Sam

Jim Carey does Clint Eastwood better than Eastwood does. Loads of laughs and it made me think too. Morgan Freeman does God better than George Burns. Go see it. Good movies are in short supply.

Kyle, I figured I should comment, since I did this to my long dust cover about 3 years ago. (Yes, I'm one of those maniacs who has a mill and lathe in the basement.) It may sound comical, but with a small mill like mine, (Smithy) I DID hacksaw all but about the last 1/8". Then, I cleaned it off with a carbide cutter. I didn't bother with the scallops but may, some day when I'm bored. For me, shortening the dust cover was a good way to go. I finally figured out a grip that works for me, and I just don't need the additional weight anymore. Recently I went with a standard weight Kart barrel too. No problem at 170 PF. The gun is more "active" now and a long dust cover gun feels like a plow horse to me . It's a gut wrenching decision to cut one off, but I realized that I could shoot a stock .45 as quickly as the heavy gun, so I went for it. No regrets. Machine shops around here are about $45 per hour. Now, I use an Uncle Mikes Kydex holster and my costume is the same for IPSC and IDPA. Good luck, what ever you decide.

The CZ-75 is a nice production gun for me. Historically, I'm a 1911 guy and I was able to make the transition to the CZ alright. The controls on a CZ are in the right place for a 1911 shooter. But, seating the teenie-weenie magazines (compared to STI) on the fly has given me mucho grief! It's a good entry level gun for the price. I think Glocks are neat, but that grip doesn't work well for my hands either. Of course, your best bet is to shoot as many production guns as you can lay your hands on and see which one fits you the best. Firing the first shot double action took some getting used to. After I began to treat it as part of the draw stroke it seemed much more natural.

Thanks SiG Lady! Flex, it's the light wallet system round here. (I would never chain Robin to anything, unless she asked me to) Who's ya daddy?? Pistol, it sounds like you and your financee are off to a good start. She's going shooting with you on Sunday. Next weekend is hers right? Always remember this Pistol. Love is not some cosmic force of the universe or some chemistry between two people that draws them together. Love is a choice. It's a constant exercise of free will.

Good rule of thumb: If she can get far enough out of the kitchen to chew on you for rebuilding your motor in the living room, her chain is too long. (all in jest, she's my biggest fan) My wife loves horses and quilting. When I wanted a 650 Dillon several years ago, I saved up and bought her the sewing machine she had been dreaming of. Then she bought me the 650. If I get to wanting a new gun, I just go out and buy her a saddle. Or better yet, some new expensive custom jewelery. When she asks why, just tell her she's worth it. (she knows she is) Then, I tell one of my buddies that she knows, which gun I'm wishing for. Within a couple of months, voila! Said gun appears! Too many people waste money spoiling their kids. Nobody likes a spoiled kid anyway. But, spoiling the wife has it's benefits! I'll leave it at that, lest some children be reading the forum. BTW, don't even try to get off cheap. They pick up on that s#!$ real quick and they remember it for years. Count on spending at least twice what your stuff is gonna cost, on her. Getting along with a babe is simple, just give her whatever the hell she wants.

Ron, you are a class act!!! I wish I had been there to see that one. Nice of you to act up and get +20 sec. so somebody else can win HOA for a change.

I'm a sucker for a well stated statistic every time! Well at least 78% of the time .

Gotta watch those Nigerians! Dood they are so clever. Last year we got an envelope at work. We were on security level "orange" and this hand scrawled envelope with no return address shows up in the box. I work on a major gas pipeline. (terror magnet) What the heck we decided, call the area boss and let him know. "Sounds fishey" he says, "better call the Sheriff". Deppity takes the envelope down to the local health department and they open it under lab conditions. There's this goofy letter from Mr. Nigeria inside with a sob story about being on the verge of losing a fortune. If we would kindly fax him our bank account numbers to use to claim his fortune, he will share his fortune with us. "Gee Forrest, maybe we should help the guy?"

Dog, I've had this happen twice. Once about 10 years ago and again last summer. The first time it was 11 grains of Bullseye under a 230 lead bullet and last time 11.6 grains of 231 under the same type bullet. The first time scared the crap outta me and distroyed a nice pair of Remington shooting glasses, a magazine, and left some nice black stripes on my aching hands and some brass in my face. ANother time two of us had just set up a 550 and were taking turns loading and talking way too much. Somebody forgot to manually index a round. It happens. I am more careful now to always look inside the case at the powder charge. Once in a while, this will also prevent a squib load. And I always wear the safety glasses. Especially when reloading The second time it only startled me, but I knew instantly what had happened, and so I started to laugh. But, the guy I was shooting with nearly had a siezure! It blew the mag out and broke the tooth off the mag catch. Yep, zapped another pair of shooting glasses too! Both times were double charges without a doubt. The moral of hte story? It's a dangerous world. We play with dangerous toys. Always wear safety gear and try to pay attention. But then, tie the throttle down and go till you see blood or smell $#!t.

Jack, the Mile High in 1995 was my "first ever" big match. I was green as grass and so excited I could hardly eat. I thought it was so cool, and still do, that USPSA has sponsored pros shooting with amatuers. I'll never get to drive a NASCAR and swap paint with an Earnhardt. (and that's probaby a real good thing) But, practical shooting competition still gives me, and and alot of other "average" folks, a chance to test ourselves against the best in the world. People compete for a lot of reasons, but for me, that's the bottom line. I just gotta know. Without guys like you to chase, there is no dream to fullfill. I think you must know that feeling or you wouldn't have accomplished the things you have. Your presence in this sport, as well as on this forum, is vital to guys like me. So, Here's to the fire! And to those in whom it burns!

St. Mark's powder? Never tried it. But, I understand that the brothers down at the rectory swear by it. Well, I didn't really mean swear . Ditto everything Flex said about OAL. I think the practice of loading .40 ammo to the maximum length got pretty popular when people started loading 200 grain bullets. Pressure issues can arise, and like Flex pointed out, longer is generally safer, until you get too long. I load to about 1.16 for my STI, with 180 grain bullets. I'm using a Kart barrel, and it shoots really well with this combination. The mags would easily handle longer stuff, and alot of people do load longer in the S_I guns. I'll admit that I really don't experiment very much with this sort of thing after I've found something that works. My gun and ammo are usually flawless. It's the loose nut behind the trigger that causes most of my trouble.

Kurt, please accept my humble apology. I must have been outta my head to take your post wrong. I'm sorry. Like you, I also favor the .308 rifles. The M1A and FN FAL are my two mainstays. Yep, the AR really is a carbine. I'm putting a scope on my AR today to get ready for a non-USPSA tactical match next month. I know my my team would get smoked if I tried to shoot irons in this match. BTW, I got a couple of lucky guesses on my last vision test at the drivers liscense bureau, the lady told me that if I had missed one more, I would have to wear my glasses to legally drive. I hope nobody took offense at my wise crack. I'm getting old, and I just can't seem to do it gracefully. Like George Foreman said about ten years ago, "Forty ain't no death sentence"............. Of course, It's just a short hop from there to "I've fallen and I can't get up" .

My post was in answer to kellyn's original question. I assumed the question was asking: should USPSA allow optical sights in limited rifle? Limited is a division, "D" is a class. (using capital letters and alot of exclaimation points when you disagee with someone is a lack of class) And I would prefer allowing optics in limited division over creating a new division for the legally blind. If you prefer something diffierent, that is ok with me. I'm going to keep shooting anyway they cut the deck, because that's what I like to do.

Real good thread! There are probably alot of people out there who would do better shooting an optical sighted rifle. I know I certainly do better with one. However, I still shoot predominately irons on my AR. Our local club matches do permit scopes on the rifle without bumping a guy to open. We only have one open pistol shooter in the club anyway, so what the heck. Most of the other guys like a scoped rifle too. I'm just a die-hard I guess. Hitting a far way target with irons is just more interesting to me. So, my opinion: As long as there is a limited class, I'd like to see all the guns in it shot John Wayne style, with irons. But, my gut instinct tells me that I'm seriously in the minority. I think a new "tactical" or, whatever you want to call it class, that would allow optics on the rifle only would pull virtually everone out of the existing limited division. USPSA is pretty good about listening to its membership. If it ever comes about, I would rather just change the current rule for limited rifles to allow a fixed low-power scope or something else that would differentiate a limited rifle from an open rifle. Just for example: The rules could permit a non-magnifying dot or a compact fixed power scope not too exceed a certain size and magnification. As long as I'm on this thread, wouldn't it be cool to have a handfull of rifle and shotgun classifiers? Hopefully nobody flames me for saying that, it might be a nightmare for HQ. But I think it would be cool. You should still have to claim your highest classification in any match, though.

All of this dietary information is important. I like to go the high protien, low carb route. But, that's pretty much how I eat everyday, so it's easy. And I agree that hydration is an absolute must. But, here is something unrelated to nutrition that I've noticed about my own energy level. Earlier this month I got up at 2:00 am and drove 5 hours to shoot one of my favorite matches. I shot 8 stages between 8:00am and 4:00 pm. Then drove 5 hours back home. My legs were starting to get a little weary by the last stage, but my shooting was still spot-on. When I used to get all keyed up emotionally before and during a match, I would feel exhausted by mid-afternoon. I still get a little of the "first stage jitters", but nothing like I used to feel. For the last year or so, I just don't get all that concerned about trying to win. Winners are determined months in advance by their level of preparation. If you are fully prepared, you know exactly what you're capable of doing, and you just do it. No stress. No exhaustion. And it's way more fun! We are shooters of all ages and levels of physical condition. The one common denominator that could make even the most well nourished and well rested of us feel tired, is the adreanaline crash. I used to be a real adreanaline junkie. (My wife says I've reached 44 without having a mid-life crisis because I didn't stop doing crazy s#!t till after I was 40.) There aren't too many things that make your limbs feel as heavy and slow as the "crash" that follows the adreanaline shakes. I'm betting that this is the energy drain that alot of competitors have to deal with later on in a match. If you think this description fits you, then you might want to give some thought to when you care about winning. What I'm saying is this: If you care enough to prepare, and understand how prepared you are, you won't need to fret about anything come match day. And without the adreanaline stirring around in your system, you shouldn't feel any more tired than after a day out plinking in the gravel pit with your buddies.

"It's all a very, very bad bit of corruption" Yep, I'm with you, Siggy! When Greenspan announces his "retirement", ostensibly to spend more time with his family, that will be the two-minute warning. Then enter the new scapegoat Fed Chairman to take the fall. A bursting credit bubble can be a real character building experience for a whole generation of people. Friends are more important that careers. Family, more important that finances. Some things will last. Blessed be the balanced, for they shall out last us all!

I hate being too busy to drop in on the forum. But, it looks like the Friday Flamer is going strong! Cool! Starbucks coffee is too weak, too expensive, they make you wait in line, and then they give it to you in a paper cup. Drinking coffee served in a paper cup, no matter how good the blend, is like smoking a cheap cigar. I hate watching the way our society is addicted to borrowing money. The prime rate at 1%! What happens next? Is the "Wizard of Fed" going to start paying us to borrow money? Doesn't anyone understand that regression to the mean is an irrefutable law of nature?

I never thought about it before, but my guns probably do resemble me. The finishes look like hell. There are usually a few non-essential parts missing. Friends have dared me not to modify new guns, knowing that I can't help it. I always seem to have to do something to personalize them. If they are reliable and accurate, I don't care about how they look. But, how they feel and perform is very important. The guns are just a conduit that carries me to the shooting and provides feed back from the target. Shooting another persons gun is like wearing their shoes. They may be the right size, but they just don't feel like mine.

Man, today is the day! Actually the match is tomorrow, but we'll be leaving at 03:00 to arrive on time. Why would anybody drive 10 hours round trip to shoot for 60 seconds? Well for starters, the guy who runs the match does such a great job that I would hate myself for the rest of the year if I missed it. Forum members Ron Ankney and John Dunn will be there. (that alone is worth the drive and cost of admission.) This is the 4th annual match. This year, open guns will be allowed for the first time. Now, there are divisions for cowboy single actions, open blasters, limited guns, and revolvers. Most of the match is steel poppers plates at moderate distances. You get two runs only, and no throw ways. I expect to see some smokin' fast runs! High Country Shoot Out? No exagerration, the range is somewhere above 7,000 ft elevation and the scenery is stunningly beautiful. The last two years weather from all four seasons made brief appearances. Bring your gloves, bring your tee shirts and sun screen but, bring your Denali gear too. The temperature at starting time is expected to be near freezing, with sun and high 70's by mid-day. Another cool thing, you never know who might show up. Last year two Gunsite instructors just happened to be in the state on a teaching assignment. I got to squad with one of them, what a treat! Good times coming!

Hey, where'd Flexmoney go? He started this thang!

I heard that Hamas suicide bombers are favoring 10mm Glocks. They just walk into a crowd, point the gun in the air and start yankin' the trigger. It's simpler than a Semtex vest, the trigger feels about the same as a Camels teat, and they don't blow up until the bomber is ready.

I dunno Nik. Collectively, we can't seem too bright for "surviving" here. It's the 6th of June and the rain is supposed to change to snow around mid-night. No kidding! (Shouldn't we be out waterskiing somewhere.) Never mind, some of us probably are. I'm going into town tonight just to watch the Tourons on the pilgrimage to Yellowstone. They'll undoubtably be a few down at the truckstop shivering in their bermuda shorts and Birkenstocks. Even though it's only going to get down into the mid-thirties, I think I'll wear my North Face parka and Elmer Fud hat. The cosutme will add a bit more realism to the story when we sit in the booth next to them and recollect, just loud enough, about that poor family from Alabama that was found frozen to death last 4th of July. "Sad it was, sad indeed.........say, did you folks ever hear the story of the Donner Party ?"

What?? They're not like a regular cat? Now I understand why, on our recent trip to Bend, we saw signs in the mountain passes that read: "DO NOT PASS THE SNOW PLOW ON THE RIGHT". Oh, I don't mean to imply that we don't have dumb people in Wyoming too. We just like to let them learn from experience.

Tightloop, that was a great rant! Here's to the Sovereign Individual! Remember: People who follow the flock, eventually step in $#!t.

Americans have such short memories. Every election some politician says he's going to "downsize" the gummit. Yet, government continues to grow unabated, creating generation after generation of dependents held hostage to the belief that they cannot succeed with out some sort of quota, or handout, or federal program to help them along. This hostage constituency is the bread and butter of the socialist left wing. Now a few words about "W". This President is probably the most capable business executive to ever hold the highest office in the land. He is a graduate of Yale Business School and holds an MBA. (Ted Kennedy dropped out of Yale. Bill Clinton attended Oxford, but never graduated.) He has owned and operated a professional sports franchise and yes, he has also been a successfull "oil man". While Hollwood would like to portray him as something of a simpleton, in reality there are very few in public service who could match, or even grasp, his level of business accumen. George Bush knows that the only way to save our faltering economy is to downsize government. The only way to downsize government is to reduce the operating budget and let the chips fall where they will. He also understands that without cutting the size of government, it will soon crush the ability of the private sector to feed it. f the world's largest economy slides into depression, the rest of the world's economy will follow. The crash of 1929 was in no way limited to Wall Street. It was global. And the global depression set the stage for the rise of Adolph HItler and WWII. Not a pretty picture. The President knows exactly what is at stake here. This is dead serious. And it's high noon. Pray that he may be granted wisdom.