scap99

+1 on the dowel trick for getting max OAL and then backing it off a hundredth or so. I used this method and found a measurement that works pretty well for my particular application.

My STI Tactical 5.0 is incredibly accurate.

Damn, my stomach just knotted up thinking about being "on call". On Call ranks in my top ten "hates".

Good job Grumpy! I think I had this one figured out about the same time as you did, using our mutual friend "Google".

Just tried it, no problems with it using Firefox.

I had mine done a year ago in April. Fixed a deviated septum, opened up my turbinates, had the holes in my sinuses opened up so the mucus could drain, and adnoid removal. Basically, a brand new nose from the inside... I had some minor pain and discomfort, but the really really bad part was the nasty bacterial infection I got afterwords. I was on an oral antibiotic for post op, but that didn't work. So they upped the strength to some high power stuff, which didn't work, either. I was kept on the oral antibiotic, but was then given huge injections of Rocephin and I also had to snort Cipro via a saline irrigation. The doc's were really concerned that I was going to have the infection spread to my meninges (meningitis). That being said, I'd gladly do it again. I can breathe now. I can fly on a plane and not experience pain and then get a nasty sinus infection. I don't snore anymore, and I don't "need" my APAP machine anymore. Life is better for me now, even though I had a bit of a tough recovery.

+1 on the Frankford Arsenal when it's on sale at Midway. I got mine last year and pretty much retired my old RCBS balance beam scale.

I feel your pain... I was taught to shoot right handed, but, like you, I am left handed. I still don't feel comfortable with my grip when practicing to shoot lefty, but seem to have good accuracy when I do. I much prefer to shoot single handed with my off hand. I would think that with us already being left handed, we might pick up the "weak" hand shooting a bit quicker than a true righty. All it takes is practice and repetition.

I got some Magtech a while back from Midway. I've had really good luck with them. I've also had great luck with Winchester and CCI. All my experience is with SPP only.

I don't think AA7 is that bad. I used to shoot it in Production under a 115gr FMJ and I got along fine with it, that's 7.9 grains under a 115gr FMJ, somewhat lighter loaded than your 8.8gr. under 124gr. I usually cleaned the gun every 1000 rounds or so. A guy who tried my loads in his singlestack liked them so much he wanted to start loading them. PF was around 132. AA7 worked great in my XDM, but my STI wouldn't feed it for anything. Just not enough forward force on the slide to shove the round fully into battery with the "coarse ground black pepper" grains left behind in the chamber. I wish it would have worked better for me, as I have most of the pound of it left over. I might try it in a .40 load and see how it does, but for my STI, which is my primary shooter, it's just not good enough.

CocoBolo, thanks for the TG recommendation. I loaded up about 100 with your recipe of 4.2 grains of TG under the 124gr Montana Gold JHP. These guys shoot soft! BIG difference against my N350 loads.

You just had to ruin that biscuit with margarine, didn't you! although, I do have to agree, I was shooting my XDM and STI side by side today and the 3-dot was very annoying.

I didn't mean there was something "wrong" with your mags. Your mags are going to be the limiting factor in your OAL, not your chamber. XDM mags are designed to run factory length ammo. The rounds will start dragging on the front of the mag before you run out of chamber/throat in most cases. The chamber on the STI is the same length as the chamber on a XDM. The STI might be throated to allow for a longer OAL than the XDM though. gotcha now. The throated portion of the bbl is much much longer in the STI than in the XDM. Funny thing is that in my particular XDM, there is very little throating, or the throated portion is incredibly tight. With the MG 124gr JHP's I have a maximum OAL of 1.135 in the XDM, and I back that off by 0.010 for wiggle room. Anything longer and you have to grip the side over the top with your left hand and slam the web of your right hand into the grip safety to get the round to eject. Short round try 4.2gr of TiteGroup with your 124gr mtg that will put you up at 130+pf and it is soft shooting just a little dirty and plenty too hot plus reverse temp sensative. But cheap and easy to find. I've got scars on my left hand from knocking the back of my SS slide and hitting the sights, to knock it into battery and just another .002 shorter made it all better. I won two XD's last year I like them they sold fast. Actually not a bad gun for the money. Picked up some TG from a local shop this afternoon, their selection of pistol powder was quite lacking. I'm going to try your recommendation of 4.2 grains and see how it does. I'll try not to burn my hands, but we'll see. Dang, I love experimenting...

I have a pair of XDM's, one for me one for the wife. Before I got my STI, I thought they were the best thing since sliced bread...STI ruined me. I'm a total 1911 snob now. Since both of the XDM's and the STI are all 9mm, I'm trying to find a happy medium for OAL, PF, and powder so I don't have to keep separate loads on hand. I have my bullet picked out, and I have selected an OAL that works in both pistols, so now I just need to settle on a powder. I plan on trying just about every powder that's been mentioned in all of the 9mm forums, assuming I can find some.

I've had shrapnel hit me in the leg at some indoor IDPA...startled me more than hurt...I quickly moved further back along with everyone else standing near me. Not a cool feeling.

Based on my experiments with AA#7, I can't imagine anything is much dirtier. AA#7 left so much crap in my chamber that the next round wouldn't go into full battery.

I didn't mean there was something "wrong" with your mags. Your mags are going to be the limiting factor in your OAL, not your chamber. XDM mags are designed to run factory length ammo. The rounds will start dragging on the front of the mag before you run out of chamber/throat in most cases. The chamber on the STI is the same length as the chamber on a XDM. The STI might be throated to allow for a longer OAL than the XDM though. gotcha now. The throated portion of the bbl is much much longer in the STI than in the XDM. Funny thing is that in my particular XDM, there is very little throating, or the throated portion is incredibly tight. With the MG 124gr JHP's I have a maximum OAL of 1.135 in the XDM, and I back that off by 0.010 for wiggle room. Anything longer and you have to grip the side over the top with your left hand and slam the web of your right hand into the grip safety to get the round to eject.

Just to keep this thread on topic, regardless of the OAL, my STI does not like AA#7, so I want to try a new flavor of powder and see what I come up with.

The "Hitch hiker" books are all neatly compiled into one volume. I just loaned my edition out to my best friend's 11yr old. Got to keep the young ones in the loop on such a brilliant work!

There isn't anything wrong with my mags. I don't feel safe shoving the bullet so far into the lands that I can't rack the slide on the XDM. The chamber on the STI is much longer than on the XDM.

I'd love to run the length out to 1.16+, but can't feed those in my XDM... Actually, I'd really like to run the XDM's chambers out longer to match the STI.

Which part?

It's all good. I appreciate your input. I've got TG, Silhouette, and N320 on my lists of powders to sample. I haven't seen Solo 1000 at the shop I've been buying from, but will keep an eye out.

I'm definitely not set on #7. Just wanted to see how it shot. I think the chamber on the STI is pretty close to the XDM (haven't miked them) but the XDM has so much more forward spring pressure than the STI does. Racking the slide on my STI, with the hammer back, is such a dream versus having to have a gorilla grip on the XDM to rack the slide. The extra pressure exerted by the XDM's way heavy recoil spring puts these dirty rounds in battery every time. I may try some Silhouette. Is it pretty clean in your opinion? I'm going to run a search in a few minutes to see what everyone else is saying.

The pistols I am currently reloading for are both 9mm. Perhaps I lead you astray when I said my Tactical was "limited". I don't compete, yet, so I'm not fully clear on the categories that certain pistols fall into...my apologies for not being more clear at the start.