PistolPete Posted September 14, 2003 Share Posted September 14, 2003 Here is the debate I'm having. I'm in the process of ordering an SVI 2011 and am deciding on which caliber to build. I currently shoot single stack 1911's in .45 ACP. I was leaning towards building a .38 super as I've read a lot of praise about it. However, I've heard with .38 super you really can't make major. With that being said I was told I should go with .40. Then others have said I would be best with a .45 ACP because that is what I'm already loading. Needless to say i'm so confused. I would like to order this gun this week as it will take 4-5 months bo build but I don't want to buy it in the wrong caliber. Please help me out. I've heard people use .38 super because it is super accurate and super reliable. I'm familiar with .40 as it was the only gun I had for years. Good thing about the .40 is I saved all my brass since I started shooting years ago so I have buckets full of brass. .45 ACP is good cause I'm familiar with it and reloading and my press is set up for it etc. However, it also limits the amount of ammo I can hold in a mag. So my decision is leaning towards .40. Please give me pros and cons about these and/or other calibers to help me decide. Thanks, Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry White Posted September 14, 2003 Share Posted September 14, 2003 Pete, I've been reading your post and have a little advice for you. Contact Benny Hill at Triangle Shooting Sports and get a custom STI in 40, full dustcover if thats what you want,get a schuman ultimatch bull barrel & have it hardcromed. Not enough diffrence in the sti and svi to even notice. You will have all the gun you could ever wish for and have it long before SVI will even think of starting it. Benny can handle the mags and all for you. His ph# is 361-241-1091. He's a top smith and a pleasure to do business with. He's a grandmaster shooter who knows these pistols and supports the sport. Larry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nik Habicht Posted September 14, 2003 Share Posted September 14, 2003 Pete, If you want to shoot Limited USPSA get a gun in .40. If you want to shoot Open USPSA get a gun with a comp and red dot chamered in .38 Super or one of it's variants. If you're not sure what you want to shoot ---- postpone ordering a gun until you've shot a bunch of guns and have decided what sport and division you want to play in. Patience, grasshopper..... And I think that if you decide to buy your first limited or open racegun you should strongly consider having a smith do the job rather than a factory. Smith support is likely to be better if you use a top quality one.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PistolPete Posted September 14, 2003 Author Share Posted September 14, 2003 The problem with the STI gun is that it is not for sale in Massachussetts. We have the worst gun regulations (besides California) in the country. The SVI is legal for sale in this horrible state so I'm limited to that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loves2Shoot Posted September 14, 2003 Share Posted September 14, 2003 If you want the most competetive pistol go with the .40. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck D Posted September 14, 2003 Share Posted September 14, 2003 I use an SVI in 45. I'm a fan of 45 caliber and that's the main reason why. I handicap myself (magazine capacity wise) with the 45 but having buckets full of brass and bullets...the choice (financially) is an easy one. I personally think that the 45 is an easier caliber to develop loads for, is a caliber much more forgiving on the gun then a hot-rodded 40 and having used one for over 17 years, is easier for me to use to its full potential. With that said...If I was to build a new blaster...to use the latest gear I'd have to build a 40. My advise, use what your most comfortable with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasag93 Posted September 14, 2003 Share Posted September 14, 2003 .40, .40, .40... Did I mention it should be a .40. I have both(40 and 45) and love the 40 for Limited. Limited 10, still use the old single stack in 45. My .02 TXAG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Moore Posted September 14, 2003 Share Posted September 14, 2003 pete, if you can't buy a S_I in your state then i say go with thr Para P16-40 LTD. definately 40 is the way to go, not only does it make major but the mags will hold more major rounds than the 45 and you also get a bonus with the para, they hold twenty rounds reliable not like the S_I which only hold 18 reliably. notice i said reliable because some people claim they can stuff 20 rounds into their s_i mags, maybe so but not reliable. so in conclusion my vote would be for the STI, long dust cover 40 cal, but since you can't have that in your home state then the Para-Ordnance P16-40 is the next best thing. just remember it's the shooter and not the gun. Tiger Woods can take a set of golf clubs from K'mart and get just about everbodies ass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benny hill Posted September 14, 2003 Share Posted September 14, 2003 why not build a 40 & and extra barrel in super. there is nothing to change out but the barrel when changing cal's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PistolPete Posted September 15, 2003 Author Share Posted September 15, 2003 Limited40- the funny thing is I can't buy a Para in this state either. Lucky me hugh? LOL I can buy the S"V"I but not the STI. Looks like .40 will be the way to go. The thing I like about .40 is that I have thousands of spent cases already. Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mistral404 Posted September 15, 2003 Share Posted September 15, 2003 I shot a single stack STI .45 in L10 for a couple of years. Really liked it. I was able to get a reloads with 168 power factor. I had an SVI tri-glide trigger and C&S sear and hammer. I was able to achieve about a 2.75 trigger pull. I just received a STI Edge in .40 with the long dust cover. I have shot about 10 stages with it. THERE IS NO COMPARISON FOR ME. The .40 has a significant less felt recoil than the .45 single stack. As much as I like the .45, the .40 is a much better caliber for me. I am shooting my .40 faster with better accuracy than I do with my .45. GO .40!! You will not regret it. If you can get a SV in MA, try Kodiak Precision or JP. They do outstanding work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jasonub Posted September 15, 2003 Share Posted September 15, 2003 go for the 40. try speedshooter.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bucky Posted September 15, 2003 Share Posted September 15, 2003 why not build a 40 & and extra barrel in super. there is nothing to change out but the barrel when changing cal's. Benny, Are the slides different? The cutout in the breechface and the hole for the extractor? How about ramp cuts in the frame. Thanks, Bucky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benny hill Posted September 15, 2003 Share Posted September 15, 2003 you can use everything from 40 to 38 super. all you do is change out the barrel. I have built lots of these. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duane Thomas Posted September 16, 2003 Share Posted September 16, 2003 In order to make Major in USPSA/IPSC Limited, the gun must have a minimum .40" bore diameter. That lets out the .38 Super. Compared to the .45 ACP, from a double-stack mag the .40 feeds much more reliably - this last per our host, Brian Enos. Get your Limited gun in .40. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshua Posted September 16, 2003 Share Posted September 16, 2003 I know what you mean about not being able to buy the guns not in the approved list. I know it's going OT but I really don't see what CA and Mass accomplished with all the stupid "safe guns" listing except tax and disrupt sales of perfectly fine firearms. Stupid I tell ya. I wonder when Ahnuld steps in the office in CA. josh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benny hill Posted September 17, 2003 Share Posted September 17, 2003 If you shoot 3 gun, a lot of the matches have no power factor. There is when you change from a 40 barrel to a 38 barrel & shoot 115's @1125 fps. you get the best of both worlds this way in one gun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jspruance Posted September 17, 2003 Share Posted September 17, 2003 Benny, I want to make sure I ubderstand correctly. I think you said all you have to do is change the barrel from 40 S&W to 38 super and everything else will work. Does this mean the slide and magazines. No extractor change? Will this work with super comp also? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benny hill Posted September 17, 2003 Share Posted September 17, 2003 will have to change the mags. gun will work w/ 40 & 38 super. I dont think it will work all the time w/ super comp because the extractor may be to lose . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerome Poiret Posted September 17, 2003 Share Posted September 17, 2003 Benny, Will a .40 breech face work with .38super brass ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shred Posted September 17, 2003 Share Posted September 17, 2003 With the rim on Super brass, the breechfaces aren't very different. Since I couldn't find breechface specs online, I'm going to try this with the case specs I found: a 38 Supercomp case is 0.380" across the back. a 38 Super case is 0.406" across the back. a 40 case is 0.424" across the back. Since 38 Supercomp runs successfully in 38 super slides (0.026" larger) with maybe an extractor change, I'd expect that 38 Super would run in a .40 slide (0.018" larger) with maybe an extractor change. 38 supercomp in a .40 slide might get kinda rattly (0.044") Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the duck of death Posted September 17, 2003 Share Posted September 17, 2003 Since all the experts say it the shooter not the gun I'd get a Glock. Do sights a trigger job and mags. You'd be competative and save a chunk of $$. Oh. by the way the G would be a 40. By golly guess what, that's what I did do. My SVI sits home gathering dust while my RELIABLE G 23 goes to matches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bucky Posted September 18, 2003 Share Posted September 18, 2003 G23?! Shooting a compact model at that. Talk about Macho! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PistolPete Posted September 18, 2003 Author Share Posted September 18, 2003 But I don't want to shoot a plastic gun.... LOL I want something made of medal. HEHE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshua Posted September 18, 2003 Share Posted September 18, 2003 Per DT: this last per our host, Brian Enos. Get your Limited gun in .40. Yup ditto on that one! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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