KevinB
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Posts posted by KevinB
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Stonedog, I did actually buy the Dawson part you were talking about, and that was when I discovered the holes didn't line up due to Para re-engineering the frame. That was my first try, though!
I currently have 3 STI's on loan from a buddy and I'm going to test them out on some practice runs and maybe a match or two. I'll have to post how they turn out.
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First, I love you guys but how the heck did we start discussing barrel link pins!?
As for the SA Magwell, I have one on my primary gun now. Compared to the more recent wells it is kind of small, but the reason I never put one on my secondary gun was because milling the frame limited my options for the future. Of course, since there seems to be a limited future for the older Para frames already, it might bear considering. Now the only question is whether or not the new SA magwells also use the re-engineered pin hole dimensions.
I appreciate the offer of your magwell! Very generous of you. Is it the solid aluminum one or the one that accepts the plastic inserts?
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I’m contemplating a jump from my Paras over to the S_I platform. I can’t seem to find a decent magwell for the Para platform any more. Also, I see where S_I parts seem to be more available than Para parts. If this trend continues I certainly don’t want to spend the bucks on a replacement pistol that is about to be moved to obsolescence because of a lack of “go fast” parts. I used Dawson’s magwell with the plastic insert for years and years until I finally went “one mag change too far” and cracked the aluminum frame. I tried to buy a replacement and they told me they don’t make them anymore. I went and dug the 100% aluminum version out of storage and used it until the steel feed lips of the mags eroded the aluminum until the frame was visible again. I ordered a replacement magwell from Brownell’s and discovered that somewhere along the line Para has re-engineered the frame and the mainspring housing pin holes aren’t in the same relative place any more. Result: The new magwells won’t fit on the older frames
Even if I find a viable magwell for the Para, it may only be a stopgap measure. First, does anyone know of a good magwell that will work on the older Para frames? Second, does anyone see Para recapturing enough of the IPSC/USPSA market share to induce parts makers to keep making Para parts?
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Does anyone know of a good set of muffs that will either fit under a hat or be able to have the band around the back of the head and still actually work and stay put?
I'm out a lot and I use a sombrero type hat to keep the sun off of me without having to goop up with sunscreen every time I step out the door.
Kevin
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For what it's worth, I was teaching a transition class at the Senator Pat Thomas Law Enforcement Academy in Florida when an ejected piece of .45 ACP brass hit an open tray of ammo on the ground and set one off. The brass didn't bounce off anything, it went straight up and down on the primer. The incident should be documented with the Tallahassee Police Department's training unit. .45 brass is pretty heavy and the new springs from a factory SIG probably could throw it fairly high. I know that one of the officers got a direct hit to the center of the forehead with a piece of ejected brass and it cut them deeply enough to bleed freely (of course head wounds are famous for that anyway!).
It is one in a million, though. I've been shooting for the better part of 15 years and I've only seen it once. I reallly didn't think any more about it until I saw this thread, and it surprised me that the phenomenon causes so much discussion! My thought is that the sharp case mouth would focus the force a little better than the rim, but I'm confident either could obtain detonation under the right circumstances.
Kevin
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I use the Dawson basepads with the Para factory spring. I've heard of others using Wolff springs cut to anywhere from 11-13 coils.
Kevin
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First, I never realized that Dawson only made one style of basepad for Para mag bodies, so that narrows down what I actually have! The second thing I got wrong was mistaking my STI for Para followers for a new style, and I was trying to make the STI followers work in my Para bodies. OOOPS! That got straightened out with a call to Gram in CA after I e-mailed some photos of my problem to him.
I'll get to the range tomorrow and find out if there are any problems left and then work on those.
Thanks for all the help so far!
Kevin
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I've been having the EXACT same problem with mine. It does fix it to bend the top of the spring to the left, but the act of loading the magazine with 20 rounds seems to bend it right back to the right. I've been working on that all frickin' day today!
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Back in my karate days (when humankind was still drawing on cave walls) the instructor used to speak a lot on “action without thought.” He would use the analogy of not having to use any mental processing to yank your hand off of a hot stove, and that we should endeavor to make all of our basic techniques like that one through countless repetitions. By removing the brain from the equasion, it would be almost superhumanly fast.
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Is anyone using Dawson's +2 basepads? I recently got my stuff from Grams (mag bodies tuned, 11 coil springs, and followers) but for some reason the springs don't seem to have enough power to push 20-21 180 grain bullets up. At 06 Florida Open, I had two stages where the gun failed to function because the mag springs didn't push the round up fast enough. I do like the Dawson basepads for the ease of cleaning, but I'd rather have a gun that worked!
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For what it’s worth in the speed discussion, I lived within 150 miles of Rio Salado for about a year in 2004 so I got to the range a few times and watched some of the top talent shoot. Now of course a ton of folks who have lived there longer can dispute this or have different perceptions, but I didn’t perceive Leatham to be that fast on his feet. What I did notice was that (when I was watching anyway) he never seemed to stop shooting. Whereas a person faster on their feet would run up to a window or array and hose the targets from 10 yards, Leatham would immediately begin firing at them from wherever he was as long as they were visible. Sometimes that translated into shooting on the move from long distances, but since no one can run faster than a bullet it sure cut out any foot speed advantage.
Since I’m not particularly fast, I was really inspired by that technique. If you (like me) aren’t a fast runner, being comfortable shooting on the move out to 20-25 yards can level the field. Also, as I age that technique keeps me in the game longer!
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I called Clark’s, since Renee was so kind as to put the number in her post. I spoke to Russ, and he gave me another test for stacking that showed I WAS stacking after all.
I took the slide off the frame fully assembled, and then pushed the guide rod forward by hand. I was able to see that there was indeed a very small gap between the guide rod end and the back of the plug tunnel. It wasn't much and with enough force it probably could have gone flush, but I'm sure it was putting a great deal of force on the bushing flanges. I didn’t figure out if the gap was too small to be detected by marking the slide/frame or since I could exert more force by pushing the slide back with the gun assembled it overcame the gap and simply crushed the spring down to fit.
In any case, I cut a coil off the spring and now it fits. I’ll have my new bushing in the gun sometime before work tomorrow and I’ll see how it goes.
Looks like another victory for the Forums over the gun gremlins! Thanks for all the help!
Kevin
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First, yes, the bushing turns easily in the slide, but I don’t know how loose is “too loose.” It looks like I have about .0065” of play between the bushing and the slide according to a feeler gauge.
Second, no, the plug stops at the back of the tunnel. That sure would be a quick fix, though!
I looked for tool marks on the back of the bushing, and there were marks on the back. They were most pronounced on one side of the bushing, and stop at the crack. Now, I sure wish I could turn back the clock and see if that wear pattern was there before the cracking, because that would explain everything. It would show that the plug was exerting uneven pressure on the back of the flanges, making a much smaller area take the force designed to be spread out over the whole thing. But, it could just as easily be making those marks post-cracking since it is now more flexible.
By the way: Greg, how did you insert the cool “click to enlarge” photo? That is extremely useful!
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I called, and they said that they weren't aware of any problems with the bushings. In typical good-customer-service fashion, they offered to send me another for no charge.
Since I have Georgia State in a short while, I had already ordered another from Brownell's with 2nd day air delivery (shipping was more than the part!) so I declined the free bushing at this point.
The Ed Brown 'smiths weren't willing to postulate on the problem without having the gun in front of them for testing, so I didn't get anywhere on that front.
Kevin
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Hey, that was a great idea! Unfortunately, the lines were perfectly aligned with the spring removed so it wasn’t that. Any more thoughts on what it could be?
Kevin
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Help! I have a Para with about 100K rounds through it. It has all new parts except for the big three: barrel, slide, and frame. Everything else has been replaced after a breakage. My new problem is that the gun will crack bushings after about 7K rounds. It has gone through three altogether with the crack always appearing in the same place. It always cracks through the flange that retains the plug, with the crack running vertically at the 6 o’clock position in relation to the barrel. I’ve been using drop-in Ed Brown bushings since he has a good reputation and I don’t have any fitting tools. I may just have to send it off for repair, but with the cost of shipping being what it is, I would really like to DIY it.
I spoke to the technicians at Dawson, and they said that a bushing should last more like 40K rounds than 7. I’ve run the gun slowly by hand to see if anything is binding or catching or in any way impeding the travel and it seems to run smoothly.
Does anyone have any ideas? I can e-mail photos, ect if necessary.
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Hmmm...and all this time I thought Solo packed a Mauser Broomhandle...
Happy Shooting!
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About this time last year, I put up a post about my being left eye dominant and shooting right handed (the post is still there under “Shooting technique questions, Handgun –Left eyes right hand”). I would compensate by canting the gun over to my left eye while holding it in my right hand, but I was unhappy with that. My recoil path was wildly inconsistent and I couldn't produce any kind of accuracy at all (at speed) with reproducible results. I also had started shooting long guns a lot more and didn’t want to switch.
I spent many, many years in karate, and it taught me that keeping my wrists straight was the only way to deliver maximum power since energy seeks the path of least resistance. With the “break” in my wrist, I couldn’t control anything. I was left with the choice of either changing to shoot left-handed or trying to make my right eye my shooting eye. I could have tried tilting my head, but at speed I would get confused and I coudn't tell which eye the gun was in front of. I opted to take all of 2002 and shoot exclusively with my left eye taped so that my right eye would have to take over. It worked! The sights just line up naturally with my right eye now, even though for all other things I’m still left-eye dominant. I’ll probably shoot my major matches this year with tape on the left eye just to be safe, but my goal is to be 100% confident by 2004.
Time to say goodbye to my Para?
in 1911-style Pistols
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RH45, I just sent you a message about the mag well you offered.