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I've always avoided IPSC and related sports that tend to require participation in the equipment race if you are to be competitive. IDPA, Bullseye and High Power rifle have always appealed to me. While each discipline requires a certain level of custom equipment, I don't think it compares to the Open Division. I see a lot of shooters with modified race guns. How much custom attention does an SVI open or STI Grandmaster usually require to keep up with the equipment race? Are you better off to start with a frame kit and have the gun built up from scratch, or take a Grandmaster and have it tuned up?

Tim--

You can go either way--in my opinion.

I am an average IPSC shooter and I don't believe the guns ever win the match. The good shooters win because they practice.

You may wish to shoot a few matches with a 1911 or a Glock to get started. I have stayed with the 1911 in the Limited Ten catogory (ten round mag capacity). There is also a catagory called Single Stack (1911 with 8 rounds of 40 or 45, 9 rounds of 9mm).

Anyway, there is a catogory for every budget and almost everygun. It does help if you have at least 5 mags, a holster and 4 mag holders.

Have Fun--

I guess I should have stated that my interest is in the Open division. I've shot both single stack and Limited 10. However, the good shooters in my area stick to the high capacity race guns because they can be used in 3 gun shoots as well. When I shoot single stack or Limited 10 at my local club, I'm usually all alone or just shooting against a true IPSC rookie. It isn't bad, but you feel like an outsider even if you have been shooting 1911's in IDPA and single stack for 15 years. I guess it is time compete against the big dogs. There are so many options for STI and SVI guns that I don't know what is smoke and mirrors and what will really help, besides lots of practice.

If you're serious about giving Open a try, jump over to the Brian Enos forum, and do a bunch of reading.

While you're reading about Open, cruise the classifieds and pick up a used, low mileage Open gun for half what a new one would cost.

You won't know what doodads and options work and don't work for you until you've spent some time shooting an Open gun.

Thanks Pat. Their aren't many websites where a guy can get advice for free from genuine experts in the field. I don't know how you find the time to post in forums with all of the writing, testing and teaching you do. I haven't had good luck finding decent used open guns. Most people I have run into want to shoot them a bunch and then sell them for what they have in them. Thanks for the tip.

- EGW
- Matt McLearn
- Dan Bedell (through Chuck Bradley at Shooter's Connection)
- Bob Londrigan (Brazos Custom)
- Benny Hill (Triangle Shooting Sports)
- Dawson Precision (they might be doing other work right now, besides custom guns)


Those are name that pop to mind that I would explore.

I think you'd get more bang for the buck from going custom, instead of off the shelf from STI.


It is probably important to mention that you will likey need to reload your own ammo to play in Open divison. You'll want a Dillon Progress machine. The old Rock Chuckers can't keep up.

Flex,

Thanks for the suggestions. My 550B has over 20,000 rounds through it and still going strong. I've got 1911's in 38 Super that I load for and a ton of brass. I see people shooting 40 s&W, 9X23 and a host of other high pressure rounds. Is 38 Super still competitive in today's race guns?

Absolutely.

As Patrick said, 38Super is still very popular and very competitive.

38SuperComp may be a little better choice, in some opinions. It doesn't have the semi-rim the 38S has, thus many feel it stacks in the magazines better. You may be able to get one extra round of 38 SuperComp...or, at least a bit more space in the mag to allow easier mag seating.

9x23 (also rimless) is known for it's strength.

38TJ...rimless, also strong, and desinged around the extraction groove a bit.

Since you will be buying your brass anyway...any of the above are viable. I'd choose one that my shooting buddies weren't using. That way, I'd be more likely to get my brass back. That may sound weird, but if you hve 5 guys at your match and they are all shooting 38S, you are going to be mixing brass. (Of course, you can mark your brass too.)

40 isn't popular in Open. Not at all. You lose capacity and don't have as many bullet choices in the right bullet weight for Open guns. I do have a good buddy that does run 40 in Open. He will probably make Grand Master next year. It can work. Then again, so could a Glock open gun.

9mm is an option now too. But, many of the smiths aren't fond of building on it. It's a short round for the 1911/2011 platform. The idea of going with 9mm is to save on brass cost. Some feel that is a false economy. Maybe they don't pick it up because it is 9mm. Or, maybe they don't get as many loadings out of it. Or, maybe they don't know the history of the 9mm brass that they do pick up.

Since you load for 38S already, that should factor in one way or the other. One way of looking at it is to load a different caliber, to help keep your open gun loads seperate from your current loads. Another way to look at it is to stick with all similar componets, to make purchasing reloading components a bit easier.

As a point of reference, I shoot (non-open) 40 in Major and in Minor power factors. Since all my components are the same, my loaded ammo needs to be very clearly marked. I use completely different boxes for the different ammo, for instance. That helps me to keep my ammo straight. I might not read a sticker as closely as I should, but I can tell a grey 50 round ammo box from a green 100 round box pretty easy.

Or keep sorted by bullet. I have far too much of everything on hand to do this, but if you loaded 38 Super Major with FMJ and 38 Super Minor with LRN, you can be pretty sure of not mixing ammo amongst guns.

Or, JHP for Major, and FMJ for Minor. Whatever works and is obvious.