Tokarev

The rules say that a full length guiderod can be used as long as it's not made from material heavier than regular steel. Shouldn't that mean the Recoil Master is allowed?

The title says it all. I have emailed IDPA but not heard back from them yet.

I think most of the kits from the various parts places come with Wilson barrels. I seem to remember some stuff on ar15.com about Shaw barrels not being accurate but that could have been the shooter. I've found that the guns I've put together with Wilson barrels will shoot an inch or a little better.

Ramshot Zip and WW 231.

I got my new KZ from Scottsdale Gun Center on Monday. I took it to the range yesterday afternoon and shot 250 rounds through it. So far, I'm pleased with the gun but it'll take some time to get used to the big grip. The grip is similar to my STI but seems a little flatter across the front strap. As far as accuracy, I was getting 3-4 inch groups at fifty yards, which is as good as I can do with any pistol. I did have two failures to feed (shooting Federal Classic 185 JHP's) on the second magazine but had no failures of any kind before or after. I shot 100 rounds of the hollow points through the gun and the rest of the ammo was Federal American Eagle ball and some 230 reloads using 6.2 grains of VV340. Recoil and muzzle flip were about on par with the Kimber Pro I took along for comparison. I found that the gun fits into a Safariland 5183 pretty well. It's a little tight but some silicon spray will probably take care of that.

I had a newer model Kimber polymer gun that I was using for Limited before I traded it off on my STI. It was a decent pistol but didn't feed SWC's from a full magazine. It did run fine with ball or round-nose stuff. I had a hard time finding factory Kimber magazines but managed to find a few that I used. I also had a Para magazine that I enlarged the magazine catch slot on so it'd lock into the gun. I used a Dawson Awesome base plate on the Para mag for a total capacity of 17 rounds. All in all, it was a good product. I went with a .40 instead for the higher magazine capacity. If I remember correctly, the gun was about $650 or something like that. I stuck a Briley bushing in the front, put an MMC adjustable sight on the back and replaced the trigger parts with a Nowlin drop-in trigger job. Hopefully when (if) the ban sunsets Kimber will market a .40 that's aimed towards IPSC shooters.

Thanks for the help. Have you noticed any abnormal wear from using Kydex with the Wilson? I know that Glocks show a funny wear pattern when used with Kydex and imagine that the KZ will show the same wear. Thanks again.

I've got a Wilson KZ on order and it should be here Monday. I'd like to get a holster that's IDPA-legal that'll fit this gun. Does anybody know if it'll fit in a Safariland 5183? Thanks ahead of time.

I think the CD/BUL M5 is made in Israel and the single stack guns are made in the Phillipines. No doubt the Israeli stuff is of much better quality. I talked to Wilson and they said the trigger is removable but not without special work. I didn't get into specifics but I'm sure if the KZ needs work or adjustment Wilson will take care of it. As far as parts, they said the only parts that are specific to the KZ are the trigger, magazines, extractor, and the magazine release.

How're things in Colorado? Say hello to Dean Williams and Al Hamor for me. Andrew Butts

I just ordered a KZ-45 from a Wilson dealer up in Scottsdale. I've got four magazines coming with the gun and found a gentleman on 1911forum.com with four more for sale. I should be set! Too bad the delivery time for the pistol is about a month away! I plan on using this for L-10 and IDPA stuff. I have had some troubles in my single stack with Wilson and/or CMC 10-rounders. I haven't tried any MEC GAR 10-rounders but they probably wouldn't be any better than the Wilsons. If anybody cares, I can post a range report after I get the gun.

I've seen a couple references for a bull barrelled gun here. IIRC, IDPA won't allow bull barrels on anything longer than an Officer's Model. Maybe the rules have changed since I last looked.

I owned a Para P.14-45 and a Kimber 10 II Polymer (also a .45) before I bought my STI. I didn't notice any more recoil or muzzle flip from the Kimber compared to the Para. The Para was slightly heavier when comparing the two guns side by side. I liked the Kimber better but had a hard time finding pre-ban magazines for it. And, yes, I know Rescomp makes a Para mag release!

Why do you say a KZ is limited? Shouldn't it be as good a choice as any other 1911 for L-10? I see on the Wilson website that the gun can be purchased with target sights, ambi. safeties, etc. The two examples I've seen had nice triggers and looked like a better choice than something like a Para P-14.45 Enchanted or whatever they call that gun. I've seen nothing but positive press on these guns and have heard that Wilson goes above and beyond when it comes to customer service.

I've got a set of his lightweight grips on my Kimber CDP. They look good and fit perfectly. I have had no problem with the grip screws backing out. I also find that the smoother grips (mine are checkered) don't wear on my shirts like checkered wood grips. I carry the CDP in an IWB holster.

I won a $250 gift certificate at a match and am wondering about getting a pistol painted. The only thing I've got that could use a little work is a Kimber CDP that has some holster wear. Does ROBAR live up to its claims for Roguard? I've seen some other "miracle" polymer/spray paint finishes that wear off in short order. I've looked on the website and Roguard and NP3 look like pretty good stuff. Do any of you have first hand experience? What about their other colors? Wouldn't a green CDP look cool?!!

I've used a bunch of National Bullet's 120 grain cast bullet in my various carbines. I haven't found one powder that's vastly superior to another for use in the carbine. Accurate #9 and H110 are the powders I've used the most and both work fine. One thing to be aware of when shooting lead in a carbine is that you'll eventually need to unscrew the gas piston and scrape the lead out of the gas chamber and off the piston. A gas checked bullet may reduce this somewhat.

I've used a FCD in .45 ACP for years and have nothing but good things to say about it. It's cheap and easy to set. I also use one for all my .40 reloads. I use mixed brass. Some cases don't get resized in the die and some do. In my opinion it's cheap insurance for the occassion AMERC case I miss when sorting my brass! I've found there are alot of people who shun Lee stuff because it's cheap. I, for the most part, have been very pleased with the Lee products I own. I used to have a Pro-1000 for each pistol caliber I reloaded. I don't shoot 9mm or .38 Special anymore so those presses were sold on Ebay. I still have a Pro-1000 for .45 but it doesn't get too much use either. Anyway, I like Lee and recommend the FCD, for whatever that's worth.

From playing with a few, I see they have four reticles. It looks to me like the dot-over-chevron reticle could be great for shooting at different distances. Is the reticle regulated to hit a 100 yard target with the dot and a 300 yard target with the chevron?

I have recently bought a 7.62x39 VEPR and will try it out for 3-gun stuff. I would like to stick a dot optic on it and wonder if the Kobra is worth buying. What about some of the other Russian stuff like the PK-01 Aimpoint clone or that new one that has a black dot when the battery goes dead? Thanks!

And what about a chapter reviewing some of the cheap imported optics like the Kobra and OKO? Not all of us can afford Trijicon stuff.

How about a small chapter on cleaning equipment? There are some things like carbon scrapers and long gas tube pipe cleaners I'd like to know more about. And what about a good overview of the cleaning procedure?

Why doesn't the measure work well with ball powder? I've used it a little bit with AA #2460 and it seems fine. I only loaded ten rounds though.

I am away from home for a few months on a training detail and found myself with some spare time to reload. Of course I didn't bring all my stuff with me and didn't want to spend a fortune on replacing everything so I went on the cheap. I bought a Lee hand press and a Lee perfect powder measure. I've been using this setup to load .223 and have to say that I'm very impressed with the Lee measure. It was cheap and meters powder with amazing accuracy. I'm loading 25 grains of Varget over a 69 grain BTHP and have found that I don't need to trickle the powder when using the Lee measure. And, of course, ball powder meters perfectly also. When I get home I will buy the case activated drop for the measure and replace the Hornandy measure on my Pro-Jector with this one. My Hornady doesn't always throw an extact charge of Longshot, which is what I have been using for .40. Lee=cheap junk that actually works!

Like I said, I loaded a bunch of ammo this way and it worked just fine.