Hey y'all I'm going to get a 586 l comp ordered to use as a uspsa pistol and to carry it do you have any tips for me at all? Also I am new to this form but I have a 29-2 with a 6 inch barrel a 65-3 with a 4 inch that is starting to spit lead and then a 642-1 pro. I do reload I don't like shooting factory ammo I'm about to start powder coating my lead boolits. Any insight I can learn from is great thanks for your time

Consider a 627 PC or 929. Longer barrel and 8 shot capacity.

The L-comp would throw you into the Open Division. It would be hard to be competitive in Revolver Division (Comps prohibited) let alone Open. If your heart is set on the L-comp and you intend to use the game as a means of training with what you carry, you would be better off shooting IDPA. They also do not allow comps, but you could shoot in the NFC Division (Not For Competition), and be confronted with more realistic scenarios than you will find in USPSA (run & gun).

In USPSA you would be better off shooting your 29 with .44 Spls loaded to just make PF - still won't be competitive with the clipped 625's and the 8-shot Minors, but probably a better solution than buying a new gun.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

Adios,

Pizza Bob

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NRA Benefactor Member

No offense, but that is a very poor choice for USPSA. You will be dead last in Open Division every match you shoot. You can't even use it in Revolver Division.
Ditto to Pizza Bob's post.

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Science plus Art

Here at the local club we have a revolver shooter who has been known to sometimes beat all the Open competitors using his iron sighted L Frame. I hear he's pretty good at IDPA and ICORE too with the L Frame. And sometimes he uses those obsolete, non-competitive things called speedloaders too!

In IDPA it is possible to be in the running with a 6 shot gun with speed loaders because the rules only allow 6 rounds as the most you can load at one time. And a 4.2" barrel is the longest you can use. If you shoot with moons then you have to shoot major, speedloaders shoot minor pf. It is of course a topic of debate ie: is it better to shoot minor with speed loaders or major with moon clips? I'm going to compete along side Pizza Bob on Sunday, he will probably use moons and I will use speedloaders and Bob will beat the tar out of me but not because of his gun, rather because he is simply a better marksman then moi.

In ICORE, 6 shooters shoot in classic with speedloaders and limited 6 with moons. They are not shooting against 8 shooters. And their guns do not have a 4.2" limit on barrel size. So, in theory I can shoot (my IDPA revo) a 686 that has a 4" barrel and is cut for moons in either classic or limited 6 but I'm going to be competing with guys with a longer sight radius. I have done it but it's not ideal.

But we are talking about a beginner considering USPSA. I know exactly what several of the top USPSA revo shooters use and they are not shooting in open class with iron sights and 6 in the hole, moons or speedloaders and a 3" barrel. A revo shooter who does better than the open guys with a short barrel, iron sight 6 shooter with speedloaders says more about the open guys than the revo shooter.

Think about it, those extra two shots in a string with 32 shots min. will be 3 reloads with a 627 or 929, 5 reloads with a six shooter. Please don't forget, the OP is asking for opinions on what is the best scenario. Some might think that a beginner shooting a short barrel 6 shot speedloader revolver against long barrel moon clipped 8 shot would be a character builder, I think with would be very discouraging. So if your going to buy a new gun to compete with, why not get something that will give you at least a fighting chance?

I shoot USPSA with a 6-shot revo (Rhino or 10-7) and everyone is giving good advice. I do it to practice for ICORE so I'm not super-competitive anyway but you really do want 8 shots if at all possible. The biggest reason I've found is that classifiers are typically built to be conducive to single stacks, so 8 shots before mandatory reloads. Us six-shooters get a bonus reload - yay!

And there's no competition where a six-shooter with a comp makes sense. In ICORE, you'd be up against clipped 8-shooters running comps and optics. In USPSA, you'd be with the full-blown race guns. It's not gonna be a good time.

I shoot ICORE and Defensive Pistol. A 4" 686 with either a Pinned front sight, or the quick change front sight would not be a bad way to get started. With a 6 shooter you can use either Safariland Comp III speed loaders, or Jet Loaders. With a 7 shot 686 you are limited to either doing a Moon Clip Conversion, or using HKS or 5 Star speed loaders.
You will want a Fiber Optic front sight.
I use Comp III's with my 686. With a K frame I find Jet Loaders to have an advantage.
I also have a 4" 610 shooting moon clipped 40 S&W, as well as a 625 shooting moon cliped 45acp.

We have several shooters using moon clipped 686 Six Shooters, and GP100's. Surprisingly Not for Speed. For ease of picking up brass. In my local bunch of shooters, I have no one running a 7 or 8 shot revolver on a regular basis. I have one guy who shows up now and again with a 686 Plus running HKS speed loaders.

In ICORE you are in Limited 6 with a Moon Clipped 6 shooter, and Classic with a 6 shot Speed Loader Revolver. So you are not shooting against the 7 and 8 shot revolvers.
In IDPA again you are limited to 6 shooters.

I will probably be stones, but a GP100 is not a really bad option either. The Ruger with adjustable sights comes with a Quick Change Front Sight. So no problem at all installing a Fiber Optic Front Sight. You will need to sort through 686's to get a Pinned Front Sight gun so you can change the front sight.
We are not the norm, but at our Club we have more GP100's than 686 shooting ICORE. Most are either 3" Willy Claps, or 4" Match Champions. I go back and forth between my 686-5 with 4" barrel, and my 6 Inch GP100. My little brother shoots a 6" GP100 as well as a 3" Willy Clapp when shooting 38 specials. Most on here will tell you how much better the S&W trigger is over a GP100. I have 2 each 686's that are Power Custom Combats, as well as 2 each GP100 with trigger jobs. I do not find enough difference in the triggers to worry about. All can be made perfectly acceptable. My brothers Willy Clapp GP100 is a Power Custom Combat also. No one is going to complain about the trigger on it.

My advice is get a 6 shot 686 or GP100.
Watch Midway for Safariland Comp III speed loaders on sale, and buy several. Several being 10 or more.
Get some Speed Loader Carriers. For IDPA you are limited to 3. Shooting other matchs you may need more. One of Pizza Bobs revolver converts just made an order with me for 5 carriers for his 686.
If you are planning on a Moon Clip Conversion you will want one brand of brass or you will be doing a lot of sorting. I have been shooting 38 Special ammo for the last 45 years, and have a couple 5 gallon buckets of cases. I end up sorting out RP and Federal for my brothers Moon Clip revolver. Not all brass will work with moon clips.

Good Luck

Bob R
Big Creek Speed Loader Carriers

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ICORE MO2908