sgrc1 Posted September 13, 2003 Share Posted September 13, 2003 I just started shooting around 4 months ago, and so far I am shooting Production only with a G17. I am getting ready to shoot another class, and I think I would like to go with Open class. I need advice on the Best open Gun to buy (prepared to pay for a good deal). By reviewing other link I think I would definitely go with 38 Super cal. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRBean Posted September 13, 2003 Share Posted September 13, 2003 There really is no BEST open gun. What one shooter likes in an open gun another will hate. Ask a few of the local open shooters to let you try their guns. Try some hydrids and non hybrids to see what YOU will like. The two will have a distinctly different feel about them. As far as who to buy from. Benny Hill is an excellent choice. He builds a really nice open gun. George at EGW is another good choice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshua Posted September 15, 2003 Share Posted September 15, 2003 You should get the list of gunsmiths in your area that cater to the IPSC sport. In an IPSC gun it will have to be reliable. Some gunsmith that claims to build super accurate 1911s doesn't necessary mean they can build an IPSC gun. You will need the top accuracy in your pistol and reliability. I've heard a top gunsmith say there is a need for a certain degree of play in an open gun to be reliable, I think he's right but the gun he was trying to sell me was just pure sloppy. Who wants a gun that is sure reliable and won't jam but couldn't hold a group the size of the head of an IPSC target at 25 yards. I've shot one of the latest SV and it sure is accurate and reliable. I've heard EGW guns are hell of reliable and accurate. Dawson makes great guns. I shoot a Limcat which has been very accurate, reliable and soft shooting. I think you need to see what the gunsmiths in your area offers and see if you like the way they feel. I like a gunsmith that tailors the gun to the customers liking instead of what he (the gunsmith) thinks. You still have to consider his advice since he knows how to build the gun safely. If I can have a gun built right now, I'd go with a commander length slide a Turbo II comp from Limcat, 2 blowholes behind the comp on a 5" bull barrel. slightly lightened slide at the rear. Built on a SV or S+I frame. I'd have it accurail and have a 1.5 lb trigger job. top it off with a Cmore on a standard serendipity plastic leg to save about 1/8" in height. I'll have it chambered in 38 Supercomp. josh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sgrc1 Posted September 16, 2003 Author Share Posted September 16, 2003 Can somebody give me the EGW web address? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diehli Posted September 16, 2003 Share Posted September 16, 2003 http://www.egw-guns.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eerw Posted September 16, 2003 Share Posted September 16, 2003 here are my two egw guns..love them http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?...=ST&f=45&t=7846 also here is another site with some of EGW's work http://egw.radomski.us/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sgrc1 Posted September 17, 2003 Author Share Posted September 17, 2003 Thanks!, great looking guns! While doing this investigation and speaking to a few fellow shooters I have been asked the question of Why do you want to shoot Open, try Limited instead, it keeps it more real. I really don´t know why , I think the Open guns are the most awesome guns I have ever seen but I honestly do not know what is best Limited or Open?, any advice, comments from you guys will be of much help. I checked today some of the web sites for Limited guns and they are also beautiful guns (Brazos, Limcat, Dawson). sgrc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrianH Posted September 17, 2003 Share Posted September 17, 2003 Buy the stuff you want, not what someone else says you should want. Absolutely the best thing I can suggest is go to a match and try to find some kind people who will let you shoot their guns after the match....limited as well as open. Cost is not much of an issue....guns cost close to the same, reloading components....etc....it's mostly the feel of the gun, how you handle recoil, how you deal with iron sights vs. a scope. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshua Posted September 17, 2003 Share Posted September 17, 2003 I'm usually an Open class shooter and I just started shooting my limited gun again. Whoever pioneered all those bells and whistles on an open gun sure did their homework because it is so much easier to shoot thus giving you the accuracy and speed over a limited gun in stages where there are lots of steel plates, targets over 15 yards away with lots of no shoots - that's where an open gun shines. On a stage where the targets are close and no no-shoots the limited gun will kick butt because it is so much lighter and more manueverable. Shooting a limited gun takes more concentration to prevent misses and no-shoots, it is harder to track a front sight than a dot. This is just my opinion and others may have different views, so please do not stone me to death. josh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kbear38S Posted September 17, 2003 Share Posted September 17, 2003 but I honestly do not know what is best Limited or Open? Neither is best. They are different and the differences affect how you'll shoot a stage. I like shooting Limted as much as Open but I shoot Open more because of the dot. If you take notice to the ages of the competitors in the various divisions, you'll notice that Open is the preferred division with the bifocal crowd. Limited guns are less expensive because they don't require a comp and a dot scope. I think they're generally less fussy mechanically and .40 brass is close to free these days. Reloading for Open requires more R&D to get the right load for a specific open gun. Different comps, slide weights, shooting styles are more profoundly affected by the different powders and bullet weights than Limited guns. If you like to tinker with loads, Open is for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Posted September 18, 2003 Share Posted September 18, 2003 Hi sgrc1, If you are gonna go for an open gun, then depending where you are in the US, try one of these three. Any of them will give you good advice on what to get and will provide you with an open gun that will actually run, guaranteed! Reno, NV - www.limcat.com - Johnny Lim Corpus Christi, TX - www.triangleshootingsports.com - Benny Hill Doylestown, PA - www.egw-guns.com - George Smith Spend your money with whomever of these three you choose and you will not go wrong. Every other way will be a much longer route to a well running open class weapon system. BTW, be prepared to get involved with a Dillon reloading press and all of the components needed to assemble the custom ammunition an open class gun will require. No factory ammo will run an open gun at major PF. Use the following link to read Brian's instructions on ordering Dillon stuff from him through his webstore (it's actually cheaper through him than direct from Dillon). http://www.brianenos.com/pages/dillon.html Regards, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spl K Posted September 20, 2003 Share Posted September 20, 2003 Today I shot Chuck Bradley`s shorty 38 open gun, Boy was it nice!!! it felt light and fast!,alot faster than me. I have been looking at having a open gun built or finish building one myself from a short block. I have recently shot some local gunsmith`s full size guns, and a Brazo`s shorty. So far Chucks shorty is leading the pack. I am going to shoot a few more frends open guns but Chuck`s looks tough to beat!!!!!!!! gun to gun buck to buck I think I`m going with Chuck`s but maybe 9mm Major my 2 cents. spl k Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshua Posted September 21, 2003 Share Posted September 21, 2003 Back in the days when S+I, Caspian and CMC were just coming out with their wide body kits I went ahead and built a gun for myself. Didn't cost me much because we had an FFL, but it did take a trip to a real 1911 gunsmith to fix a problem (I was learning ok). Then I had a backup gun built which cost me a bit more because I had an IPSC smith do it for me because, I didn't have the time, but had the money. The cost was more than fair but I wasn't very happy with the fit of the gun, it was not a reliable gun it ate like 2 aluminum guide rods. Then my first gun wore out the first top end so I sent the frame to a reputable smith. The work was superb, accuracy and reliability was outstanding. Cost was a little steep. Moral of the story is, the smiths that charges premium price will give you what is suppose to be in the package and not give you any BS when you see a scuff, flaw, malfunctioning part, misfitted part in your pride and joy blaster. josh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spl K Posted September 21, 2003 Share Posted September 21, 2003 joshua, I see you have a moral to your story,but Iwas talking about building from a factory STI short block,and otherwise reputable smith`s. so load and make ready and speak straight, all AAAA`s Beep!! thanks spl k Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rufus The Bum Posted October 14, 2003 Share Posted October 14, 2003 Whatever you choose to shoot, make sure you explore the different divisions before you decide to buy. I bought a $1500 open gun and then discovered I loved shooting limited. Don't rush into it. Not to start a debate, but there is considerably more expense and time involved in shooting open ie.....picking up those expensive little cases. But if thats what you wanna do, then by all means do it, just do it because you want to, not because it looks cool. Hope this helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoNsTeR Posted October 15, 2003 Share Posted October 15, 2003 SHOOT an open gun before you buy one! After shooting eerw's new open gun I'm fairly certain I want nothing to do with such a beast. Maybe a few years down the road if I have money to burn, or if my eyesight gets a lot worse, I'll give it a shot. Until then I'll stick to Production and Limited(10). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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