Is having a backup gun needed?

[nikdanja]

I shoot limited and have a very reliable gun. I sold my back up gun in hopes of buying a really sweet metal grip limited gun and making my main gun my back up. Now that I have the funds to buy my new gun to start the 2017 season, I'm having second thoughts. I really don't want to spend $3500-$4k on a new USPSA gun. 

So I hit the used market and use the gun I would purchase as my back up. Even now I am having second thoughts even spending half that on a gun that's just going to sit in my range bag/safe and never using it.  

Wanted a second opion from more experienced shooters on this topic. ( 3rd season shooting USPSA.) 

[rishii]

My backup gun is my old blaster, it's on its 2nd slide, 3rd barrel, 4th or 5th red dot, built in 92, but if is fully functional, very reliable 

and I would have no qualms about shooting it in a match today.

and it sits in the safe cleaned lube and ready to go, because unless I'm shooting our state match or flying to the mainland, I leave it at home

a back up gun gives me peace of mind if my main gun breaks during a major match, I can go to the MD, get permission, use my backup gun instead of trying fix my gun, or having to borrow an unknown gun from a buddy to finish the match

[aandabooks]

I always bring a backup gun for my son and I.  I figure if I need to go to a backup gun the match is already blown for score but at least I can shoot the rest of the match.

[Dr Mitch]

Depends on round count/condition of the current primary gun.  If you are planning on a nationals, or some quantity of big matches, you will cast a very long eye on whether having a backup gun is worth it.  Would you spend $500-3000 dollars attending a big time match, and then be OK with not finishing the match due to a broken part?  A full gun is ready to rock with match admin approval.  A broken part may or may not be replaceable between stages, and a gun with a round count approaching cracked slide territory is a potential liability.

Best practice is to have two identical guns, and use one for practice and one for matches.  Practice gun becomes backup for match gun.

[echotango]

. 

Edited December 18, 2016 by echotango

[Distant Thunder]

If you're only shooting local matches from time to time, I'd say you should probably save your money. If you're shooting locally a lot and/or hitting the State, Area and National matches then a second gun starts making more sense. It'd be a shame to invest all the time, travel and money in attending a major match only to have your gun crap out on you and keep you out of the fun. 

[Southpaw]

I always (well almost always ) bring a backup gun.  For years I never needed it.  But just within the past month I've needed to go to my backup gun twice.  One of those times was today actually!  But I don't shoot 2011s so a backup gun for me is a lot cheaper.

[carlspeed]

Like said, if you blow a stage and have to go to backup gun, you're really just shooting for fun. So if it's not as good as main, who cares.

[BoyGlock]

A back up gun is also useful if the main gun suddenly goes crap a few days or weeks before an important match. 

[rowdyb]

I like to think of it as a dry fire/practice/back up gun so it fulfills quite a few roles. Then the match gun is just the match gun. After a couple years the one with the highest round count gets sold and the remaining becomes the dry fire, practice, back up and the new gun becomes the match gun.

But if you don't want to do this then get very attentive and regular about all of your maintenance, parts, tuning and ammo. Because there really is no one other than yourself to blame if things go south and you're stuck with no gun.

And when, not if, something goes wrong and you're the type that has a gun smith do everything for you, you have an extra gun. While you may rely on a gun smith to get stuff done, you don't have to rely on their sense of timing and urgency.

I'd also advocate your primary and back up take the exact same holsters, mags and ammo. You want this to be plug n play as much as possible.

One is none. Two is one. Three is better.

Edited December 18, 2016 by rowdyb

[Hi-Power Jack]

On ‎12‎/‎17‎/‎2016 at 0:12 PM, nikdanja said:

I shoot limited and have a  very reliable  gun    I am having second thoughts buying a gun that's just going to sit in my range bag/safe and never using it.  

Sounds like you've never had a problem with your current gun.

I'd put some spare parts in my bag and be done with it.

When I went to the Nat'ls ten years ago, I bought a back up gun - a 2nd TruBor

9mm Major Open Gun - too many parts could fail there for a $2,000 trip.    Have

not regretted having it - when I send one gun to the gunsmith, I still have a matched

2nd gun.   Guns have failed during matches, and I've switched over to backup

a few times.   Also, loaned one gun out to an RO for half a match when his

gun puked.

[CHA-LEE]

It all comes down to how much down time do you really want when your primary blaster fails. Guns will fail. Its not a matter of if but when they will fail. Most of the time a failure is something simple that can be fixed with replacing an easy part. Other times its a catastrophic failure that takes a decent amount of down time to get fixed. Having a backup gun keeps you shooting when your primary is getting worked on. That and I would rather have a backup gun waiting in the safe that I know is going to work and is setup exactly how I want it to be. Verses going into panic mode when your primary goes down and you try to buy or borrow another blaster that you have no idea of its functionality or reliability.

Edited December 19, 2016 by CHA-LEE

[theWacoKid]

Always have a back up gun.  Shoot that gun often.  Always dry fire that gun.  Always be familiar with that gun. 

A back up gun should not be left around untouched, it should be used and shot so that when you do have to go to it, it's seamless.  It'll keep you honest and sharp so you don't get too comfortable with only one gun.  I've used this entire "off" season to shoot matches with back up guns so that I can develop full confidence in them.  Never know when that may come in handy.  As a bonus I'm slowing the wear and tear on the primary.

[CrashDodson]

I always have a backup gun that is also the practice/dry fire gun.  Sometimes I am guilty of not cleaning the backup gun before going to a local match.  

I practice and dry fire with the practice gun and will put a few rounds through the match gun before a major match.  You just want to make sure they feel the same.  You want the same grip and your hands to be in the same place on both.  You want the same safeties and anything like thumb rests.  You want them both to have the same sights too.  Its a peace of mind knowing that my match gun should work and keeps a low round count.  Also if one needs repaired your not out while you wait.  I would still replaces springs and what not yearly in both.  

[nikdanja]

Atlas gun works here I come! 

[mont1120]

Absolutely have a back up gun. I have had the most insane problems crop up, and the worst was at the 2014 Nationals, my first. The rear sight on my 1911 came flying off, hit the slide on the recoil, and hit me in the mouth, breaking a tooth. 

Without my back up, I was done. It is a cheaper unit, but it at least saved the match. I was not gonna win anything anyway, but I at least finished with something . Borrowing someone elses pistol is not something I like to do, one drop or malfunction, you might have just bought it. 

Lesson learned, you just never know when the Gun Gods are bored and you are the choice of the day. Ask anyone who has gotten a re-shoot.

[CrashDodson]

32 minutes ago, mont1120 said:

The rear sight on my 1911 came flying off, hit the slide on the recoil, and hit me in the mouth, breaking a tooth. 

Holy crap

[Distant Thunder]

2 hours ago, mont1120 said:

Absolutely have a back up gun. I have had the most insane problems crop up, and the worst was at the 2014 Nationals, my first. The rear sight on my 1911 came flying off, hit the slide on the recoil, and hit me in the mouth, breaking a tooth. 

Without my back up, I was done. It is a cheaper unit, but it at least saved the match. I was not gonna win anything anyway, but I at least finished with something . Borrowing someone elses pistol is not something I like to do, one drop or malfunction, you might have just bought it. 

Lesson learned, you just never know when the Gun Gods are bored and you are the choice of the day. Ask anyone who has gotten a re-shoot.

Ouch! Do you carry a spare set of dentures to the matches now? Sorry, couldn't resist.

[mont1120]

Thank God it was only cracked and held. My dentist found it and asked how I did it. The odd part of that story is the RO told me to continue the stage even when I told him I got hit with something. I did not realize it was the sight until I tired to get my immediate sight acquisition. I think I should have stopped and gotten a reshoot, but I really cannot find a rule in the book one way or the other. I did tell the RO I thought I had been hit by a ricochet, and I was bleeding.

However, what would be the ruling? Forgive my memory if I asked this question before on the forum, but I cannot remember if I did and what the answer is. Keep in mind the RO had absolutely no idea it was the sight off of my gun that caused the issue. The hit was not that bad, but I can tell you it did rattle me, and I had some watery eyes for a minute.

[ArrDave]

I like the practice gun / match gun scheme.  I shoot CZ's and it totally takes the fear of broken TRS/ slide stop off the table.  

[rowdyb]

Ask yourself these questions:

• will i spend more than $1,500 (or whatever your cost is of a back up gun) traveling to matches in the next two years?
• will i ever compete at a state, sectional or national championship?
• has my gun ever ever ever broken any part at all during any match?
• does a gunsmith perform a majority of the work on my gun/s?
• have i ever had to change to a totally different platform to stay in a division or switch divisions due to a gun problem before any match?

If you answer yes to any 3 of these 5 questions in my mind you need a back up gun that as close as possible matches your primary gun.

Edited December 20, 2016 by rowdyb

[GunBugBit]

Needed, no, but if you want to be most assured of being able to continue a match after a breakage or failure occurs, a backup gun is mighty nice to have.

[theWacoKid]

Answer the following questions:

1) Do I shoot USPSA?

2) Do I practice for USPSA?

If you answered one yes to any of the following questions you need a backup gun.  If you answered two yeses then you should also have a third gun.

Honestly, I think a backup gun is a no-brainer and goes without saying.  Where the debate can arise is do you need a third gun.

[CrashDodson]

I would be getting a divorce if I bought a third SV lol

[CHA-LEE]

I have 3 Limited guns that I leverage for USPSA. Having 3 gives me a solid Primary and Secondary at all times and the third one can be getting fixed or have just gotten fixed and needs to be vetted in practice.

This three blaster setup has served me well and kept me shooting any time I want with known good equipment. Most of the time its overkill as two are sitting around. But there were a few times where two of the three were down for whatever reason so having a third did actually come into play. I also rotate through using all three blasters regularly to ensure they all get some love on a regular basis. Doing this ensures that all of them are setup exactly the same, same trigger feel, same functionality reliability testing going on.