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Trying to decide on a .45 for carry/IDPA
radioflyer97
Member Posts: 3 ✭✭
I currently have two 9mm pistols: H&K P30 and Sig Pro 2022. I hardly shoot the sig anymore (just doesn't feel as good as the HK) I'm considering selling the Sig in favor of a .45 I can conceal and use in IDPA.
The contestents so far are: (and my thoughts)
Sig 220 Carry.
- Pros: Shoots well, easy to operate, well balanced.
- Cons: expensive especially if i go for a non-base model, I'd prefer an aftermarket grip.
HK USP .45 compact
- Pros: fits my hand very well, consistant lines would make concealment comfortable and easy to draw.
- Cons: Have yet to shoot one....can't comment
Jericho steel mid-size
- Pros: very comfortable in my hand (almost as much as my P30) light trigger pull in SA.
- Cons: only shot in .40S&W have yet to try .45
Thoughts on my canidates?
The contestents so far are: (and my thoughts)
Sig 220 Carry.
- Pros: Shoots well, easy to operate, well balanced.
- Cons: expensive especially if i go for a non-base model, I'd prefer an aftermarket grip.
HK USP .45 compact
- Pros: fits my hand very well, consistant lines would make concealment comfortable and easy to draw.
- Cons: Have yet to shoot one....can't comment
Jericho steel mid-size
- Pros: very comfortable in my hand (almost as much as my P30) light trigger pull in SA.
- Cons: only shot in .40S&W have yet to try .45
Thoughts on my canidates?
Comments
EDIT:Beantown, The idea of IDPA is to be shot with a carry gun and holster. It was started because of all the gamesmanship in IPSC [;)]
while the 1911 has an awesome trigger, I'm just not comfortablee with the grip, especially the moving piece on the back (not sure what that does)I'll assume it's part of the safety
Correct, grip safety. Added at the request of cavalry guys that had issues w/ shooting their horses while drawing the pistol.
If the Jericho is on your list, check out the EAA Witness w/ steel frame - CZ97b clone, you can get it in 9, 38 super, 40, 10mm, 45 and convert to all of those as well as 22lr.
For example, although lots of people do manage to carry around full sized 2.5 pound steel 1911s concealed on their person all day long, many (myself included) can't and/or won't get away with that. Too heavy. . .too bulky. The same is true for all-steel full sized CZ-75 clones, even though both the 1911s and the CZs would work great for competition purposes.
quote:Originally posted by iwannausername
If the Jericho is on your list, check out the EAA Witness w/ steel frame - CZ97b clone, you can get it in 9, 38 super, 40, 10mm, 45 and convert to all of those as well as 22lr.
Agree. As an added bit, despite the Israeli finish and assembly, the Jericho pistol frames are actually made by Tanfoglio (or at least used to be), which is the same Italian outfit that makes the Witness pistol (currently imported by EAA).
Apart from a few cosmetic design cues, the main difference between the Jericho and the Witness is that the Witness has a frame-mounted 1911-like "cocked and locked" safety, while the Jericho has a slide mounted decocking safety.
Just be aware that the current production Witness uses the "large frame" (similar to the CZ97) which is a bit fatter than the "small frame" (similar to the CZ75) used on the older Witnesses in 9mm/.40 and Jericho pistol.
For Stetson, in my experience the SW99 has as good a trigger in *double action* mode as anything out there. In *single action*, its certainly fine (and better than many), but in my opinion not as good as something like the nice crisp pull you'd get from a tuned 1911.
Edit: Don't get me wrong, I actually think the SW99 is a GREAT carry gun, perhaps my personal favorite. Just in fairness, I don't think the single action trigger is what makes it so good.
quote:Radioflyer:
I'm just not comfortablee with the grip, especially the moving piece on the back (not sure what that does)I'll assume it's part of the safety
As mentioned, its a grip safety, that acts independently of the frame safety and (if your gun has one) firing pin block safety that helps prevent the gun from going off if not held in a firm grasp.
Note that if you otherwise like the idea of a 1911, there are many different kinds of aftermarket grip safeties that can be installed to change its feel or contour. So if you find it hard to depress the grip safety with your normal grip (as some people do), it is likely possible to find one with a "memory pad" that you can more easily depress. Conversely, if you don't like the "memory pad" kind (some people find these irritating to the back of the hand), you can probably swap that out for a conventional one that doesn't stick out so far.
As a secondary thing, its also quite possible to disable the grip safety in a 1911 altogether. Apart from doing so mechanically, another easy way to do this is to simply tape the grip safety down. Doing this also makes re-enabling the safety as easy as removing the tape.
IMO, in a gun that already has both an external safety AND a firing pin safey you don't really need a third redundant grip safety too.
Edit: In an IDPA gun the grip safety shouldn't matter. I stand corrected, see Hawk Carse below.
A potential problem here is that in a CARRY gun, mechanically deactivating ANY gun safety isn't a good idea as doing this can be spun into making you look irreponsible after a shooting. But if you did this with a piece of tape, that you removed from the gun after a shooting. . .who'd ever know?
The lack of a grip safety doesn't matter, but you may not disable one if present.