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jmaass

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Posts posted by jmaass

  1. I should make it clear that I **really** like the .40 S&W EMP, and will be spending some money on tweaking it once the feed reliability is 100%. Here's my list of enhancements-to-come for this carry gun:

    • Drop the trigger to 3.5-pounds from the factory 4.75-pounds;
    • Checker the frontstrap 25- or 30-lpi;
    • Round-off/de-fang the thumb safety (it's eating a hole in my thumb with a high grip!)
    • Birdsong Black-T finish overall;
    • Black Davidson grips;

  2. That sure sounds like it could be the problem. Really short 1911's have enough going against them recoil spring and slide velocity wise that I doubt it would take much to cause significant havoc in the cyling.

    Factory mag or aftermarket? I'm wondering if the mag catch slot is just a little low and raises the mag in the well a bit too much. It wouldn't take much to raise the bottom of the ejector...lots of extended factory ejectors already have the clearance cut in that area. It would also be easy to raise up the mag catch slot a little at a time to get the clearance, but then you have to make sure it doesn't put the top round too low on the feed ramp, or too low that the slide won't grab it (ask me how I know about that one!). R,

    Thanks, Bart.

    I have eight factory magazines ("Mfg. in Italy by MEG-GAR for Springfield Armory"), and all are the same. I don't think the problem is the magazines.

    They haven't been shipping this .40 S&W version of the EMP for more than six months (the 9mm version has shipped for a couple of years), so I suspect they might have a few issues to tweak. I have received an RMA from Springfield to return the EMP for service, and I'll be sending it Monday.

    I expect that they will undercut and shape the ejector to provide for clearance.

    The only other "factory defect" is that they did not provide checkering on the front strap - who designs an expensive personal defense gun with a smooth, slippery front strap? I doubt that I'll get them to "repair" that error under warrenty!

  3. I've been having double-feed problems with my EMP in .40 S&W. It now has over 800 rounds through it in the past month, and the problem has been consistent. I noticed what I think is the cause, but I'd like confirmation from others.

    With the slide locked-back, I inserted a loaded magazine and noted that the ejector was pressed down hard on the top round's rim and the bottom portion just above the ejector groove. See the photos below for the damage to the top round in each magazine, on the left side. Note also that this magazine was inserted gently until it locked into place, not slammed home with the slide locked open.

    None of my other 1911-type guns have this clearance problem.

    This would seem to tilt the next round nose-up a bit while the ejection process is happening, slowing the slide, impeding ejection, and resulting in a double-feed. I'm also seeing some brass shavings adhered to the bottom of the ejector, and in the chamber when cleaning.

    I'm contacting Springfield Armory today, but was wondering whether I am correct that this is the likely cause of my reliability problems?

    Some photos:

    EMP_Problem_5252.jpg

    EMP_Problem_5245.jpg

    EMP_Problem_5264.jpg

  4. All this talk about a company ramping up production, building new capacity, and etc.......I don't think is reality. I would bet money that usage of primers in the civilian market hasn't increased. All that has changed is that everyone is trying to buy a "lifetime" supply in a relatively short time frame. What we are going through now is not much different than what we experienced around '93. And if I remember correctly, many of the primer manufacturers had ramped up production only to get a little burned because they soon were carrying too much inventory....again, if memory serves me correctly.

    The civilian demand is not the issue. Government contracts are the issue. See: Summary Posting Elswhere

    Aliant Techsystems (ATK) is ATK is Speer, CCI, Federal, Alliant powder, CCI & Federal primers, Speer bullets. General Dynamics is partnered with Olin (Winchester).

    Together, they are currently making 1.2 billion rounds a year for this government contract, ramping up 300 million additional each year until they top out at 2 billion rounds a year.

    Yes, the consumer shooter has reacted to shortages by emptying the shelves of reloading components and ammunition. Re-filling them is a function of existing production capability and demands from "preferred customers" with contracts.

  5. This is all true, but the fact remains that someone should be stepping up to fill the orders. Why aren't they?

    It takes time to build production lines and/or new factories, and to hire/train peopel to operate them.

    I forget who it was off the top, but one of the major producers announced that they were building a new production facility to catch up on new military orders. They were already running at full capacity, and subcontrcting all the capacity they could get from other producers.

    New factories don't arrive pre-constructed from the UPS truck!

  6. Give up, the selfish hoarders have killed the sport. The government did not even have to lift a finger!

    I am so ashamed and disappointed in many of my fellow sportsman. Maybe by the end of the year it will start getting back to normal.

    Don't blame the hoarders alone. There have been a number of reports in the gun media about the effect of increased government purchases for the military taxing the production capabilities of the component and ammunition manufacturers.

    Add to that the unreasonable hysteria fanned by NRA and some right-wing media and shooters following the election, and what you get are short supplies and higher prices.

  7. Recently purhcased a Kimber Target in .38 Super. Have experimented with SR 7625 and W231 with MG 124 FMJ. Last week picked up a lb. of 4756. Lookling for starting loads for all three powders in this limited production gun.

    You will find some light loads on the .38 Super IPSC Loads List at IPSC Loads Lists.

    Note that the majority of the loads are IPSC Major or above (old 175 power factor), but the power factor is listed for each of the loads described.

  8. It's interesting that someone selling a house for what they can get isn't doing anything wrong, but someone doing the same with primers is ripping people off :).

    I dont subscribe to this Rob. House Flippers in our area who would buy a home and then put it right back on the market for 10%-20% higher were not popular folks. This kind of opportunistic business practice is causing a lot folks much pain and suffering right now. I am gonna be the dissenting voice here and suggest that if you are going to sell primers to "friends", charge what you payed for them. I am never happy making a profit from friends. If you really will need to replenish them in the near future, do not sell them. The future prices and availability can not be predicted.

    If we demonize those who have primers and sell them for the price the market allows, then there will soon be no primers coming out of those closets and into your press!

  9. A round loaded with a primer and no powder will still have the bullet move forward in the case....often it'll get into the barrel. If there was any powder in the case it almost certainly would have moved the bullet into the barrel.

    Honestly, the RO should have stopped him the second it went "poof" and he went to rack it because if the bullet had lodged in the barrel when he tried the next shot, things could have gotten very ugly. R,

    Something I've noted with electronic muffs is that "Bang!" and "Poof!" sound about the same. I stopped wearing them back when I was ROing, although I continue wearing them in the indoor range for practice around other shooters.

  10. check your state laws, in Iowa if you have loaded magazines you better have a concealed carry permit.

    Even if they are seperated from the gun?

    Thanks for the info.

    In Ohio I am pretty sure a loaded magazine that fits a gun in the same car constitues a loaded gun if it is the same compartment of the vehicle. We were preached at to keep the magazine out of reach if its loaded. That is if I remember my CCW class correctly.

    Nope - In Ohio you cannot transport loaded magazines for your match gun in any compartment of the vehicle (unless you have a CHL, which I assume you do not in this posting).

    You must transport all firearms unloaded (Ohio Revised Code 2923.16). The "other compartment" option still requires the firearm to be unloaded.

    "Unloaded" is defined in Ohio Revised Code 2923.16(K)(5). A firearm is unloaded:

    1) If there is no ammunition in the firearm being transported, and

    2) If there is no ammunition in a magazine or speed-loader for the firearm being transported.

    Thanks to Ken Hanson, a firearms attorney who shoots USPSA, tgeaches Ohio CCW classes, and who wrote the book, "The Ohio Guide to Firearm Laws".

  11. Jeff, if you need to borrow my 40dies and tool-head (650), let me know.

    You might be in luck on the RO class thing. We are having one (real soon) at the Circleville club. As you know, those classes are few and far between. There are plenty of seats.

    RO Level 1 Class - OHIO <link>

    CRO (Level II) can still be done through correspondence.

    Thanks, but I sold my XL650 a few years ago, since not using one press (RL-1050) was better than not using two presses! The RL-1050 is set up for 9x21, and I don't want to plan on doing caliber switches with The Beast.

    I've considered adding a new XL650 to fill the hole on my reloading bench, but for now I have acquired enough factory .40S&W (2300+ rounds) to keep me practicing for a while with the new carry gun, at least until the availability of components loosens up.

    I'll keep the June RO class in mind.

  12. Probably better to think of it as a process more than a machine.

    The chemical aspect requires either manufacturing or mixing the chemicals - and the lead styphnate cannot be acquired, it must be mixed.

    The machinery will be the punch presses to make the cups and anvils.

    The assembly process is more through custom built presses than any off the shelf equipment, as far as I know.

    Lots of in-between stuff, such as methods of cleaning the metal parts before adding the priming mix, the need to handle the priming mix wet, and allow it to dry after assembly into the cups, packaging, DOT approval of the packaging, likely explosive manufacturing licensing, maybe an FFL for ammunition manufacturing (but perhaps not), land, buildings, etc.

    Overall, not a trivial undertaking.

    Guy

    Not to mention that your insurance costs would be incredibly high.

    In all, not a practical venture for anyone who has to ask.

  13. Hmmmmm ......... we shall see tomorrow, Jeff.

    The real question is "Is the REAL Jeff Maass gonna come out and shoot some USPSA with us mere mortals?!" :goof:

    Hope to see you there Jeff. ;)

    I won't be down this month, but sometime in the near future I'll pack up my camera gear and come visit.

    Until three weeks ago, I hadn't fired a round in six years (new job/company, primarily, plus blown out knee). I've read Front Sight each month, kept a current rulebook here, and even purchased a current Classifier notebook.

    In the past three weeks I've bought a new gun (Springfield EMP 40), fired 1200+ rounds, applied for my Ohio CCW, and cleaned up my old web pages (I kept the IPSC Loads Lists and old Coursebooks, but eliminated the rest). I even got out my McLearn-built open guns and fired the 60 9x21 rounds I had left in my safe (those guns can still **shoot**!). I still see courses of fire in everyday travels. I've even had thoughts of taking some classes and getting back my long-expired CRO certification.

    So, I may not be a lost cause.

  14. MTB, winter matches are not the norm, rather a pleasant surprise :)

    There were a few years in the 90s at Circleville that we ran 12-months-a-year matches, but eventually we ceded victory to cold weather and good sense.

    There was a legendary match in February 1992 called by the "old timers" the Great Mud Match. Here are a couple of photos taken by the late Julius Foris at that match. There wasn't much movement required. Rinsing off in the creek was required bnefore driving home! Those I recognize in these photos are are Pedro Pineda, Joyce Meuthing, and Paul Hernandez (?).

    ipscmatchFeb92_mudmatch1_sm2.jpg

    ipscmatchFeb92_mudmatch_slog_sm2.jpg

  15. 1) Once-fired brass, not new brass. Once-fired has proven that the primer

    hole goes all the way through.

    B. I took the barrel out of my gun and dropped each round into the chamber

    to make sure it goes in and comes out smoothly. This had the secondary

    benefit of allowing for visual inspection each round. (It doesn't take long

    once you establish a rhythm.)

    III) Bumped up my load just a bit to account for any temperature variations.

    (My open gun preferred hotter loads anyway).

    Delta) I put the match ammo in Dillon 100-round ammo boxes and visually

    and tactilely checked to see that all the lengths are the same and there

    are no high primers. This also allowed counting them before I put them

    in heavy-duty (freezer) baggies.

    e) Don't change between lots of your components just before or during loading

    of the match ammo. Use a known lot of powder and primers, and confirm

    with a chrono, if possible.

  16. Nothing improved my (Open Class) shooting more than the hard work I did to learn to keep both eyes open, however I'm shooting.

    I cannot do it with open sights (which I've been using a lot practicing with a new carry gun), but with the C-More on the Open guns it's now automatic even after a very long layoff.

    I was experimenting with the open sights over the past two days, using dominant (left) eye and non-dominant eye, and I cannot focus well enough with the weak eye to do anything reliably.

  17. Jeff Maass, on his old website, used to compile stage designs. He put them in pdf files. As I recall, gave title, round count and stated Virginia/Comstock.

    At one point, he had about 3 books worth of stuff that you could download. He had a glossary (smaller download).

    Those designs are probably dated now and many aren't legal per the current rule book...still good places to mine for ideas. (No, I don't have the info on how you can get that stuff, so don't email/PM me for it. If you find out..post it. :) )

    I can find them! ;-) http://www.k8nd.com/stage.htm

    I've added a warning at the top of the page about the courses of fire being dated - the last was posted in 2002.

    Even though they may not be compliant with all current rules, there are some interesting shooting challenges contained therein. Feel free to update them for your own use. (I have the Word sources here if anyone wants them).

    Here's a sample: http://www.k8nd.com/documents/EasyTough.pdf

    Six or seven of my courses have been used at USPSA Nationals matches over the years, and several more were used at other major matches.

  18. I sent Jeff an email with a link to this thread...

    ...and with a week's delay, he appears!

    I've been out of the game for a long while now (work, and then serious knee injury), and keeping up the coverage of local stuff on the web site suffered greatly. Anyone interested in one or two Matt McLearn built 9x21 Caspians? 8-(

    The IPSC Resources web pages from http://home.columbus.rr.com/jmaass has been moved to http://www.k8nd.com/. The old Roadrunner web pages haven't disappeared yet, but they are static and should go away Real Soon Now.

    I will be removing the Stage Design part completely when I have time (many of the courses now have rules problems), but I will retain the three current IPSC Loads Lists indefinitely at: http://www.k8nd.com/ipscload.htm

    Also when I have time, I need to search through my backup disks to find some of the source for the IPSC Loads Lists - a hard disk crash eradicated my working Word sources.

    DVC,

    Jeff Maass K8ND USPSA L-1192 Near Columbus Ohio

    Maass' IPSC Resources: http://www.k8nd.com

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