Thoughts on considering a different platform

[Clusterfrack]

For competition, I switched from Glock to Sig 320 a couple of years ago. A gamed-out GGI 320 gave me about a 10% advantage in most scored drills over a gamed-out G34. I was just at the range working out with a G34, and that appears to still be the case. How big a deal is 10%? At Production Nationals in M class, it's likely to be substantial.

I really have no idea how the switch to the Shadow 2 will go, but given how many of the Supersquad shooters use similar guns, I'm hopeful that it will be at least as good for me as the 320 is.

[octagon]

It is also possible you have shot the Glock so long, you shoot it at mostly at a subconscious level. Then, when you shot the new stuff, you became more conscious of the process, and as a result shot them better. Around PF, that is known as new gun syndrome, or what Brian Enos called "trick of the day." To know whether this is about being new, or really a long term better platform for you, you might have to evaluate over a number of practice sessions. Of course, that is when the analysis paralysis starts, and you spend a lot of time evaluating instead of practicing. My own risk management approach would say that it would be fine to game or mess around with one of those, but they are not proven sufficiently to carry.

I see your point. Some of those are reasons I haven't committed to the switch yet. I have 30k rounds through one of my Glock 23s and probably well over 50-60k through Glocks in general. I only have 2500 rounds through 1 P10C so it has less confidence inspiring time in it for me and both P10 and APX are so new in so few hands that they are not known quantities. That said someone has to start trusting new platforms. Glock was once an unknown. The P10 is so similar to a Glock that it isn't a part and parcel change. When I reach my reliability and performance consistency threshold I'll switch. If it doesn't happen that's OK too. Now just to drop test them a few 100 times

[LOKNLOD]

I've switched platforms a few times, and toed the water briefly with a couple others. If I had time and resources I'd play with even more, because I do like shooting different guns too.

While I don't think any gun has been an instant "this makes me better" (some have traits that are easier than others, in certain ways, of course), I do think that some deliberate switching has made me a better shooter. Novelty of switching/trying guns builds interest, and that gets me to shoot more. When I shoot more, I can work harder at it, resulting in advancement versus just maintenance. I also think the focus on figuring out a new gun makes me pay more attention to the nuances of shooting it, and that makes me a more well-rounded shooter too. I agree with the sentiment that a good shooter should be able to shoot nearly anything competently, even if there's one kind of gun they by far shoot "best".

That's not to say there aren't downsides to switching, and maybe I'd be far better with gun XY if it was all I'd shot for the past 10 years with absolute focus (if I had a duty weapon that I was bound to, I'd probably consider that the better approach).

[breakingtime91]

I have switched more than I like. All roads have led me back to glock and my skill level has peaked with each platform at different points. That is not because each gun gave me some advantage but my understanding as a shooter had increased and I was able to pick up pretty much any of the platforms and perform OK. GJM your a unique bird because you can shoot pretty much anything pretty well ( I mean that as in a top level shooter), most people can't do that. and should stick with one gun and work on that one gun.

[GJM]

For competition, I switched from Glock to Sig 320 a couple of years ago. A gamed-out GGI 320 gave me about a 10% advantage in most scored drills over a gamed-out G34. I was just at the range working out with a G34, and that appears to still be the case. How big a deal is 10%? At Production Nationals in M class, it's likely to be substantial.

I really have no idea how the switch to the Shadow 2 will go, but given how many of the Supersquad shooters use similar guns, I'm hopeful that it will be at least as good for me as the 320 is.

Competition, like USPSA, is designed to magnify tiny differences in performance that would be unlikely to be meaningful in the food court. If you are at 74.9, 84.9 or 94.9 percent, even one percent is enormous, and for three percent, I would probably even buy a Sig.

[YVK]

For literally three decades...

Winter of 1861 was particularly cold in Russia and Leo Tolstoy was shut out of his usual hobbies. The result was War and Peace, and it received many likes.

[MGW]

This thread makes me want to keep the Shadow 2.

I love trying out different pistols too. My carry pistols have stayed Glock or Sig for the last several years though. Mostly. I have dabbled with HK some.

I've fallen into the trap of trying to make the pistol conform to me though. Figuring out how to conform to the gun and learning how to shoot it as well as I can sounds like a lot more fun.

Thanks for the timely advice GJM.

[breakingtime91]

This thread makes me want to keep the Shadow 2.

I love trying out different pistols too. My carry pistols have stayed Glock or Sig for the last several years though. Mostly. I have dabbled with HK some.

I've fallen into the trap of trying to make the pistol conform to me though. Figuring out how to conform to the gun and learning how to shoot it as well as I can sounds like a lot more fun.

Thanks for the timely advice GJM.

Dude I would just say shoot and carry what is fun to you. If you are beyond a modest shooter and do this often, the biggest factor is are you having fun?

[MGW]

Dude I would just say shoot and carry what is fun to you. If you are beyond a modest shooter and do this often, the biggest factor is are you having fun?

I like how you think.

[GJM]

Just to clarify a point from my OP. When I said switching platforms almost never results in measurable gains, I was discussing defensive pistols, not gaming ones. As we know from USPSA's different divisions, hardware does matter when your game measures fractions of a second, has different scoring based on power factor, and has magazine capacity differences.