3 Gun

[Guest modg1]

I am becoming obsessed with 3 gun. I am making plans for 2012, and I am going to do it. Question: What handgun caliber is most commonly used?

I have the rifle and shotgun so I am just tying to get the handgun squared away,any help would be great.

[ls3_kid]

I am becoming obsessed with 3 gun. I am making plans for 2012, and I am going to do it. Question: What handgun caliber is most commonly used?

I have the rifle and shotgun so I am just tying to get the handgun squared away,any help would be great.

Most of my friends use a 9mm.

Here is what I think would be the best (except for the wallet)

[deerslayer]

Depends on the rules. If shooting matches with USPSA rules and/or scoring major/minor, you are at a definite disavantage with a 9mm. Get a hi-cap .40. If major/minor power factor is not an issue, get a hi-cap 9mm.

[RWF]

9mm hi cap, most 3 gun matches seem to be going more torward outlaw, but as deerslayer said if it a USPSA you will loose some points on the minor pistol. the 2011 in the picture would be great. but whatever you shoot best.

[Kenstaroni]

Depends on the rules really, however usually high capacity 9mm's are the choice of many including myself. If you shoot larger calibers sometimes less time is added for misses, but if there are no restrictions on the handgun then it doesn't matter. At ORSA I used a G17 with a 33 rounder in it on a stage one time that had a large number of rounds in it. It may have put me in a higher class, I'd have to look but I don't believe so. Even if so have fun and shoot what you want. The way I look at it is run 3 gun in whatever works for you but that's mainly because I do it for fun.

Recommendations:

Glock 17 or 34 Good, reliable, high capacity options without "extended" mags in case the rules prevent, but give you an option for mag extensions and fun sticks. I prefer a Sig 226 with factory 20 round mags, but ran a G17 for quite a while and still use my G19 sometimes.

[Guest modg1]

Thanks for all the good info, my take away is read the rules...Duh!

[Kenstaroni]

Have fun and good luck!

[Caledonia]

I'm planning on taking the plunge this year as well and I have full-sized pistols in both 9mm and 40cal. Check mark in box #1.

[thundersnow]

Could we swing around and cover shotgun reccomendations too? I am interested in what works for the format.

------

ruger 10 / 22 target and sig 229 .40cal

[Jonnin]

You also have to watch the safety rules. Some of the rule sets used force you to use a safety if the gun has one, which adds time to your score, making a no-safety striker design a little faster. You do not want anything with less than 10 shots, 15 + per mag is better. The gun does not have to be accurate, but it does have to be reliable. You are mostly shooting huge targets at close range, once in a while you might have to hit a pie plate at more than 20 yards but its rare. If you can point shoot the gun well, that really helps, or front sight style. I see about equal numbers of 9mm, 40, and 45. I rarely see anything else, once in a while a 10mm or a 357 sig or other oddball is used.

[Jonnin]

Could we swing around and cover shotgun reccomendations too? I am interested in what works for the format.

------

ruger 10 / 22 target and sig 229 .40cal

a semi auto shotgun with a high capacity (10 or so), light recoil (get a pad?), and easy to load design are what you need. I use an 1100 with an improved loading ramp, extended mag tube, soft butt plate, and gunsmithed to cycle very light loads (there is a hole in the barrel you can have expanded which helps cycle weak ammo). It was used and came with a red dot sight, though that is more of an aggravation than a help (it moves us to open category where the expensive toys are being used, but our gear isnt that hot). Pump guns are ok and work, with extended mags and all the rest, but its a rare shooter who can keep up with a pump gun. A magazine fed saiga is also a winner, but much more pricy than a regular gun.

[RWF]

just remember opinions are something that everyone has. when i very first start shooting 3 gun there was a good mix of remington shotguns, but most are not depeanable so now you see very few if any. i myself bought a brand new 1100 competion master that suppose to made for the game. Junk, i know several 3 gunners that had 1100 or 11-87 gas ports enlarge etc well there all gone now. traded it for a use super X2 it was 100% when i practiced but about 97% at a match. then i got a M2 its 100% and very low maintance. just in cold weather and light loads use a very light oil like 5w20 or 0w20 moble 1

FN seems to have fixed any issues with the X2. after break in they seem to run any load and come ready to race.

if i was to buy now i mostly likly get the FN because they are super supportive of the sport.

anyway spend the money right the first time is my point. so you will spend around $1200 out the door for a headache free auto loader, unless you think you can make a mossy 935 run 100%, as unless you plan on having multible ext tubes. do not go over 8 rounds in capacity or you could get bump to open as class just ask Taran Bulter.

again.

MOST ARE WILDCAT now and all can have small differences in the rules. like at the Pro/Am unless you are open only 8 in the mag to start then put as many as you want. and if i remember correcty Benning and Blue Ridge you could not hold more than 8 in the tube.

i would to have a Saiga but i have only seen 1 run trouble free and he had over 3K in it so it would run and talk about fun with a drum mag! woo hoo!

[deerslayer]

+1 on the Saiga--I've never seen one run two stages in a row.

To the above poster who mentioned safeties--As far as handguns go, I've never shot a match that required a shooter to use a safety that he wouldn't use when carrying. For example, 1911 shooters are required to start safety on (as they should--disengaging the safety as part of the draw is standard procedure for any competent 1911 shooter), but DA shooters with Berettas, S&W 5900 series, etc, don't have to start with the safety on.

[TMF]

I use the same pistol that I use for general carry. I'm not looking to score big at these events though, so I'm not investing in a speed gun that will otherwise only come out for competitions. If you're going for points then get a pistol designed for that. If you're honing your skills for the purpose of self defense then use the one you carry or use for home defense.

[Jonnin]

The guy with the saiga at our matches does fine, though he does not always use it, the biggest problem with it is ammo management (slugs vs birdshot), its difficult to swap between them. The guys who clean up (time wise) have those shove in sticks that load 4 or 5 in about 1/2 a second, or the high cap guys who finish the smaller stages without reloading. I do not pay much attention to what division others are in, I am stuck in open anyway. The sports are unfortunately unfriendly to a lot of carry gun choices, my 380 is triple bad (low capacity, cannot knock over the steel plat targets, pocket carry/draw not allowed) so practicing defense is totally out for me.