Ed Robinson

I'll do that Bruce but it feels so good as it's hand cycled, like grease on glass! Could be that Brian's Slide Glide is just too darn good. (Free plug there Brian) But seriously, I can't feel any bit of drag or anything. With the recoil spring out and assembled, muzzle up, it unlocks and falls all the way to the rear. Muzzle down, slide falls forward and locks right up. I'll do what Bruce recommended first (He is the Bianchi god anyway) then I'm gonna bump the load up to 5.2grs and see what happens. Honestly, when firing it, it just feels like the recoil impulse is just not enough to get the slide going. I guess when the slide was heavier, once it started moving, it wanted to stay moving and continued on it's rearward path. With the lowered mass now, it just doesn't have the momentum to carry rearward. Will post an update tonite or tomorrow a.m. Thanks everyone for your help and tips. Ed

I'm gonna try 5.1/5.2 tonite as well as TG and may try some N320. I'd like to stick w/ 231 if I can though (I have a BUNCH) Will updat tonite or tomorrow a.m. as to results.

Slide still is plenty loose on frame. This gun has been shot ALOT and is nowhere near tight but is still plenty accurate. Slide will fall on it's own when turned muzzle up. I'm gonna contour the FP stop tonite and see if that helps from robbing so much of the initial impulse. If that doesn't work I'm gonna bump my load up a little. At 4.8 of 231 I'm just barely at 120pf. Most manuals use 5.1 as a stating point for around 1030 fps. I'll keep posted on what works. Thanks for all the help.

Slide was not refinished as it is stainless. I beadblasted it and reassembled. Comp is steel but it too was tritopped with the slide so it also got the diet treatment. The FP retainer is stock. I can recontour it but I don't think that is the fix.May help. Costs nothing to try. Mainspring is 17lb w/ 100% ignition. Upon firing. the slide will unlock and travel about1/2 to 3/4 inch rearward, simply closing on the fired brass it never ejected.I feel like the lower mass slide also has less momentum to continue on it's rearward path. Even the 7lb spring is overpowering it. I have 2 options for now, bump the load up to 5.0 or 5.2 grs to see if that will work or start cutting coils (which I really don't like doing) since we have a match this weekend and I probably can't get a lighter spring here in time.

(I also posted this on the open gun forum. I wanted to get it in front of as many eyes as possible, Ed) Gun is a Para P14 5" comp'ed I shoot Bianchi with. Was getting a weird reverb/vibration on the barricade and decided to lighten the slide a little. Bobby at FGW did the mill work and Tri Topped and cut 3 lightening slots in the top of the slide. Cut it down to right at 10oz I believe he said. My old load was 4.8gr 231 under a 125 Missouri in 38 SC Starline brass which was very accurate and 100% reliable. After lightening, I tried it with the recoil spring I had in it(which I think was 8 or 9lb). Would not cycle. I put in a new 7lb spring and tried again. No dice. Ejected 1 of 7 rounds. Should I go on up on my load to get cycling back or go to a lighter spring. Common sense says a lighter slide would have dictated a heavier spring given the same load but this one did not work out that way. This is my first lightened slide( lightened this much) so I'm still in the learning curve.Did removing mass, which removed momentum cause the problem? What to do, what to do?

Gun is a Para P14 5" comp'ed I shoot Bianchi with. Was getting a weird reverb/vibration on the barricade and decided to lighten the slide a little. Bobby at FGW did the mill work and Tri Topped and cut 3 lightening slots in the top of the slide. Cut it down to right at 10oz I believe he said. My old load was 4.8gr 231 under a 125 Missouri in 38 SC Starline brass which was very accurate and 100% reliable. After lightening, I tried it with the recoil spring I had in it(which I think was 8 or 9lb). Would not cycle. I put in a new 7lb spring and tried again. No dice. Ejected 1 of 7 rounds. Should I go on up on my load to get cycling back or go to a lighter spring. Common sense says a lighter slide would have dictated a heavier spring given the same load but this one did not work out that way. This is my first lightened slide( lightened this much) so I'm still in the learning curve.Did removing mass, which removed momentum cause the problem? What to do, what to do?

Anyone who has ever dealt with stainless hardware (screws, nuts/bolts, etc) especially marine grade knows how easy it is to twist the head off of something. Stainless being so "hard" has very little give or twistability. You will probably find the carbon steel screws will never give you a problem as long as they stay tight. With the green loctite you should not have that problem either. I think you have solved your problem.

Kenny's got me one on the way. Thanks again.

Anybody know where to find one? Mine broke. Brownells- backordered. S&W-Backordered. COuldn't find if Kenny had one in. Anybody making an aftermarket yet?

You might try wearing your damned glasses you half blind goat. By the way, How's the nipple ring going? AHHHHH, just kidding everyone, he's my shooting buddy. Steel plates still kicking his ass though.

Aimpoint all the way. I am using an old blue comp that has been thru hell. Still works like a champ. Tough as nails. Only wished it used AAA batts like the new ones instead of those 357 watch batts.

I'll have to take your word on that one. Trust me on this one. Who ever heard a Beretta M9/92 with 4 clicks and Ruger 3 screws have a distinctive click with their coil springs over a Colt SAA's flat springs. Reminded me of the episode of X-Files when Sully(or whatever his name was) drew his Glock and I guess he had to cock it(wasn't sure the Glocks had to be thumbed) and it made the classic single action revo 4 clicks! Hollywood editors and overdubs. Sheesh!

So far the show has been entertaining at best. Nowhere near what I thought it would be but did anybody but me notice the stupid sound overdubs? They used a Ruger 3 screw sound when they showed the 92 being thumbcocked. I hate shit like that! Ruins the mood.

I currently use Missouri Cast 125gr TC bullets sized .356 in my Bianchi cup gun and they are very accurate. Was wanting to try some 124 Montana JHP's to see how they compare as I'm tired of scraping my comp after every match or 2. My bore slugs .3555 and the only bullet Montana has in .356 is a FMJ 130, not a JHP. Conventional wisdom says a .355 shouldn't work. What are ya'll using in jacketed bullets in your 38 supers? Thanks,Ed

Griz, I have alot of experience with Norrell Moly Resin, which is a thermal cure phenolic resin very similiar to Dura and Cera Kotes. I have alweasys used a quality airbrush for application due to the fact you can get very precise control over flow and pinpoint accuracy in getting into small spots. If I were doing that gun I would give it a thorough degreasing with something like acetone or TCE then give it a good beadblasting. After blasting, wash it good with hot water then degrease again in your favorite solvent that does not leave a film behind. The textured surface after blasting gives the coating a "tooth" to hang on to. Coat with the sideplate off being sure not to get the coating too thick where the sideplate fits. Leave screws out of the gun and coat one at a time using needlenosed pliers to hold the threads. Dura Phos is I think their name for their phosphate etching. Not really neccesary if you get a good beadblast finish. Good Luck.

+1 on Fords Guns in Crystal River,Fl. They have done several for me, blued and hard chromed. They do the best hi polish blue I have ever seen, second only to dome blue Colts and early Smith's. Ed

I was a gunsmith in a past life and did quite a bit of bluing. That is correct about letting it cure in oil or grease. Immediately after bluing, the finish is still a little "soft". I would let the parts lie in a tub of "after bluing oil", which is basically a water displacing oil to displace any moisture left in/on the gun since it does go into a boiling water bath after it comes out of the salts and before it goes into the oil. The water boil will neutralize any leftover salts and open the pores of the steel. The hot steel is then submerged in the after bluing oil which cools, lubes, displaces water, and being hot, the steel will actually absorb some of the oil on a molecular level. If you've ever had a gun blued, you will notice it will leach a dirty brown oil for a little while after it has been blued. That's natural and is the after bluing oil leaching out. Ed

Way to go Dude! After dipping Cope for 20 years I finally made my mind up to quit. And did for over a year. Sunflower seeds helped me alot with the oral fixation. Thought I could take a dip occasionally. Wrong! Dippers are like alcoholics. You can't dip or chew just a little. You have to be over it for good. I am about to attempt it again. I know I can I just have to get the brain wrapped around it! Just remember, YOU are stronger than any addiction! Proud 4 You.

Sorry I should have specified what I was talking about. I meant just the slide. The frame is definitley a matte caustic blue. Slide really looks like black chrome. I'll post pics and call Para Monday.Ed

Ya'll, I don't think this is a paint. I've seen and applied just about every firearms finish around. This is an older gun and I've seen several Para's of this age with this finish. It is far too bright and polished of a finish to be any kind of "thermal cure" finish that I've ever seen. Gonna try to call Para next week and find out. Don't make no sense why they would matte blue the frame then paint the slide. I'll take some hi def pics next week and post 'em.

My buddy has an older p16 same vintage as the gun in this link. Anybody know for sure what the slide finish is? Frame is Matte blued but the slide looks like black chrome. Definitely is not a high polish blue. Anybody shed some light on it? Thanks. http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=140920438

That sounds like it would be a good challenge for BE to entertain! Anybody else vote for Brian to pick up a HP and head to the range?

Til I lose 'em!

Fireant, sorry to call you a yank. Didn't realize you were that far south. Not a bad drive on 10 from Jville to Tally. You must be near Jekyll? If you want to come this way, holler and we'll put it together. Ed