Best handguns for 3gun competitions

[RmRod]

Hey, just wanted to get some opinions on the best handgun(s) for 3gun competitions. I've seen alot of people talking about STI as a premier gun for this. I'm open to all of your experiences and info, thanks.

[Jim Watson]

When I was shooting 3-gun, I used the same pistol I did for 1-gun.
I figure that nowadays the best choice would be whatever you shoot in Limited. STI Edge sounds good to me. But read the rules.

[BerKim]

Whatever pistol you're the best with..

For most matches, it's your normal limited pistol.

I think Glocks make great 3 Gun pistols. When you have to set down the pistol during the COF, it's always on safe, no extra step to think about, or worry that the safety could get clicked-off when the pistol is being set down too hastily.

And depending on the holster, they generally have great retention, in case you have movemenet with a hot pistol in the holster.

For matches tha don't use Major/Minor scoring.. I think the best pistol configuration, is a Glock 34, with extended pads. You'll hold about 23 in the mag. (SSM3G is the only match I've been to that doesn't have Major/Minor pistol power factors).

[RmRod]

well that's good news. I planned on using my M&P or my 228, I just kept seeing STI and .40's always coming up at the 3gun forums. I am assuming its for some sort of steel plate type shooting that needs a little more uummphh?? I am still learning all of the different shoots involved with 3gun, sorry I'm such a newb ;)

[Bren]

Originally posted by RmRod
well that's good news. I planned on using my M&P or my 228, I just kept seeing STI and .40's always coming up at the 3gun forums. I am assuming its for some sort of steel plate type shooting that needs a little more uummphh?? I am still learning all of the different shoots involved with 3gun, sorry I'm such a newb ;)
The M&P should be competitive in production - the Sig, not so much. The steel plates are supposed to be calibrated so the minimum caliber at the minimum power will knock them over, there is no power advantage on steel - the power difference is for paper targets. The STI in .40 is a good gun for shooting limited/major, since it is high capacity and it's easy to make major with reloaded or factory .40 ammo - it can't be used at all to shoot production, so whether it's "the best" depends on which division you shoot in. I have a para-ordnance .40 for limited in USPSA 3-gun and IDPA/ESP, I have a Glock 17 for production in USPSA 3-gun and IDPA/SSP, I have a standard 1911 (Double Star/Springfield) for single stack USPSA 3-gun and IDPA/CDP. Decide which division you want to shoot in and that will quickly narrow the choices based on the requirements and what is competitive.

[RmRod]

Thank you for the clarification on this I really appreciate it! I didn't realize there were different divisions in which i could shoot in.

[rhino465]

Originally posted by RmRod
Hey, just wanted to get some opinions on the best handgun(s) for 3gun competitions. I've seen alot of people talking about STI as a premier gun for this. I'm open to all of your experiences and info, thanks.

"Best" is going to depend on the rules of the match and which division you choose. I'm assuming that by "best" you mean something that will help you take advantage of 100% of your shooting abilities to do the best you can do in the actual competition.

For USPSA 3-Gun and Multi-gun (not including the heavy metal category when it's offered), you're going to want a gun that is:

1. 100% reliable (reliability issues on all three guns affect 3-gunners more than pistol shooters in my experience)
2. Holds the most rounds you can within the rules and still make major power factor

So that says if you're shooting in the Limited or Tactical (division for multi-gun or aggregate for 3-gun tournament), a .40 that holds at least 20 rounds in a 140mm magazine is the ticket. Whether you choose a Glock, STI, S-V, Para, or something else, you need the rounds and you need the reliability.

The reason why you need the rounds is because in multi-gun, there is only Open and Limited with respect to handguns. Production, Revolver, Limited10, and Single Stack are all lumped into Limited (in either Limited or Tactical).

In 3-Gun tournaments, while the handgun match is separate (all divisions are recognized), when the Aggregates are calculated, all of the handguns division are once again scored against all of the other handguns in the same Aggregate Divison. So while you could do really well in the Production Division of the Handgun match, you might not do so well in the Limited or Tactical Aggregate because there will be other shooters in those aggregate divisions shooting high cap guns that make major power factor.

Of course, if you choose to shoot Open, your choices are narrowed. While some people have excellent success with Glock-based open guns, they're not the best choice for Open.


Now, there are some big "outlaw" (i.e. non-USPSA) 3-gun and multi-gun matches that have rules which change things a bit. Some of them do not recognize power factor, so then you want the handgun that will give the maximum capacity, usually a 9mm or .38 super, and you don't need to go to .40 unless you really want to do it.


Given all of that, the best choice is to shoot what you enjoy shooting. As long as it's reliable, equipment plays a much smaller role than skill and athletic ability in these games.

[Bren]

The first step in buying competition guns and gear is always to read the rules. Otherwise, you can put a lot of money into something that you can't use.

[skorpio]

If you're still unsure, just go to a match and see what's going on. That will give you a great feel for wht is being used. If you show some interest I can almost guarantee that someone there will almost put a gun in your hand so you can get a feel for the sport. We're always looking to recruit, and letting you coon finger some hot toys almost always means a new soldier for the dark side.

[RmRod]

well it's getting less confusing and I'm trying to learn all the divisions. I think that I will probably shoot production since I have 3 guns that will shoot in that division. Weather is getting cold here and I think the 3gun action is done for the year. I will be going to a club this week and check out the USPSA action. I got it real bad for an AR right now!! Keep it coming guys I appreciate it!! :thumbsup:

Also, are there any divisions that use the AR(9mm) I think that would be really neat to shoot!

[rhino465]

Originally posted by RmRod
well it's getting less confusing and I'm trying to learn all the divisions. I think that I will probably shoot production since I have 3 guns that will shoot in that division.

Just a clarification ... "Production Divison" is only for pistol in USPSA pistol and the pistol third of USPSA 3-gun tournaments. There is no production for rifles or shotguns. Rifles can be Limited, Open, or Tactical. Shotguns can be Limited or Open. Also, for long guns, "standard" is a term that used that equivalent to Limited (in USPSA).

For multi-gun, or the aggregates in 3-gun tournaments, the divisions are Limited, Open, and Tactical.

Production is a subset of Limited, as anything that is okay for production also falls within the rules for Limited.



Originally posted by RmRod

Also, are there any divisions that use the AR(9mm) I think that would be really neat to shoot!

As long as your ammo in your gun makes the minimum power factor for minor (150PF for rifle in USPSA), you can use it for any rifle course of fire. You'd be at a distinct disadvantage for stages with shots past 50 yards, but for the matches where all the stages are close (25 yards and less), you'd could do really well. In fact, I'm thinking of getting some kind of carbine in 9mm since my club's 3-gun matches never have shots more than 25-30 yards, and 9mm ammo is dirt cheap.