Bear1142

WOO-HOO! How about some dark brew instead? Erik

Alright, enough of the drama. While all of the arguments against a short gas system may be "theoretically" accurate, it does not reflect "reality." Those who criticize the short gas system design would have you believe a short gas system AR is completely unreliable and the work of the devil. While it may be true that the design is of devilish origin, the short gas system AR has been around for at least 35 years. Manufacturers and designers have had plenty of time to work out the timing, pressure, and port size issues. I have personally had and have knowledge of dozens and dozens of M4 style, short gas system AR's that have been just as reliable as the old standard 20" system. In the vacuum of a laboratory, all of the short gas system concerns may be valid, but don't believe the hype. I used a Dissipator style setup for the first two years of 3-gun competition and did quite well with it. A good compensator and good load selection will flatten out the increased pulse of a short gas system to the point of being practically equal to a rifle length gas system. If I were building a rifle from the ground up, yes, I would go with an 18" barrel with a rifle length gas system. If I had an M4 sitting around and I could not afford to build a custom rifle, I would put on a good compensator, start shooting, and not worry that my short gas system rifle won't work, because it will. For a bunch of people who always claim that it's the singer and not the song, it seems to only be true if you only sing the approved song. Not flaming anyone, just trying to balance the discussion points. Erik

Lee, Are you trying to use one spring for everything? Erik

Go with the 18". By the time you put on a good compensator, you're looking at another 3" of muzzle length. A 20" barrel and comp. makes for a pretty long combination to manuever around in tight quarters. With the right powder selection, you'll lose very little velocity over a 20" barrel. I'm using a couple of medium/fast powders and I can get the same velocities as I would in a 20" barrel. Erik

Lee, Spring rates are a very subjective thing. They are one of the last things you do to help "tune" a gun to your shooting preferences. Most people running 40's in Limited or Lim 10 are using somewhere between and 11lb. and a 14lb. spring. Springs are relatively cheap, so buy one of each and swap them around to see which one you like. Then go buy another one or two. Keep one in your range bag for a replacement and keep another one around the house. Regarding the hog loads, I'm a big 10mm fan and I use mine in a very similar way to you. I run my 180's at around 1,300 fps with a 20lb. spring, but I only use a single spring with a shock buff, not the double spring setup. Once again, personal preference. If you are having trouble with the stiff spring, try locking the slide back first, then insert the magazine and use the slide stop to load the pistol. It may be a little easier to get that first round in the chamber. With respect to springs, I only use ISMI, but take that with a grain of salt, as I have an affiliation with them. (Although if they weren't the best out there, I wouldn't be using them.) Erik

Zhunter, Okay, here you go. 1- Get your finger along the side of the frame when you reload. Even if your finger is off the trigger, it's along side the trigger and a sudden unexpected jar, such as missing the reload and slamming the magazine into the side of the magazine well, or banging the gun on a door or port (we've all done it!) could cause it to discharge. I'm a big proponent of using tactile reference points to maintain consistency in my technique. Work on placing the tip of the your finger on the nub of the slide stop pin. This will position your finger at the some point every time. 2- Bring the pistol closer to the center of your body. The closer your hands are to your face, the more control you'll have. Think about how you write on a piece of paper. You have more control when things are closer to your face. Get the pistol closer to your body and try to not let it drop below the level of your chin. Keep the gun high so you can watch the magazine entering the magazine well. 3- If you are going to shoot SS, then you'd better practice reloads from at least 3 pouches deep. Set up all 3 on your belt and work through all 3 before you stop and setup again. Erik

Gazda, It's your bullet selection. Switch to another non-plated bullet and the problem should go away. Erik

Ha! that's nothing. You should see what I can do with a rubber hose and a telephone book. Erik

Clocking a compensator is a mechanical solution to a technique problem. Work on your technique, it will make you a better shooter in the long run. Erik

+1 for me.

Don't get me started. Erik

I'll be there with USSA. Erik

While you're at it, can you tell me which is better, Ford or Chevy? Sorry, couldn't resist. Erik

I heard the SP-01 magazine springs are interchangable with Glock mags springs. Can anyone confirm this? Erik

Sudden death, I will be at Ft. Benning and you're more than welcome to test fire my rifle. Joer, I agree that the Titan comp looks similar to the ZM weapons comp, but upon closer inspection, they are quite different. The Titan is larger and the internal port design is completely different. If you're going to the Ft. Benning match, stop by the CPWSA table and take a closer look at one. You'll see what I mean. I'll also be around if you want to discuss some of the proprietary designs. Here are a couple of quick pics of the Titan on my rifle. Sorry they came out so crappy. Erik

Didn't seem to have any trouble at the side shotgun match. Erik

Kelly, You know how heavy the Benelli's are, I can't hold that thing up on my shoulder like Kurt. I need the crutch. Jeff, I'll bring a couple of cases to Benning and we'll go play again. I want to see what that Beretta can really do. Erik

To all, Thank you for all your hard work at putting on a outstanding match that had no backups, ran smoothly, and more importantly, on time. Thank you to all the vendors for your generous support. This is, without a doubt, the best "small" match around. I will do my best to not brag about what an excellent match it is, so as to keep it just for us "locals." Congratulations to Jeff for holding off two close challangers to earn the win and congratulations to Tom and Chris for their respective wins. I'm already looking forward to next years A6 3GN and I look forward to getting another shot (pun intended) at Jeff at Ft. Benning. Erik

I did like the way yours handled. Now, if I can just find a pistol grip stock.. Erik

Extra power on a scope doesn't make you a better shooter. If you can't hit it on 4X you probably won't hit it on 10X. If fact, it will make it harder to hit because your natural body oscillation will be magnified and it will be more difficult to settle on the target. Erik

Trapper, I think the Remington barrels on the Sendero's and PSS's are very underated. I'm about 10 rounds shy of 1000 on my PSS and it will still do 3/4 easy. Right before the 3GN this year, I was getting a little MOR practice in with it and I was hammering a 6" plate at 400 with ease and I still had plenty of white paint around the group on the steel. I would work up a load and give the factory barrel a try. Think of it like a high-maintenance woman. Yeah, there are a lot of work, but sometimes they are worth it. Excuse me while I duck for cover. Erik

Norbs007, In my subjective opinion, I would dump the ACOG and go with the 1-4. Regardless of which scope you decide on, keep the same on both rifles. You want as much consistency in your technique and your equipment as possible. Erik

Not yet. I heard December. Erik

Mark, Okay, thanks. Just wasn't sure if I missed it somewhere. Erik

Are squad lists posted anywhere? Erik