Kyle Norris

Just got match results from the last match we shot. Little bro finished 3rd shooting my STI(his Glock had to make a trip back to the factory for a broken mag catch spring). Makes me more proud than I can describe. I finished 6th cause I had a miss and some D's that shoulda been C's. On a different note, now I have to listen to him tell me that he's surpassed what I've taught him with regards to knowledge of shooting at least 5 times a day....

...sitting on top of my ammo and gun case ...

12 ROUNDS!!!! What the hell good is 12 ROUNDS!!! Personally, I have to disagree. Like it or not, IPSC is the F1 of shooting, with IDPA being the Nascar. Many of the inovations and techniques now showing up in so called serious training first showed up in IPSC. Just think, if TGO and Brian hadn't showed us a better way, we might still be stuck with Weaver. I don't think we should deemphasize anything, see what people want to shoot. USPSA is not self defense oriented anymore, nore IMO should it be. It's now a place to push the limits. On the other hand, I do like the PF idea, and having long range standards at major matches. Probably a good idea on the life insurace and bodyguard stuff too.....

Rally is the only type of racing where I've seen someone hit a cow during the course of normal driving.

More single stack matches can only be a good thing(hell, more matches period can only be a good thing). However single stack matches in paticular make the guys with carry 1911s take notice. It'd be cool to get one going in the Mid-Atlantic, but right now Fredricksburg(the only good place to have one in VA) is undergoing some membership problems. Hey Chris, anyone in PA willing to get one started?

[rant/on]Had a run in with one of these today at a gunshow(go figure). Idiot was working in a vendors booth dresses in a skull and cross bones T-shirt, head shaved except for the top and a ponytail. Little brother dryfired an HK a couple of times. Idiot said "Hey little dude stop clicking it" . I simply asked why you couldn't dryfire HKs. I was given a 5 minute lecture on respect, ending with a comment on how we oughta give a $600 gun more respect(yeah, I paid twice that for my last one and "clicked" it at least 500 times the first day I had it). At which point I said for $600 I oughta be able to dryfire it a coupla times. Apperntly, this was not what Mr. Crossbones wanted to hear. Exact quote was "If I get any more shit from you I'll have you escorted out of this show". I simply told him they had lost any future business and left, later complaining to the promoter. What the hell drives these dumbasses to this? Does he really think dryfiring a gun is somehow disrespectful. I also was asking about dryfiring for a reason, I'm not real familiar with HKs. Guess when I exposed his lack of knowledge he got scared. Seeing as how he didn't even know the proper term for dryfiring I seriously doubt he practices it. The word respect was used on at least 10 different occasions. What, can you not get any? Think you have to pick on little kids to make yourself a man? Told me he "beat the hell out of my own guns". Gee, guess that means you "click" it twice a month? I don't need to be lectured on respect for guns, I probably have more than you ever will. If I wanted to trash the gun there are much better ways. Now, please go back to your little hole and put the tinfoil hat back on, and repeat after me "they all fall to hardball, they all...." [rant/off]I feel MUCH better now.

Chris, Phil actually told me to get a girlfriend, I needed to learn how to "carress" the trigger. Unfortunately it seems most college age girls I've met are on the other side of the gun fence than me . So much for my dream of marrying a beautiful, smart woman with more guns than I have... One thing I forgot to mention in the orginial post was that it's a good idea to keep a small stash of easily replaceable parts around for whatever gun you happen to be using for IPSC. And also(though this diesn't really apply to HKs) don't buy cheap aftermarket parts, buy good ones. You'll be a lot happier in the long run. And make sure the monkey installing them knows what he's doing(my dad's experince from a month long battle with an extractor, the monkey being myself).

Nahh, at one point I was breaking or wearing out parts weekly on my Para. An extractor here, barrel link and pin there, slide stop...you get the picture. USPSA will break guns, no two ways about it. The only one I haven't broken yet is my STI, and I haven't been shooting it long enough. Now that I'm considering bringing the Para out of retirement to shoot IDPA(gotta get my smith to mill the magwell) I'll have to start feeding and fixing two guns...there goes dating again...

OK, time for me to put another iron in the fire. Long term plan is to get some type of Limited AR for three gunning. Now, being a poor college student I was thinking I could collect the parts over time(you know, a lower this month, uppper a couple months later, ect). I have a pretty good rifle smith nearby(I've used him for some light handgun work), former high power and bench rest shooter. So what are the chances I'll end up with something good in the long run? I know it'll end up costing me more over buying factory, but think I'll get a better gun out of the deal?

John, I'd shoot the Para, but I'm not sure my S&A magwell fits in the box(does your's have one?). But, this is one excuse to buy a new gun.....

OK, I plan on getting into IDPA this winter(just wait, I'll be "tactical" before too long here ). I already have a CDP gun in the form of a Springfield and I can probably borrow my brother's Glock 34 for SSP. However, my goal is to concentrate on ESP eventually, and I don't think they'd take kindly to my full-dustcover STI or my heavily magwelled Para. So what do ya'll use for ESP? I've thought about getting a Springfield Mil-Spec in Super putting a decent trigger and a beavertail on it. Or should I go with a 9x19 Springfield Loaded, or a 40 Springfield or Kimber? Any Browning Hi-Power or CZ afficinados out there?

My good friend and coach Phil Strader has said that although short people can get something to stand on, tall people can't dig a trench.... That said, my 12 year old little brother does have problems at times.

How about... Barney and the Ice Age Sesame Street Gets Hit By a Tornado Matches Can Be Fun!! Kid's Guide to Croc Hunting

Duane is right, a lighter slide does batter more. I was thinking about what I personally feel. I like how light slides recoil, esp with 200gr bulllets. 180s, even in a Unique profile STI slide can get snappy after all day. Even more so after shooting a Para that was closer to 50ozs than 40. However...the Para SHOT sweet with a light springs. Ith just transitioned slow, loaded slower and was a pain in the ass to keep running. But it did shoot flatter than all but one other Limited gun I've shot.

Most of what I know about recoil springs comes from conversations with upper to top level shooters. I know Todd runs an 10 or 11# in his Limited gun, and a 9 or 10 in his comp gun. I also know that Phil Strader runs a 14(or less, he says he needs to change it) in his Limited gun. These are the two big dogs(at least in Limited) I shoot with with any frequency. I'm personally using in my STI...whatever was in it when I bought it. See smoney's comments about being a poor college student, they fit here too. Probably switch to a 12 or 13 soon here, as I tried the 11 out of my Para and it didn't work 100%. Shot flat, just didn't shoot all the time. Another factor is slide weight, the heavier the slide, the more battering( also more energy transmitted into the hand, hence the more lightened slide around). As well as powder, the higher pressure powders have a harder but shorter recoil impulse. Here's the real trick to all this though. You have to be able to see the sights well enough to tell the difference. And when I say see, I mean SEE. Do they go left, right or straight under recoil? Can you tell how far they're tracking upward(trick, use the target edges). I haven't mastered this yet. I'm still only about a 75% shot caller. The other 25% of the time(usually all at once) I call zero shots. Depends on the day, weather and God knows what else. The only way to learn is to shoot a lot. So I would stick with the spring in the gun till you think you can see what the gun is doing.

GMyers, yep I love shock buffs. Kinda like a shock absorber on your car, absorb some of the spring energy and smooth things out(another TJ analogy). The one problem with buffs is running them in standard barrel guns. To borrow a phrase from Mr. Sweeny(I advise anybody pick up his book, kinda like a "Smithing for Dummies" guide, well, maybe hacking for me) is that standard recoil spring plugs are "buffer killers". The sharp edges on the back cut a nice little circle in the buff, shredding it. So it can appear you guns getting slammed much harder than it it. Just food for thought. (Edited by Kyle Norris at 8:40 pm on Sep. 4, 2001)

I don't know the physics behind it, I just know it works. Todd runs light springs in all his guns. He has a couple of 40s with over 50,000 rounds through them. Therefore, I wouldn't say there is a durability issue. IMHO, springs are one of the most misunderstood parts of a handgun.

I'll disent. I run a 14# in my single stack(actually it's probably about a 12 now...need to replace it). I've seen no undue signs of wear in the 8,000 or so rounds I've put through this gun. All have been Major loads, ranging from 168s to some stompin 197s(loading a wierd powder, makes good pinloads though). All my guns are lightly sprung, and get a high volume of rounds. I haven't seen any battering with or without shock buffs. I do perfer to run them however.

Kevin, my Para did the same thing, only it was a P16. I think the shock-buff problems have more to do with the sharp edges of the standard recoil spring plug's sharp edges vs A reverse plug's large contact area with the shock buff. Baffled me at first why my STI didn't shred the buff at 11#s but the Para did. Till I looked at the edge of the plug.

Best to date is a 1.15 with my Para. However, my consistent times were around 1.5 with that gun. With my STI I'm consitently around 1.25, but the magwell I've got on it(Krebs) sucks. Not sure if I want to go with an EGW or a stainless STI. On another note, what's your best IDPA tac-load? I can't get mine under 2.5 .

What ya'll saw is typical Virginia course design. Sometimes I swear it's a game here to screw the match fee paying shooter. One of the better matches in this area was the Summer Blast FOP match, Larry Houck is a shooter and put up straightforward stages(except one). Some people say they get tired of fast, open shooting. I get tired of trying to find the brown to shoot in a sea of white and black. Not to mention hidden targets and targets vissible at different angles in different ports so you engage them twice. I really get sick of this $#!t alot of times. just give me a straightforward shooting problem, not one I have to have a tagret scavenger hunt on. (Edited by Kyle Norris at 7:30 pm on Aug. 27, 2001)

Shooting Area 8 yesterday(we won't say anything about how I did) I was nearly DQ'ed because of a wierd situation. It was a pure run and gun stage. I took off running hard, mags went flying. I started to back through one of the props to retrive a magazine that had fallen, during which the ARO yelled "muzzle". Now, my muzzle had never departed downrange, but it caused both me and RO to stop and look at her in confussion. At this time I had the RO trapped in the set of props. This RO is a guy I've shot with since I started, and he's been both tremendously nice and helpful. The problem was I started moving again before he did. That meant he ended up up range from me. The ARO called "whoa"(when the heck did that become a range command?) he called "stop". At that point they tried to DQ me for unsafe gun handling. I argued that it was RO interfernce for being out of position. I also asked for a RM to come rule. They then tried to tell me that I couldn't have an RM come, I had to go to arbitration. I don't think so, I read my rule book and make a point to know most of it. Luckily, there was an RM standing there watching the entire thing happen. He got everyone straightened out, and I got a reshoot. However, I still feel really bad about arguing with a guy I consider a friend that had just been up range of my gun. Why do people design traps like this? Any time when the RO and shooter have to be that close together there is a problem. Should USPSA look at doing something about this, perhaps including it in the CRO course?

Quote: from Patrick Sweeney on 9:18 am on Aug. 16, 2001 If you do only one thing, you'll get bored, burn out or wake up one morning to find yourself in Tulsa with no recollection of how you got there. Patrick, I take it you've been down the burnout road before? Kay Clark Miculek told me that shooting comp guns is "easier" due to the instant feed back from a dot and same plane sighting, making it easier to call shots. I would tend to agree with this assesment. Another point to consider is in Open, C-GM class shooters all shoot with in .05 seconds of each other split wise. The brass tacks are movement, transitions, loads, ect. Not that shooting limited these aren't important(they're VERY important, and how I got my C card instead of a D to start), but become all the more important shooting Open. I've noticed there tend to be more of a time and points split between positions in Limited making it easier to win(or lose). In other words, if your not spot on in Open within class(or more likely, a few points above it), you needn't apply for the winers possition at a tournament level match. One final plus, it's cooler to show your non-IPSC shooting friends you can shoot groups at 50yds with a iron sighted handgun Just the observations of a C class junior who held back from going Open cause his bank account wouldn't support it.

How much would that affect the thumb safety operation? Do those tend to drop in with out mods to the safety, or does it usually have to be welded and refit? (Edited by Kyle Norris at 9:44 pm on Aug. 11, 2001)

Travis, I've noticed a lot of my problems seem to stem from putting 15lbs of pressure on a 3lb trigger.... Usually anything under 5 feels decent to me. However, it must be crisp. I've felt some positively horible 2lb triggers. Just as an observation, has anyone else notice Kimber polymers all seem to come with light yet "hitchy" triggers. Every single stack Kimber I've had my hands on has been decent, but the polys are something else. (Edited by Kyle Norris at 9:05 pm on Aug. 10, 2001)