mjts

Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm not sure if you can have both a very light trigger and a short positive reset on a striker fired pistol. My Glock 35 has a short positive reset whiich I like, but the trigger pull is definitely heavier than other club members who run Glock 34/35's which have a lighter trigger but a long reset. For me, having the short reset was worth an extra 1.0 to 1.5 lbs. of trigger weight. You should be able to adjust the trigger reset on your pistol to suit your shooting style. Mike

I have the soft gel ear pads for my Sordins and that does help to keep the pressure off the shooting glasses frame. Also (at least to me), the type of frame matters. Oakley Full Jacket and Rudy Magsters don't bite as much as my Oakley Half Jackets did. Mike

I'm having the same question with my movement. I also take short stutter steps between positions and it seems to be costing me a fair amount of time, I'm not sure if the short steps are an issue, but my acceleration out of a position and balance moving into a position is weak. I've started doing some footwork drills and plyometrics this weekend in addition to the standard moving into and out of a shooting box drills. My hope is that the movments will eventually become subconcious; at that point we'll see if my stage times show improvement. Mike

Six stages including a classifier every other weekend for the outdoor matches, four stages including a classifier once a month at the indoor range. Mike

i had excessive peening of the cylinder stops that caused and alignment problem and misfires with the stainless cylinder.. Replacing the cylinder with a titanium cylinder appears to have solved the problem. Since the titanium cylinder is lighter than the stainless cylinder, the trigger pull is supposedly lighter due to less inertia. And it looks cool. Mike

Indoor lighting can be inconsistent and picking up a fiber optic front sight can be difficult at times. Shooting outdoors is more comfortable, unless it's raining. Luckily, I have both options open to me within travelling distance. Evening practice sessions aren't really an option for an outdoor range unless you're lucky enough to belong to a range that has lighting.

Dawson Precision; you have the option of a light, heavy (5.5 oz.), or x-heavy (6.7 oz.) magwell. I also like the replacable base inserts. Mike

I have pretty small hands (size 7 gloves) and initially thought that a I needed a narrow grip frame to shoot well in competition. I tried a Sig 226 with thin grips for Production but eventually settled on a Glock 34. What I found out over time is that with enough practice, you can manipulate a Glock magazine release. When I switched to Limited, I used a Glock 35; having an extended release made magazine changes a little easier but I still needed to shift my grip slightly. I actually prefer a thicker grip now and have switched out the thin AlumaGrips on my 1911 to full size G10 slabs. Mike

With the time commitments that people have between work, family, and competition, it's hard not to feel guilty at times. What seems to work for me is trying to have a 100% commitment to where you are and who you're with for the time you're there. If I'm with the family, it means not getting distracted with work issues (I'll usually forward may calls to voicemail and answer them later) or shooting (dryfire practice after everyone is asleep). My philosophy, however, doesn't seem to apply to work very well since I'm posting this between appointments . Mike

+1 I do have a "parts" kit that has a couple of recoil springs, a pin set, replacement slide stop, replacement fiber optic tubes, and a spare fitted extended magazine release. The kit and tools (hammer, punch, lighter, screw drivers, and allen wrenches) get tossed into the range bag for a match. Mike

That's supposing your gun has a grip safety... I shot with a G34/G35 for several years before switching to a 2011 this year. For me, I flat mainspring housing seems to work best, but I have small hands (size 7 glove). I think that if you spend enough time with the 1911, you will adjust to it easily. The hardest thing when switching from a Glock to the 1911/2011 is remembering to disengage the thumb safety before pulling the trigger. Mike

I actually like the Arredondo extentions in combination with the Dawson ICE magwell. I would make sure that whatever extentions you decide on properly fits the USPSA magazine gauge. This is important if you're planning on shooting in any of the major matches. Mike

Pro-Pain, yes, it's a very clean break. I don't know what kind of firing pin it is and it never gave any symptoms prior to the break. I have no idea what caused the break. I had two Glockworx lightened strikers break like this; not sure what caused the failure. I did a LOT of dry firing but I didn't think dry firing could cause a striker to fail. Mike

I had a similar problem with my 2011; the slide stop was working its way out slighly and was intermittently locking up the slide. I put a small detent in the stop to keep it from moving on its own and the problem appears to be solved. Mike

I've got a used open frame (2011 short dust cover) drilled and tapped for a c-more mount and was thinking of using it to build a back up limited gun (.40 SW). Is there a problem with leaving the mount holes open? Would having screws set into the holes help preseved the threads in case I wanted to go back to an open set up? Thanks, Mike

I was in your position about a couple of years ago; I shot a couple of matches with the stock gun then went whole hog on changing out everything that didn't feel perfect. Switched out the trigger for with a Vanek package, put in Warren Tactical sights (had them on my Sig 226 and liked them), put on Tru-grip tape, and bought CR Speed magazine holders (already had a Blade-Tech holster for the G34). Didn't replace the stock barrel on the 34 since I was shooting plated bullets. The sad thing is that after shooting Production for about 8 months, I switchd over to shooting Limited and started the process all over again Mike

I just had my single stack NP3'd by Robar. I like the slick finish and the gun pretty much wipes clean after a match. Mike

Thanks for the info! Looks like I'll shoot it in the white until I make a decision. Mike

I'm thinking of getting a new 2011 and can't decide on hard chrome or ion bond as the final finish. During the initial break in period, is it better to have it blued or will there be a problem leaving the gun in the white? Thanks! Mike

I've been using the Racemaster for the past 5 months. Initially, my Glock 35 didn't fit the holster well but Saul replied to my email within hours with a solution. Since adjusting the retaining block (about a 10 minute sanding procedure), I haven't had any probelms with it. I was using a Ghost holster but the Racemaster retention system seem more secure to me (even after replacing the retention spring in the Ghost). The Racemaster has held up well with no adjustment issues. Mike

I've actually been trying to index the moonclip/cylinder without looking too closely. Still need to practice it a lot more but when it works it's pretty fast.

I've also just recently got into the revo game, shooting ESR in IDPA. I also shoot in USPSA but mostly in Production. For me, revolvers are better suited to IDPA since the stage round counts are usually lower (18 rounds max). The problems that can arise are if the IDPA stages are not revolver neutral; breaking the stage into 6 shot arrays can be challenging. A lot of the USPSA matches that I'm shooting will also have motion targets (drop turners, swingers, ect.). In a IDPA match, it requires some additional thought in ammo management. Other than that, the fundamentals are pretty much the same. Mike

It will get better; you'll become less nervous and be better focused over time. Shooting in the larger matches (state and regional) and shooting as many local matches as you can afford to may also help. At least for me, the severe jitters that I had as I stepped into the shooting box have been replaced by anticipation and focus. Having a consistent pre-shot routine also seems to help me with anxiety (check magazines, visualization of the COF, dry grip at the line, unloaded sight picture and dry fire at the "load and make ready" command, ect). Mike

Welcome, For USPSA production I would consider a Glock 34; it's relatively inexpensive to start with and replacement parts/upgrades are pretty cheap. Mike

I've only been shooting USPSA for about a year and it seems that while production is the easiest division to get started in, it's the hardest to shoot well. You really have to be able to "read" a stage to figure out if it is a high or low hit factor stage and run it accordingly. My reloads have to be spot on or I'll easily add several additional seconds in a 24 shot stage. I'm still at the point where I'm focusing on the fundamentals, but over the past several months I feel that I'm better able to plan my movements and be much more efficient when I run a COF. Mike