Upgrades are not really needed of a basic pistol until you get to a high
Level of competition. Last steel challenge I used a 2" model 34 and kept up pretty well with the race gunners. The fact I will never be as fast as them has more to do with me than the equipment. Also I see far more custom guns with all sorts of "upgrades" choke functionally than stock pistols. I go to enjoy the shooting and comradeship and if my time is a half second slower because of my basic cheap equipment I don't care. I am pretty much the ultimate anti gadget type shooter running everything stock.