USPSA Pistol Caliber Carbines. Show 'em

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  • KJQ6945

    Grandmaster
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    4   0   0
    Aug 5, 2012
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    I'm stealing GGreen's idea here, full disclosure.

    I shot my first two USPSA matches this weekend, and went with PCC for a couple of reasons. They are; I have several, I shoot them better than I shoot a pistol, and last, but by no means least, nobody wants to suck. Me included.

    Show me the PCC USPSA guns you are running. Here's what I'm after, obviously, some hot gun porn, and, is it working well for you?, is it reliable?, any regrets in your choice of guns?

    I have preconceived expectations which I will share later, right or wrong.

    Let's see um!
     

    Ggreen

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    Sep 19, 2016
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    So here it is in all its simplicity. Beretta CX4 with PX4 magazines. I took off every rail, fixed the safety, and have an SJC Magazine Release button in the mailbox at home waiting to be installed. The front sight post has been upgraded by the previous owner to a fatter one. SteelChallenge separates Optics and Irons in PCCs. I got picked up to shoot on a team through steel challenge shooting irons so I'm sticking with them rather than "upgrading" to optics. (Note conspicuously placed merch tag lol). I've been debating sending it off to sierra papa for the full monty upgrade, but I just can't get myself to spend that kind of money on it. I've regularly been one of the only pcc to show up and not f*&*up. The trigger is heavy and the reset is long, but I am not fast enough to notice yet. I have regularly been posting lower times than some pretty trick ar9's with optics. It all leads me to believe that running reliability is more important than a 1lb trigger and 30 round mags. Starting out that is. There are guys, like the one I got the open pistol from, that are seemingly 3 targets ahead at every step, I can totally understand a nice trigger and a shorter reset for those guys. I'm just not one of them...yet.

    The major downsides of the factory CX4 are all ergonomic. The magazine release is not tactile at all, it hides from your thumb the SJC button will remedy that. Pulling the useless factory rail off the top allows an over barrel grip, pulling off the useless rails on the side make it comfortable to hold. The top rail I got is absolutely useless, it is smaller than a standard rail width and most optics mounts wont tighten up on it. Side charging is a huge plus, trigger is a huge negative when compared to an ar style carbine. The safety from the factory is totally janky. It is above the trigger, meant to be disengaged with your trigger finger, but it was so tight that I had to use a thumb. I remedied that, but will not go into details as it is a safety and they should not be touched. Beretta does sell a replacement top rail that is STD, but until I decide optics are worth it I won't waste the 60bucks.

    Factory is very supportive of parts and will send me anything. I ordered some spares of different things I intend on modifying to my needs.

    Ancillary equipment, I wear a tuff products competition belt, have some different mag holders on the way (not that it really matters for steel) that will work with my glock mags for my open/uspsa rig, 5 20rd factory magazines. I clean my mags more than the gun, it only gets cleaned if it gets rained on. The rifle bag is probably my favorite upgrade honestly. It's a lot easier to tote from station to station and make ready than the hard case I was using.

    oKSXagU.jpg


    The big black mag release button on my open pistol will be the same one that is going into the CX4. I just have to tap and thread the plastic mag release to install it.
    8ytKmAh.jpg
     
    Last edited:

    Ggreen

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    who makes your upper? I've been reading that people prefer the colt style mags for reliability/feed angle over glocks. I'm deep in the decision making process on upgrading, while still enjoying the beretta.
     

    rvb

    Grandmaster
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    4   0   0
    Jan 14, 2009
    6,396
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    IN (a refugee from MD)
    I put the upper together.
    My 5” upper I built many years ago was designed for use with a can, so I built a new upper. (And started a new pistol lower to host that upper)

    Bolt and barrel is RRA (barrel cut to 12.5”).
    BCM handguard
    upper receiver... ?? Maybe Brownells?
    just a cheap A2 flash hider bored out for 9mm

    Only failures I’ve ever had with my colt pattern is when I try to monopod off the mag. Doesn’t like that. Otherwise super reliable over many thousands of rounds and a couple different uppers...

    -rvb
     

    AllenM

    Diamond Collision Inc. Avon.
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    132   0   0
    Apr 20, 2008
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    For pure porn only. Hasn't seen a match yet but runs great. 5.5" taccom shrouded barrel

     

    Ggreen

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    Sep 19, 2016
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    I'm watching the classifieds Allen :D I like that one. I got the 45 to run flawlessly even with cheap white box ammo, I mean if you wanted it back I could make a deal lol.
     

    KJQ6945

    Grandmaster
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    Some really nice looking carbines in here.

    I've seen several threads, where it has been mentioned, how unreliable the PCC's are. I'm curious what you guys are experiencing. The only one I ever had consistent problems with personally, was a Kriss Vector. After some light polishing, it cleared up. In the two matches I've been to, all the malfunctions I witnessed were with Glock pattern ARs. Didn't see any issues out of the Colt pattern guns, or the Sigs. Just a fluke, or have others seen the same thing?


    I did learn over the weekend why you guys all have those cool mag extenders. :ugh: My reloads from my pocket weren't very impressive.
     

    Trigger Time

    Air guitar master
    Rating - 98.6%
    204   3   0
    Aug 26, 2011
    40,112
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    SOUTH of Zombie city
    Some really nice looking carbines in here.

    I've seen several threads, where it has been mentioned, how unreliable the PCC's are. I'm curious what you guys are experiencing. The only one I ever had consistent problems with personally, was a Kriss Vector. After some light polishing, it cleared up. In the two matches I've been to, all the malfunctions I witnessed were with Glock pattern ARs. Didn't see any issues out of the Colt pattern guns, or the Sigs. Just a fluke, or have others seen the same thing?


    I did learn over the weekend why you guys all have those cool mag extenders. :ugh: My reloads from my pocket weren't very impressive.
    That's because glock hasnt made any AR's. If they did they wouldn't fail ;)
     

    Ggreen

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    Are sbr's allowed or does the barrel length have to be 16"?
    Also are pistol braces allowed?

    SBR's Yes, where legal. Braces no everywhere from what I read USPSA didn't want to get caught up in what was a legal brace for shouldering and what wasn't and I don't blame them. The glock mag AR's just seem to be the common denominator in feed fails from what I've seen. I've also seen trouble with cz scorpions and sub2k's.
     

    bwframe

    Loneranger
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    Feb 11, 2008
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    The top level PCC's are pretty finely tuned machines. Ammo tuned closely to the gun, the gun tuned to the ammo or a combination of both.

    The running joke when I started shooting PCC last year was about whole squads standing around, roasting in the sun, while the PCC guys tried to make their gun run. :) I spoke with more than one who had a perfect running gun until it was put on a timer during a match.

    I seen a lot of all sorts of guns with issues, luckily mine not so much, but I wasn't problem free. Splicing together a magazine to run a 32round stage plus a makeup shot or two takes a lot of finesse and testing that sometimes doesn't pan out in the heat of the match.
     

    Ggreen

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    Did a little speed mod on the cx4 this afternoon. What a difference. It went from being one of the most inconvenient functions of the firearm to one of the fastest with a 22 dollar knob, a drill, a tap, and some Loctite. I can drop mags as fast as I can on the ar, if not a little faster being my trigger finger isn't pulling double duty.

    sDbeTlv.jpg


    l3Xyu7d.jpg
     

    romack991

    Sharpshooter
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    4   0   0
    May 27, 2012
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    Some really nice looking carbines in here.

    I've seen several threads, where it has been mentioned, how unreliable the PCC's are. I'm curious what you guys are experiencing. The only one I ever had consistent problems with personally, was a Kriss Vector. After some light polishing, it cleared up. In the two matches I've been to, all the malfunctions I witnessed were with Glock pattern ARs. Didn't see any issues out of the Colt pattern guns, or the Sigs. Just a fluke, or have others seen the same thing?


    I did learn over the weekend why you guys all have those cool mag extenders. :ugh: My reloads from my pocket weren't very impressive.

    I don't shoot with many PCCs but they do seem to have reliability issues. I typically assume it's rifles that are pieced together or they are chasing the next best thing.
    My colt pattern AR9 is from RRA. I think I've had two failure to feeds with it total. Both after the rifle was fairly dirty and running dry.
    My MPX would not run reliably with my production ammo using Titegroup. Switching to a medium powder like CFE Pistol solved that and I haven't had any malfunctions since. You can open up the gas port but changing powder was easier.

    I haven't shot a JP but they usually are squared away. If I was in the market, it would probably be between JP and the MPX.
     
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