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Old September 23, 2020, 07:25 AM   #1
ghbucky
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Recommendations wanted for a large pistol primer handgun

I have a 9mm gun for carry, another for competition, and a Kimber 45ACP. I detest the Kimber. I can't get 100 rounds out of it before it will start to malfunction, it is just way too finicky for me. No, I have no interest in going over what is wrong with it or 'correcting' it. It is out of here.

I reload, and I have 2 guns that I enjoy that cover small pistol primer rounds. I want to get rid of the Kimber and replace it with another Large Pistol primer round/gun.

The other requirement I'm looking for is for the gun to be legal in the Steel Challenge Series Production class, which has some pretty specific requirements:

The gun must be able to fit into a 8 15/16” x 6” x 1 5/8” box with a mag inserted, and it must also weigh less than 59 ounces with an empty mag inserted.

It will also fill the role of a home defense gun.

I handled a Sig Sauer 1911 yesterday that had a really sweet trigger, but the LGS only had ones that were all dressed up with paint jobs like Molon Labe.

Any other makes I should look into?
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Old September 23, 2020, 07:29 AM   #2
Whirlwind06
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Off the top of my head
Glock 21/41
CZ-97
M&P 45


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Old September 23, 2020, 08:21 AM   #3
Jim Watson
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1.Only Double Action, Selective Action, and Safe Action/Striker Fired guns are allowed, and must be on the approved list.

https://uspsa.org/productionlist

OK, so no 1911 of whatever brand or quality.

A friend really likes the XD 5.25 9mm. Maybe the .45 version would do as well.
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Old September 23, 2020, 08:29 AM   #4
ghbucky
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Quote:
A friend really likes the XD 5.25 9mm.
I have and really like that gun, but I THINK I'd like to stay with a metal gun. Thanks for pointing out that 1911s are out for this class. I'd overlooked that detail for some reason.
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Old September 23, 2020, 11:28 AM   #5
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Based only on personal preference, the only non-1911 pattern gun in .45ACP that I would consider is the Sig P220.
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Old September 23, 2020, 12:09 PM   #6
ghbucky
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Sig P220
What do you like about it? Anything you don't like?
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Old September 23, 2020, 02:05 PM   #7
Jim Watson
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I will have a report tomorrow; a friend is bringing his P220 to Wednesday night USPSA.

Too bad Walther doesn't make a Q5 Match ST in .45. No demand, I guess, but the plain plastic PPQ I saw had a comfortable grip and good-for-striker trigger pull. But even it is not on the Production list.

Tanfoglio makes a .45 that I think is a bit smaller than CZ97.
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Old September 23, 2020, 02:09 PM   #8
ghbucky
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Awesome Jim, Thanks!
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Old September 23, 2020, 05:20 PM   #9
TruthTellers
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Beretta Px4 or Hi Point .45. Beretta has the rotary barrel, so reduced recoil, the Hi Point is great for home defense and you would get a lot of attention at the steel matches using a Hi Point. Would put a lot of smiles on people's faces!
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Old September 23, 2020, 10:19 PM   #10
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My choice of the SIG P220 is based on my personal experience with a Browning BDA 45 that I bought in 1980.

The current P220 is slightly different (and available with a lot of different options) but its still basically the same gun.

Mine has been extremely reliable, feeds everything is more than adequately accurate, is smaller and lighter than a full size 1911 and doesn't seem to recoil any worse despite that.

Personal impressions, of course, and you might find it to be quite different.

Never had any work done on mine, and after a few years of use, the DA pull was noticeably lighter than when it was new.
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Old September 24, 2020, 09:22 AM   #11
Jim Watson
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Report from match with P220. The gun is a real German P220 with aluminum receiver and "folded" slide; a home market gun bought in a PX Rod and Gun Store there.

The owner was shooting it because his 1911 would not feed the Hornady swaged SWCs he was loading.
Well, the P220 wouldn't handle them, either, which agrees with my experience with a P220 and SWCs. I have heard people to say their P220 was fine with SWCs but there are those that are not and I recommend you stick with bullets without a shoulder, roundnose and ogival hollow points were fine in mine and I would expect a truncated cone to be OK.

When it shot, it shot accurately.
The crunch-tick of the untuned action was a bit of a challenge for him, first shots were slow off the mark. If it had been massaged by Bruce Gray like my P226, and if he shot it regularly it would have done better.

A recent P220 with heavy milled slide, heavy stainless receiver, and an action job would be as good a Production .45 as you are likely to find.

Last edited by Jim Watson; September 24, 2020 at 09:28 AM.
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Old September 24, 2020, 10:30 AM   #12
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Thanks, Jim. Appreciate you taking the time to provide the feedback.
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Old September 25, 2020, 07:46 AM   #13
Kevin Rohrer
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No plastic. Get a quality 1911 that is American-made: Dan Wesson, Alchemy Combat Weaponry, Les Baer, etc.
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Old September 25, 2020, 08:41 AM   #14
Jim Watson
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Sorry, Kevin, no single action autos in SCSA Production which is where the OP wants to shoot.
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Old September 25, 2020, 11:07 AM   #15
ghbucky
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Looks like I'm down to 2 options, neither of which I can find on the shelf.

CZ97, or Sig P220.

Anyone have any experience with a CZ97?
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Old September 25, 2020, 08:53 PM   #16
sevt_chevelle
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Have both the P220 and 97, Ill take the 97 everyday and twice on Sunday. Softer shooting, smoother and more accurate. Mine visited CGW, got a 1911 bushing installed and trigger work, out shoots my Dan Wesson 1911s and other 1911s that cost WAY more money.

The only downside to the 97 is the lack of a rail. But a trip to CGW or cz custom can solve that.

Aftermarket support for CZ based guns is also way superior IMO than Sig P-series gun.

Standard mag for 97 holds 10 compared to 8 for the P220.

One could remove the firing pin block, install some Pre B parts and have a SA trigger that would make a lot of 1911s run home to mommy.

Last edited by sevt_chevelle; September 25, 2020 at 08:59 PM.
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Old September 25, 2020, 09:23 PM   #17
Jim Watson
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You have to be careful with those little frills if you want to shoot in Production.
They have really neutered the stock gun emphasis, but you don't have a completely free hand.
"Removing or disabling firing-pin blocks or any other factory safety mechanism in Production division is specifically prohibited".
I bet a 1911 type bushing would be considered an external modification and not allowed, either.
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