Teach me about Open division 2011's

[CleverNickname]

I've shot a G17 in USPSA Carry Optics since 2015 (other than a short fling in Limited with a G24). Oh and I guess I occasionally shoot PCC, but that's not a pistol so it doesn't count. Anyways, Open looks like fun and so I'm thinking about getting a 2011. My problem is that literally every semi-auto handgun I currently own is a Glock, and so I don't really know much about 2011's. When you buy a Glock you pretty much know who made it, how much you're going to pay for it and what you're going to get.

This is obviously not the case with custom 2011's. What am I getting for the price difference between something like this Bul for ~$3600 (https://www.usa.bularmory.com/product-page/sas-ii-ur), versus this this MPA for ~$4500 (https://masterpiecearms.com/shop/mpa-ds9-open-pistol/), versus an Infinity for ???? (https://sviguns.com/). (I'm guessing "Infinity" probably refers to the amount of money they want for it.) I've handled and shot a mag through an acquaintance's Bul awhile back, and it seemed pretty nice but since all I shoot are the aforementioned Glocks, I don't really have anything to compare it to.

I think I want a 9mm Major gun instead of .38 Super or some other more exotic chambering, since I don't particularly desire to become a goblin chasing after my precious all my empty brass.
Other than that, I don't really know what I want, and more importantly, I don't really know what questions I should be asking. Let's say I have a hard limit of $5k for the base gun (before optic and mags). What should I get, and why?

[fatdog]

It has been nearly two decades since I bought an open gun and I sold both of mine back in 2012 when I had to drop out of the sport, but I had a STI frame and a SVI, both built by JL Hardy who was in the racegun business at the time. They absolutely ran and that is priority one. Unless a lot has changed, I would again want to go with a builder and not take an "out of the box" gun from a manufacturer and expect it to necessarily run fabulously. 9mm major is certainly the way to go. There are more choices in optics cause back then it was Cmore or go home. I also think there are a lot of choices about which safety, what surface on the 2011 grip module, that are very personal choices.

I am sure somebody currently running one will chime in, but I think your budget probably supports getting a gun from a reputable builder, Brazos, Keegan Singleton, McLearn, AKAI, Carne, EMG Customs, etc. A deciding question for you might be the wait. Some of those are 18 months out for an order and deposit placed today. Several threads on Emos about this. (https://forums.brianenos.com/topic/302020-best-open-gun-builder/)

[YVK]

Let's say I have a hard limit of $5k for the base gun (before optic and mags). What should I get, and why?

A CZ Checmate, assuming its ergos work for you.

I know you said a 2011, and I would go for one as well if I wanted an Open gun. I think that getting an Open 2011 that both runs and performs for under 5k would be luck rather than predictable outcome.
Personally I would go with a reputable builder rather than any company you listed above but this may just reflect my biases.



I think your budget probably supports getting a gun from a reputable builder, Brazos, Keegan Singleton, McLearn, AKAI, Carne, EMG Customs, etc.

Brazos is just under 8k, EMG probably 10. I don't know much about others, besides that I've been waiting on email reply from McLearn for about 3 months.

[Tokarev]

OP you're likely better off asking on a dedicated competition forum such as

https://forums.brianenos.com/

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[Lon]

OP you're likely better off asking on a dedicated competition forum such as

https://forums.brianenos.com/

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106137

[GJM]

I have multiple Open 2011 pistols built by Ed Cameron, in 9 major and 38 Super Comp. The 9 major pistols reliably run 9 minor factory ammo without a spring change.