centerfire pistol

OK
I have a Pardini Bullseye for rimfire and found a decent 1911 for 45.
now for centerfire 
Options seem to be a 32 cal conversion for the Pardini
A dedicated 32 cal. pistol
32 seems to get mixed reviews for long line.
Or what others?
9MM 1911
38 in a model 52 ?
38 super 1911 ??
I am open to any and all options.

G

Use your 45 for CF.

TonyH wrote:Use your 45 for CF.

+1

Jim

If course I am going to say get a 32 ACP conversion! A lot of the negative reviews are from 32 S&W Long pistols. That round is slower and not good on windy days! If you shoot the ACP you will love it and you are only having to learn 2 guns! The Pardini and 45

Aw come on guys give him a break give an excuse to buy another gun!!!!  LOL  Remember need has nothing to do with it!

Well, You can always shoot a different 1911 .45 for CF. Then you always have a backup with you for every match. That's a good excuse.

In my opinion, the pistol acquisition map should be

1. A quality 22 Target pistol.  
2. A 1911 45 accurized for Bullseye, your choice if wadgun or EIC
3. The other type of 45 not chosen for the second purchase,
4. A centerfire only Gun whether 32 or 38.

Full disclosure, I did not do this.  But it is still my recommendation.

I'm shooting a 900 in Manchester CT the first Sunday in Feb.
That will be my first match using my 45 and is indoors at 25 yards.
I will see how that goes and being a brand new shooter have low expectations.
I will report the results of my first match.
I shot a 2700 last year outdoors but entered 22 only and did well.
That bumped me over the edge to purchase a wad gun and give that a try.
What I intend to do is watch what I see most people are using for centerfire and to ask what drove them to that equipment.
The 1911 45 is a challenge for me more so in rapid fire and I'm sure it will be that way for a long time.
I will be purchasing a sear/hammer jig as I know the trigger on the 1911 has room for improvement.
I am interested in the idea of the roll trigger also and will also try that probably at some point.
I enjoy the tinkering and trial and error in this almost as much as the shooting!

I have a Dan Wesson 9mm 1911 that I can regularly score 5 to 10 more points than my Gold Cup NM in 45.  My wife took over the 9mm.   Need to buy another one or maybe a SIG P210.

David

You're ABOUT to shoot your first 45 match and you are asking about a dedicated CF pistol? You have low expectations but want to buy something else? I don't get this mentality, this is supposed to be about becoming a better shooter, right?

You are way out over the tips of your skis on this. Slow down. don't let these guys talk you into anything other than practicing with what you have until you can properly use what you have. Especially these 32acp guys, they'll have you chasing special bullets and special dies and on and on. endless tail chasing.

If you attend matches you find out when they practice.
If you attend practices you will probably be able to try a lot of other guns BEFORE you spend coin.
Good guns make it easier to shoot well, but a hot gun won't matter if you don't learn the basics first.

JMO

Well I'm new to this but I thought about it this way:

1. Ruger MKIV Hunter with Volq. trigger kit and scope rail: I added improved front/rear metallic sights (sight radius legal for rimfire EIC), and red dot capability for NRA/CMP Match rimfire (I also have a S&W 41 with the long barrel/metallic sights and a Clark optic barrel/red dot).
2. Sig P210A Target with heavier trigger return spring and plain (non-fiber optic) front sight, trigger job, and heavier recoil spring: legal for CMP SP/EIC (I also have another 1911 .45 for SP/EIC).
3. SA 1911 wad gun: NRA/CMP Match centerfire and .45

I used to shoot my 45 in centerfire. I decided to go with a 32 S&W & 38 Super for lower recoil. All it did was put my 45 scores in the toilet. I'm back to shooting 45 in CF. YMMV

Bill

Robert84101
With all due respect can I suggest you need to slow down.
I am shooting in my first CENTERFIRE match not my first match by any means.
I am not going to run out and buy anything until I decide IF I want to continue to explore outdoor bullseye.
Many moons ago (1973) I purchased a high standard used for $65 and joined a pistol league team.
after a few years,I averaged in the 270/275 range with iron sights and young eyes.
When red dots came out I saw an advantage and purchased an aimpoint about the size of a spotting scope and mounted it atop the High Standard.
In 1986 I purchased a used Pardini SPE from a team member and again after a few years, shot that to a 289 average.
Now, these steps I made helped me become the best shooter I could be given the equipment available.
If I would have stuck with the High Standard and iron sights like I guess you have to be the " best shooter you can be" I'm sure I would have 
improved some but don't think I would have gotten to the level I did using the best equipment I could find that I could afford.
I'm 68 years old now and retired and have the means to explore the sport we love.
I DO want to be the "best shooter I can be" and will be looking for the best equipment to get there.
I have read the posts concerning the 32 pistols and feel that the required process of building ammo for these pistols may be as complicated
as it seem but, i'm going to ask someone who seems to have it figured out to decide if it really is.
Chill man

now that the rest of the story is included in your third post. You didn't mention 1973 at first. You've been doing this almost as long as I've been alive. I see why you said you were a new shooter.

enjoy your 32acp.

I have more than 1 Center fire pistol. I enjoy shooting all of them. I think the most fun (and hardest to shoot) is my old 52 no dash. The pistol is totally un-forgiving if you have poor basics. I also have a 952-2. Smith and Wesson's state of the art 52 in 9mm. This pistol will shoot little tiny groups, easy to load for and has a great trigger. They are discontinued, impossible to find after market goodies (except magazine) and have the same recoil as my 1911. Maybe more. I also have a 38 Super. This caliber seems to be exactly what I was searching for when I did my quest for the CF answer. They are 1911's so there are an abundance of parts available, accurate, easy to load for both lead and jacketed and recoil can be very light. They are legal for EIC with jacketed bullets if you keep the trigger over 4 lbs. If you want a dedicated CF pistol you can adjust the trigger down to 2.5+ lbs. Just another .02 worth. In 12 days I will be 70. I am still looking for my next pistol.

LenV
38 super 1911 is a consideration.
Like you said, 1911 so lots of options available.
I will be looking to see what is on the line next month.
Thanks, G

The model 52's are wonderful and I have seen the targets LenV has shot, if you really want to go down a rabbit hole consider a custom 1911 in 38 special (not the Colt gold cups and Nat match). I do think the path of only using the 22 and 45 is the most likely route for reaching the top I find that I have only so much range time so getting good with more than two pistols is a challenge.

Don’t listen to Len he is immune to recoil!

All joking aside, my short line 45 loads feel softer to me than a model 52 or 1911 in .38spl. But recoil is subjective. I think you should get whatever the hell you want and enjoy it. Get a .32 AND a .38spl.

People had problems with the 32 S&W Long Cartridge! The 32 ACP is an easy to load cartridge as they come! Nothing special at all! 32 ACP is great in the wind feels like a 22 Mag and if you get a Pardini just set the trigger for 2.5 lbs for both the 22 and 32. You hold one grip one trigger! It’s just like you are shooting the same gun! People say 32 killed their 45 scores??? What did you quit practicing with your 45?? 1 lbs of trigger should not kill a score. I just don’t see how it could! I don’t have a high end 45 and my 45 has over 100000 rounds through it. It is up at Dougs getting Accurails installed. It should be home next week to see if it improves. My score are 875/22 870/32 and 840/45 so by shooting the 32 my 2700 score goes up 30 points on avg.

Ok I came up with 1 reason! 

If you are shooting 3 different pistols it might be hard to find the time to practice with all 3 equally!

I have been shooting bullseye on and off for 35 years (I am close to 72 years old) mostly with a Gold Cup 45 and a High Standard of one flavor or another. Always wanted a M-52 and finally found an unfired 52-1. I can shoot almost the same scores with the 45 or M-52, but the 52 is a hoot to shoot. I recently bought a M-41 and shoot it so well I have retired my High Standards. I have considered going the Pardini route but realized that I am too old to improve greatly so spent my money on a 952 instead. My Dillon is in storage till I build a new shop so have not been able to work up a load the 952 excels with. I use it for practice and save my Remington HBWC 38 loads for matches. The feel of the 52 and 952 is so similar it's hard to tell one from another except for the added recoil of the 9mm.
The point of all this dissertation is I didn't really need a dedicated CF pistol, just wanted one.

Have you looked at the new matchgun?

I prefer 32 ACP for centerfire for a couple reasons. 1. Recoil. I’m 71 and a wussy.

2. I prefer/enjoy the grip angle and the trigger on the Pardini more than Any of my 1911 style guns. 

Shoot whichever you prefer most?

James Hensler wrote:People had problems with the 32 S&W Long Cartridge!

Greetings,

Perhaps the issue with the 32 S&W Long WadCutter is careful loading practice?

Custom Pardini barrel using junk Plinkers and Federal brass. The worst combination I could muster up...

Fired at 50 yards via a mechanical fixture...

I only fired 20 shots, perhaps shot 21 would have been a ten?



Cheers,

Dave

Dave I get that you can make them group! For the most part so could I but in the wind they suck!