matt2ace

I had a similar experience in 40 where normally sized rounds would work in every gun except one that turned out to have a very tight chamber. I went to a U-die in 40 and it fixed the problem completely. You may have a more extreme version of the same problem in 9mm. One suggestion is the pull the barrel and use it for your chamber check on your match ammo. I do reuse brass in my 9mm major gun without any significant issues. I do find an occasional oversized case that won't even run through my U-die (shaves brass off the case). These have not always been cases shot in open guns, but I assumed they were shot through guns with a larger chamber diameter than most. I never see any headstamp flattening or breachface marks from my open gun cases, but that could be load dependent.

Much more case volume in 38S than 9x19. I can make a 170pf with a 147gr bullet out of my G24 open gun, but the comp does not work very efficiently due to the lower gas pressure. Using my STI, I compared 170pf using 147 and 124gr 9x19 loads. The gun is much flatter with 124gr, though I did feel it was softer with 147.

147gr bullets end up with 9mm loads that usually don't get the best efficiency out comps. Most 9mm shooters are using 115-124gr bullets to get enough gas to work the comp. Also, depending on the barrel used, the twist may not offer the best accuracy using 147gr bullets. Shuemann has nice article on the topic http://www.schuemann.com/LinkClick.aspx?fi...=67&mid=445

The 5-port hybrid + Bedell 7-port is likely way too many holes to make major in 9mm. In my experience, the hybrid ports vent a lot of gas resulting is a fair amount of velocity loss. I would expect that you won't have enough gas left to get the comp working very efficiently with the max 9mm load (aka: fill the case completely and compress the load considerably). Many 9mm major guns are using just the 7-port Bedell or equivalent. Some have removed the last 2-ports to create a 5-port version.

Do you size them with anything else first? I've loaded some seriously swollen cases, but I run them through the Dillon die first, and use a crapton of One Shot. I don't do anything prior to sizing with the U-die. Since I only get this in 1 out 200 cases or less, I never considered it a big enough problem to warrant additional working 'pre-sizing' them. I don't use any lube at this time, but will likely start based on posting from this forum.

I am using a Lee U-die from George that I purchased atleast 2 years ago. I do get 'shaved' cases about 1 out of every 200 reloads. Since I am using once (or more) fired brass, I realized that the shaved cases where likely fired through a gun with a larger chamber diameter than typical. I have never had a shaved case with new brass or brass fired from my guns, even multiple reloads. It occurs mainly with stuff I pick up off the range. I can feel these cases as soon as I start sizing and just throw them in the trash.

40oz.......

Quinn? Would someone post a pic or link......... I went from JPoint on slide (Glock) to Dr on Frame (STI) to C-more with Barry mount on same STI.....never looked back!

I use a Brown Buckmark Target with Burris fast-fire sight. It works very well for the skills I wanted to develop using a .22 (shooting with both eyes open, target transitions). The Burris sight goes for around $160.

We get a large group of CT shooters over a Dutchess County Pistol Club (DCPA) for IPSC matches....4th Sunday of the month (6 stages, 125-135 rnds min.) I am the IPSC match director for 2009.....PM me for more details. First 2009 Match is in March.

this is what's on my right side. bent it up about 28 degrees and works great. +1.....same for me, works perfect for a lefty. Bending it up allows for better clearance to the thumb-safety

1.60" in Howard's mags and SPS mags....no spacers. All run flawless.

One method I found that helped with trigger freeze on Bill Drills was to have my buddy record the time for the drill, but not tell me the number. This way, I was not trying to beat my last time and stayed focused on technique and score. This technique gave us a much better sense of our natural speed and tended to show more about consistency in performance.

+1.... "Spring rate" is a measure of the force (weight) required to displace a spring a standard distance. Pounds per inch or kilogram per centimeter are common units. As I understand gun spring 'weight' ratings, they are a measure of the force (weight) required to fully compress a spring. This is why cutting down a 16lb spring makes is 'weight rating' lower, but its 'spring rate' remains the same. Two spring mfr can have the same weight spring with a different length because the 'spring rate' is different. Over time, springs get weaker because the 'spring rate' goes down as the spring wears AND the spring can also get shorter from being compressed. Just compare the length of a new vs well used spring.

Another 'great' mag fubar I witnessed as an RO involved a limited shooter who put a large mag release button on his gun just prior to a local match. On the start signal he took the first shot and his thumb hit the mag release button on recoil and dropped the mag.....reload, repeat after 1 shot.....reload, repeat after one shot, and so on (picking mags off the ground to keep going). He made it through the first stage in what seemed like minutes. He seemed to have no idea what the problem was. As the RO, I could see his thumb impacting the large button, releasing the mag. Thankfully, it could be removed with an allen wrench. No problems for the rest of the match.

I RO'd a shooter who had not reloaded his mags after the last stage (long) stage, just stuck them back in the mag holders. He ended up reloading an empty, then one with 5-6 round, then another with 12-14 rounds. He kept going with lots of lost time. I had to keep from laughing when I finally said unload-and-show-clear. The entire squad gave kept asking him if his mags for the rest of the match.

Thanks Flex....I new about the other threads, but could not find it on my initial search. I was wondering where my thread went. On topic..... Since our sport is so visually oriented, the choice of dot size has as much to do with how we each process the visual inputs as it does with the quality of each individuals vision. Very good vision does not always mean a smaller dot works better because the visual inputs are not processed as quickly. A larger dot may allow for faster processing of the visual input. Someone with poorer vision may not want a larger dot because they can see and process what is neeeded to call the shot very quickly with a small dot. I also agree that dot acquisition on the draw is a very key piece of the problem that drives some people to larger dot sizes. My times on first shot improved significantly when I improved my draw through coaching (thanks Randy) and practice. It was never the dot size, that limited me, it was dot acquisition that held me back. Another link between the physical and mental aspects of the game.

I have always run a 4 min. dot on my optics. I always found the more typical 6-8min dot to look huge in the sight. I found that the smaller dot allowed me better accuracy on targets, especially longer shots. I have run Jpoints on the slide, DrDot and C-more on frame mounts, all with 4 min. dots. When I try larger dots, they seemed to block more of the targets making it harder for me to call accurate shots as quickly as I do with the smaller dot. I know most people run 6-8 min dots.......I am interested in hearing why vs a smaller dot? For those running 4min. dots, are you driven by the same issues as I have?

Slide-ride dots work fine depending on which design. I have 2 JPoints with 10K+ rounds without a failure. DrDots need to be bullet proofed to be reliable and there are newer designs that seem to be working well for many based on some forum postings. As for 38S or 9x23.......we are talking GLOCK here. I was not aware of any Glock barrel options in those caliber. Not meaning to hijack this thread.......however, why do you think a 4-min dot is too small? I run them on my Glocks (Jpoints) and STIs (C-more) and love them. Dot size is very subjective. I know most people like 6-7min dots, but I find 6-7 min to be huge for me. OK, maybe I will start another thread on that topic.

Cheap? Yes Fun to shoot in open? Yes Competative? Doubtful (IMHO) I would add atleast a competition trigger job. You can do it yourself on the cheap or buy one from any of several vendors currently (Lonewolf, GlockWorx, Vanek, etc.) making very good trigger groups (~$150-250). For optics, JPoint and Burris on the slide are, in my experience, the best low-cost way to do. They will cost you ~$200-250 with a mount that fits the rear sight-cut. Most competative open Glock shooters have the slide cut to lower the sight closer to the top of the slide or go with C-more frame mounts. If you want to compete in open, you going to need utilize more of the latest developments for open Glocks. You will have fun with your setup, but may find it frustrating if you want win with your setup. I started shooting Glock open in .40 on the cheap with a G22.....ended up spending close to $1K on that gun. My second, and final, open Glock was a G24 in 9mm that cost me closer to $1400 to build. Now I shoot an STI and plan to spend close to $3K for my next gun.

My current 9mm open gun would be considered VERY short (see my avatar or other posts). AWLAZS has shot it and he has called it harsh compared to his Bedell shorty or Cheely 5-inch. For me, I find it very controllable, smooth, and flat and I have never found it to be loud, but I double plug. I enjoy shooting this gun a lot and do not see anything about it limiting my ability to improve as a shooter, atleast moving from C to B class. However, after doing a lot of research, talking with Mr Cheely and AWLAZS, I am building a 5-inch gun with extensive slide lightening. I believe that configuration will provide a smoother and flatter shooting platform in the long run. At some point in my learning curve, I do believe that the limitations of the shorter gun will become more evident.

I use 124gr and know a number of people who use 121gr. One thing to consider with 9mm major is the lower case volume vs 38 super or longer 9mm cases (9x21, 9x23). I strongly suggest that you search through the 9mm/38 sub-section of the reloading forum. You will find plenty of good information on reloading 9mm major. It's a great way to find a good starting formula and you can tailor for your gun.

+1 Larry......you have my full support for ALL statements you made. As you know from our many correspondence, I was one of the early purchasers of your SS frame (serial #350). At that time, your were recommending gunsmith fitting for barrels. I experimented a great deal with barrels and slides with this frame, without taking any steps to properly fit the barrels. Stock barrels worked great, as you state in your FAQs and I even found a Caspian/Shuemann barrel (G22-hybrid configuration) that worked fine for many 1000's of rounds, but the fit was not perfect which eventually resulted in not only a broken locking block, but also a cracked slide through the recoil rod hole (that might have been due, in part, to all of slide modifications. I also tried out a G24 configuration and cracked the locking lug on 2 barrels (<10 rounds before they broke) due to incorrect fit. CCF and you personnally were very generous to offer me a replacement at a discount despite the fact that it was clearly a barrel fit issue that caused the locking block failure. I have since completed a CCF-G24 with a FITTED BARREL that works flawlessly. So, this is not just my opinion, but my experience that without proper fitting, problems will occur if you try to build an all metal Glock. Nobody builds a 1911 gun without proper fitting, why would anyone think that an all metal Glock would be any different. My G24 open 9mm major gun cost me ~$1600 to build, including the slide cuts and barrel fitting. Not bad considering an STI starts at $3000 (yes, I own one of those as well). IMHO a custom build CCF-Glock is pretty economical for IPSC limited or open divisions.

Lucky bunch, I envy anyone who can shoot IPSC year round locally, without freezing your butt off. We woke up to 12 inches of snow and 15 degrees. No local outdoor matches until March!

I used this one with my nephew a couple of times. He loves to watch IPSC matches and wants to start out shooting open. He is just old enough to shoot in New York State (14 yr minimum for handling handguns). I found it much easier to teach him many of the basic skills wtih a 22 than with larger calibers. I have also use it to help me learn to shoot with both eyes open. With virtually no recoil, I had a much esaier time building that skill. I would love to a 22 division of some sort.........