Lucan Posted August 16, 2014 Share Posted August 16, 2014 I've come seeking advice from you sagely SVI owners. I have a single stack 9mm on order from SVI. I'm only 3 months into my 12-18 month wait, but it sure feels more like 6 months. I'm going with 9mm for a variety of reasons, but mostly because I'm more accurate with my current 9mm than I am with my .45, which makes it more fun, and it doesn't hurt that ammo is cheaper either. I won't be competing and it won't be for HD or for duty. This will be purely for fun at the range and the requisite fondling, ogling and posing with in the mirror. I caught the SVI bug earlier this year and became obsessed, had to have one. I can barely look at my factory pistols now. But I have mild concerns that 9mm might get boring after a while. 5" slide with extended dust cover and bull barrel, recoil should be more than just manageable. It may not even be noticeable. To keep things fresh, I'm strongly considering a .40 conversion kit along with my order so that I can swap out occasionally or at some point for something rumored to be "snappier." I've never actually shot .40, but SVI chambered in .40 seems popular here at brianenos.com. Your thoughts? Yes, spend the extra dough upfront for the conversion kit? For the same cost, should I consider a second pistol in .40? Based on your experience, do you think that I might get bored with a heavy SS in 9mm? I've come to realize that the longer the wait, the more time I have to fret about my decisions, tinker with the design and want accessorize. This may be a case of me looking for an excuse to spend more money. Thanks in advance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jstagn Posted August 16, 2014 Share Posted August 16, 2014 Recoil will be hardly noticeable. I also hesitated to go to a 40, but properly set up while more recoil than a 9 it should be OK in that gun. See if someone who has a 40 will let you shoot it. Call the factory, they may have a someone nearby so you can test. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woof Posted August 16, 2014 Share Posted August 16, 2014 One is good.... Two are better.... There is no such thing as too many. With that in mind get one of each. Then block the SV web site on your PC and forget about the order. Next thing you know you will be picking up both and you will have a different dilemma... which one are you taking to the range. woof Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hercster Posted August 16, 2014 Share Posted August 16, 2014 I would never argue against any reason for wanting another gun. Fondling and ogling are perfectly legit and I do those things every day. However I will come out in favour of some form of competition. You don't have to be an athlete or a youngster either. I'm 70 and regularly compete in just about everything that involves noise and gunsmoke. You don't even need to be particularly competitive from a skill perspective. However, competing does provide valid reasons for owning various calibers and types of guns. If you might be tempted with a mild for of competition, consider Steel Challenge with your 9mm. I just bought another 9 partly for that purpose as the low recoil is an asset with the fast transitions in that game. I have my .40 for IPSC and USPSA; I'll take the 9mm for 3 Gun as it will give me more capacity and doesn't present a calibre penalty in that game. The biggest reason I can offer for competition of any sort is the fellowship. "Gun people" as I call them are friendly helpful folk that always treat me well despite my clumsiness and decided lack of speed. Another plus is all the guns in use and on display. Your SVI's will definitely attract attention and you might have to fight off the "girls". :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Posted August 16, 2014 Share Posted August 16, 2014 Wise choice on the 9mm. With the ammo choices available today that caliber will do anything the .40 will do...with the exception of allow you to shoot major in single stack competitions (that you don't plan to enter anyway). Do what you want because you work hard for the money you are spending, but if it was me I would use the cost of a .40 to buy more ammo and mags for that fine pistol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJH Posted August 16, 2014 Share Posted August 16, 2014 I know you said that you weren't planning on competing with your new pistol but, if you decide to, you do know that in the configuration you listed, it would not be legal in USPSA Single Stack division, right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ericjhuber Posted August 16, 2014 Share Posted August 16, 2014 I've come seeking advice from you sagely SVI owners. I have a single stack 9mm on order from SVI. I'm only 3 months into my 12-18 month wait, but it sure feels more like 6 months. I'm on month 11 for my .40 SVI Single Stack. Doesn't feel any shorter at this point. I went .40 cal since it's for USPSA and that also dictated some of the other aspects like weight and some features. I've love to have a 9mm version of what I ordered also for steel and the like, but the cost savings math doesn't justify it even if it's just a conversion kit. Look, the good news is that if you ever do decide you don't like the 9mm version (and I think that was a very fine choice based on your use case), you can save up your pennies and get the extra .40 or .45 stuff to add to it. I think Brandon is used to people tweaking things during the wait period. I've done it a couple times now on some minor things like trigger inserts. Customer service and responsiveness has been excellent and our resident Team Infinity people here on Enos have been awesome with all of my questions also. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucan Posted August 16, 2014 Author Share Posted August 16, 2014 Thank you all for the replies, I knew I wouldn't be disappointed. I went SVI because of the amazing stories posted by owners on this site and because I love the idea of a family-owned artisan gunsmith hand-crafting a pistol to order. In this era of instant everything, it's actually kind of exciting to have to wait more than a year for something. I see this as a new family heirloom to pass down through the generations. Then block the SV web site on your PC and forget about the order. This is a tremendously good suggestion, thank you. I can't tell you how many times I've paged through their gallery section. The biggest reason I can offer for competition of any sort is the fellowship. "Gun people" as I call them are friendly helpful folk that always treat me well despite my clumsiness and decided lack of speed. Another plus is all the guns in use and on display. Your SVI's will definitely attract attention and you might have to fight off the "girls". :-) That's a great point and one that I will need to consider, thanks. Wise choice on the 9mm. I wish that I could take credit, but 9mm was Brandon's suggestion. I was vacillating between 9mm and .45 and he gave me many compelling reasons based on my usage to go 9mm. I know you said that you weren't planning on competing with your new pistol but, if you decide to, you do know that in the configuration you listed, it would not be legal in USPSA Single Stack division, right? Thanks, I do now! I can guess at some of the letters, but I without some Googling I honestly couldn't tell you what USPSA or IPSC stand for. I went .40 cal since it's for USPSA and that also dictated some of the other aspects like weight and some features. I've love to have a 9mm version of what I ordered also for steel and the like, but the cost savings math doesn't justify it even if it's just a conversion kit. Look, the good news is that if you ever do decide you don't like the 9mm version (and I think that was a very fine choice based on your use case), you can save up your pennies and get the extra .40 or .45 stuff to add to it. I think Brandon is used to people tweaking things during the wait period. I've done it a couple times now on some minor things like trigger inserts. Customer service and responsiveness has been excellent and our resident Team Infinity people here on Enos have been awesome with all of my questions also. Thanks. Brandon has been amazing to work with. Patient, knowledgeable, thorough and not rushed in his responses. It's hard to imagine someone so in demand taking so much time and care with each customer. Little wonder that he is so well respected. Sounds like you had a very similar dilemma. On one hand, it will cost more to purchase a conversion kit at a later date, so it makes sense to buy one now. It could be like having two SVIs in one! On the other hand, this pistol doesn't even exist yet and I'm already worrying about future-proofing. Maybe I should, you know, actually shoot the thing before even considering this? Or try out .40 to see if I even like it. I will continue to mull, thanks again for you inputs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ltdmstr Posted August 17, 2014 Share Posted August 17, 2014 (edited) I would rethink the bull barrel and long dust cover. Those are not allowed for single stack division if you ever decide you want to compete. And with 9mm, you really don't need all that weight. Even a standard bushing barrel and standard dust cover 9mm minor shoots like a .22. I would recommend a standard dust cover, bushing barrel, have the slide internally lightened and tri-topped, then run a tungsten guide rod. Guarantee you'll love it. If not, you'll be able to sell it in an instant. Edited August 17, 2014 by ltdmstr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hercster Posted August 17, 2014 Share Posted August 17, 2014 (edited) This has been an interesting thread. As the OP can now see, competition can really influence design choices. I haven't been perfectly successful but right from my late start, I tried to anticipate what I would want to do with my guns. Knowing myself fairly well, I knew that I would loose interest at shooting static targets in a range lane. I also knew that I enjoy most things in the presence of others as I'm a social animal. I knew that IPSC/USPSA would appeal to me because of the action and also because it's a technical and thinking game that goes beyond just the shooting component. My first gun was a .40 as I understood that the scoring in IPSC favours the heavier calibers. I've since gone full circle and "need" a selection of calibres to keep me happy in the various games I'm now obsessed with. So here is what I suggest to the OP as he has time to reconsider choices as he learns more. He has already admitted to concerns that he would get bored with a 9mm. That was definitely my case as I rather like the challenges of recoil. I find the "thump" of my 45 ACP fun! Take whatever pistols he has access to and look for the local USPSA and or IDPA clubs. Almost all have practice nights where visitors are welcome and courted. Naturally we all think the games we choose to play are the cat's meow. But gun people are really enthusiastic folk and every club has one or more members that like to mentor newbies. At one of my clubs we often lend guns to visitors for a mag or two and demo the gun's features. I know I got to shoot about six different pistols on my first night. If the OP were to do the rounds for a week or two, not only would he get exposure to the hardware but also to the games. Personally I found IPSC irresistible as it appealed to the long-dormant boy in me. I was hooked instantly. I'm almost sure the OP's vision of what hardware he might prefer will be clearer and he might make equipment choices with more confidence. The equipment rules of the various games can be a bit daunting but some face to face time with experienced shooters will narrow the field and possibly avoid expensive mistakes. Edited August 17, 2014 by hercster Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RangerTrace Posted August 17, 2014 Share Posted August 17, 2014 I would rethink the bull barrel and long dust cover. Those are not allowed for single stack division if you ever decide you want to compete. And with 9mm, you really don't need all that weight. Even a standard bushing barrel and standard dust cover 9mm minor shoots like a .22. I would recommend a standard dust cover, bushing barrel, have the slide internally lightened and tri-topped, then run a tungsten guide rod. Guarantee you'll love it. If not, you'll be able to sell it in an instant. I agree whole heartedly with this^^^^. You may be one of the lucky guys who never has to sell a pistol. But, if you do, it will sell much faster (read instantly) if it is single stack legal. And as already stated, it will shoot very soft anyway. Unless you can afford an additional top end rather that just the barrel, breech face and extractor, I would probably spend that money on a Dillon or a few cases of ammo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucan Posted August 18, 2014 Author Share Posted August 18, 2014 Thanks all for taking the time to respond and for your thoughts and advice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucan Posted July 4, 2015 Author Share Posted July 4, 2015 Thanks again for the suggestions. I took them to heart and am happier for it. I ended up with a traditional 1911 profile instead of the full length dustcover. Brandon was able to fit both a 9mm bull barrel and a .45 bushing barrel in the same slide. The result: You know the whole "feels like the slide is on ball bearings" thing? Yeah, I get it now. Trigger is 2.5 lbs and crisp. Already planning the next one... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gator11 Posted July 4, 2015 Share Posted July 4, 2015 Thanks again for the suggestions. I took them to heart and am happier for it. I ended up with a traditional 1911 profile instead of the full length dustcover. Brandon was able to fit both a 9mm bull barrel and a .45 bushing barrel in the same slide. The result: infinity.lucan.jpg You know the whole "feels like the slide is on ball bearings" thing? Yeah, I get it now. Trigger is 2.5 lbs and crisp. Already planning the next one... Man that thing is beautiful. I gotta get an Infinity... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jswhitesell619 Posted July 6, 2015 Share Posted July 6, 2015 Man that's good looking! I bet it shoots better then it looks too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cowboy1629 Posted July 7, 2015 Share Posted July 7, 2015 Congratulations, nice looking gun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RangerTrace Posted July 7, 2015 Share Posted July 7, 2015 She turned out great! Congratulations!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GIGEM5464 Posted July 8, 2015 Share Posted July 8, 2015 Beautiful piece Just started the wait... ...13 months and 29 days to go Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pfiddy Posted July 8, 2015 Share Posted July 8, 2015 Hell, Im only 2 weeks in. This is gonna be rough Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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