AzYooper

I have had experiences similar to everyone experience with VV 320 using VV 340. I have used it with 9mm, 38super and 45. I like that it is clean and does not cause lots of smoke like some others.

As a somewhat "green" RO I am really learning a lot here, this is a good thread. I do not remember seeing anything about the allowed peanut gallery actions. There are not-allowed actions that are spelled out pretty clearly in the rulebook, but there are always other rules. The experience behind the posts in this thread have shown me a lot.

I think that using maintenance like that will eliminate more than 90% of problems, but for a major match that I have spent a bit of money on it would not be good enough. I broke a slide racker in a small local match and just thought that I had pulled too hard. My gunsmith pointed out an internal flaw in the metal. I have no doubt that SVI parts are made better, but are they tested enough? My thumb safety also broke in a match. It was maybe 6 years old and had shown no cracks or anything. How often should a thumb safety be replaced. I managed without a slide racker for that match and had a replacement part for the thumb safety for the other match. I guess that all my parts are my securuty blanket.

I like this list, but I carry a bit more. I shoot an open STI so of course I would have a couple of backup batteries. Here are some of the items I have broke in the past at matches, and always carry spares: Thumb safety Sear spring (twice) Firing pin stop (twice) Slide catch Barrel link All of these were on a gun I acquired that had a lot of rounds through it. The sear spring was the first to go in a match and I had no backup parts so that match did not get finished. All of the other match part failures were recoverable because I had the parts. I replaced the thumb safety for one I liked better and kept the original as a spare and did eventually need the original. Many of my fellow shooters have backup guns, but I am not able to afford a backup open gun.

I have used 340 for quite some time in my old open 38 and like it a lot. I also used it for 9mm and 45 when I break those calibers out. I have not tried too many other powders (AutoComp, Titegroup, Win 231) and would not classify myself as an expert, but I have always gone back to the 340. It has been cleaner than the others and had minimal flash at night.

I am also a lefty and right-eye dominant. I will position the gun slightly to the right in my shooting stance as some of the other have said. The slight off center maybe even too small to notice when someone is watching me. Since I shoot open and like to have full visibility of both eyes open I have never tried the tape trick, but I do see a few that use that method. I would have to agree with AlamoShooter that the sights are moving off target before the shot breaks. I can shoot with either eye somewhat fast, but not not full speed and if the sights are on the target the target gets hit. I does not matter which eye was aligned with the sights.

I have done the switch to lighter loads for weekly steel matches also, but I don't think that it had quite as big an affect in my old, really old open gun. I feel it was a bit quicker with lighter loads, but believe it is that way because my old gun was not as efficient with recoil from heavy loads. Although I had better times with the lighter loads I really missed the confidence I would have in knocking down large, iffy-calibrated poppers. With full power loads I can proceed from a called shot without hesitation. *I say old because I picked up my new open from Cameron yesterday.

I moved the overlapping ends in the back after I tried to pull out a mag during a stage and the belt/mag pouch came with it. I know that there is a piece that comes with the belt to prevent the ends from coming apart like that, but how many use it? A friend of mine had his belt come off during a major 3 gun match and was DQ'ed.

I was at -7.5 11 years ago and had Lasik. My vision took over a month to come in to 20/20, 20/15 and it has stayed there since. I was 31 at the time and I am now 43 and have not noticed any problems with my close-in vision. For the last 5-6 years my eye Dr has said the same thing, "If it was not written in the notes that you had Lasik, I would not even notice." Like the others that had good results I think that it was the best thing I did. I was not shooting back then so I do know how it affected my shooting. I have a good shooting buddy who is losing his close-in focus and it is really affected his game so I am curious how others work through this.

I use STI 170's and did not want to modify the mags so I had a friend place a small weld on the end of my mag catch. I filed it to fit so it would raise my mag up into the grip just a little more. It is not pretty, but it has worked for more than a year now. I tend to use my 170's quite often, because I miss more than I should. I do have a non-Para SPS 170 and it seems OK, but they did not yet have the Para type when I ordered mine.

I had learned about the one-step rule for ammo also and thought that removing the belt with the the ammo was OK. I had not actually heard about the removing the gun in the holster DQ before, I'm glad I have now. Now that I have heard about it I still would have thought that the one-step rule would be the correct call, even though the topic of this thread raises doubts. Once we get into some of the smaller details there are always more questions. Sometimes the allen screw that holds my mag pouches in their position comes loose and the mag pouch turns upside down. They are always tight enough to hold the mag anyhow, but what if one came out? I certainly could not pick it up.

I am also a lefty and had to go the custom route. I built my own and through trial and error I have the length just right for barricades and the angle just right for my thumb positions. It is difficult to get a slide racker profile that will work with everyone I'm sure. The McLearn slide rackers I have seen look good and are well likes by their users. The racker goes up at a high angle then has a bend straight out. This misses just about any thumb and is up by the scope. Though, I suppose there are those that would not like the high position.

I really like your idea of a test, but maybe not that one. My reloads from the belt are not that fast at all, but others say I can clear a non-firing round with my racker in lightning speed. I suspect the difference in times between no racker and racker is going to be very small and my crappy reload would ruin the comparison. I am thinking a better test would be 20 rounds in a magazine, randomly one of those rounds will not fire and five easy targets. As the shooter quickly hits the five targets over and over there will be a round that needs to be cleared. With a timer the exact time could be found and all the other splits could be calculated in as well if there is the possibility of shooters at different levels.

WOW!! 3.46 seconds!! you should be in the super squad! you must be real good. no man I'm just really lucky That is so not true. Nick is way fast. I know because I have shot with him, and of course lost to him, at the monthly Steel Challenge match.

I have only been an RO a little over 1 year and shooting USPSA a little bit longer than that. I recommend always having a rulebook in your bag. Our range has many RO's with decades of experience and I have learned many things from most of them, but they are not always up on the most current rules. Since I only know the most current rules (at least a year ago), without a rulebook I am usually not taken seriously.

I love how so many have said "Bolt it to the wall" and he didn't. I wish I had found this thread before I mounted my press, it would have saved me some trouble. Seems to work for him though.

I carry a 1911 commander and I feel that it is the right size for me. In competition I use a full-size 1911 and it is what I am used to.

I am glad this thread was started because I wondered how the thumb rest would affect someone who might push too hard (me?). I made one and mounted it. When doing some practice draws and varying my grip pressure about as much I think I might during a stage I seen the dot move more than I would like, so I took it off. I do not know if the thumb rest would work for me or not, but it is helpful to hear other experiences.

That is probably my biggest problem with 1911 45's -- shoving the mag in too hard and getting it stuck in the slide. They usually get stuck pretty good too. I have done this with a few different brands of mags so I try to reload before I am at slide lock if possible.

I know that the start of this thread was for a simple way to re-size an image, but if anyone would like to try out more advanced photo editing I would recommend using Gimp. It is very similar to Adobe Photoshop, but it is free. It can be found here: www.gimp.org. Joe