kalaur

There is no leeway for anything in the rulebook. Rules are rules, ROs should call them when they see them.

I leave the cap on the magazine tube about 1/2 to 1 full turn loose from just snug. I feel this allows the primer magazine tube to float around a bit, and I don't have any priming issues at all. As for lubing the primer slide bar, I wipe mine down with some light oil such as marvel mystery or motor oil, then wipe off excess with a cotton patch. It appears to be 'darker' than when I clean it with brake cleaner, but doesn't look wet.

+1 EGW hard sear and either Koenig hammer or EGW HD hammer. Do the trigger job once, and don't look back.

+1 skip the lee factory crimp die with lead. All your crimp should be doing is removing the flare you put on the case.

The guide rod for a 2011 has the 'back' of it (end that points towards the grip) turned slightly smaller, so it fits in the frame. A 1911 guide rod is slightly larger here, and some won't fit into the frame of a 2011. Many guide rods are turned small enough to fit on both 2011 and 1911s, including the dawson toolless guide rod.

I load Missouri 170gr LSWC in 40 with 4.8gr WST at 1.170 OAL or so.

Pics would help.

Two parts, guide rod and recoil spring. Stock reverse plug should work fine with FLGR. I'm running the EGW stainless guide rod - http://shootersconnectionstore.com/EGW-Guide-Rod-1-piece-stainless-5-STI-P352.aspx

Hello: I have 6 STI 140mm mags with Dawson "SNL" that fit the gauge just fine. They hold a reloadable 20 rounds. The Grams base pads have a little more room than the "SNL" but not that much more. My Rescomp holds 21 rounds reloadable with Bolen 3mm and Bolen spring and follower. I have not cut the spring to give it that extra room. I also have a SVI tube with Grams 4mm base pad and a Bolen/follower setup that holds 21 rounds reloadable. I like reliable mags so I will give up 1 round for reliability. Thanks, Eric I wonder what vintage those mags are. Apparently, there is about a 3mm length difference between current production STI tubes and ones produced a few years ago (with the older mags being shorter). I have 4 tubes new from last year with dawson SNL pads that all fit in the gauge. 20 reloadable all day long with dawson guts.

Many 2011s will run factory ammo just fine, but you can also purchase 'competition' ammo from various manufacturers that is loaded a bit longer and will still be major power factor. Many factory rounds are 175-185+PF, where the competition ammo is generally around 170PF.

The front sight should usually be tight enough to require a punch and a small amount of tapping to set in place, along with red loctite to hold inplace. If yours is loose to where you can wiggle with your fingers, you could try green loctite, but you might want to invest in a new front sight and have a gunsmith fit so it won't loosen up again. One note, if you try the green loctite (or equivalent), be sure to clean REALLY REALLY well, and let it setup/dry for at least a day, longer if you can.

Bearing mod, cutting the ball bearing index spring, catching the case as the shellplate indexes, and using grease on the bottom of the shellplate will all help. When using grease, be aware where you put the grease, keep it on the inner portions so you don't get grease on your primers as they rotate under the shellplate.

Make sure the arm that activates the primer slide isn't set too far down, coming in contact with the frame of the press as you lower the handle. One other thing to check is the tightness of the toolhead, sometimes if this is loose it can rotate a bit and as you pull the handle the pins locate the toolhead rotating it back into place, causing increased resistance.

Make sure the case insert slide and the primer station locator tab are adjusted properly. Case insert slide should push the case *just* about all the way into the shell plate, but not all the way in when pushing the handle forward and priming a case. The primer station locator tab should *just* about touch the case, but not be resting on it. About a business card thickness gap is sufficient. Also be sure that the platform mount bolts are tight, and that the platform itself cannot rotate.

I suggest not doing this unless you're running some sort of expander before flaring. The 1050 gets away with this because you're expanding the mouth of the case as you're swaging the primer pocket. 550/650 funnel/expanders are the same, but the 1050 runs only flare at the powder station, no expanding. As said above, 1050 runs expanding at the swaging station. To the OP - switch to a 1050 and the problem goes away :-) If you don't want to do that, case lube seems to help, and as your brass gets more and more used it seems to go away. New and once fired brass seem the worst for sticking.

Make sure your toolhead is tight, when this loosens a bit the toolhead twists a lot when moving up and down and can cause some thunking/clunking.

I've never seen a 22 round mag that fits in the gauge. I'd be interested in the tube/guts combo if someone does have 22 round mag.

For greased portions I usually use red wheel bearing/axle grease, slide glide, or something similar. I've never seen shooters choice grease, but if its the consistency of the previous greases it should be fine (albeit expensive as a press lube).

I know someone shooting a EAA (4.75" barrel) using 180gr zeros at like 1.23+ running about 5.5 or 5.6gr of WST.

Always go with the most expensive press you can afford, even if it hurts for a little while. MANY people later 'upgrade' to 650s and 1050s, and wish they had just done that from the start. I've NEVER heard of anyone wishing they had bought a lesser press, but if it does happen, there is always someone willing to buy used dillon presses. I suggest at LEAST a 650, but urge you to find a friend with a 1050 that you can try pulling the handle on.

The Hodgdon site lists 4.3 making power factor with lead 200gr bullets, not plated or jacketed. Most of the clays data I've found around the internet is also for lead bullets.

+1, no reason to go shorter just to increase velocity. Increase charge weight instead. What velocity were you expecting, and where did you find this data?

Don't decrease OAL to increase velocity, all you're doing is increasing pressures more than if you were to just bump up your charge a little. You haven't mentioned which bullets you're using? MTG FMJ? MTG JHP? HAP? The load I worked up for 320 was 5.2gr 320 with MTG 180 JHP @ 1.200 with a Winchester small rifle primer, out of a 5" STI barrel. I don't use this load, generally just shoot WST due to cost compared to VV powders.

I would probably go down to about 1.270 or so, given there is still at about .200 or so of the bullet in the case. I've said it before and I'll say it again - be wary of that clays :-)

Be careful, OP was talking about UNIVERSAL, load data above is for straight CLAYS.