JRM83

IDPA has changed so much over the past 5-7 years and nearly all of it for better. Most of these changes made game closer to USPSA. In some ways (divisions and equipment) I think they actually got it right where USPSA did not. So why they continue to hang on to those last few idiotic differences is beyond me. Are they still trying to pretend it's tactical, or is it just to keep some separation between the two games? Beats me.

Kinda what I expected. I think the issue is for longer bullets. To get reliable feeding without upside down bullets you need to use a 4 plate which feeds slower than the 5. The long profile causes more bullets to get stuck in the drop hole when they get pinched by the plate as it rotates. Slowing it down to the point that doesn't happen makes it so the collator can't keep up with the press. Best solution I've found is to try and balance very few stuck bullets with enough speed to keep the press running. Not sure I want to start messing around with the geometry of the drop hole or plate yet.

What bullet are you loading? Based on what I've seen from the collator in operation I suspect it is very sensitive to bullet weight and profile. I am loading 147 grain gallant bullets and they are giving it fits.

I *think* mine is to the point of working consistently. It definitely needed some adjusting and tinkering. Truth is that most of the press and components seem pretty good and there are some extremely well thought out parts of the press. I really like the case feeder and so far it has been more reliable than my old Dillon. Same for the priming system. The bullet feeder has been a steaming dog turd. They sent me an entire caliber conversion kit to fix a stripped screw (from factory) on the bullet guide. The large 9mm guide wasn't machined correctly from the factory and the new kit also had an incorrectly machined bullet guide. I managed to fix it with a Dremel. Getting the collator to feed consistently has been a pain in the ass. It's never just right. I *think* I have it running well enough, but as soon as the powder relocation kit comes back in stock I am slapping a MBF on there and ditching the FA version entirely. Bonus is that I get to use a Hornady seating die that way which is light years better. More ranting on the bullet feeder - why did they think it was a good idea to cram it into one station and put the powder drop where it was? Should have made the station after priming the default location for powder and used 2 stations to feed/seat bullets like every other solution. All in all I think I will like this press. It's early in our relationship but I think I understand the quirks and have a good idea of how to keep her running. Edit to add: someone creative needs to come up with a 3d printable plate and possibly some bullet guides to get their bullet collator reliable. If that happens it could make the FA feeder workable.

According to my notes 3.45gr of N320 with a 135 coated put me 130 PF in my shadow and xcal last time I tested.

The FART is the common recommendation. I bought a Rebel 17 before the FART was a thing and it's held up well. I think it's approaching 10 at this point and I just changed out the drive belt for the first time. Still going!

I sort into: 1. Stepped brass and CBC. The thicker walls of CBC brass cause coated projectiles to get swaged in my FCD and then fall out. Stepped brass is out for obv reasons. 2. Crimped brass. Without on-press swaging this isn't worth it. 3. S&B. Tight primer pockets, can cause issues with seating and it takes longer to clear them then to just sort them out. 4. Everything else gets loaded.

Says it cannot ship to my address in Virginia. Also, where are you located in Michigan and do you have a retail store? I get up to MI a few times a year to visit my family.

Felt like he was reading through a checklist. Police, yup we love them. Freedom, one bullet at a time. Let's see here...uh right, holidays, yeah we like those too.

When you're too poor to afford the APE.

I prefer a lighter trigger, but the timer has shown that past a certain point it just doesn't make a significant difference in hits or time for me at my current skill level. 3 lbs with a decent enough trigger is about where that cutoff is for me. In the couple matches I have shot with it, once the timer goes off I don't notice the trigger in the 'pus and that's all I really need from it.

I have a platty and a couple high-end 2011s. Asked for the competition trigger on the platty and it came in right at 3 lbs. Noticeable creep on the trigger, smoothed out quite a bit with some dry and live fire cycles. For an $1800 gun, especially a 2011, the trigger is really good. It's nowhere near peak single action trigger though.

I agree with that as well. It's not a major gun where there's tons of gas to work the baffles on the comp. There's much less gas to use and ports *seem* like the would more efficiently direct the force where it needs to go. The next question is what port size and arrangement is best.

Well that's interesting. I picked up a Platypus as an IDPA gun (also just really wanted one) and was considering porting it. Comping just isn't an option on my gun, but ports are easy.

I've shot a lot of comped 9 major, but never a compensated minor gun. Do you think it makes a big enough difference that at the highest levels of IDPA competition guns without comps and/or ports are going to be non-competitive vs those with them?