Hammerli SP20 or Benelli MP-90

[kdj]

After a bunch of searching for the ultimate gun for our Monday league, it's down to a choice of 2:

1. Hammerli SP20

2. Benelli MP-90

Both can take scopes, have good triggers, etc. The Hammerli has 6 round mags, the Benelli has 9, so either would work. Reloading either fast looks to be equally painful so that's a wash.

Any one want to voice an opinion on which is the better beast?

Kevin

[mpolans]

What are you shooting on this league??? If it's IPSC with .22s, I'd say neither...just get a .22 conversion kit for a 1911. It'd be cheaper and MUCH faster to shoot.

If it's just bullseye or something, the number of rounds in the magazine doesn't matter, because you'll never need more than 5.

If you are considering something for bullseye or ISSF shooting, I'd highly suggest you look at a Pardini SP. Between the two you're currently considering, I would stay away from the Benelli. Haven't heard very many good things about their quality and I've never seen one used in any bullseye or ISSF event.

If you're on a budget, you could also look for an Izh-35. It's a very good design, but they look kind of ugly. IIRC, they've been used in Olympics before. You should be able to find one for around $400 or so. Walther takes them, polishes them up, puts on decent grips, jacks up the price and calls it a KSP200.

[kdj]

It's neither IPSC nor Bullseye. There are two events, pseudo-PPC (moderate accuracy at 25 yds) and pseudo-IPSC (7 yds with reduced size targets, siimulating 40 yds).

There are time limits (but they're long enough that even a reload with a bottom latched magazine is OK) and they require 6 shot strings.

I used to shoot a Pardini back in the dark ages but they only have 5 round mags.

I don't need a pistol of this class for these events (I occationally manage perfect scores with my IPSC gun ) but I just want one. And I haven't had an excuse to buy an Olympic class pistol in a long time. I might even be tempted back to the fold and to try something like "rapid fire" down the road

I'm tending to the Hammerli, just 'cause I always intended to by a 208 and never got around to it ... and they do have decent triggers.

Given the ludicrousity of this entire idea, it's not cost sensitive, or I'd be looking at something like a SW 41

I guess the Benelli drops in the ratings based on your input.

Thanks,

Kevin

[D.Hayden]

Kevin... just wanted to add... I'd never heard of a Hammerli SP20, but that's one cool looking pistol.

Are you going to start Steel Challenge too?

[kdj]

Nah ... I want a 22 for Monday so I can cut down on reloading. Other than that, I'll stick with what I'm doing now

Kevin

[mpolans]

On second thought, based on what a couple people experienced over at www.targettalk.org, you might want to rethink the SP20 too. Some stuff mentioned over there about frame cracking. Here's a sample:

Spring 2002-joined local club

Fall 2002-purchased .32 SP20 with .22 conversion

Spring 2003-replaced .22 barrel shroud. Fireing pin hitting too high

along with high groups.

practice-practice-practice

Fall 2004-replaced recoil buffer screw 3x's by now

-cracked slide

-cracked frame

-replaced slide with new version

-misfires

- replaced .22 barrel, problem fixed

-lighten ejector spring

Current-new frame arrives with modified serial number. Now what????

-new slide cracks

-trigger assembly broken where retaining pin holds it to frame.

-buffer screw broke again

20,000 rounds .22 Eley practice

maybe 10,000 .32 re-loads H&N lead, 1.8gr. 231

and

Three of us at the club where I shoot have had the frames crack on our SP20's; one of them an RRS and the other two regular SP20's. All cracked at the same spot, at the bottom front of the ejection port where the frame thins to about a millimeter or two as the cutouts for the recoil spring guides end. Looking at how thin the aluminum is at this point I'm not really surprised, but apparently it's supposed to be a fluke. Has anyone else heard of this happening?

[gmantwo]

I have and shoot a Benelli MP 95, a little more practical model than the MP 90. The main difference in the two is the way the triggers adjust. The 95 trigger group must be removed(one pin), whereas the 90 trigger can be adjusted with the trigger group in. The only other difference is the grips provided. The 90 grips are strictly one hand, bullseye style while the 95 grips are ambi, much better for IPSC or anything other than bullseye. I went through 14 different kinds, types, brands of ammo before I found one my Benelli liked and would group. Wolf Match Target will print one pinky nail group at 25 meters, everything else would only shoot into 1 1/2 inches. I love the benelli. My Model 41 will outshoot the Benelli, but I shoot the Benelli much better(in the Masters Precision event) in the bullseye style match I shoot.

[gmantwo]

Forgot, for what you're doing, the Sig/Hammerli Trailside would seem to be ideal. You can easily mount a dot on the barrel, grooves provided. 10 round mags, readily available. Accurate, very much so. And mine locks into my STI Ghost holster like it was made for it, lol.

[Zerwas]

After a bunch of searching for the ultimate gun for our Monday league, it's down to a choice of 2:

1. Hammerli SP20

2. Benelli MP-90

Both can take scopes, have good triggers, etc. The Hammerli has 6 round mags, the Benelli has 9, so either would work. Reloading either fast looks to be equally painful so that's a wash.

Any one want to voice an opinion on which is the better beast?

Kevin

I used to shoot the Hammerli SP20 in bullseye competition. Before that, I owned a Smith M41 and it was a good gun, but the Hammerli brought my scores up to around 860 in the first match (while I was still sighting it in at 50). I ended up doing very well with it in the bullseye arena. I then got hooked on the USPSA game and have since sold everything. I rarely if ever had a malfunction with the pistol and the best thing about it was the fact it shot the cheapest ammo the best. This was after a ton of testing to see what worked the best. Wolff match target was the clear winner. It was 1/2" accurate one handed at 25 yards accurate. It was about 2 inches at 50 yards if my memory serves me correct. I just loved that pistol.

My .02