kasen

Ok, so the screw had a lot of loctite from Magpul built up on the treads. Burned it off with the torch, reapplied loctite, and the screw now tightens up nicely. Always finding a new way to be humbled!

Got a problem getting the UBR main tune to "snap" on the mount entry receiver extension (buffer tube). In fact the main tube just loosely seats up against the lower receiver. No snug or "snappy" fit. This might be ok except that when I screw in the large flat head screw into the main tube I can tighten it with a LOT of torque and the main tube is still loose on the buffer tube. Any ideas how to complete this install?

The entire travel. It's not the trigger bar, it's the actual trigger assembly...

Replaced the Apex with the factory trigger spring and the reset is now occurring consistently. There is a fair amount of friction within the trigger mechanism. Any thoughts on how to remedy this?

So I installed the RAM and the reset has a definite click WHEN it actually resets. The Apex trigger spring doesn't seem to have enough pull to reset the trigger with the RAM. Is there a fix for this or should I just replace the Apex trigger spring with the factory trigger spring?!?

Foliage UBR for $199 has been ordered. If necessary I can use a wheel barrow on 3 gun stages right?

Good point on the collapsible advantage for some stages. From what I'm hearing having more weight near the stock is an advantage with the heavy front end.

I need to buy a stock for a lower I'm building to match an 18" Noveske upper that's primary purpose will be for 3 gun. This is a new upper for me and with the Burris XTR optic it's 12 ounces heavier than my familiar 16" upper (with it's rails, weapon light and Eotech). Here's my dilemma, I was originally attracted to the ACE skeleton stock for it's weight savings and being a fixed stock the ACE seems perfect for a competition gun. However, the 18" Noveske upper feels front heavy to me (it has the Troy BattleRail XTR fore end). I do like the function and feel of the Magpul UBR, though it is heavy. Is it worth getting the UBR to give better counterbalance or is that just going to weigh down the rifle even more??

Thanks! I'll give it a try.

I know the Apex parts have been discussed several times but I haven't found anything definitive about the trigger reset. I installed the full kit from Midway, Apex Competition kit, into my M&P 9mm and the trigger reset is considerably more mushy than it was before. Has anyone found a solution for improving this? I've only put about 150 rounds through the gun since the install. There were a couple instances where I swear the trigger DID NOT actually reset. I pulled the trigger, no bang (or striker actuation), released the trigger, pulled again and it fired... Any thoughts or suggestions?

I'm not sure I'm really in a good position to answer when reloading got difficult as I have no other points of reference than my Dillon DVD, loading manuals, and this thread. Regarding the headspace gauge it came with the press and looks like the one pictured. Its my understanding that its beneficial to have your resized cases fit the gauge... Before stage 1 no good fit, after stage 1 they fit. So I guess stage 1 adjusts the head space. But I'm new and looking for accurate info so feel free to let me know if I'm misinformed. I think my process is not too much different than yours outlined above, resize-deprime (done in one step), next trim-chamfer (also one step), swag the primer pocket to decrimp, and then through the progressive press for the rest... If there's a faster way I'm game!

Ok, well I think I've finally got this process under control. I'll resize (which is necessary to even fit into the Giraud), deprime and trim. Then back to press with the mandrel and on complete the reload process from there. Thanks for your help Powderfinger

Those number's were'nt quite what I was after let me say this way Measure about mid way on the neck don't use the expanderball just size the out side. 1) Neck OD right out of the chamber after fired (should be something like .254) 2) Neck OD after you size it in your sizing die (should be something like .243) 3) Neck OD after you size it with the expander in place 4) Neck OD after fully seating the bullet (should be something like .250 depending on neck thickness which might be .012-.014) as far as crimp goes I don't, you might want to as it looks like those bullets have a canalure. What the numbers are for is this: if your size die produces .243 OD then you seat a bullet and you end up with .250 what you are doing is using the bullet to expand the neck, not good for a bullet. At the point where you are going to seat a bullet the increase in OD after the bullets in should be around .004 (.246 before .250 after seating bullet). this will give you plenty of grip for mag fed ammo. Where I was going in the end with this is since you are taking the case out to feed to the electric brass eater I would do this, Get an extra tool head for the 550 and mount and adjust your size die.(toss the expander and just keep the deprime stem) In the other tool head at POS#1 put a separate neck ID sizing manrel POS#2 is for powder POS#3 seat your bullet POS#4 crimp or no crimp the thing with crimp is that you usually sqish a prefectly good bullet if you load some dummy rounds with .003-.004 constiction on the bullet and cycle them through your action I think you will not see any bullet setback. a tool head is about $21 a Sinclair mandrel is about $30 with a mandrel What you gain is that you are expanding the neck with a far more accurate tool so you necks should be staighter you can control the neck ID with mandrel choice so the bullet grip is only what you need and not sizing with the bullet. The dent in the first picture looks like it may be too much case lube. The dents in the second picture look like they were caused when ejected from the rifle. I would'nt worry about them too much thet are pretty small. Make sure the only thing that touches the case shoulder is your sizing die! Finally got around to setting up the press with the Sinclair mandrel on stage 1. As pictured, I'm looking at taking the expander out of the Dillon die and only using the depriming stem. The Giraud trimmer requires the case shoulder to be resized before it can be trimmed. If I remove the second section of this die (from bottom up) which I believe to be the expander then I'll benefit from less stress of the case neck, better sizing from the mandrel, and resized shoulder which will still fit the Giraud trimmer, correct??

That's embarrassing. Yes, indeed it took a little more effort to unscrew but it was that simple.

I appear to be failing an IQ test for how to assemble my new Sinclair Expander Mandrel into the Sinclair Std 7/8-14 Expander Die. mandrel die Anyone using these and know how I'm supposed to fit them together? Sinclair's website says something about an O ring... not seeing that. The expander looks like it's one piece.

I know this is an older post but I just started looking for 2011 3 gun comps in the Northwest and thought I'd contribute. By the way, the Custer Tactical comps are a lot of fun and worth checking out. Maybe in a year or so I'll get around to setting up a proper 3 gun match at Custer, especially since we have nothing in the way of 3 gun up here currently. Here's what I found with no dates set, if there's any other relevant info please post. April Ephrata Spring Multigun Ephrata Washington ccarbon@scml.us May SPPL War Wagon 3-Gun Challenge Fernan Rod & Gun Club Coer D'Alene, Id 208-773-3624 June 2010 MGM Ironman 3 Gun Parma ID info@mgmtargets.com or call 888-767-7371 July R&R 3 Gun Match Albany, OR August Courage Classic Match Kitsap Rifle & Revolver Club 4900 Seabeck Hwy NW Bremerton, WA 98312 (360) 373-1007 info@gunsafety.org September Inland Empire 3 Gun Fernan Rod & Gun Club Coer D'Alene, Id 208-773-3624

Thanks Powder Finger! I'll really dig the idea of running a second tool head. Hate to spend more money but I'm looking at reloading ~1000 rounds per month so might as well get it setup right.

I managed to get Stage 3 to seat the bullet, easy enough, just had to hold the bullet until it entered the die. Now I'm onto the crimping die and hoping I'm crimping the bullet tight enough. My concern is that if it's not crimped enough the bullet could get pushed into the casing reducing the OAL and increasing chamber pressure when fired... Here's the numbers: Bullet diam .2245 Uncrimped & unseated casing at neck .246 Uncrimped & seated casing at neck .247 Crimped casing at neck .245 Is the .002 reduction in case neck size adequate for a good crimp? I had it even tighter before but it seemed to cut into the copper jacket of the bullet. Here's some pics, looks like I'm mashing the case shoulder with the powder die so I've been raising that back up. Also getting some small indents on the should and slight creasing on the case. Not sure what that's from...

I'll give it another shot. Thanks guys.

I just got my new 550b from Brian Enos and tried reloading .223 for the very first time, an absolute newbie. I'm having a problem understanding how the neck should be re-sized to accommodate the bullet. Here's what I've got going in order: - Once shot Lake City brass head spaced in stage 1 of the press (case correctly fits into the headspace gauge) - Next I trim in the (very expressive) Giraud Power Trimmer to 1.75 length - Back into the 550 press for priming in stage 1 - Stage 2 powder drop works fine (but doesn't flare the neck like the 9mm powder drop does...) - Stage 3 is the problem, here I'm supposed seat the bullet, which in this case is a Sierra .224 55grain SPT round. The bullet does not come close to easily fitting into the case neck. Two questions for anyone nice enough to help me out: 1. Why is the bullet not easily fitting into the case for Stage 3? Because it's not a boat tail or because I've not setup the press correctly on the first two stages? 2. Does my process above so far make sense? Thanks very much!