Joe D

Watch how Rob Leatham works the trigger. I think it all matters on what works for you. I tend to release the trigger all the way. My splits run .13 - .15 on close targets.

I would like to see IDPA reward a shooter using 165 PF loads. Keep the .5 and 1.5 for Major. For minor change it to .6 and 1.75 sec. I would like to see a hit on a non-threat or miss increased to 10 sec. I think this scoring would prevent IDPA from becoming a "hose fest" while rewarding a 165PF. This would still allow CDP to be a .45ACP class.

I recall the two most unpleasant Glocks I have ever shot are the Glock 33 and 29. IMO if you want a carry gun there is no better than the Glock 23. The .40 is a proven fight stopper. 14 rounds of 180gr. Ranger Talons should be enough, if not throw the gun and run.

Here's one more option, get a Glock 35. You can shoot Limited, Limited 10 and Production in IPSC. It can be used for SSP and ESP in IDPA. .40 componets are a lot cheaper than .45ACP. If you must have a 1911 get a Kimber. Don't waste your money on a Gold Match. I have had six Kimbers over the last few years. All would group under 1 1/2" @ 25 yds. Two will go under 1". I am not knocking the Les Baers, but IMO they are not that much better than a Kimber. I just got through working on two LBs this weekend. The only thing that I change on my Kimbers is the grip safety. I like the Ed Brown as it allows the gun to sit lower in my hand.

Erik, my Kimber .45 is set up with a 17# mainspring and an 11# recoil spring. It is a very flat shooting gun. The one thing that really seems to help is the .200" Hiett shock buff. If I use a .090" Hiett or one of the harder brands I notice more flip. The .200" Hiett helped to take a lot of the flip out of my .40 Kimber also.

Even the "gunsmith" price of $33 is too high.

Eric, I would not worry about a little lateral play. Some vertical is OK as long as it goes away when the gun is in battery. One of my old Kimbers has .005"-.006" of lateral play and .002"-.003" of vertical. The vertical goes away at lockup. There is positive contact between the slide stop pin, bottom barrel lugs, upper barrel lug recess and slide lug. If you do not have this contact then there will be a chance of vertical stringing. My old Kimber still shoots under 1" @ 25 yds.

AF all auto pistol barrels are unsupported. I get my brass from Brassman also. My RCBS dies work fine. One thing I do is chamber check my loads before a match. I occasionally run across a piece of brass that looks like it was fired in a Sig that is really bulged. It is so bad that after sizing the brass looks like a belted case. Most dies will fit the Dillon.

I noticed Brownells has the Tripp mags also.

Erik, I had the same problem with my 550. With some cases it was very hard on the upstroke of the handle. I completely cured this problem by adding a little car wax to my polishing media. Nickel plated cases were the worst offenders.

I guess I am one of the ones that does not like the Ghost. I find that they make the slide action rough and notchy. That can be fixed, but it requires thinning the steel and bending the bottom leg. I find nothing wrong with the Glock 3.5 connector. BTW the Lightning Strike connector listed in Brownells is a factory Glock 3.5.

Are you right or left handed?

You might want to consider the Glock 23 instead. The is very little difference in 9mm, .40 and .45 performance when using modern self defense ammo. I use 147 gr Ranger Talon and the 180 gr RT. Both of these rounds are very soft shooting. I have owned a G30 but just did not like the chunky grip. The G23 with 14 rds or the G19 with 16 rds are both very effective.

Run, I am assuming you load your .40 long. If so I used 4.6 gr of Titegroup with a 180 gr plated bullet OAL of 1.200" to make major in a Kimber .40. I use 4.3 gr. @ 1.130" in my Glock 35. My favorite 9mm load is 3.0 gr of TG with a 147 gr. plated bullet OAL 1.130". This makes minor pf in my G34. I could not tell any difference recoil wise in TG and the various VV powders. There is a big difference is cost. TG runs $85 a keg vs over $125 for the VV powders.

Check your PM.

Tracecom, I use 3.0 gr. of Titegroup 147 gr. Rainier or West Coast RN, WSP primers, 1.130" OAL. I use a 13# ISMI uncut spring. I have several guide rods, the stock captured, a T.H.E. extended tungsten and one I made from D2 steel that is a copy of the T.H.E. The rod dia. is .245" with a head dia. of .410". Most other guide rods measure .265" which is too large for the ISMI springs. My wife shoots this load for IDPA SSP. This is the load that has grouped 5 shots @ 25 yds. that are covered by a nickel. Yep, I do have witnesses. You do not have to worry about how the sight tracks as it never leaves the target. HTH

Is the Glockmeister rod the proper size for the ISMI spring? The ISMI springs have a small ID unlike the Wolf springs. I have a G34 with thousands of rounds of 3.0 gr of TG and a 147 gr bullet through it.

I had it happen to me about a year ago. There was a close target, 5 yds, that was shot from a static position. It happened to be the next to last target, only the head was visible. My first shot was a center A. When I fired the second shot the front sight was centered on the first shot hole. I remember hoping, after I shot the second shot, that the RO watched to see if the target moved. I thought maybe the hole would be slightly elongated. It was scored as a miss. One of my fellow squad members said he had seen both bullets impact in the same spot on the berm. I asked the RO to look at it again, but no go, I had to go with his decision.

Titegroup is hard to beat in .40.

Sherlock, I am an old converted Bullseye shooter. I came to realize that the targets we IPSC/IDPA guys shoot are huge. A gun that will group under 3" @ 25 yds. is accurate enough. I load to PF and select a powder and bullet combo that is "soft". BTW Sherlock it does us seniors good to beat the younger guys every once in a while.

I am a little like Flex. If you want a .40 that shoots every time you pull the trigger get a Glock 35. I have Kimbers in .40 and .45. They both function fine. The .40 does need to be loaded to 1.200" to function properly. The guns are very different in the firing cycle when loaded to a 165-170 PF. The .45 is a push where the .40 is more snappy. If I had to choose between the two I would probably take the .40 due to lower cost of reloading components. .45 brass has gotten pretty expensive. CMC 10 rd .45 mags work fine with the .40 when loaded long. The Ed Brown/Metalform 10 rd 45 mags will work for the .40 also. I can use the Wilson 8rd .45 mags for .40. They will hold 9 rds of .40. One bad thing about the .40 is lead bullets. They seem to generate twice the smoke a .45 does with lead.

I am not aware of any extended catches for the G21. The standard G21 mag catch is the extended catch for the G34 & 35.

I may try some 160 gr bullets in her 9mm just for grins.

You might want to look at the Kimber or the Loaded SA in 9mm.

Nick, I use a G35 for Limited, Lim. 10 and IDPA. My wife shoots a G34. If I download my G35 to a 130 PF using a 180 gr. bullet it will shoot a lot softer than her G34 using white box Winchester. I now load her G34 with a 147 gr bullet at a 128-130 PF. My G35 is still softer. Both of our Glocks use a 13# spring.