dbagwell

Does anyone know which side of the seat die insert is best for seating JHPs? I'm using the Dillon carbide pistol die set which has a round or semi-wad cutter seating insert. Thanks.

Thanks for clarifying...I just googled it as well

I guess I've never heard of an OEM 3.5#...only 4.5# and 5.5# I'm not saying it doesn't exist...I'm just not familiar with it

I respectfully have to disagree. A "3.5#" connector, such those offered by Ghost, have different geometry from the Glock "minus" connector which contributes to a lighter pull weight.

longer sight radius, 4.5# connector, extended magazine release, extended slide release

34 comes with a 4.5# connector

I purchased a Blade Tech DOH with the Stingray system for my Glock about six months ago and never liked it. I felt the SR was too loose on the belt and the offset was borderline legal for USPSA - and hot days pushed it over the legal limit. I'm using the Boss hanger with the Blade Tech holster piece now and I'm very happy with it. I bought one about eight years ago for my STI and it did seem to be more stable.

It's a smart thing to do. You can learn a lot by observing and watching the flow of things. You also get a sense of what the responsibilities of the shooters that aren't up to shoot, i.e. taping targets, collecting brass, etc. Most people are friendly and outgoing even if you're just a spectator. Talk to some people, ask about the local club, see if they have any practice shoots during the week...that's always a good way to go through the motions of a match in a more relaxed setting. Your local club and/or local matches should have some sort of new shooter orientation that you must attend before you can shoot a match anyway. Take it all in and enjoy!

Update: went to the range on Saturday and shot approximately 200 ACME loaded cartridges without any failures. However I field stripped the pistol after about 100 rounds to check things out. There was the typical carbon or coating build up in the first 2-3 mm of the throat and the remaining cartridges would plunk, but they wouldn't spin. I continued to shoot and noticed that once the pistol was in battery that I couldn't chamber check by pulling the slide rearward slightly. Obviously I didn't chamber check every round, but some, not all, would stick and I couldn't open the slide without applying a lot of force. At this point, I'm ready to go back to jacketed bullets. For what it's worth, I determined the MAX COAL to be 1.205" and 1.1925", for the Blues and ACMEs respectively. So, I highly doubt using a COAL of 1.14-1.15" is the problem. Based on the feedback that I've received, I don't believe that I'm over crimping either. Additionally, I clean my pistol after every use, using SLIP 2000 Carbon Killer and Bore Tech CU+2 Copper Remover - so I know the barrel is very clean.

I pulled some more last night and I do see a ring (indentation in the coating), so I'm suspecting that I'm crimping too much. I don't understand what effect that has though. Can anyone explain?

Would you mind sharing your crimp O.D.? I've been crimping to 0.377", but I'm wondering if this is too tight.

Does that mean that the coating is being scraped away by over crimping, which exposes the lead and melts it when fired? I have pulled seated bullets and do not see any evidence of exposed lead. Are there other clues that would point to over crimping?

I have a production holster from Ready Tactical that I really like. Here's a SS holster to consider: https://cpwsa.com/collections/holsters/products/ready-tactical-uspsa-1911-holster

No, I haven't shot a match at Oceanside. I prefer shooting outdoors.

Welcome! Here are some ideas for you: http://raahauges.com/ (Corono) http://www.uspsa2.org/norco.htm (Norco) http://lineadefuego.net/ (Pala) These are outdoor ranges. Oceanside is indoor.

You definitely have my attention regarding the TG temp. I'm going to address this by a process of elimination. First, shoot Hi-Tek coated bullets only to see if the problem re-occurs. If so, I have some HP38/W231 that I can experiment with. I will have to see what other powders are available to me locally.

ACME uses Hi-Tek, so I'm going to shoot the ACMEs only on a clean barrel and see what happens. Nope, aftermarket guide rod and spring are like new. I have never shot the Blue's and ACME's separately. See above...that's next.

My answers in bold: 1 -- How often do you clean the pistol? I clean the pistol after every use. 2 -- You said you could see buildup in the first few millimeters of the barrel. Did you clean out that build-up to confirm or eliminate that as the problem? That would help narrow things. You also want to make sure it isn't leading. Yes, when I clean the barrel the problem is eliminated and the cartridges will plunk and spin freely again. I'm not sure if the buildup is coating, lead, carbon, etc. 3 -- You said it isn't over-crimped and gave us a measurement. Have you pulled a bullet and confirmed there is no crimp ring in the coating? Yes, I have and there aren't any visible indentations in the bullets. 4 -- Have you checked your dies to confirm the lock rings are still secure to the press? If they slip, the die can start to drift. No, I will check that this evening. 5 -- You told us that your bullets used to plunk and spin freely. What you didn't tell us is what your max OAL was previously and how much you reduced that for your working OAL. If you didn't do that process, if you just tried 1.14 and it plunked and spun fine, you could have been right at the raggedy edge of too long, and what you are experiencing is the result of the natural variation in your pull of the handle or in the length of the bullets themselves. I suppose I have never determined the max. I started with 1.15, which plunked, spun, fed through the magazine, etc., then decreased to 1.14 as part of my recipe development process. 6 -- You said it happened after 100-ish rounds twice. If you cleaned it, there's no way you are going to get that sort of buildup from coating. If you didn't clean it or gave it an easy once-over, then it was at the raggedy edge the whole time, and some cartridges are longer than others, and it found a few that were a hair too long. It was spotless both times, so I'm assuming that 1.14 and 1.15 maybe too close and I need to further reduce the OAL.

Are you using a Glock? I'm definitely not over crimping - I'm just removing the flare. Finished outside diameter = 0.377"

Good idea...I have not shot the ACME bullets by themselves, but I'm planning too.

Are you suggesting that TG is too hot and/or dirty and that carbon fouling is the culprit?

No, I'm checking every round with a case gage. My bell is pretty generous and there's no evidence of shavings from the coating.

No, I'm checking every round with a case gage. My bell is pretty generous and there's no evidence of shavings from the coating.

Blue Bullets (polymer) and ACME (hi-tek)

Last two times shooting, after approx. 100 shots, I begin to experience failures to go into battery when using red and blue coated bullets. Upon further inspection, the cartridge still plunks, but they're tight and won't spin freely. Then I noticed the first 2-3mm of the barrel show some buildup, not sure if it's carbon or bullet coating. The first 100 or so rounds are great! They pass plunk and spin on a clean barrel. I'm extremely happy with the performance of these bullets, but I need to resolve this issue ASAP. Any ideas??? FYI - G34 factory barrel, 147 gr, TG, mixed brass, 1.14" COAL