spEKTre wrote:If you haven't bought the 9 yet the only advice I will give is this..look at the club you are joining what matches are you going to shoot there. Once you have this info then go on a day when some good shooters are competing, watch them and decide if the match is for you. Some matches require you to go prone, kneel or sit and shoot which can be something you may not be able to do with your physical condition.
ASK and listen, I don't know how many people just buy the first thing they see because "it felt so good in their hand" and ended up wasting time and money. I suggest you watch the best shooter in the match your interested and see what he is shooting and pick his/her brain. Most shooters are keen to pass on what they know ( except load data sometimes ) and if you listen chances are you won't make a stupid impulsive decision to buy something that can't hit a 44 gallon drum at 25 yards.
Excellent advice, a lot of new members will often buy a pistol that either doesn't fit them or isn't right for the comps they want to shoot.
I'll publically admit that I've purchased some pistols purely for "Wank Appeal" or "It looked cool in the movie" and "Cause I just wanted it". All well and good if you're an enthusiast and shoot a couple times a week but if you're after just 1 or 2 for comps then the advice above is spot on.