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Hi,
Applied for a LBP during renewal so what do you recommend and why?

Calibre? What type of use, range?

22lr on a 25 metre range

If you're shooting for pure accuracy/slowly a Buckmark or Volquartsen (if money is no object!).

If you're going to be doing more practical type shooting the Grand Power K22 is the top dog. The problem however is that Caledonian Classic Arms who bring them in are about as contactable as a deep-cover MI6 agent and have become shockingly unreliable even if you do manage to get through. Buying one from another RFD is probably the best way to go. The GSG 1911 or Walther P99 are passable options if you're on a budget. I use a Gen 2 1911 for my practical pistol and it does its part, just a pity i'm so crap with it!

I bought a K22 and tricked it up for competition use, it's now excellent.
Going this route with a new LBP would cost over a grand and then factor in mags and mag capacity extensions.

Walther do a Colt Gold Cup 1911 model that seems much better than the GSG 1911, I had a look at one and the lad using it was hitting the steel targets we were using quite consistently.
Walther PPQ is also an option if you like striker fired polymer pistols and there's a Glock version about somewhere.

go to the target shooting show, and try them in your hand, for me the PPQ fitted best, the GSG 1911 felt cheap and the K22 was too big.

There are a load on the market now, but for practical it will get expensive whatever you buy, (holster, belt, 3 magazine holders, 4 magazines as a minimum really).

Even though the GSG 1911 doesn’t have a great reputation, I’m hopeful that the GSG Firefly is much better. The Firefly was the Sig Mosquitto. Made for Sig, by GSG.

I know it’s market forces and all that fegazzle, but I really don’t want to spend £1K on a pistol that without a long barrel and extension rod would only be 400 euros in other parts....

If its for target look for one where it doesn’t have a slide... Buckmark, Ruger MKIV, VQ etc

Practical its a minefield to find the perfect gun.

I have a Ruger MKIV Target use it for both target and also mainly practical.

I never did get to grips with the gsg 1911 - and believe me I tried, spent a lot of extra money and time on the aftermarket kit and better sights. It did get better but remained overall wildly inconsistent. That said I have seen people do well with them so perhaps there was something especially funky with my model in particular.

The Walther 1911 version I'm using now has been night and day better for me and basically performs straight out the box how I expected/hoped the gsg would. Iv'e had some amazing groups but the big thing for me is in how light it is in comparison. No lbp looks right but in terms of feel the Walther is A LOT closer to a simulating a proper handgun experience. The PPQ's even lighter.

I have just started to use a Buckmark LBP with a red dot, managing to get a group on a 2" post it.
I am not pistol shot thats for sure, but with practice I think it could be improved upon