Steve O'Connell

I am looking for a shop that will add forward slide serrations to my M&P Pro 5". Cerakote refinishing would be required as well. I am in the Seattle area so close-by is a plus but I don't mind shipping. I would prefer it not take months to get it back. Any recommendations on types of serrations, other pros and cons? What shop to do the work? Thanks!

This for my 3-gun mags. Tried Lancers and I really like them too. I have a 40 and a 20 in my bag for special occasions. One issue I've had is the Gen 3 Pmags do not work in my Lancer magwell. I was not happy about that. Not sure how you design a competition accessory that will not accept the most widely used mags. On the other hand, not sure why Magpul had to change the outside design.

A friend and I just got our 1301s back from Steve too. Same work and all done to perfection. One thing that really impressed us was Steve's customer service. He responds fully and quickly to any questions or concerns you might have and delivers exactly what he said he would and on time. Refreshing! My fold-up rear sight:

Nice pistol txolds! I like the backstrap. Good reminder about the base pads, I just switched to the Taran red extensions, should work with the magwell. I need to find more red for the pistol. At my first 3-Gun match I didn't realize that I had a cut on the palm of my hand caused by my shotgun. I managed to bleed all over my M&P. A friend who came to observe pointed out the blood on the holstered pistol and thought it was pretty badass. He started shooting 3-Gun the next month. He calls it 3-Wallet. I just finished his AR, it's the one just above mine in the previous picture.

Thanks Garmil, I ordered the Limited Brass version.

Ooooo, ahhhh, that's gorgeous. I tried to attach a picture of my AR below, love red on black. I'd like to swap my flat front Apex trigger for a red one but it's probably not worth what it would cost. So it does look like you installed the .61lb larger brass magwell. Food for thought!

That's good information. Did you go with the .31lb Limited 10 brass magwell or the .62lb Limited version. I'm going to guess the Limited 10?

That was my thought initially but I have read of people getting good results from some of the larger aluminum magwells. I like the brass, just afraid it may be too much of a good thing.

I searched and read everything I could find and, as usual, I am more bewildered. I am looking to add a magwell to my M&P Pro 9mm. My main motivation is for recoil & muzzle flip reduction and indexing my grip. Faster reloading is a nice extra. It looks like SSS is a great place to look but there is such a wide variety of materials and weight. I will be using the pistol for 3-Gun and some USPSA matches. It seems like I should buy the heaviest I can find but some folks seem to get pretty good flip-reduction from lighter magwells. Thoughts?

Be careful with the adjustable gas block fit inside your handguard. Seems like the last couple of builds I've done the gas blocks are getting fatter and the handguards are getting skinnier.

OK, thanks, that's very helpful. I have noticed a bit of variation in uppers I have assembled. This would tend to support the barrel-nut-tighter-is-more-accurate school of thought as well. I have a couple of uppers to assemble shortly including re-barreling my own 3-gun from an 18" to a Stretch 16. Really looking forward to that! This has been a great thread for the beginner, thanks.

Can you explain what's involved with thermal mating and shimming?

I have had several M&P pistols in 9mm and have helped friends with theirs. I got rid of my M&P 45 and I regret doing it. It was a great shooting pistol and my only bone to pick was the 10 round capacity, i just wish it had held a few more.

Very glad to hear your 1301 is working. A friend and I each bought a 1301 for 3-Gun. His ran perfectly out of the box but mine needed a box of 1300 fps shells before it would run with the lighter 1150's we use for most 3-Gun targets. I don't keep very good round-count records but mine has several hundred flawless rounds since that first day with minimal cleaning but fresh oiling for each outing. Yours is a new high in tight tolerances!

Stacking tolerances?

Do not give up on your 1301, they are truly wonderful guns. I love mine, especially since Steve at Rose Action Sports perfomed some magic on it. Double and triple check your assembly sequence against some reliable pictures or videos. My 1301 will practically fall together.

Myself and a couple of friends placed orders a few days apart. They all shipped 2 weeks after the order dates.

http://www.safariland.com/products/holsters-and-gear/gear/pouches-cases-and-holders/competition/holders/model-086---8-shotgun-shell-holder-model_086_8.html Just picked up a few of these after taking a Keith Garcia class. Used them for the first time in a match yesterday and loved them. They adjust very nicely and hold the shells perfectly, not too tight and not too loose. I realized I never thought about them when I reloaded, only after the stage when I realized they were empty, that's a good sign. They will let you grab 2 or 4.

Miculek. I think it works 'cause nobody likes to stand next to me at the range.

No expert here but be careful that your handguard lives up to its name and does not allow your fingers to come in contact with the barrel or gas block in the "heat of battle/competition". Also, be sure your chosen length goes out as far as possible to provide safe grabbing locations and flexibility against barricades. Looks like you are using a 16" barrel? I have an SLR on an AR pistol and it is great. My 3-gun and home defense ARs have Fortis handguards. After taking a 3-gun class I realized there were some holes in the guard that might let my fingers come in contact with the gas block. FWIW.

A little follow-up. I was able to duplicate the failure with 2 different 147fr loads and a fairly light 115gr load. I removed the RAM device and ran the pistol at a class for several hundred rounds and experienced no further "dead trigger" syndrome. Guess I'll leave the RAM out!

Interesting, I took a look at the striker and it looks like new. The pistol only has 1,000-1,500 rounds on it. Thanks though. I'll check my older M&Ps.

So, I have a Pro with the Apex Flat Front trigger set up for competition. I have the RAM installed. I am beginning to experience the dreaded "dead trigger", i.e., new round chambers but no striker reset. For background, I have fired maybe 500-750 rounds of 115gr ammo with no trouble. I switched to 147gr because I prefer the recoil "push" vs. the 115gr "snap". With 1000fps Federal 147gr factory loads the pistol operated fine. The dead trigger did not manifest until I used some loads down closer to 900-950fps such as the Freedom 147 hollow point. My gun was purchased new in March of 2015 and does have the larger sear spring and plunger. Any thoughts on fixing this? I will try some 115gr again to see if the trouble is bullet weight-related or some wear-in with the pistol. I seem to recall reading that the slide to frame fit can contribute to the development of sear issues.

Ditto on the Invictus. I like that I could "tune" (bend) the hanger to make the draw straight and smooth.

You have just defined the essence of 3 gun. Yeah, the friends I hooked on 3-Gun call it 3-Wallet.