kamann Posted December 26, 2007 Share Posted December 26, 2007 I'm seriously thinking about buying a Dawson tuned Trubor in Major 9. When it comes to open guns i have no idea what i want. To those that purchased one of these, how do you like it? Have they been fairly reliable? What are some decent loads? I read mags are an issue and tough to get. I have a Dillon 550B that i have been using to load minor 9 on for about a year and a half with my Glocks, and just have the Dillon dies. I guess i'm just trying to make sure that if i buy this gun, that it will serve me decently getting into open, and then later i can start to figure out what if any changes i want in an open gun. Money is an issue, i have a certain budget and don't want to bury myself, as $2500 already is alot to me. I'm also seriously thinking about an SJC Open Major 9 Glock, because i already shoot Glocks in Production and can work on them, and SJC's is tuned and ready to go. I have had fellow shooters let me try both types of guns, and both were nice. I am just not sure which platform would be better for me over the long haul. I'm the kind of guy that buys a gun and sticks with it for awhile, and just don't want a gun that goes down every other week. Well, i appreciate any and all responses, thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingman Posted December 26, 2007 Share Posted December 26, 2007 S-I is the way to go, for the price I would also check out Dan Beddell. As his guns are only a bit more than that and are completely custom. Also HSmith on the forums builds guns as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al503 Posted December 26, 2007 Share Posted December 26, 2007 If you end up going stock get a stock Trubor you're on the right track. Get it from Dawson/Brazos, who will do a reliability check on it. Otherwise, you might keep your eyes open for a used custom on the classifieds. If you're not in a hurry, a good deal often crops up. You gotta be faster than Merlin though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al503 Posted December 26, 2007 Share Posted December 26, 2007 (edited) Oops. Double Tap. Edited December 26, 2007 by al503 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kamann Posted December 26, 2007 Author Share Posted December 26, 2007 Thanks, i have checked out the Bedell. I quess question would be shorty or 5in, and what are the OAL for them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JThompson Posted December 26, 2007 Share Posted December 26, 2007 Also, think hard about Jim Anglin... he builds some of the best and his prices are better than most. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingman Posted December 26, 2007 Share Posted December 26, 2007 Talk to the smith. Tell him you are new to open they will help you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokshwn Posted December 26, 2007 Share Posted December 26, 2007 Talk to the smith. Tell him you are new to open they will help you +10 All told Dan Bedell and Chuck Bradley spent at least 5-6 hours of phone time guiding me to make the right decisions for me. They were great. Rest assured most smith's on this forum are willing to do the same to help you. With that said...sit down, start reading the open gun technical section, take notes, read again, then call. It will help alot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warpspeed Posted December 26, 2007 Share Posted December 26, 2007 My Major9 was built by Derek @ Millennium Custom. It is a very nice gun that, when kept clean, runs 100 %. I had a STI factory gun in 38 super i got from Dawson and it was sweet. It ran 100 % from day one. Dawson does a great job of tuning a factory pistol. since you are new to open, I would suggest the used route. The classifieds here and on the USPSA site are good places to look. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcattack Posted December 26, 2007 Share Posted December 26, 2007 Just make sure you go with a good reliable gunsmith built gun if you buy used. I did not do that the first nine I owned and it has turned me away from the 9. I know one other shooter that has a 9 and his gun stays at the smith more than he shoots it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaxshooter Posted December 26, 2007 Share Posted December 26, 2007 Another +1 for Jim Anglin, I have a new 9MM open gun built by Jim that has run 100% since the day I got it. I run SV mag tubes with Gram's springs, followers and base pads. I bought the mag parts and put them together, just did some very minor fitting of the followers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kamann Posted December 27, 2007 Author Share Posted December 27, 2007 Well i would like to thank everyone here for the responses. After searching and reading all day (i'm on vacatation this week) i'm going to call Chuck and order a Bedell 9mm. I'm just not sure between the shorty and 5in, but i know a local shooter who has one of each, and will see if he will let me shoot them when i see him again. Thanks again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-ManBart Posted December 27, 2007 Share Posted December 27, 2007 Well i would like to thank everyone here for the responses. After searching and reading all day (i'm on vacatation this week) i'm going to call Chuck and order a Bedell 9mm. I'm just not sure between the shorty and 5in, but i know a local shooter who has one of each, and will see if he will let me shoot them when i see him again. Thanks again. You will be much happier with a Bedell than a factory gun that's tuned. We don't have a lot of Open shooters at our club, but I can tell you that three of us shoot Bedells and they all run. I've seen most of the other Open guns have issues with maybe one or two exceptions. On the issue of shorty versus full-size a friend and I have shot shorty and full-size Bedells, both in 38SC with the same ammo, back to back on the same stage. Other than the slide/barrel length the guns are extremely similar. The difference in the way the two guns shoot is pretty minor and while I prefer the shorty (at least for now!) the full-size is what I would suggest to almost anyone buying their first Open gun. I honestly think I prefer the shorty because I had my first shorty Open gun back in the early 90s....I'm kinda used to them...it's probably that more than one being better than the other. The shorty is a bit easier on transitions...that's the primary benefit. The negatives are that they're a bit harder to shoot, they're louder, recoil harder and make you use more powder for the same power factor....there might be others I'm missing, but you get the idea. For a really good shooter they can deal with the negatives to get that last little bit of time out of transitions, but even then I'm not sure it makes enough difference to worry about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tactical Timmy Posted December 27, 2007 Share Posted December 27, 2007 Kamann, I have a trubor in 9mm. I had dawson do his reliability job on the gun and it works great and i love the gun.Have had no problems at all with it.I did however change the hammer with a a Koenig Premium.Put in a SV Triglide trigger, dawson Ice magwell.and an Alchin mount. i shoot 2-3 times a week and the gun never goes to the smith other then for parts upgrade. I load on a 550 also. My Major loads are 8.2 of HS-6, which chrono's at about 168. OAL is 1.165 For mags i use STI .38 sup mag tubes, springs and follower,with dawsons +1 pads.I dont use the mag spacers and do not have any feed issues. i think the 2011 style gun is the only way to go for open. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Front Man Posted December 27, 2007 Share Posted December 27, 2007 If I were looking at a Truebor, I would get the blued one. It's cheaper and would be easier for someone to reconfigure after you decide what you really want later. Guess the same would apply to the other builders too. FM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kamann Posted December 27, 2007 Author Share Posted December 27, 2007 Thanks for the comparison on shorty vs 5in Bart, made alot of sense to me. Thanks also Tactical Timmy, that is a sweet looking open gun, and your post has me thinking. How much more money do you have into it for the mods you added if you don't mind me asking? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turbocomp38s Posted December 27, 2007 Share Posted December 27, 2007 I would suggest you try shooting both 5 inch and the shorty before buying one. You won't go wrong with bedell custom. Another suggestion would be to look at Hardy custom. I believe his prices are very good which includes 4 mags and the gun for $3175.00 You can't beat that price...My friend has the 4.75 inch Hardy custom and I have the shorty. Talk to Chris Patty at CPWSA. Benny Hill builds very good guns in 9mm. You have a lot of good choices and they will help and guide you through. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kamann Posted December 27, 2007 Author Share Posted December 27, 2007 Fortunantly there are alot of open shooters in my Section. I think my plan of attack right now will be to try and shoot some more of the different guns and ask them questions. I need to feel good with my decision, its alot of money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-ManBart Posted December 27, 2007 Share Posted December 27, 2007 I would suggest you try shooting both 5 inch and the shorty before buying one. You won't go wrong with bedell custom. Another suggestion would be to look at Hardy custom. I believe his prices are very good which includes 4 mags and the gun for $3175.00 You can't beat that price...My friend has the 4.75 inch Hardy custom and I have the shorty. Talk to Chris Patty at CPWSA. Benny Hill builds very good guns in 9mm. You have a lot of good choices and they will help and guide you through. Good luck. I was on the CPWSA site the other day and it says they are no longer taking orders for Hardy guns. You can give them an e-mail and they'll let you know when they have a gun available....yikes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tactical Timmy Posted December 27, 2007 Share Posted December 27, 2007 Thanks for the comparison on shorty vs 5in Bart, made alot of sense to me.Thanks also Tactical Timmy, that is a sweet looking open gun, and your post has me thinking. How much more money do you have into it for the mods you added if you don't mind me asking? I was kinda able to cheat a little because i have a brownells account. but i think with all the parts and labor, mostly on having the dove tail cut for the slide racker, i think its about 450 in upgrades.If you want a detailed list of everything let me know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flexmoney Posted December 27, 2007 Share Posted December 27, 2007 I'm also seriously thinking about an SJC Open Major 9 Glock, because i already shoot Glocks in Production and can work on them, and SJC's is tuned and ready to go. I have had fellow shooters let me try both types of guns, and both were nice. Here is a thread in the Glock section that covers the issue a bit. http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?...2444&hl=sjc When I think of these types of decisions, I might ask myself some questions... Only you can decide what your money gets you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kamann Posted December 27, 2007 Author Share Posted December 27, 2007 Well, i just ordered the SJC Open Major 9 Glock with Steave at S&J Customs. The price of the total package including mags fit my budget better, and I already own and can work on Glocks, so thats the direction I went at this time. Thanks to everyone here for the advice and information, it means alot to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoMiE Posted December 27, 2007 Share Posted December 27, 2007 Nice, welcome to the Dark Side! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingman Posted December 27, 2007 Share Posted December 27, 2007 awesome, knowing what you are doing sometimes helps sway a decision Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Singlestack Wonder Posted December 27, 2007 Share Posted December 27, 2007 Well, i just ordered the SJC Open Major 9 Glock with Steave at S&J Customs. The price of the total package including mags fit my budget better, and I already own and can work on Glocks, so thats the direction I went at this time. There is never a problem that cannot be solved with a Glock. Good decision on your purchase. Report back to us how it runs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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