Son Of The Griz

For Production I shoot with 4 single pouches loaded and 1 mag in the gun. I usually keep a cheap double pouch at the end in case I've got a need for 6+ the start mag. My Limited belt is set up with 3 pouches. I usually start most stages with 1 in the gun and 2 pouches loaded. Even on a LONG stage mag 3 is mainly there as a backup to a borked reload or a malfunction. I've been thinking of adding another pouch to support those weird days I want to reload my Limited gun a lot in L10.

I just got back from a great range session with my P09 and have been eyeballing CZ Custom's slide milling service. Now that I'm learning the CZ triggers I have a feeling I'll be running all hammer guns in USPSA now (a tuned Edge, an SP-01, and my P09). I've been thinking it was just a good range toy to complement my striker guns but I am now giving serious consideration to joining the ProdOptics ranks. 2016 could be a very interesting year. I just wish they'd relax on the magwell rules only because I LOVE the CZ Custom magwell. Oh well... cant have it all. Now I just need to settle on an optic.

A friend of mine bought one and we practice mostly at an indoor facility. So far, no "false" pick-ups with the accelerometer turned on and it seems to work as advertised :-)

I feel your pain... I did the same darn thing a week ago. Either I didn't check my mags and left one from a previous stage or grabbed a short-loaded leftover in my 1st mag pouch. Shot my first mag, moved, reloaded, hit a target, transitioned then went pop-nothin. I think I was riding my slide stop too (whoops) as the tap-rack drill locked the slide to the rear. The 3 seconds it took me to see the problem and get the darn gun fed cost me a couple spots on the stage and I was really surprised to win the division that day... I will definitely be checking each mag before stepping up to the line in the future.

That's "hammer follow" and could potentially become a serious safety issue. I strongly recommend you have a gunsmith look at it and have it fixed ASAP. Is the sear catching the half-cock notch?

+another for "once it's in a safe direction" as well as for learning to ride the thumb safety on the 1911/2011 platform. Coming from the striker-fired camp for carry and competition, this is a question I and many others have had and I expect more folks to ask the same question as they gravitate toward dedicated race guns. I've found the 5/6-step method good for training new shooters to NOT shortcut safety for the sake of speed. Given the potential hazards during the draw, I'm a big of advocate of getting it right before you do it fast. I encourage those who argue to Google "Tex Grebner" :-) Like everything else in our sport, once you get the basics down safely without worrying about the clock, look into consolidating the draw steps. It's my humble opinion that an extra 1 second on the draw (in a match) isn't going to overcome the other areas a new shooter will save time safely.

Thanks, folks. That's how I read it, too. The guy claiming he had to be running a 5" gun was kind of an asshat. I didn't get involved (now I wish I would have) but it definitely sounded way wrong. I'm sure there were a few rule books with us but nobody pressed the issue. Yeah, let's just say he was running his carry gear to do something different that day and while his times were that of a guy reloading after every six or seven shots, he got his As and his gun ran like a champ. More power to him for running his carry rig :-)

At a recent club match I shot there was a shooter who registered in Single Stack and shot his Kimber Ultra Carry (3" gun). One guy in our squad was arguing the Single Stack rules required a 5" gun and that he'd have to shoot L10. Sounded bogus, and Appendix D5 rule 22 (modifications not approved) reads: "Coned barrels, bull barrels, or barrels with flanges, except in 1911 compact pistols with a barrel length of 4.20 inches or less. (Note: All other barrels must have barrel bushings and conform to factory profile)." I think the Kimber shooter got shafted if they kept him in L10. Am I right?

That's exactly what I'm doing with my Edge. I bought a stock CRP Edge from Dawson that's almost taken me to "B" classification (operator shortcomings, not the gun). A good Edge, in my opinion, is a heck of a nice place to start. In a world of custom race guns, it's easy to overlook a basic "stock" 2011-frame gun but there's a TON of potential in both shooter and pistol waiting to be unlocked. As I mentioned in a different post, I've finally taken mine in after about 9 months and 3,000 rounds to start the process of getting it tuned and fitted for me. I'll be about $2700 in by the time I get the slide cut up, but I'm making the changes that will best work for me and am working them in stages with my gunsmith, who's been GREAT about explaining exactly what we'll be doing and why. I say go for it and don't look back.

I've only met one shooter who owns an STI Limited gun in 9mm and he said he regretted buying it in 9 (it was a really nice Brazos tuned Edge). He really didn't realize any benefit in being forced to shoot Minor. As others have mentioned, going .40 gives you the chance to play in Major scoring and load down if you prefer a softer gun at the expense of Minor scoring. Now for my two-penny advice. You've got a GREAT starting budget - I heartily second buying a Brazos or Dawson-tuned gun, several magazines, a Dillon 550 or 650 and components, and shooting as much as possible. As you learn your gun you'll figure out what you want to do to fit it to your hands and your style of shooting. When the time comes to tune it up, there are some phenomenal builders out there who can hook you up with the perfect mix of fit, action, and slide lightening.

I had some fit issues with the safeties on my Edge and have been battling the grip safety as well. The "relieved" grip safety STI puts on the gun (I assume the Eagle is set up the same) was giving me a hell of a sore thumb. The thumb safeties were too sharp and too narrow, as well. On a normal 1911 frame they don't bite but on the double-stack frame I couldn't ride them instinctively without coming off the edge. I took mine in to Rick Hebert to get replaced and can't wait to get it back this Friday; he is performing a grip reduction, fitting an EGW grip safety (disabled & pinned for USPSA games), fitting and polishing an Ed Brown wide ambi thumb safety, and dropping in an EGW steel mainspring housing. For IDPA I could see a fitted, tuned grip safety helping the "bite" as well as taking care of the dead gun problem.

Huge thanks to Charlie and his very dedicated range and match staff for an AWESOME experience at the Mile High Showdown. Every stage offered a unique challenge - and plenty of opportunity to rise to them or melt down spectacularly (I did both!).

Friends, I am squarely in the 'bluing wear is cool' camp, but ugly scratches through the bluing from imperfections in the holster suck. My wife wasn't digging it, either, and she shoots USPSA with me. And, for the record, we have to be the only ones who think premature wear on a $2000+ gun is cool :-)

Thanks... I'm thinking the DAA Race Master may be the way to go for my Limited / L10 setup. Coming from Production, i like the idea of a full-coverage holster but maybe it's time to move into race gear. If Blade Tech won't help me out I may just sell the DOH and move on. Comp-Tac, DAA, Ready Tactical, and others make quality kydex.

I'm a fan of the hybrids for IWB CCW carry. I've owned the MTAC for a Kahr P45, which I liked a LOT, and currently use a Garrett Silent Thunder for a small revolver. The MTAC takes up a bit of real estate but is very comfortable. I never had a problem on reholster but the top will confirm to your body a bit over time. No big deal for a very nice body shield. The Garrett is a nice holster, their "feature" is leather-lining the kydex side of the holster. Truthfully, I think that might appeal to the old leather folks but doesn't add a ton of value for me (I'm a kydex fan in general) beyond protecting the finish a little. My Silent Thunder is certainly comfy, and I mainly bought it for the size and single offset clip. Given you're driving a G19, you're likely to find a gazillion choices but, in general, leather on the body and kydex on the outside is definitely the way to roll (as long as you buy a quality holster).

I recently switched over to USPSA Limited and picked up a new Edge and Blade Tech DOH in September. Since then I've shot fewer than ten matches and about as many practice sessions. In that time, I've developed a couple wicked wear marks along the length of the top of the slide and near the muzzle. The marks near the muzzle were kind of expected (still bummed) but the long, thin scratches through the finish (not gouging the steel yet) are extremely disappointing. Upon inspection, I can feel a number of small bumps or hard bubbles in the Kydex which appear to be in the same location as the marks on my slide. The problems are very evident now, the bluing finish isn't "shiny" (polished by the holster), it's gone. I know a lot of folks really like Blade Tech holsters and I have enjoyed the fit and function, too (coming from Production, it feels natural), but I'm thinking I may have to move over to a "race" holster now if I want to keep my new pistol looking halfway clean. I fully expected to see wear (it's not a safe queen) but not this fast and not this bad. Thoughts? I have already contacted Blade Tech and have been awaiting response. I have three other Kydex holsters by other manufacturers and none were as tight or rough inside as the Blade Tech. I want to love this thing, but it's hard to with my new gun almost needing a refinish.

5" .40 M&P not approved for production at this time. That's what I love about this forum... I learn things here I don't hear others talking about. I wasn't aware that particular M&P didn't make the list due to production numbers and just saw the other thread indicating they're not there yet. A bit surprising...

Why can't you shoot it in Production? You're limited to scoring as Minor PF, sure, but that shouldn't stop you from running the .40 Pro in Production if you'd rather be shooting it for whatever reason. Sounds like you already moved on, but I could see a person starting out with the .40 Pro in Production with .40 minor ammo then rather easily building it into a Limited blaster. If you're loading your own ammunition I've been hearing .40 minor loads are nice and soft.

Sportsmans Warehouse in Colorado (Loveland) has been getting them in lots of 30-40 in a shot and they're selling out in a day or two. Working for an FFL, the few we have on order seem to be on permanent allocation... Maybe one day mine will come in ;-)

Of all the M&Ps I've owned, only my .45 mid-size came with a safety and I removed it fairly quickly after purchase (I installed the plugs). I wanted a little lower mass for carry without sacrificing capacity and love my middy M&P 45. The big ones are great guns. Hard to go wrong with either. I found the thumb safety got in the way of remedial action drills, show clear, loading and unloading. I'd say, especially right now, to get your hands on whatever you can (assuming no mag disco and no lock)... if you get one with a safety it's easy for a gunsmith to remove and if you don't, call yourself lucky.

My CRP Edge has only hiccuped 4-5 times on factory ammo in its first 1,250 rounds (barely even broken in!) and absolutely loves 1.180" loads. I think AA&A and others Precision Delta (?) sell long-loaded ammunition for USPSA competition that makes Major. So, if my "lowly" CRP Edge will eat the factory stuff, any of the three options should work extremely well. FYI, you might want to test a LOT of different factory ammo in 165 and 180 gr that is listed to make Major PF - I found a HUGE difference between manufacturers in both the force and impulse characteristics felt during recoil.

My CRP Edge has been a runner from day 1 - over 95% reliable through the first 1,000 rounds of mixed factory ammo and absolutely solid with the long-loaded stuff I'm pressing myself. All with untuned factory STI mags... Mine was pretty much good-to-go right from Dawson. Between my own experience and what I've seen with Brazos guns at local matches, you really can't go wrong!!

Could be a physiological response to the additional noise, concussive force, and stress from the proximity to other shooters... Try double-plugging (plugs under muffs) and consider a high-NRR muff. The difference in noise alone going from indoor to outdoors is significant. I'm just the opposite in that most of my training was and still is done in an indoor facility. Over the past several years I've tuned most of that out and, when someone sets up next to me with a boomer I try to use it as a "stress inoculation" tool by focusing extra-hard on my fundamentals when that person's hammering away with a 5.56 or .308 rifle. I've also noticed the opposite in that when I shoot outdoors - nearly all of my USPSA shooting is done outside - I'm not as amped up from the noise, blast, and proximity to other shooters.

Short answer: No, well, sorta. Depending on the division I'm either running an M&P 9 (Production) or an Edge (Limited). A couple different M&Ps (depending on the day or work being done) or a small revolver are usually in carry rotation. There's been a little bit of a learning curve in working the thumb safety back into my competiton mindset under stress but for the most part the transition from big auto to "duty" auto to "compact" auto to small revo hasn't been an issue. I make a point to make a distinction in my mind and in my training between gun games and defensive carry.

I haven't measured mine, but I have 3 M&Ps and all have very distinct trigger feel. It's weird how they can all feel a tiny but different, kinda like they all have a little bit of a personality. My 45 loads quickly and has a very heavy break. It's definitely usable but I'm very close to changing that trigger out for an Apex carry trigger to alleviate the gritty feeling as well as the stacky, heavy pull. My 9c has the smoothest and cleanest (stock) trigger of any M&P I've recently fired. Truthfully, I have no reason to change it out. My Production gun (M&P9) was built in 2006 and, while it was fairly clean and crisp, it went back for repairs then got the Apex Competition kit, which is by far a night and day improvement over stock - so much so it doesn't feel like the same pistol.