Boyd

Guys, For the last several years, I've been doing a slow burn over how bored USPSA leaderhship seems to be with National Championships. A few days ago, Rob Leatham, the greatest shooter to ever live, won his 15th Single Stack Championship. This should be the centerpiece of the USPsA website, but one has to be "in the know" to even know where to look. In these days of instant web updates, the USPSA site is a disgrace. It's like the leaderhip is going through the motions and no longer really cares about this sport with has been a passion for so many for a long time. At one of my last USPSA chamionships banquets, the "president", could not tell the difference between Tarren Butler and Merle Eddington on sight. A lot of time was spent on handing out commemorative knives, however. I guess I'm sorry that Robbie's 15th SS championship isn't worth mention on the main page. I called headquarters a few years ago and was told that they didn't have match results from the early Nationals archived. They recommended that I check with Lenny McGill to see how things turned out. As I get older, I get more sentimental. I wish USPSA was the same...... -MB A11012

Quick follow-up: Just got my Springer Precision .1 extended mag catch. Beautifully made and plenty long enough. Took a few minutes to install. Luckily there is a "how to" video that's pretty good at http://www.wonderhowto.com/how-to/video/ho...-pistol-269936/ -MB

Have you considered having a competent gusmith doing a trigger job on your existing parts? A new hammer does not necessarily mean an improved trigger pull or more reliable set-up. I imagine that a basic trigger job will run around what you'll pay for a new hammer anyway. -MB

Excellent, thanks. After my last post, I did find the info on the box size the gun must fit in, so I guess the limit will be the height of the box (n theory) -MB

Thanks. I looked in the 2008 and 2009 rules. I could never find mag releases specifically noted. There was a reference to replacing small parts: "•Exchange of minor components (springs, safeties, slide stops, guide rods)." Is there another reference source? I looked up the rules books on the USPSA site. Do you guys know if the intent is to replace these parts with parts of the same size etc? I know from shootig the Production Nationals a few years ago that there were inspections. I want to stay in the rules. Also, is the XDM release longer etc like the G34/35 is? Thanks -MB

Great. I'll give you a call or PM -MB

My question wasn't about rules, but equipment options for the XD (that still stayed inthe PD rules) -MB

I shot my first match with an XD yesterday and flubbed a couple of reloads (lost the match by 2 seconds -IDPA). On my G-35, I've got a factory extended mag release. My question is: Is there a Production Legal slightly extended release for my XD? I'm a lefty and use my trigger finger. I know that Springer Precision makes some cool stuff, but I could not verify if it was USPSA "Legal" for production -MB

When I install FO, I use a little 2-part epoxy and dab a small amount (with the tip is a toothpick) in the track where the sight rests (like with Dawson sights), in the center area. I think it's the vibraton that breaks the FO. I've gone thousands round of major with a #11 and #13 spring without a break. Acetone and a small scraper will remove the epoxy if you need to. I cleanthe FO with rubbing alcohol on a Q-tip -MB

I've recently gone with more post travel. I took a class with TJ and he recommends more post rravel because the trigger will not bottom out on the frame during lock time and therefore one can be more aggressive on the trigger without the potential of affecting the gun's position on target. I tried it (backed the screw off about 1.5 turns +/-) and the gun feels better. Sights are still king, but this change does help me when shooting at speed. Another thought: As long as our vision is good and we understand the fundamentals of a sight picture, we will align the sights just fine. The truth is that we rarely misalign the sights so badly as to lead to a poor shot (unless we're coarsely point shooting and just hoping to lob a shot onto target). The problem comes in snatching at the trigger and trying to "freeze" our sight picture. Unfortunately, our physical nature causes us to pull the gun slightly off target or at least intended point of impact) faster than we can make the gun go off. This is why we use lighter triggers. We shorten our window of opportunity to pull the gun off target (light trigger = faster bang). I think that if there's a ratio of concentration focus in our style of shooting between sights and trigger, we should give about 85% to trigger and only about 15% to sights (I'm still absolutely saying that we clearly see the sights, clean up the alignment for each target etc. We need to let outselves trust that aspect of our shooting while shifting to our attention to working the trigger correctly). Great sight picture + yanked trigger = poor shoot. Average sight picture + smooth trigger press = generally really good shot. I think that the point shooters (Fist Fire etc) are really just trigger controllers, first and foremost. A little more post travel is a way of increasing our follow-through and decreasing the "it's time to flinch" message our brain is looking for. -MB

I'm on hold with S&W while I'm typing this...I think the guns should work as they come from the factory. I don't think getting an after market barrel is the solution. I wonder if S&W will fix this? I absolutely agree the gun should run and I hope Smith fixes it for you. If they don't and you want to stick with the platform, there are probably ways to fix it (often Gen III or IV guns work out these kinds of kinks, after shooters have logged way too much frustration). I once spoke with the VP of the entire S&W company and asked about the extractor breakage problem in their 5906's (after the service center sent me a (free) big bag of extractors and the go / no-go gauges, telling me this was a common problem). The VP looked at me and said that there was no problem at all. These things take time to work their way back up to decision makers....... Good luck -MB

Boyd- FWIW, this also happens with highly polished chambers. The gun is normally engineerered with the idea that as the round fires, the pressure locks the case to the chamber and the case moves to the rear with the barrel until the pressure peak subsides and then the case seperates from the barrel (chamber) and is extracted and ejected. Factory chambers are not mirror polished. When chambers are polished to a mirror type finish with rouge or extremely fine grit, the case may not stick to the chamber long enough (if at all) and tries to unlock the gun early as you describe. Interesting and I never thought about this before. In theory, the whole concept of delayed blowback is for the barrel and slide to stay together until the bullet leaves the barrel. If you look at your slide and barrel as you ease them back, you see a short period of travel when they stay together, then the barrel drops down from the slide. (JMB was an absolute genius to figure out this dwell time in the days when he was working!!!!!). When the bullet leaves the barrel, pressure instantly drops and there should be no pressure on the casing. There might be some friction, but no pressure. I personally think that S&W sometimes struggles with this timing issue in their guns and have to depend on extractor tension to keep the guns running. If they go to a longer slide/barrel, the pressure on the casing lasts longer (it takes longer for the bullet to exit the barrel) and I hope that S&W has factored this into the longer barrel configurations. It's fascinating to think that a highly polished chamber may make this problem worse. You'd think that the really clean gun would be less reliable than a fouled gun, since chamber friction is probably lower in the clean chamber. Maybe there's a lubricating aspect to slight fouling. Bottom line: All guns are cruel, they just can't help it. -MB

If the spent casing is loose in the chamber, the gun might be trying to unlock while still under pressure. Sometimes the fix for this is a heavier recoil spring to keep the gun closed a little longer. Years ago my agency used 5906's and we constantly broke extractors because of premature unlock. I know that stiffer springs = more torque, but you might give it a try. I'd check your primers for firing pin drag marks, which can be another indicator of unlocking under pressure. Sometimes we can mask this problem with heavier extractor springs, but we're really just stressing the part and asking for failure. This kind of thing also leads to wear on the extractor spring. The ultimate fix is better barrel fit. You may need to look at an aftermarket bbl with more "dwell" or having your factory barrel welded to extend the time it's locked to the slide (often a gunsmith can do this pretty easy). -MB

We get shot anywhere we leave exposed.....

That's interesting. From what I've seen the vast majority of the 3Gun crowd still uses "elbow out and butt seated in the pocket of the shoulder". Of the good shooters only Lund and maybe Burkett does the centering hold with long guns. I don't want to start an argument, but the thread is about tactical (life saving aggressive shooting with a high emphasis on not getting shot so one can stay in the fight) shooting. Three gun is great and can teach us a lot. Just like Open, Limited etc, some aspects do not translate to real life. Elbows out is one of those things that will get you "sent home" early from a real life shooting. The Creedmore position works great for its purpose, but it's not a survival tool either. With Respect, -MB

I started as a Weaver Shooter back in the early 80's. As a LEO trainer, I migrated to the Isosceles around 1990 and have never looked back. I found that any technique that requires a push-pull aspect will fail under high stress (many officers end up shooting way too low when they are nervous and try to go fast.). Studies of actual gunfights and my anecdotal experience show that when a fight suddenly erupts, shooters thrust the gun straight out in fornt and start working the trigger. I always tell my students, "you're going to shoot this way (Iso) in real gunfights, do you want to work on technique while someone is trying to kill you or do you want to be good at it before the gunfight?" In one study of (I believe) Portland PD officers, about 95% used the ISO in actual gunfights despite the fact that the Weaver was taught. The remaining 5% reported that they were already "set up" in a Weaver stance before things escalated. We are sympathetic beings and our bodes seek symmetry under stress. To try to interject a stance that includes opposing actions really does not work. Finally, we are now centering long guns on our bodies the same way we center pistols. Tactically, the days of the elbow out and the butt seated in the pocket of the shoulder are past. Today it's about dynamic force overwhelming the bad guys. Can the older styles work well for marksmanship etc? Absolutely. Just like going form one handed shooting to two handed shooting, techniques evolve to meet problems. Thanks -MB

The easiest way to dehorn checkering is to take emery cloth (I recommend 220 grit or so) and with a 2-3" wide strip, go over the front strap in a "shoe-shine" motion (with the frame held in a vice, or by a buddy etc). I like 20 LPI, but it can irritate by the end of a practice session. You won't notice rusty barb-wire during a match, but if the gun bugs you in practice, it will distract you. The finer checkering tends to "load" with gunk pretty fast and cease to provide the friction you have paid so dearly for. "Mellow" the 20 LPI and your have the best of both worlds. -MB

I don't think a running reload should cost a shooter 1.5 seconds. A standing reload on the next array, especially if you hadn't planned it in advance,will certainly cost 1.5 or more. if it didn't matter, then why "top off" at the start? Just my 2 cents....

I shot my Para throughout the mid-90's until recently when the barrel standing lugs sheared off. It's off for a replacement barrel. I have both S_I platforms and I'm just not as sentimental about them. When my Para gets back, it's #1 AGAIN. 120K rounds and the frame is fine. There's just something about a metal frame that's been blended and worn to fit your hands.... -MB

Check to see if the new spring is rubbing on the magazine, or if the triiger bar has shifted and is rubbing on the mag. Normally I start by eliminating one possibility at a time. I know in some guns (SIGS) one can install the hammer strut in backwards (no idea about CZ-types). If this part is in backwards, it will dramatically change the location of the hammer spring. Goos luck

We shot the PM 2008 yesterday. I was MD. First, I want to thank the course designers. I know it's often a thankless job. I think the Postal Match is a great idea and I hope it continues. Here are my observations, for what they they're worth: Stage One ("Deposit") was the most problematic. The directions really didn't cover some of the loopholes in the design. I've read some posts that say shooting through one target into the other target should incur a FTDR penalty. I disagree. IDPA makes it absolutely clear that targets are penetrable. I guess that if you have two bad guys lined up and your blaster will get them both, you should consider going for it. Since the description was mute on this aspect, one can assume the designers either supported the shoot through, or had no opinon. Also, since the end of the instructions encouraged letting shooters choose either side for position #3, all the left hand/right hand business was pretty much nullified. Finally, choosing one side or the other offered the shooter a completely different set of challenges and target engagement possibilities. One would expect a mirror image challenge if the course is designed for left or right handed shooters to choose a different vantage point. BTW, I chose the left-handed side (right side) and never considered the shoot through option - I'm a lefty with too much Karmic debt already. Stage Two (Stumped") was pretty straightforward. I appreciated the aspect that shooters were able to get in a kneeling position from the start. Our bad-knee folks were very happy about this too. Stage Three ("Tourists") : This was a pretty good stage. A little cramped, but good. I did get a bunch of questions about the "vision barriers" and if they were penetrable. Not covered in the stage description, but really not an issue. A lot of shooters fuss about such things.... Stage Four ("Alley"): This stage was too cramped. Many shooters were at the barrels before they fired all their shots and ended up "moonwalking" away from the barrel to avoid a procedural. The "gamers" moved so slowly that it was silly. This stage encouraged what I'd call "glacier gunning", which is a good way to get your ticket punched in real life (I know that IDPA is not real life, but it purports to simulate it). If one is taking fire and cover is 2-4 strides away, getting to cover is JOB ONE. (sorry LE instructor editorializing) I have submitted stages for sanctioned matches and the scrutiny is intense. I'm surprised some of the vague aspects of this match made it through without multiple re-writes. FINAL SUGGESTION: I'd love to see next year's PM allow clubs to submit stages for consideration for the "final four". Thanks -MB

I see a lot of interest in the S&W and CZ platforms, but not much on the XD's. I have handled some with exceptional triggers that seem like winning Production platforms. Has the air gone out of the XD balloon? I don't see new stuff coming out for them (Warrent Sights etc) like I do for the M&P. I just bought an XD in 9MM as a Production Gun. To me it seems to have a lot of potential (especially with Springer trigger parts and FO sights). Is there anything going on I should know? -MB

I always feel vain when I cite my GM rank, but I think this is an important thread. I have used EVERYTHING over the years. I've often noted that up-and-coming shooters are obsessed with trying to "buy skill". I will shoot ANY bullet, ANY powder and ANY brass I can get my hands on. My advice is to do whatever it takes to get rounds down range. I believe that it's best to shoot various powders etc to get focused on the process of shooting. As soon as a load becomes predicatable, we begin to shoot automatically, which leads to failure. Focus on feeling the gun, tracking the sights and SHOOTING. I often shoot "trail mix" ammo at local matches to keep my focus on the gun. When I go to major matches, I generally shoot the same powder/bullet for a month before the match to ensure point of aim/impact issues. I've mostly shoot WST, Tite Group and Universal Clays when the chips are down. Any safe load I can shoot today is better than a "high speed GM load" I have to wait for. Thanks -MB

Here's the quickest way I recommend: Shoot the gun slowly and carefully while using your left hand as the primary and your right hand as the support hand. If the gun still groups low and left , it's the sights. If the group shifts low right or stays centered, it's you, amigo. Very common. Good Luck -MB

I'm a huge proponent of shifting the gun, after 20+ years of seeing guys eject mags at precisely the wrong moment. I'm left handed and the shift is pretty much mansdatory for me. I use a stock S_I button. I also look at the guns of the "big guys" (TGO, Todd etc), almost without exception, these guns are far simpler than a lot of what's out there. I think the key is to have something that is simple and reliable in all the crazy circumstances we encounter in this game. The difference afforded by a HUGE mag button during most matches is generally negated by all the fuss we go through trying not to accidentally trip that sucker. An unexpected dumped mag in mid stage at one big match will wipe out an awful lot of .010 time savings on other smatch days. Finally, as a LEO trainer, I emphasize that it's the intent of the manufacturers to keep all the buttons except the trigger out of harm's way when one is firing. The two glaring exceptions are the 1911 thumb safety (great position and exactly where it should be) and the SIG slide release (terrible position and generally engaged when shooters don't want it to be engaged) -MB