redmanfixit

+1 on this one. I thought I was the only one that espoused the invisibility strategy. So glad there was no harm. Remember when you were little? Look both ways before you cross the street! Don't step out from between parked cars? When I was young I drove a wrecker for quite awhile. To this day whenever I drive anything, at the root level, I'm scared to death. The fear keeps me alert!

EDTA is an additive for food and has a variety of applications in industry and medicine. It is a chelating agent in the human body and is suitable for picking lead up off of surfaces as well. Good in hand wipes and also for cleaning up clothing and surfaces around your reloading and tumbling areas. Look for it in the list of ingredients on labels.

I think your best bet is to see if you can borrow something from fellow competitors to try out different optics. May take a little time, but it seems that the details of the way people "task" visually is pretty variable. I think this is the underlying reason for SO many variations in aiming systems. You will find one or another system is more natural for you. As far as "bad vision" find a good Optometrist. Assuming that you do not have a pathology of the eye or retina that requires the medical skills of an Ophthalmologist, there are wonderful things that can be done with the right corrective optics. That is generally money well spent if for no other reason than the ENORMOUS dedication of resources in the central nervous system directed to the visual process. Making your visual system as efficient as possible, makes every other activity you will spend energy on work better. The Rock Man said to Oblio, "Ya see what ya wanna see and ya hear what ya wanna hear, ya dig?"

Cha-Lee!! I know you've been down the road a ways since the Infamous Halloweenie match. I was kind of lookin' for a post from you. You and the Conrad Meister winked out pretty fast. Thought I'd let you know how you did. Your time was the fastest of the night!! The Par, as you mentioned was 99.00 sec and you ran it in 64.74. 10 mikes (mostly those damned tomatoes) and only 3 hits on no shoots. (mostly the the damn killer tomatoes again!) There were a few others who were unable to resist shooting the evil clowns so you were not the only one that got penalties on that. Damn fine performance all in all I'd say. A good USPSA gun doesn't necessarily work that well in low light. But that's why we set them up that way!! We (us match doobies) had fun setting it up and were well pleased at the absence of mouths in the room with down corners. Mr. Anderson won single stack. You three inspired the most awe in terms of the torrent of bullets you unleashed at the targets. It was a hoser stage and you three were truly the hosemasters! Just so U know! It'll come around again in a year! Happy Halloweenie!

Norton Ghost and your external drive.

Don't take these things personally, this is just how the Universe is wired!! In chaos theory there is this wonderful artifact which the original authors (they had a sense of humor) called a strange attractor. I think the damned things float around aimlessly and naturally move toward areas of high emotional disturbance and stress. Anyway, events which are seemingly random and unrelated cluster around these attractors. I think that the real reason we do not yet have a grand unified field theory is that scientists, being generally humorless these days, are looking in the wrong areas for the answer. I am working on an expression of this missing value that I have decided to call Inconvenience Theory. I have observed that inconvenience is conserved. Events will ALWAYS occur in such a manner that inconvenience is maximized!! Many people initially think that this theory is the same as Murphy's Laws. Not so. The clear difference between Murphy's Laws and Inconvenience Theory is that the latter is NOT funny. OK....maybe in a "driving by a car wreck and laughing nervously" kind of way. In the movie Oh God! George Burns told John Denver something very wise. " When things are bad and you can't figure out what to do, do something normal, shave, it won't change anything but you'll feel better!" In the case of the members here I'd say go shooting. Won't change anything but you'll feel better!! This will allow you to laugh authentically. If you can laugh authentically when things look bad, it will confuse your enemies, and give you an advantage!!

edited because I push the wrong keys on my keyboard!!

If you are new at this, it is very wise to choose the gunsmith option. Fitting fire control parts that provide light pull and crisp break has art associated with it besides skill. Even high quality manufacture frames and slides, produced on modern CNC equipment can have errors. An experienced gunsmith can help you establish if the parts are bad or the frame is bad. Or if there is some other odd fault. Worst case here is an unsafe gun and the subsequent accident potential. Bullet wounds REALLY hurt!!

Sorbothane is kind of old now. There are new materials that you see in some interesting applications, among them a product from Sims Vibration Laboratories called Navcom. It appears as a funny looking mushroom that slips onto a rifle barrel to help tune the harmonic "whip" that a long tube goes through on firing. Definitely uncool looking but works very well. Also used to dampen the vibration signature of modern compound bows to quiet them. There is a lineup of recoil pads, either slip-on or gunsmith installed that work exceptionally well on heavy recoil long guns. It's ability to quiet a heavy compound bow is nothing short of amazing, if you know anything about noise dampening materials. I have such a pad on a .338 Win Mag long range rifle system and I think it's WONDERFUL!! Especially after about 30 rounds 250 gr. ammo that gets out at about 2900fps!!

Here is a little more information about what's different about the present "flu Pandemic" we're being sold on I suggest you take time to listen to this report even though it's a little long. I have a suspicion that this information will eventually be blocked. http://www.disinfo.com/2009/11/spanish-doc...bout-swine-flu/ Any of us with medical qualifications ought to take this nun's advice and check this out.

Whenever possible, commit random acts of kindness and run away! The game, is to look around and find something that needs doing for someone, do it, then walk away. It's better if you create a mystery. If you can sneak up and do it when no one is looking, so much the better. Were we all to turn our attention to doing little things like that say, once a week or so, it would not take too long for the world to change in a nice direction. I REALLY like the idea of a bunch of people in USPSA t-shirts and similar type gear, jumping out of a car and changing tires on the clock like a pit crew. Cool!!

I remember the first matches I ever ran in USPSA were not the the first matches I'd ever been in. Still I remember being very nervous about the game because ...well it was new. I was glad I wasn't a total newbie. I had been shooting since I was very young, in the military and as an adult. Still, I shook some and I've seen others do it as well. Sweaty hands. Do you guys remember that? I still shoot with many of the people that were around when I first began, not only do they not cut me much slack now, they gleefully give me s**t all the time. I'm not new I wouldn't expect it to be otherwise. I was sure glad they cut me some in the first match or two, it mattered! I must add that no one ever allowed anything that would compromise safety. At the highest level the rules are to keep people from cheating. At the low levels this is about safety and learning how to play. I will always argue for loosening up a bit on a beginner. It's also wise to explain to them what compromise you're making and why it might not be OK routinely. In this way the RULES become a framework that allows for creativity instead of a bunch of restrictions to suck the fun out of it!

A couple of my friends have them and use them for side matches. They seem to give pretty good wack. I don't use a carbine that often, but I found a 10mm version and just got to thinkin!! Thanks everyone for the input!

There's a tea house in Boulder that is an exchange gift from a sister city that has great food and is wholly authentic. Very pretty. The Mesa lab of NCAR has tours to take. It's a national computing center and is interesting to science geeks like me. Wandering around on the Pearl St. Mall is fun. Lots of interesting shops and good things to eat. There is lots of spectacular scenery to drive through that is a short drive from Boulder like Estes Park, but not so well known, along the peak to peak highway. Definitely +1 on the BRC match. If you're going to be here for any length of time there's lots of good shooting events every weekend, weather permitting. Bunches of really nice folks.

Wow So much Negativity!! Using unlabeled propellant is no problem!! Easy as 123!!! 1. Buy a fully instrumented pressure gun. I wouldn't know where you could buy one, you may need to build it. You might check with J. Morris Metal. He seems to be able to build ANYTHING so I'd check with him. A computer system to monitor the output of the piezoelectric sensors and related equipment required to develop a pressure curve over a range of projectile masses and case volumes for your unknown propellant. For starters. 2. Persuade a manufacturer like Alliant , Remington or Winchester Western to share the database of readings for the pressure guns they run, over a significant engineering sample of, oh let's say, 10,000 to 100,000 cycles just to be certain that you have properly calibrated your equipment. Or be prepared to run test batches for each case volume and projectile mass of at least 500 cycles just to be fairly safe. Oh don't forget to introduce reasonable environmental temperature variations representative of those you are likely to encounter in places you'll be wanting to use the ammo you build. Remember, some propellants in some cases, at certain weights of projectile, propellant and case volume, show a tendency to detonate if the muzzle is pointed down as opposed to muzzle up before firing. Quirky little factors like this are among a few of the the little surprises you'll have to anticipate to be certain you don't end up with little bits of expensive steel and aluminum whizzing past your head!! Anybody can do it!! 3. Hmm....I can't remember what number 3 was. After I figured out what I'd have to do to use up that 4# jug of (Damn this stuff looks just like IMR 4895) I lost interest and decided to buy another gun I'd always wanted and go shoot it. Cheaper in every way I could think of!! This also caused me to be VERY grateful to the fussy old bastards that really got serious about hand loading after WWII and generated all the load tables I can use to whip up something I can run in my Glock or my AR without blowing it up and embarrassing myself in front of my friends!! I don't know if you have friends like mine, but it'd be less painful to die than have to listen to them remind me of something like that, every time they saw me, till I died anyway! If I ever remember what #3 was I will edit this post. P.S. If I sound like a smart ass here, it's because I am. Listen to some of the more reasonable respondents to your post and flare it off for some kids or something without telling them what you're doing or where it came from so they don't get any bad ideas!!

Because I am ever searching to save some $$ I've been running Wolf primers. Large and small pistol and they work well. I like to buy American if I can, so I feel a little guilty. Still though, they have run well for me and I am at least able to shoot! Hope this consoles you, mlmiller1!

Since my supply of money is finite and my desire for shooting fun is large, I'm always trying to maximize fun vs $$$. I have a G21 SF which I really like and runs well for me. Found a carbine upper in 10mm in a shop the other day (I bet many of you have seen these) made to fit a Glock frame. I am wondering if anyone knows if I can use a .45 ACP G21 SF lower with some combination of mags and DooDads to allow me to run this 10mm upper for carbine side matches at my local club?? Does anyone know?? Thanks in advance for sharing your experiences!

I don't shoot an open gun so I don't need to clean GSR off optics much. I did spend lots of time in precision optics and have cleaned REALLY expensive optics for all manner of applications. Any modern optics have coatings on them which, depending on the application, will have more or less Magnesium Fluoride, quartz, silicon and lots of other stuff, in different forms and even diamond now. Generally some of the best stuff to clean optics is not stuff you might expect. Start with CHEAP detergent. If you read the label most of the product you buy at the store has sodium laurel sulfate in it. An industrial detergent that is the main ingredient is nearly everything. The cheapest, used to be stuff you bought in the generic isle called crystal white octagon, came in a big yellow bottle with a white plastic cap. No emollients or skin preserving components, just a little lemon scent. Perfect for cleaning coated optics and is inert on all but some exotic Infra Red optics made of or coated with zinc selenide which is easily damageable. Windex and similar products can etch coatings because of the ammonia. Another excellent lens cleaner is alcohol. Denatured is preferred not rubbing type. Rubbing type has an emetic oil in it that's hard to remove. Acetic Acid is wonderful for lots of different lens materials and coatings. Lab grade is pretty damn strong if you can get it and you'll need gloves and good ventilation. Apple vinegar will do and there is a cleaning product from Heinz that is distilled for greater acidity. This is excellent for oily residue from lots of sources. One of the weirdest things I know of for removing stains from lenses is male nose grease! Yup kids, girls nose grease won't "cut" it!! ( Many of you may know that it works nicely to keep sectional fishing rods from sticking together as well). This is a top drawer stain remover for very pricey instrument optics and works well on optics made for laser application. (hint hint) Just rub your finger along side of your nose toward the end of the day when your nose is nice and oily and rub it on the lens. Rub it around with a clean tissue like kimwipes (if you want to get fancy) or Scott toilet paper. (1000 sheets per roll!) If you're cheap like me, then remove the residue with cheap detergent. I s*it you not, this is one of the best. Acetone, and lacquer thinner are right in there too, with the usual admonishments about being careful of finishes of different sorts. The lens tissue wiper above all else must be free of dirt and dust. In Colorado and many parts of the country dust particles have very hard silica and mineral components which will put micro scratches on coatings over time and degrade the performance of the coating. Works for eyeglasses also. Disposable wipers are the best. Micro fiber lens cloths are great too provided you keep them CLEAN. Little edit here. There is an Uber detergent you can use. TSP (tri-sodium phosphate) a weak solution of this stuff cleans an amazing array of things. Use with care especially on metal. Lime-away- CLR. and potions of that sort, often have Phosphoric Acid in them among other aggressive "detergents" Don't use them too often or the "clean" may be the coatings being removed! Read the labels.

God I hate the freezing Dark time! I find myself with an uneasy feeling that this one is going to be notably long, dark and cold. Makes me happy I have a wood stove.

Hey c'mon....what about Dr. Who!! Surely there MUST be some Whovians in this bunch. Jeeves & Wooster is wonderful. I can't think of anyone that could be Jeeves better than Stephen Fry. And yes, I'm one of those geeks that STILL uses Monty Python quotes in my daily conversation.

I would do it. I have been lookin to acquire an airsoft gun that has similar features and layout to my 1911. So much of what we do in USPSA is about kinesthetic patterning. Practicing and repeating the patterns of movement involved in this sport is akin to the kata used to impress these patterns in any of the martial arts. It moves all the essential gun handling and operation into the realm of unsupervised movement like walking or maintaining balance. No effort is required from the "higher" conscious which frees it to evaluate and process tactical information and target selection. All the effort we make in training, dryfire, reloading, how we move between firing positions, seeing your sights lift, all of it lets you become smoother and more efficient. Everyone I know that is smooth and fast is that way because of dedication to training and shooting LOTS of rounds. Live fire is expensive. I wish to improve and there is a great attraction to being able to do it on an affordable budget. As far as a slippery slope. Those are everywhere. Send money to organizations that support our right to keep and bear. A few bucks here and there from all of us will add up. Airsoft training frees up some money for a good purpose. As a shooter, be prepared to address the cascades of irrational BS around these sports by clear speech and reasoned responses. Spend a little time with the studies the NRA has sponsored so you can use actual scientific research to respond effectively to hysterical propaganda. Everyone I have met in this sport has at sometime in their lives made the decision not to lay down and die when things get difficult. At that level, a person is dealing effectively with the fear that every human finally must, one way or another. Don't be surprised when people who have not dealt effectively with their own fear, resent you. If you sit with this for a time, I think you may come to understand why compassion and patience are the best responses to a fearful person. Anyway, Cy, when you get something going let me know. Practice, as with bullets, if some is good, more is better!!

We (myself and some of my friends) have been testing ammo and found a source of erratic readings comes from illumination problems with the sky screens. So much so in fact, that in some cases putting the entire chrono in a sonnetube (big pasteboard tube for casting concrete) and supplying an artificial light source was the only way to get the chrono readings to settle down. Muzzle blast was indeed an issue but the light turned out to be very important.

What you're doing and what you did matters. Everything we do that opens our hearts brings life. Good on ya Mate.

Here is another perspective on Swine Flu vaccination. This guy is sensible and well educated. http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles...lu-Vaccine.aspx There are three references listed with the article. I found the third to be very interesting. I edited this post to point out the above references!

Try a Yoga class! Or Tai Chi. Or Chi Quong. It can make an enormous difference for the indignities that accumulate in the gathering of experience in the world. (I don't like to frame it as getting old myself) It will also improve your shooting. All dis-ease can ultimately be traced to some system that is out of balance. Personally I think Aspirin is really under appreciated as a pain reliever. It's cheap, effective and the onset of side effects is predictable. Not too hard on your liver!! Take it with meals. These three class suggestions are the foundations of martial arts. They have been refined and practiced by really smart people for at least 5000 years. They are complete, require few if any doo dads or gizmoes to get dusty under your bed. They are completely portable. Look around for a teacher you are comfortable with. Personally I like Iyengar type Yoga because of the engineering like clarity in the alignments. Like I always say....No pain...no pain!