IC_Cyclone

t boone pickens?

This thread brings back fond memories. My Wham-O Boris Bendy c.1972.

Just got my reloader a few weeks ago. I've loaded a couple thousand 125 gr LRN w/ 3.9 Titegroup @ 1.125 OAL and they worked well. I bought some 122 gr LFN bullets over the weekend and am wondering about the correct length. I searched here and some other sites, found some information but not a specific answer, and think I've come up with an idea... but I'd appreciate any feedback to see if I'm on (or especially off) track. So I started out seating the 122 gr LFN to 1.125 OAL. The grease ring was visible and the round wouldn't drop fully in the barrel in my CZ. So I measured the bullet lengths and the LFN is 0.053 shorter than the LRN. So is it just as simple as seating the bullet to 1.072? This doesn't decrease case volume which I understand is a concern. A cartridge loaded to 1.08 seems to be just touching the rifling in the barrel. So start @ 3.5 gr Titegroup and 1.072 OAL and work up from there? I couldn't find any published data with loads that short unless the bullet weights were sub 100gr, and most pet loads on web sites weren't that short either. Credible appearing 122 gr LFN data doesn't seem to jump out of search engines.

When my wife and I met in college in the early '80s she had an MGB an I a Fiat. We found we had much in common, such as having to walk most places. We hit it off immediately. The fiat is on blocks in her dad's barn. The MGB in our garage. It has quit and been towed from the exact same spot by the same tow truck driver twice in the last year. AAA on cell speed dial.

The profile photo is similar to the cover of Chadwick's book on Suzuki....

Dogen… turning the light around and looking back

Ha! Everytime I walk through the modification/upgrade process in my mind I end up with a new M2. It really does make a lot of sense. Thinking about it logically I'm left with no other real options. Well maybe an FN. But it's gotta be one of the two. Yup. Perhaps I'll see if I can find a part time job for my wife. She might as well work weekends while I'm off at matches this summer. That'll help with the cost. I'll probably just use the Nova as is for a while and see where things go...thanks for the comments!

I bought a Nova 18.5" w/Ghost Ring sights back when they first came out ('02 '03?). I recently discovered 3 gun and used it a few times in a local match last fall. I'd like to be a little more competitive this season. I did use the search function and found some good information. Got a Nordic extension so I can get 8+1. Ground on the receiver a little bit to expand the loading port. Got some 4 shell carriers and am practicing weak hand reloads. I still have a few questions I couldn't find in the archives: You can correctly assume I know little to nothing at this point, so I won't be offended by very basic answers. Replacing the sights...any suggestions? Maybe a fiber insert in front and ditch the rear completely? Keep using the ghost rings? What about adding choke tubes? The range I've been to has always had close targets only, but I don't think that's always the case elsewhere. Or is cylinder bore ok. I found some threads about who does the work...I'm more interested in whether or not it's a good modification for this purpose. A new 24" vent rib barrel from Benelli ($250+ if I'm not mistaken) costs more than the gun's original price. I think I'd rather put that toward ammo, entry fees and mileage to matches. I don't want to spend alot to try and turn it into something it's not meant to be, but if there are some reasonable mods,any advice is appreciated. Thanks Steve

Prototype mainspring housing for the soon to be introduced Ruger Mk IV .22lr pistol. Note the addition of a biometric palm recognition interlock system. The new housing will still maintain the same easy reassembly as the older Mk II shown below.

This isn't exactly outlining the A zone, but is similar to the negative target concept in post 20. When I started USPSA last July I built six parctice targets out of scrap pegboard. They each have an "L" bracket on the back to slide in a replaceable piece of cardboard in the A zone. Regular cardboard is a shade lighter and is visibly distinguishable from the rest of the target. I just bring along alot of extras cut to size for each session. It seems quicker and easier than taping and the scrap cardboard is free. Plus I have an incentive to shoot A's to preserve my handiwork. I think its been helpful as a novice to overcome a natural tendency to aim center of target/bottom of A zone. If you look closely, I have a few misses, low and left

A quote from another thread: "No other shooter should even be on the course of fire. So, they shouldn't have opportunity to pick up any mags" So with all the video being done these days, youtube posting etc., it is obvious that there are sometimes more people on the COF than the shooter, and RO's. A match I attended recently had one of the very top shooters participating. On a long narrow "hoser" stage he got to the end and then jammed it into reverse to make up a possible mike. Ran into a throng of adoring fans that had followed along with their cameras and iphones. That's probably an exceptional instance, but it also seems that some of the youtube videos are taken by camera operators following the shooters through a COF. I've videoed a few friends, but always from a single point well behind the start position 180. I'll use the zoom if they move very far forward. Personally, I'm not moving past the 180 of the initial start point until the range has been called clear. Others seem to have no problem with it. Advice for the newcomer...is a cameraman on the stage during a COF an issue?

Self deleted...moved to new topic due to major thread drift...

From a different perspective, if I'm the one doing something unsafe how would I want it handled? I'd prefer to be stopped immediately by anyone who observed it. If I didn't know the rule I may ask to see a match official to have it described/documented and I'll take the consequences. If I did know...then, doh...I'll man up and take the consequences. Just don't let me keep on doing something unsafe while an "official" is tracked down. The reason my wife lets me bring our son to these is because of the "obsessive" safety of the organization. My "poorly considered, unconstructive contribution that I'll regret" response to the drift about the hilarity surrounding newcomers: Now that I've been doing this for 7 months or so, bought Rudy's and a CR Speed belt, joined this forum and posted 20 times, I now feel like an "insider" (I still have my old trapshooting earmuffs, I hear the snickers, and am duly embarrassed). But I'm not sure if we're supposed to encourage new people to try this game so we can laugh at them and their equipment, or do we want them to just stay away? BTW, lovin' the secret handshake...

My experience with pinewood derby...coming from multiple wins as a cub scout and webelo and my son having won a couple times: It's (mostly) about the kids. That said, the kids, especially the first year when their skill level is low, are mostly concerned about how the car looks. My dad let me, and I let my son, have complete control over how the car looked. Some kids show up with cars that they obvoiusly never touched. The adult needs to rough out the shape with the power tools, and then the rasping, sanding, paint, stickers, glue-on army men...it's the kids car. How it looks has nearly zero effect on performance. The only item in regard to the shape is the leading edge. Most tracks starting device consists of a bar that drops away at the front of the car. The higher the contact point on the car, the sooner the car begins to move. So a low "nose" can be a disadvantage. OK, so the the scout worked on it, the car looks like a child built it, and he has pride in his car. No reason not to win, too. Have your son mostly observe these steps first year, learn what to do and why. By Webelos he should be doing most of the work. Weight, axles and alignment are everything. Get it up to maximum weight. If you have a precision scale use it and volunteer to be the weighmaster for the race. That way you'll know you can be at the maxuimum allowable weight at weigh in. If a different, less accurate scale is used at the race, you may end up having to drill away weight or be at a disadvantage to heavier cars. Axles and wheels: Put an axle in a wheel and note the contact area between each. You'll want to minimize the contact (friction) by having the axle contact the wheel only at the innermost and outermost points on the wheel. Put the axles in a drill chuck. Use a file to reduce the axle diameter, and therefore the contact area between these points. Still spinning the axle in the drill, use progerssively finer papers and polish to smooth the axles. Be sure to smooth and polish the inside face of the axle hub where it contacts the outer face of the wheel. This can be rough and have some sharp flashing that needs to be removed. Purchase a bolt the diameter of the hub, two washers and a nut. Use these to clamp the wheel in the drill so you can spin it. Use progessively finer papers to smooth and polish the wheels. We also drilled out holes in the wheels to reduce rotational mass as the wheel begins to turn. Probably overkill. Different wheels and axles will perfom better and worse than others. We usually used 2 kits and prepared all 8 wheels and axles and tested each with a "calibrated" spin to see which 4 spun the longest and used those. The "calibrated" spin is analogous to the "125 PF knuckle" tap for falling steel. The wheels should spin and spin and spin and spin for what seems like an impossibly long time, coming to a long smooth stop. A abrupt "braking" type stop means too much friction. And graphite was legal in our pack...its what everyone used. Only dry lubricants were allowed. Check your rules carefully. Finally, the car must run perfectly straight or it will scrub off significant speed rubbing against the track edges (or center rail depending on the track style). There are jigs that are sold, but we found that the best method is trial and error just rolling the car on a level hard surface until it tracks straight and true. Some set up their cars to run on three wheels (one wheel just hangs in the air) to reduce friction. We never did this, just too hard to get set up and keep aligned through multiple runs. Have a great time with you son. Be careful though. This is one of those activities that involves competition, cool equipment, and mechanical tinkering. Apparently some people are predisposed to getting caught up in activites like that. PM me with questions if you have any...

My experience was the opposite. The first 600 rounds (Atlanta Arms 147 JHP) out of my Shadow were trouble free. Enrolled in a class and brought Remington UMC 115 gr FMJ bulk pack ammo because it was cheap and available. Had several feeding issues, so I swiched back to AA&A. No problems. I don't reload and don't have a micrometer, but visually it was clear the UMC 9mm was significantly shorter in OAL to other 9mm ammo on hand. Perhaps the "next round in line" was being dragged forward in the magazine by the disconnector rail and popping up ahead of the extractor? Now, after breaking the breech face edge and polishing the disconnector rail, (and a few thousand rounds) it feeds any ammo. I think the Shadow in particular, and CZ's in general are fine competition guns. I've no standing to comment on suitability for duty use. In particular,...can you describe what malfunction you were having that required the breaking of the Breach face edge. I think I am having the same problems with my New Stock2 small frame (same characteristics as Shadow). Empty casing is stuck against the next round coming up,..which appears to be against the feed ramp. Possibly dragged up there? Extractor may need to be dressed? You know, I'm about as much a novice as possible, so I hesitate to give advice or ascribe any action I took with a particular result. Please don't use tools on your gun based on anything I say. This is what I experienced and what I did: Gun: Standard CZ Shadow, 1 month old at the time, 600 rnds of Atlanta Arms 147 grn JHP through it. Changed to 115 gr UMC FMJ. The malfunction occurred approximately once each 18 rnd magazine. An unfired cartridge would be caught vertically between the chamber and breech face. I recall that sometimes the empty brass was in the chamber still, sometimes not. Sometimes it was difficult to drop the magazine. This was happening on the first day of a 3 day training class...got lots of helpful advice including: change ammo (UMC is too short), gun is new and still tight so lube it up more, and to take a stone and slightly take the edge off the corner of the breech and the disconnector rail. Not following good scientific method, and wanting to get the gun running for days 2 and 3, I did all three at once. All three may have been, or contributed to, the problem/solution that day. I haven't touched the ejector on mine. Used up the 115 gr UMC at the practice range a couple months later. Fed fine. I did notice the original edge on the breech face was pretty "sharp", and I could imagine it being able to pull the next cartridge forward by friction along the top of the case as it chambered the intended round. And the short OAL length round nose UMC seems that it might be shaped such that it would advance forward more easily. All guesswork and speculation on my part, as I'm not a gunsmith and don't play one on the internet. Shoots good now though. Might be magic! I'm sure there are others on the forum with more experience and better advice.