CocoBolo

I've loaded 100,000+ rounds on my LNL the ball is still round. Spend that money on some good dies. My next orphan sock will get sacraficed to the LNL.

I built the first 22/45 lite in this area and had a lot of steel challenge shooters laugh, till I won every match. LOL Some good volquarsen parts, and mag work make it 100% reliable, lite and fast, accurate enough for steel challenge. Don't skimp on the optic, I put a C-More on mine then it all came together. I shoot the federals cheap and reliable. I reliably hit that steel at 35 yards. 22 ammo was not available for a while but I traded 9 major ammo for it, that little gun has about 40,000 rounds down the tube still accurate and reliable. Requires cleaning after every match and practice session, mags as well. Now I don't see a lot of long barrel heavy 10/45's, the same hecklers are running the Lite. Back to the main question. The most import thing is that the gun fit the hand for a youth, my small hand go to, for my female friends is the CZ Shadow, fits small hands, it is heavy so it absorbs recoil, and it can be modified easily with just some spring changes to be a good production gun. Lots of gun handling training, learning to lower the hammer etc. There is a reason that all matches don't allow for drawing from the holster on 22's, it isn't safe don't recommend it, get a 9 mm, load up some mouse fart loads and let the kid have fun.

Even if you have a backup gun, if your primary goes for a dirt knap, your match is in the toilet. At the Gator one year 2 rounds into a 32 round stage I had to quit the stage with a "broken gun", I was on a run to win my class until that disaster struck. Last stage of the day, fixed it overnight shot well but that one high point stage killed it. The best is to have a shooting buddy with a similar gun shooting together and back each other up. Saves both of you a lot of dough, just make sure that your ammo and his ammo work in each others guns, mags, holster, and then there is the trust issue, do you trust his ammo in your gun? If you do have a backup make sure the same ammo works in both, mags work in both, holster works for both, because you can spend a lot of money on the accessories. I shoot open, limited, production, and single stack, I have backup open guns (3), limited backup(1), and everything else hopefully good luck. Multigun yepper extra rifle, and multiple shotgun backups. In 10 years I needed a backup gun, 2 times, (1) issue turned out to be a metal case, disguised as brass in 9 major, wedged in the chamber, (2) cracked slide. Both times I didn't bring the backup. LOL

Sarge I normally run about 7.3 gr of Silouette some times 7.0 AutoCom, and 10gr of Accurate 7 over 124gr JHP's Montana Gold or Zero. I'm sure that I coujld get a few loads out of the brass but it isn't worth either the risk or effort to track that. I stick with my recommendation if you are using range pickup and you don't want to have feeding issues that kill your match then play the odds to your favor, use and lose them. Oal is 1.165.

Most of my fellow 9 major shooters think you can reload the brass 3 times, and they seem to have more than their fair share of issues. I mark my brass so I don't pick it up, there are always enough noob shooters that don't reload that I can live off of picking up their brass. I have no issues with brass, none. Once and done. No sense taking chances. Your primers look good. When I was counting to 3 my tumbler would be full of lose primers. The end to primer shortage is becoming an RO, a couple of major matches a year and you will be buying more coffee so you can have cans to put it in.

Huh 9mm, LOL Crimped primer pockets, I lose a bunch of primers to those. I could eliminate that problem by spending days looking at and sorting out the brass.

Case lube is for woossies! LOL I'm not a fan of the FCD, a good set of Hornady or Dillon dies is way better. But yes case lube makes it faster and easier, I just shoot a little one shot in the case feeder and I can tell the difference.

One of the smartest things I did was to rid my reloading bench of all Lee Dies, including the FCD's. And the undersize dies as well. Been there done that. Borrow a set of Hornady or Dillion dies and you will know what I am talking about. You are always going to have a few out of a 100 that won't drop check, I use to size and drop check before loading and that took too much time. Then I got a case pro and rolled them all first. Now I just throw the rejects in a box, and when it gets full I run them loaded thru the case Pro, most size down, but then you have a few that don't. Always check 9 mm range brass with a magnet, some are brass coated steel. I have a LNL and a Dillon 650. I had two 650's and sold one and kept the LNL it is just so versatile, and when adjusted properly can perform just a well as the 650, and you can do more things with it. That said if brute force isn't working to seat primers, you just aren't using enough.

I run a 12# in mine. Just remember it needs to be replaced after about 8k rounds or twice a year. While you are at it replace the mag springs once a year. Consider shooting Precision 185gr bullets over 4.3gr of WST, or a good N320 load. They seem to be a lot softer shooting than jacketed bullets. Bayou and LipStick bullets work good as well.

Nice old gun and you stole it. I'd keep the tube scope, more accurate and reliable than the C-more, and I have 5 C-more's. Old school likes lots of powder, N105 and Accurate 7 were the rule back in the day. Try 11.2 gr of accurate 7 with a 115gr Zero 1.185. My old 38sc load was 10.3/10.5gr with 124gr Zero. Once you get to 175pf the gun tames down. Check the accuracy of the 115gr, some barrels just don't perform well with them. (50 yard groups).

What ever happened to checking the primers? Is your load ok or not the primer will tell you. LOL I've loaded 1.145 with some powders, but others where you have a compressed load won't work, like 10gr of Accurate 7. Use once fired brace once, keep an eye on the primers, and you should be ok. Check all range pickup with a magnet, some brass isn't brass.

I have two cone guns and one bull. I tend to shoot the bull barrel gun more often than the to two cone comped guns. They all have the same compensator the Todd Jarret version of the Dawson Comp. The cone comp guns are lighter and shorter than the bull and easier to transition but I like the stability of the bull. It feels like it is much heavier and that weight absorbs recoil and gravity holds it down. One of my cones is cracked, yes parallel to the barrel from the end of the threads headed out to the ports, it happens, I'll shot it till it files down range. Cone comps take more machine work to fit, have more wear issues, just let it get a little lose you will be hitting targets on the next stage. My other open gun is a Glock its the bull design and it buck like one as well.

The devil is in the details. " using moly bullet" Those were 185gr Precision Bullets from Kemp texas. Probably Bayou or Acme and other high tech coatings would not have the same issue. OAL varies depending on the Bullet Ogive but the real limit is the magazines, you can get a Chamber Reamer (throater) and open up the throat.

Shoot it Limited 10 and enjoy. It is almost that time of year for the sell off, keep an eye out for a good deal on a used one here on Enos. You conversion will cost about $1500 by the time you are done for very little more you can pickup a used gun.

Save a bunch of money just get a Rock Island 2011 Tactical and throw your trigger parts, barrel/comp and dot on it and get with it keep your limited 10 as a backup. My first and last shorty took a while to sort out but the ticket was the 11# recoil spring, all my long guns use 9#.

I just received my Warranty Rejection form STI. This is a shift from 3 years ago when the twin to the one that just cracked had a cracked slide and they replaced it. Yes, they were both "cut" exactly the same, they made me send in the slide last time after sending in pictures, this time they just looked at the photos and said no. My guess is that the bottom line was hurting and warranty costs were the issue, so they have decided to cut costs. Me 2 went Caspian. They would fit a TruBore slide on it for about $750.00. I'm going to read the warranty information end to end and see what the appeal process is.

You would be much better off spending your money on a Gym membership. Yeah I said that, I think movement skills and quick movement are huge in USPSA and not so big in steel challenge. I have taken old school guns spent a butt ton of money modernizing them with little improvement. Get a reliable gun you can shoot without it hurting your hand, and go for it.

9 major/38SC. I used some CCI SPM's there is a slight difference over the crono not enough to change the load. My go to primer is CCI SPP, just like Sarge. I've used a lot of SRP's and the Magtech SRP is the hardest one out there, man up on the hammer spring.

I would think any tri-topped slide has the chance of cracking. Doesn't matter if it's a open gun, limited gun, or a single stack. All depends on how deep the slide is tri-topped, recoil spring that is used, and probably the power factor of the ammo used. *slowly slides credit card back in wallet* I'm glad I read this. Definitely warrants some more investigation... Thanks! Both the limited guns I'm building right now have standard slides that are flat topped with 3D panel cuts done by Glenn Rasch at Lone Star Innovations. I highly recommend Glenn if you want a Unique looking slide for your gun. *slowly pulls credit card out* I will be making a phone call tomorrow. And I'll stop hijacking this thread now. I can tell you that I have about 40K rounds on my HPF Edge that is the same as the day that Dave Dawson blessed it, full size slide no rips tears or cuts. No sign of a crack. I have tried a few limited guns in different configurations had an SVI 9/40 rig with a light slide loved it in 9 hated it in 40 sold it. I love my Fat Boy Edge the best! Precision 185gr bullets and 4.7gr of WST.

I have a new Brazos Caspian lightened slide with Fashion accessory installed on the way, just got the ship notice. Yep going to get a Slide Racker, my grand kids will enjoy it, and I will leave it in the white so they can pick a finish. When and if STI replaces the slide it will go up for sale just like the last one.

I have cracked two STI slides. The facts these slides were tri-topped and had other cuts for weight reduction. They also had an ass ton of rounds shot thru them 50K +. 9 major well yes, but also 38 Super Comps, so not caliber specific. I do have a 9 major with a Caspian Slide, the cone on the comp cracked a few years ago I have another comp in the safe ready when it fails. I had the slide cut very different but the same look and left lots of meat around the chamber back of the locking lugs, this maybe will let me shoot two tons before it cracks. I think this is like the Ford and the Chevy argument. Keep that gun in the safe and the slide will never crack, but take it out and shoot the snot out of it year after year and sooner or later something will break. I am psychic and I can see the future.

Thanks for all the replies, another gun down so I have to get with it now. Been real busy cracking another slide. STI you gonna make me shoot my Glock! Yeah, that's right I have another gun down, but I'll be hitting up STI for a replacement slide. This gun been around a few days, can you say Competitor from the days before the TruBore barrel it came with a big fishing weight comp real heavy, so heavy I put a titanium on it.? LOL I have an email or two out for estimates, on the slide cuts, for the first one, depending on what happens there I might just get the Brazos cut slide with the racker, anyone tried one of those? Not to worry I have a case of 40 bullets and a good un-molested Dawson HPF Edge, just need to order some glasses to see the sights. LOL

I'm looking for someone that can lighten the slide and possible throw a finish on it for a reasonable charge while I'm still young. If they have a CNC set up to do slides just chuck it up and watch the flakes pile up? Just looking to get into the 10.5-11 oz range. It is a 5" Caspian Slide, 2 barrels have cone comps regular stainless steel, have not been cut on before to match the slide. Barrels have been fit to slide and frame and fired in, just need to get the fat off the slide, and possibly cut the comps to match slide.

I’m contemplating refinishing this slide (gun) with NP3+ or Hard Chrome to either slow down or stop the pitting, does anyone have enough knowledge and information on either finish to recommend one versus the other? I believe that Hard Chrome is harder but more brittle and may continue to chip away if not adhered properly to the pitted face; the guys at ROBAR have said that by polishing the surface prior to an NP3+ finish they will guarantee the surface for life from continuing to erode? Not sure if that’s a sales pitch or reality…LOL. You are not going to cure breach erosion with a finish, you need to change your load and probably the primer you are using. If you are shooting major get some MagTech small Rifle primer the hardest one I have found, if you are shooting minor then Winchester is a good middle of the road small pistol primer, Federal's too soft. When it gets a little worse the gun won't go bang! Then you will need to drill out the fireing pin hole to allow it to strike the primer.

I was in relationship prison. I have broken out and am currently on the run. LOL Parole? Or Weekend Pass Dumped the Girl Friend. She gonna miss my cooking.