Newguy

Tetra gun grease and oil?

I suppose a tuned mag tube is better than an untuned one. The question is the price. I've got 5 140mm and 6 170mm mags. All are STI except one. None have been tuned and they all work fine. Try the mags out and see if they work. If not, get the problematic ones tuned.

Eric, Your list is odd, at least for me. For me, from SMALLEST to LARGEST Steyr M9 1911 configured for small hands -- extra short trigger & very thin grips Springfield XD and Glock 34 Browning HP -- thin grips STI/SVI w/ reconfigured grip Beretta 92, Sigs, fat Glocks, Tanfo/EAA, H&K, Ruger, etc. are out of the running There are three factors -- the hand size, the index finger length, and how the gun indexes for you. The biggest problem for me isn't the grip width, but the trigger reach. For example, I find the G34 fits my hand better than the XD. The Steyr M9 definitely felt the best. I own a custom single stack 1911 (modified by Virgil Tripp for a small-handed shooter), STIs with radically reconfigured grips, and a G34. For whatever reason -- which I don't fully understand -- the G34 (my cheapest gun) feels the most comfortable and indexes better for me than the others. It doesn't necessarily mean that I shoot it better, probably because of the trigger and the lack of accuracy compared to my other guns. The problem with deciding on the "the right gun" is that's it's hard to know how a gun really feels until you've cozied up to it, which usually takes quite a few rounds of live fire. IMHO how the gun feels in a gunstore is very different than how it will feel on the range after a couple of hundred rounds. I've bought and sold quite a few guns that felt great in the store but didn't feel right in live fire.

I finally benchrested the G34 with myself and someone else shooting. At 10-15 yds it grouped at less than 2" with Blazer 115 gr. and a little less with WWB. At 25 yds the groups opened up big time. After reading this thread and others on GT, I've begun to believe that pre-fitted barrels generally don't increase accuracy, except if you have a Glock that's REALLY bad to begin with. I've read some threads on GT where shooters swear that pre-fit KKM or Storm Lake Barrels have dramatically improved their gun's accuracy. I believe them and I also believe people who say it doesn't make a difference. It seems to depend on the gun and the fit of the original barrel. I agree that USPSA targets are large. But, sometimes there's a lot of black and white around them. In fact, I'm seeing fewer wide open targets in matches. I want to know that if I get a mike or D, it's me not the gun. It's about confidence.

Thanks of the input. The consensus seems to be that I'd be wasting my money. Apparently no one saw a major accuracy increase using a pre-fitted barrel. Guess I'll spend the $100+ somewhere else.

I have a new G34 for production with a Sotelo trigger (which I'm really pleased with). Although I like the Glock, I'm not happy with its accuracy, especially compared to my 1911s/2011s. Bench-rested at 20 yds using WWB ammo the G34 doesn't print especially good groups. I won't be using the gun with lead bullets or reloads, only factory ammo. So, it doesn't matter if the barrel can shoot lead. The two barrels I'm looking at are the pre-fit Storm Lake and KKM. For the gun's intended use -- occassional production -- and my skill level, a fitted Bar-Sto isn't cost-effective. I've been trying to make sense whether these two aftermarket barrels will increase accuracy, and by how much. I'm reading mixed reviews. Some people are saying they see significantly increased accuracy, while others say they don't see a real difference. What's the real story? Is it worth the investment?

My vote easily goes to the S&W because of the service. If there's a problem with the gun, they send you a free overnight fedex label. No cost for shipping either way. You get the gun back in an eye-blink, sometimes the same week. That tells me a lot about how Smith supports their product. I don't think the same is true for Kimber, at least when I owned one.

I had a similar problem. Tried so many things to clear it up that I forgot what actually worked. Anyway, here's what I tried: A heavier recoil spring -- a 10 or 11lb Brazos tuned ejector Polished bullets after reloading. I was using Hornady lube which seemed to gum up the bullets enough so that they weren't ejecting cleanly. Carefully drop-checked rounds in my chamber. I did this to rule out the possibility of a bad round or two Tried slightly different OALs on the bullets. Weighed the powder in a sample of rounds to make sure light rounds weren't getting through which could affect ejection patterns Sorted brass by headstamp to see if there was a difference in ejection. I didn't find any, but you might Used a lighter lube -- even slide-glide lite was too heavy. I thinned it out with a lot of oil. This seemed to make a big difference. Carefully checked the extractor tension. BTW, I had the same problem with the stock and the Aftec extractor. Made sure I had full slide travel w/ the recoil spring. Also made sure the guide rod plug was seated properly Took out shok-buffs Made sure the comp was clearing the frame Cursed a lot. Maybe that's what did it. I know that some of what I tried has nothing to do with ejection per se, but I'm convinced that different things can tie together to produce unreliability.

Mcoliver, looks small but it should work. Do you know who makes that thumb rest and where can I find it?

The lefty version of the RHT is designed to work with dual-sided scope mounts. It's a major hassle -- and not worth it -- to try to adapt it to a single-sided mount like an Allchin. Apart from drilling holes in the frame, the base is too wide to fit on the frame and interferes with the slide. So, if you're using a single-sided scope mount and want a LH *thumb rest [generic]* you're better off to have one custom made.

It seems to depend on the gun/barrel. With a Schuemann 32 twist barrel, I'm loading 7.6 gr. at a 1.55-1.60 OAL -- easily making major -- and haven't seen any signs of extreme pressure. I also don't find TB dirty, especially with a tight bullet crimp. With my old barrel I was having to load around 8.1 gr. and definitely saw high pressure signs.

Did the .25 cent trigger job on my G34 (with the 3.5 lb disconnector) and polished the hell out of every possible part -- especially the ones circled. Every metal part of the trigger group, etc. shines like a mirror. Still can't get the trigger pull below 4 1/4 pounds. I ordered the Sotelo part and am curious as to how it will work.

I bring a bag of parts and tools that I leave in the car. Ejector; fitted extractor; fitted hammer, sear and disconnector; fitted barrel bushing; recoil plug, guide rod and extra recoil springs; firing pin, fitted stop and spring; slide stop; mag release; fitted ambi safety; and mainspring housing, springs and caps. I even have a trigger and old barrel and comp that I replaced. About the only things missing from my bag are a slide and frame. Most of parts I can change out in minutes. The majority of my spares are parts I've upgraded but they'll work in a pinch. Even if I bought these parts new just for the gun, it would still come out cheaper than buying a new gun.

After shooting Lim and open, I decided to try production since I don't have time to reload, at least for the next few months. I was debating between the 5" XD and G34 and luckily an indoor range had both for rent. Judging by the finish they had been around the block. I shot the XD and G34 using the same box of ammo. The difference was surprising. First, my shots with the XD were all over the paper. I chalked that up to being unfamiliar with the gun and not having shot polymers for a while. But the G34's shots were tightly grouped. So, I assume it was the gun. For whatever reason, the recoil on the XD seemed harsher than the G34 and the sights jumped more. The G34 had a LOT milder recoil and the front sight dropped back into the rear notch quicker. The G34 was a smoother shooter. Since I'm a 2011/1911 fan I didn't approach this with a strong bias toward either gun. If anything, I expected more from the XD and less from the Glock. Anyway, I was surprised. I'm trying to figure out why the recoil on the G34 would feel milder than the XD, especially since it weighs 31oz compared to 23 for the Glock. The only thing I can figure out is that -- at least for me -- the ergonomics and the lighter slide weight of the G34 made the difference. Or, maybe it was the balance. Anyone have similar experiences? BTW, this isn't intended to bash XDs, I'm just curious about the difference.

I also have small hands, a short index finger, and shoot a d/s STI. Two things really helped. First, was using a short solid Dlask trigger. Because its solid you can dremel it down much shorter than an Infiity or STI trigger. Second is Jim Stranahan's grip sculpting. http://www.advancedperformanceshooting.com/ I don't know how he does it, but the grip he cut really made a big difference. I can now grip the gun in the web of my hand and still have enough trigger finger left to use the middle of the pad.

Mike g, at 7.1 gr. of Tru Blue you shouldn't be getting flat primers. That's .5 gr. below what I and a lot of other people are using as a minimum charge weight. I suspect the flat primers may be resulting from your short 1.145 OAL. If you raise the OAL to around 1.165 your primers should look more normal.

There's apparently a consensus that barrel holes will make an open gun shoot flatter. However, a few tenths of a grain more for a 9mm shorty and a few tenths more for barrel holes adds up quick, especially for a cartridge already pushing pressure. The choice depends on your tolerance for risk.

Thanks. That's exactly what I was looking for. But, you've now made more work for me -- sorting out my brass. Maybe I should shift to production and not worry about reloading. But then, I'd have to be more accurate.... Anyway, thanks again for your hard work on this. I now understand why my velocity has been so up and down with the same powder and bullet. I'll need to chrono rounds using several sets of headstamped brass to figure out which one will give me the best velocity with the least variation. That'll definitely help in the chronoed matches, where I often sweat. It may also help me figure out how to lower the powder charge. I know it's a work in progress, but have you finally settled on a preferred powder for major 9mm? Based on your posts I've use Tru Blue, which I'm pretty happy with.

Alan, After the testing what would you say is the bottom line?

You may not be using enough trigger finger. In my experience, the hand size is less important than the length of the index finger. Without significant modifications, widebody guns are too large for me, even with short triggers. Two things help. Undercut the trigger guard and thin out and round off the grip. Jim Stranhan http://www.advancedperformanceshooting.com is a genius in making STI/SVI grips as narrow as possible. Second, get a short trigger from STI or Dlask (I prefer the metal Dlask's). If the trigger is still too long, you can use a dremel or file to make Dlask's aluminum trigger even shorter. Just make sure the trigger is long enough to completely reset.

I don't agree that auto-index is a "must-have" feature on a press. Auto-indexing complicates the operation of the press and is another place for problems. As Brian Enos points out, without a casefeeder there's little advantage in auto-indexing. The 550 isn't dangerous if you pay attention, which you have to do regardless of the reloader. Reloading 50-75k rounds on a 550B I've never had a squib or double charge. The advantages of a 550B over a 650 is its simplicity and dependability. The 550B is rugged and dependable. Problems are easy to sort out, which isn't true for the 650. In my opinion the 650 -- which I own -- is too complicated for a first reloader. The 550 is a better press to start out with, and by the time you get proficient with it, Dillon will have come out with a casefeeder.

I know I'm the exception to the rule. I've had the 550B and the 650. Only time I had a squib in thousands of rounds was with the 650. Although I had the powder check, I didn't install it for the 9mm. For whatever reason, it didn't seem to work well. Also, the only time I had a problem wiith high primers was with the 650. I prefer the 550 over the 650 because of the simplicity of the design. When I bought my 650 I mistakenly sold my 550. Now, I'll be selling my 650 to buy another 550B. The 650 is much faster when it decides to cooperate. On the other hand, fixing a problem takes much longer than on the 550B. It's definitely more finicky. In fact, I've sent the machine back to Dillon for repairs and have replaced a lot of components. It just hasn't been reliable like the 550, which I loaded about 40-50k rounds on. When calculating my reloading time, I add the total time it takes to reload, including futzing around with the machine when there's a problem and checking the rounds. With the 550 I never checked for high primers. I have to with the 650, which adds to my overall time. If the pending casefeeder for the 550 is reliable (the casefeeder on my 650 was one of the more reliable parts), along with the simplicity of the 550, it should be dyamite setup. More speed with the simplicity of the 550. The last problem I had was when the frame broke under the handle. To their credit, Dillon completely rebuilt the machine, including installing a new frame, shellplate, etc. The 650 is now basicaly new, but I'm so snake-bit that I don't even want to even try it again. Anybody want to trade?

I had s similar problem in my open 9. The Brazos tuned ejector helped. Also put in a slightly heavier -- 9lb -- recoil spring and tumbled the cases after reloading. I was using Hornady case lube and it was gumming up the shells enough that it was ejecting erratically. Doing those things seemed to solve the problem (fingers crossed) so far. BTW, the Aftec didn't make much differerence terms of ejection problems.

After some frustration and fine-tuning, I finally got my 9mm to eject consistently. Brazos's tuned ejector made the difference. But, after about 15,000 or so rounds my STI barrel went south. It stopped grouping and the velocity went to hell. A new Schuemann barrel brought everything up to snuff, but I'm concerned why I got so little life out of the original barrel. I'm beginning to think that Bob may be right that the high pressure generated by the 9mm prematurely wears out a barrel. I'd be interested in hearing how many rounds others have gotten out of their 9mm barrels. BTW, the math about how much cheaper the 9mm is compared to the .38 Super is a little skewed since it assumes that .38 brass isn't recyled. If you shoot 2 lost brass matches a month at 130 rounds a match you've lost 260 cases or the equivalent of $26, a paltry amount given the overall costs of IPSC shooting. With that said, if my new barrel goes south I'll shift to the to .38 super.

Being a lefty I have a narrow STI on the left side and a wide Swenson paddle on the right side. Works fine.