davehorn

I also do it this way. My hands are too small for my strong hand thumb to reach the slide stop. And to paraphrase what Duane said, it's more idiot proof(good for me). The slingshot/over the top method may be fine for "tactical" purposes, but not so much when the clock is ticking. I've never seen anyone do it and thought "that was fast".

Never handled the Techwells, but the two pair of G10's I have are pretty heavy. My VZ's are approx. 1 oz heavier than the rubber grips that came on my Kimber. The grips that came on my TRP are closer to 1-1.5oz heavier than the wood ones on it now. I know this doesn't really answer your question, but I have have found that G10s are on the heavier side. If you're looking for an aggresive grip for an ESP gun, try ERGO grips, they are light and inexpensive($25).

Gotcha. Apologies. How about "over enthusiastic"

To avoid the FTDR, put your keys, or phone in the pockets if you want some weight in them. These are items that you would carry in your pockets on an everyday basis. I would dare even the biggest range nazi to try to give an FTDR for having those in your pockets. I actually have one of the lightweight eotach vests as well. I've found that with the thin fabric, it actually clears easier without anything in the pockets. YMMV.

I've got one of the Blue Stone Saftey concealment vests, it's probably my favorite. Plenty stiff, sewn in interior mag pouches, long enough.

I'm a relatively new SO. At our clubs monthly matches the SO's move with the squad through the stages. I have noticed that my shooting is definitely effected when I'm SOing. I'm too busy watching each shooter, or taking score to think about how I'm going to shoot the stage. I absolutely agree with what others have said as far as it being an essential activity for giving back to the sport, I'm just not crazy about doing it. My shooting suffers.

I love my Dan Wesson PM9. However, DW is not manufacturing them this year, if you can find one they're pretty good out of the box. The only thing they really need for competition is a magwell(IMO).

ETMs would not run in my Dan Wesson PM9, Tripps run perfectly

We thought about running a stage like this at our local club, but decided against it. We figured that at that point it was no longer a "shooting" contest, but a "who can load their mags the fastest" contest.

+1 for the Dan Wesson PM9. Mine is by far more accurate than I am. They are not being made this year, but if you can find one, you won't be dissapointed.

I did time out on the long stage last year! Got all my hits though. I think the OP has the right idea, be safe, relax and have fun. Shooting rifle was very new to me last year, and I haven't gained a whole lot of experience since. Best advice I could give would be to ask questions of the more experienced shooters in your squad(always after they have shot a stage, not right before). Find out why they are doing what they're doing through the course of the stage and it will give you good insight as to certain techniques they are using and more importantly why.

I make no bones, I'm a fat bastard! I can however use the waistband with a single stack mag. If I'm shooting a double stack though, I use the vest pocket. If I try to shove a double stack in my waistband, I'm likely to start gushing gravy.

+1 for the Ready Tactical

Good Luck with it! I hope you get it running. I'm not sure about a break-in on that gun. My PM9 didn't seem to need it like my .45s did. It(the PM9) does seem to run a little smoother now that it has had about 300-400 rds through it, but the difference is barely noticeable whereas my Kimber and SA ran noticeably better/smoother after a pretty significant break-in. The kimber only took about 450 rounds, but the springfield took closer to 1000 to really smooth out.

The Wilson ETM's did not work in my Dan Wesson PM9. They seated(sat?) too far in the gun. The 10 rd Tripps however work great. Through about 1200 rds they have been solid. Haven't tried any others. Curious about the Dawsons now.

The only thing I really have to compare it to is a 500 pump gun, and a Browning A5, but it's defintely manageable. I'm not a very good shotgunner, so it will shoot faster than I can, but for a 12ga it ain't bad.

I've had my 930 for almost a year and mine has run great with everything from bird(the cheap stuff), to buck, to slugs. I had to adjust the front sight quite a bit for the slugs to print on paper at 50yds. Mine has been great, but I've only put about 300-400 rounds through it. However I have a buddy who had one that would only cycle high-brass shells, he tried every type of less expensive ammo (and detail clean/oil) and nothing worked. The trigger guard on his ended up breaking off during a stage which required shots while prone on top of large rock. Yes that could possibly be operator error for leaning to hard on the rock, but I shot the same stage the same way with no issues. He traded/replaced it with an FN which seems to be a great gamers shotgun. It seems from reading this thread (and personal experience) the spx is a mixed bag. If yours will work with cheap birdshot, it's a good gun. If not, I would try to maybe trade it before it gets too much wear and you take a beating on the trade in value.

You might be right. I never had any trouble out of the Shooting Star 38 Super mags. I might just put new springs in them sine they are pushing 20 years old. they aren't the prettiest things in the world, but 0000 steel wool polishing does wonders for them, slick as glass. an old trick from archery days before carbon fiber made the scene. dang, i'm getting old! I will order a 9mm Wilson for my Kimber Team Match. never been impressed with Kimber mags. Be wary of the 9mm Wilsons. They did not fit my Dan Wesson PM9. They're too long and don't seat properly. Also as I think somebody mentioned before in another case, if you get sporty during a speed reload they will jam the gun up. Make sure to try them for fit and function before actually using them. I love my wilson .45 mags, but the 9MM ones did not work for me.