals. You can definitely shoot several guns well, or in some cases very well (and have a lot of fun at it), but I think it's easier to progress faster if you focus on one.

CAZ

[mhoosier]

For me, I'm about to switch to just one for all things. I'm going to give that a year and see what happens...if I can make it a year!

[BillR1]

I've been shooting M&Ps for everything for the last couple of years. I decided I wanted to try a 1911, and I'm having a tough time running the gun at speed. Slow fire is no problem, but the wheels fall off if/when I try to go fast. I'm sure with enough dedicated practice I'll be able to do it, but it sure hasn't been easy so far.

[cpa5oh]

Like everything, your particulars and your goals are probably the major determinants of whether shooting multiple platforms will hurt you. I think you have to judge how much time you're spending relearning how to point, grip, draw, reload, transition, etc. when you switch to know whether switching is hurting you or not. If you're screwing around with that stuff constantly (things that are specific to the different guns,) that means you're taking focus away from the higher level things that you need to be working on in order to become hyper-competitive. And if you're not concerned about being hyper-competitive or need the extra motivation that variety might provide, then it doesn't much matter what the drawbacks to switching might be. My opinion, anyway...

I hear a GM Production shooter saying that, 6 months after switching guns, he's STILL getting more accustomed to his new platform and making improvements. I have to imagine that if you're really serious about being a great shooter that, at some point, sticking to one platform is going to allow you to squeeze the last few drops of performance out of your shooting.

[TroyB]

I didn't vote, I'll leave that to those who know what they're talking about. Right now, my two USPSA guns are M&P's for Production and Limited, one being a 4 inch and the other a 5 inch. I plan to go to 2011 next year which I would think it would take some time to get used to the 2011, but going back to my Production M&P, I don't think it would be a problem.

[Nimitz]

Depends what your goals are .... If you're truely in it for fun and don't care what classification you make or how you do in matches then shoot as many different platforms within a division ( or multiple divisions) as you like, hell, shoot a different gun every match .... However, if your goal is to be competitive and become the best shooter you can than you probably want to take your cue from the SuperSquad shooters .... Pretty sure you'd be hard pressed to find one that shoots more than one platform within a division ... There's a reason for that, many actually. And being sponsored has little to do with it ...

[mhoosier]

Just asked a GM teaching a class the same thing. The answer was essentially the same thing Nimitz just posted. Depends on your goals...

[Andreas]

Best case, practicing with pistol #2 means that you aren't practicing with pistol #1. More realistically, practicing with pistol #2 interferes your ability to run pistol #1 well due to the differences.

Case in point: the adjustable rear sight on my CZ-75 SP01 Shadow blew up in the middle of a stage today. I finished the match with my 75B Stainless. These are about as close as pistols are going to get—the 75B weights a bit less, has a slightly longer reset, and a slightly shorter magazine release. Even so, I short-stroked the trigger on one target and failed to drop the magazine on the first press on one stage. Only cost me a few tenths of a second, but I can only imagine transitioning between a CZ and a 1911 or Glock.

[LilBunniFuFu]

Best case, practicing with pistol #2 means that you aren't practicing with pistol #1. More realistically, practicing with pistol #2 interferes your ability to run pistol #1 well due to the differences.

Case in point: the adjustable rear sight on my CZ-75 SP01 Shadow blew up in the middle of a stage today. I finished the match with my 75B Stainless. These are about as close as pistols are going to get—the 75B weights a bit less, has a slightly longer reset, and a slightly shorter magazine release. Even so, I short-stroked the trigger on one target and failed to drop the magazine on the first press on one stage. Only cost me a few tenths of a second, but I can only imagine transitioning between a CZ and a 1911 or Glock.

+1 for this. I run Glocks. One match my G34 stops popping primers and I only had a G26 as a back up. One is tweaked and the other is factory. Messed me up since I didn't have enough fondling time before the next stage to get accustomed again.