Forrest Halley

The big problem with DAO pistols for competition is the long reset of the trigger combined with the low power of the reset spring. I had a beretta 96D for a while and it was a really accurate pistol once the trigger was mastered. It was terribly slow to fire followup shots unless your trigger release is greased lightning. Slower than a revolver due to the puny trigger reset spring. This is what steered me from a DAK to an SAO trigger on my next SIG. Just my .02. Regards, Forrest

The 220ST was my first carry gun some 5 years ago. I had and uncle mike holster for it originally and found it super bulky so I bought a bianchi carrylok. The holster took a while to wear in, but now it's a great rig that holds a big gun close to the body. The release button is something that only training will familiarize you with. I am tall and thin and I can get by under a t-shirt no problem as the grip is held close and does not stick out. The problem with the sigs is that they have a likeable tendency to require different holsters for the different guns in the same model#. My 220 procarry elite SAO is a 3.9 with a beavertail and fatter 229 slide requiring a 229 holster. The 220ST fits most holsters spec'd for a 220 with rail. Good Luck, Forrest

Could the problem be that the people building these guns are not in fact revolver shooters? Before I shot in competition with a revolver and practiced extensively I too thought that a factory trigger was good enough. It was only after immersion into shooting the design and feeling the triggers that others had that I knew what was missing. I will also say that my 20 to 30 year old guns have better triggers than some of the new production. Finally I have heard of Perfomance Center guns going for a trigger job straight off the first firing line. Does anyone see something wrong there?

I would suggest the X Frame SW in .460SW. You can play with your loads fairly hot in that frame and since it's comp'd you won't get beat up. I believe the article said way back at the inception of the X Frame that they were proofing at around 92,000psi and designed for a working pressure of atleast 62,000psi for the .454 Casull. The .460 runs about 50K psi if I remember correctly. I have the 8 3/8" XVR and it is a blast to shoot in all 3 calibers with .454 being the stoutest recoil, .460 being the loudest and gasiest, and .45 LC is an uneventful pop. I am not saying to load beyond recommended max and do not assume any liability for what anyone does with these numbers and information. Regards, Forrest

I use a Fobus paddle for my K and L frame revolvers as it is fairly cheap, fast and works well with a regular belt and my galco instructor's belt. If you are going to use a serious gunbelt of any description this may not be the one for you. The holster is also IDPA legal if that's any concern. I also find this holster easy to keep clean for carry or woodland adventures. Regards, Forrest

I am still looking for methods that more experienced shooters use to transition between the three/two disciplines no matter how simple or complex. Initiating reloads out in no man's land and attempting to speedload the gun dropping live shells on the ground are my latest and greatest achievements. Speedloading or dropping partial moonclips does not seem to be of any benefit as the rounds were ALREADY IN THE GUN not 2 or 3 seconds away. Thoughts and comments?

According to Mapgenius your range is about four hours away from me. 7 stages sounds like a worthy drive. As far as the Carolina Cup I will have to stay pending on at this point. I would like to see some GM clas shooters and learn. I'll definitely consider it thank you sir. Forrest

I am located in Mathews, VA and currently shooting all over the state in the various disciplines. I am hoping to go to the IDPA Indoor Nationals next year when my skills are a little more solid. I think I will have to check out this Charity Challenge as a speed/reality check on the way. Thanks for your tips and advice. Forrest

Thanks. I play all the games just for the comraderie and they each offer different physical and mental shooting challenges. As I am predominated by IDPA in my area I am learning to love what is available and trying to figure the best tempo for each and how best to "lock in" to that particular game beforehand. Thanks again and yes I love my 625JM 4". It's so fast and functional...took me a while to get used to the grips, but now I am hooked as the others squeek badly when I try to roll them.

Hey Forrest, to me it is all the same goal. Hit A's as fast as you can. Non A's cost you more in IDPA than USPSA and in ICORE a non A costs even more. In most IDPA matches, I have only shot two, it is spelled out for you how to engage the targets and other critera is required ie; reload form cover shot and such. In USPSA and ICORE it is more of a technique thing, in what works best for you in where you reload, stand and engage the targets. All are fun. In reloading before you are empty; If you can do away with a standing reload and reload while moving that 2 second reload is used to get to another position to engage targets and will not be on the cloc, sort of. I shoot mostly ICORE and USPSA mostly becaus ther are only 4 weekends in a month and on the fifth weekend when it falls I am shooting Steel. And if you have not been welcomed to the Froums yet...Welcome to the BEnosverse. Have fun later rdd Bubber, Thanks for your welcome and input. I would like to get a bit more technical into the actual pace of shooting for each discipline. For example in IDPA I am running and 12 shot stage in the mid 9's to mid 11's from concealment. For ICORE it's more than double that I guess because I am feeling the greater focus on accuracy and I just don't have the familiarity/trust with the gun/shooter to gas it. We need not go there with USPSA on the 12 shot stages because I am still handily hitting the no shoots like it's my job. However, it appears that as long as you can hit the A's half the time you can haul and hose and make out quite well. The no shoots and the failure to engage seem to be the real killer penalties here. For the sake of argument out of a speed rig I think I should be shooting a 12 shot stage in about 6 to 8 seconds to keep with the tempo of the discipline. I haven't had a good steel match yet so I can not even guess about that tempo. What I am really looking for is preparation techniques whether mental or actual drills to get ready for the rules and pace of the different disciplines. Before IDPA I do X....before ICORE Y....anything that fixes the shooter in on that discipline....shifting gears so to speak. I am having a hard time with this transition, my actual shooting is ok without the mental malfunctions.

Peter, Thank you for your response. My problem is that only in ICORE do I get to shoot with a decent competition pool of people shooting revolvers. I say people shooting revolvers and not revolver shooters because several are discouraged with the lack of competition in IDPA revo classes and lost brass does make it difficult on SSR shooters. Therefore they only shoot the wheel in ICORE. I have already learned that I need to be more efficient with my shots and their placement. This is a theory and goal that I do not always succeed in practicing/achieving. I do not know why my shoes are at all desirable at this point, but I can tell you that reloading and diligent/responsible dryfire combined with as much live fire as you can afford got me a long way from where I started. I have only one Master to be encountered so far at a match, but I have seen that I can learn something from any and all revolver shooters. If you have any questions about my journey as a revolver shooter I'd be happy to trade stories. Good luck to you as well. Forrest

Hello All, I am a beginning revolver shooter and I have gotten quite carried away with the multiple games/disciplines one can play/compete in with a 625 4". I am shooting in an area that is most frequently holding IDPA matches with a few USPSA and ICORE events a month. Holding all equally fun and exciting, it appears to be three different paces with two different rule sets. My problem is two fold: trying to manage the different effective paces/shooting tempos of each and the different rule sets. I am looking for methods that more experienced shooters use to transition between the three/two no matter how simple or complex. Initiating reloads out in no man's land and attempting to speedload the gun dropping live shells on the ground are my latest and greatest achievements. Speedloading or dropping partial moonclips does not seem to be of any benefit as the rounds were ALREADY IN THE GUN not 2 or 3 seconds away. Thoughts and comments are appreciated publicly or privately. Regards, Forrest Halley

When I take my 625JM apart for cleaning or polishing I have a similar issue with the stirrup not wanting to be a team player and stay in place. How I approached this was to hold it in the proper position to accept the mainspring hooks and then take a few turns on the strain screw until it stays in place before removing my thumb. Remember that the stirrup needs to be "finessed" into the hook on the back of the hammer and should rest folded upward along the back of the hammer before attempting to mate the mainspring to the stirrup. Good Luck and lots of patience. It's an easy fix once you figure it all out.

If you are going to be shooting USPSA with the slimmest possibility of shooting ICORE or IDPA go with the 625JM or Performance Center model. Yes you give up an inch of barrel length, but you can one gun it for three different competitions and you can change easily to the front sight of your preference. You should anticipate having a trigger job done on the gun of choice as the factory triggers seem to leave much to be desired. Try to stick with a caliber that you can make major power factor easily with. The minor seems to give up so much in points and is not legal for use with moonclips in IDPA. Just my $.02.