Sean.McCanne

I use WST with MasterCast.net 180 lead or 180 FMJ in my XDm. I know you don't have WST right now, but I like this powder. It's relatively soft and quick burning. Minor - Lead - 4.2g WST FMJ - 4.3g WST Major - Lead - 4.6g WST FMJ - 4.7g WST Crono these loads yourself, but they hit for me. Sean

Are you actually thinking of bringing your daughter to eat breakfast with us? I'm glad you had fun. Your son is a hoot and a pretty good shooter. He'll be whipping you before long. Yeah, I'm not so sure about bringing her to breakfast. As for the boy, I agree, it won't take long for him to beat me. He's been telling people the only reason I had a better score is that I cheated. You know what they say about old age and treachery. Sean

Thanks, Josh. The point of this weekend's match, for me, was to get my son involved in shooting. It worked, and I'm happy. Now If I can just get my 14yo daughter to try it out... Sean

This one spans several different screw ups, all of which meant a very long day. First, I'm shooting my new Tanfoglio Match. I had to put together a new load, with a new length and I'd gotten a new undersized die. So everything on my loading bench changed. I had to readjust everything and load for two different guns. My 16yo son was shooting his first match with my XDm in production (or so he thought). He got into the start box, loaded and the gun wouldn't go in to battery. Ok, cycle the slide. It didn't go into battery. Again. And again. New mag. Won't go into battery. We pulled him off the line and went to the safe area. The gun looks fine. Drops in unloaded; everything looks good. Started looking at the ammo. There was a small line of lead just about the top of the case. When I readjusted everything, I got the crimp too tight and it shaved the bullet a little during seating. All of them were like that. Not a one would chamber. We ended up both shooting my Match. It worked out pretty well. Then I had the same problem with my ammo, and we ended up having to put a stronger recoil spring in it to get it to go into battery every time. We were getting a deafening click on about 1 in 3 rounds. Oh yeah, we also dropped the mags in the dirt twice as often, causing feeding issues due to the dirty mags. So when it managed to feed bullets, it couldn't shoot them. Clean mags, go on. We made it through the match, barely. I shot the worst match I could have, and my son had a great time and wants to continue shooting matches! It was the best match ever. Sean

My first match was the OKC Gun club match the day before the start of the 2008 Nationals in Tulsa. I was in a squad with a couple of friends (one of which went to Nats), and people like Henning Wallgren, Phil Strader and Kelly Raglin. They were using it as a warmup for the Nats. It's difficult to concentrate on slowing down when these guys are shooting in front of you. I shot pretty good times, I just didn't hit anything. My second match was the Area 4 sectional a few weeks ago. Same basic groups of people, but I concentrated a lot more and shot a lot more alphas. My times were slow as hell, but it was better all in all. Tomorrow, I shoot another club match, and my 16yo son is shooting production in his first match. It's going to be the best match ever. Then we're all going to go have a homebrew porter and some nice cigars. Except for my son. He's not old enough. Good luck and have fun! Sean

The hottie who sits down next to you on the park bench when you're drunk on your weekend off at the end of boot camp doesn't want to be your girlfriend. She just wants $75. Or, so I've heard. USN 90-96. Absolutely fun times. Never got much more west than Seattle, and that's when I was on subs. I've heard some crazy stories about the far east. I can tell you it's not a good idea to piss off a bunch of teenage kids in Brest, France, though. God that's a long time ago.

When you're moored in Palma di Majorca, Spain, feel free to go to the Cowboy Bar. Hang around with Brit sailors all you want...they have beer on the boat, after all. You can even go on a tequila shot bar crawl with said Brit sailors, especially if you're really good at drinking tequila. But don't....EVER....have the tequila sunrise after 5 hours of the tequila shot bar crawl, just to finish up. It will make you blow chunks. Don't drink whatever it was that made me wake up on the roof of a bar in Key West at 1030, wearing only shorts, with a small Polynesian woman yelling at me in some incomprehensible language. Don't drink an entire bottle of Captain Morgan's in less than 15 minutes. Even if it's on a bet. Got a little Captain in you? Not for long. Don't drink so much tequila (yes, again) that you start at a party in Oklahoma and wake up in Albuquerque. Do not ever try to talk a drunk Marine into eating a urinal puck. Ever. Explaining it to the doc gets a little problematic. Don't ever trash a bar while throwing out some guy, and all his friends, after he slapped his girlfriend. Unless you know the owners of the bar. Jenks? Are you out there? Don't ever get in a drunken argument with Aussie sailors. Even if you can take 'em! Yeah, I was a Sailor. Let's see...non-alcohol stories. Don't ever try to remove a Turbo 350 trans from a 75 Monte Carlo without a floor jack. It's heavier than you think. So is the rear end. No, you can't outrun the cop. Don't ever tell your teenage son: "No matter how small you cut up the body, it will always clog up the toilet." No, you still can't outrun the cop. Always be friends with a cop. Don't try to climb the side of an apartment complex to get in your open second story window when you can't find your key. Even if your girlfriend is waiting. Don't ask your wife if she wants a girlfriend for Christmas. Also, don't say, "Since you don't want her, can I keep her?" Don't post all your secrets on an open forum. Oops. Sean

Ok, I got some pics of the magwell install. I's kind of hard to see in these pics (I need a better camera) but the front has been opened up a little to make it around the front of the gun: There's also been some dremel work at the corners to smooth them out a little. There are small gaps at the side between the gun and the magwell, but with a little smoothing they don't cause problems. It's not the best fit on the outside, but it fits well enough. Because the well fits a little back on the grip, in my (very little) experience, it's easier to hit the well from the back and rock it in. It took some work for Mike to get it on there, but it works very well. Sean

Woohoo! I don't have a gut anymore, just a tight belt. I'm going to quote you on that. As for the loctite comment, owwww. I'll be lucky if Kurt stops laughing long enough to install my safety. Oh, and I'm going to loctite in the old sight. Sean

Seating the mag firmly usually drops the slide on my glocks. It works about 99 times out of 100. If it fails, I use the "slingshot" method above. That works on my Match, but it never really did for the XDm. Since I'm changing guns I have a lot of relearning to do. Sean

I shoot left handed as well, but I don't use the slide release at all in a match. If I run empty before changing mags, once the new mag goes in I can pull the slide back and it drops into battery. I also hit the mag release with my trigger finger. Prevents any of those pesky RO warnings. As for a gun with an ambi slide release, try the M&P. I shot my XDm in my first two matches, and I just picked up a Tanfoglio Witness Match. Neither of them have ambi slide releases. For me it's not an issue. Sean

Well, this is a little embarassing because I screwed up, but I have to post it. I installed the new fiber sight last night. I got it all tightened up and burned in. It was tight and required just a little percussive persuasion to install and I tightened the set screw very well. I lowered the rear because the old front was quite a bit taller. The front sight gives a clean, clear sight picture. I was very happy with the fit and finish, and ready to go shoot. I went to the range this morning, loaded up to sight in and got started. I put 10 rounds downrange and the sight popped off the front of the gun into the grass. My wife and I crawled around in the grass for 45 minutes, but it is still somewhere between me and the 5 yard target at the range. I was pissed. It turned out to be a very short day at the range. Now, this wasn't a problem with the sight, or the design. Everything went together beautifully. The install was quick and clean. It's a press fit, but not overly tight. The problem was me. I didn't drill for the set screw to seat in the slide. I don't have any loctite right now. I told Henning afterwards that some lessons are free and some are expensive. This one is a little expensive. The moral of the story is: when you get your new Henning's fiber front sight, and I know you're ordering one, drill for the set screw and use loctite. <sigh> Sean

Well, the gun shoots really well. My load is a bit hot yet, and I didn't have a chance to try the 10# spring, just the 12#. The fiber front sight provides a nice clear sight picture. I'll post about that on the front sight thread. I'll have the safety done on Monday and I'll try the lighter spring. I'll get some chrono numbers then, too. I've got to do some drawing drills because I am not used to the DOH yet. It pulls out from my hip when I draw. I have it on exactly on my side. Would moving it forward help out with that? The match is a great gun, and Henning's parts make it even better. Enjoy shooting it, Bear. Sean

Yeah, but Mike's old front sight was taller than this one. I'm headed to the range after breakfast. I'm sure it will be ok. Sean

I got the parts today, including my new fiber sight. Installed and burned in, it looks great. I may have a problem because I think the rear sight may not adjust low enough. I'll have to run some rounds through it to see. Love the new toys, thanks for a quality product. I'll report on it tomorrow. Sean

Looks like it would be legal for IDPA ESP, but I only glanced over the allowed modifications list. I got all of my new parts today from Henning. 12# spring, fiber sight, ambi safety, DOH and mags. The sight looks really good, but I have to sight it in. The rear sight is way high now. I need to go run a couple hundred rounds through it tomorrow. The safety will go in on Monday. Sean

Ok, I've got the pics as it is for now. Next week it will be a little more limited-ready. There isn't a magwell for the match yet, but Mike cut off the front and cleaned out the inside a bit to make it fit. He also thinned out the front sight, but after I get the new fiber sight, it'll be a bit easier to see. Time for a Newcastle. Sean

I'm the new match owner Mike was talking about earlier. I've only shot it once, but it was smooth and easy to fire. First, pics are upcoming. Second, I have a bunch of stuff on order from Henning (I made his next car payment). I have coming some USPSA 141 mags, and one of the new fiber front sights, recoil springs, etc. I'll get that all done this weekend, and then I'll be able to give a better report on it. Sean