Rob72

FYI- Ron Mahovsky is 80-odd, and has said he's been looking for someone to step into the business. He still does the most of the work himself. I've had work by APW, and it is excellent, with quick turn around. But, Ron is old school. I sent my dad's (inherited) JC Penny Marlin 336 that had taken many white tail, and seen a ton of miles. Well cared for, but it had some surface issues. Ron did the grinding & polishing and re-finish himself, and it came back looking factory-new. Probably not your choice for production work (8 month TAT), but I'm glad I had an heirloom piece done by him.

"Thorn", my favorite. Almost as good as a staple gun and super glue.

Truly!

I'm doing my bi-annual drop in here, another month down the road in this thread. If you've picked up a 940, you have a 930 with Mossberg-made OR3Gun parts and a modified SBE Precision piston. Necessary work: Polish inside the action spring tube De-burr the action spring Polish inside the mag tube Polish the mag tube extension and chamfer the mouth where it transitions to the tube A longer follower is better De-burr the slide assembly & bolt and polish the base of the bolt where it rides on the slide assembly Check movement of shell latch & bolt release, de-burr & polish as needed Some folks run theirs "wet", I use dry lube & a bit of grease.

The concept of zen is not new, nor related strictly to West Asian philosophy. John 3:8 "The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit." Musashi: “The true science of martial arts means practicing them in such a way that they will be useful at any time, and to teach them in such a way that they will be useful in all things.” Seneca: “It is not that we have a short time to live, but that we waste a lot of it. Life is long enough, and a sufficiently generous amount has been given to us for the highest achievements if it were all well invested. But when it is wasted in heedless luxury and spent on no good activity, we are forced at last by death’s final constraint to realize that it has passed away before we knew it was passing. So it is: we are not given a short life but we make it short, and we are not ill-supplied but wasteful of it… Life is long if you know how to use it.”

Advantage Arms and TacSol have sold the threaded barrels as "extras" since they started. No big deal. I'm curious if the frame and internals are straight G19. If so, buy the .22 at ~$100 less than the G19 MSRP, and spend another ~$225 for 9mm slide & barrel, and you have 2 pistols, still less than starting with a G19 base and adding a conversion upper.

The most exciting matches I've seen were the Coors 3 gun, in rural Colorado, 30 some years ago. The most fun I've ever had with 3 guns was not a match, it was running the tire-wall shoot house with the local sheriffs, 20 some years ago. By the time I had the money to "play", nothing I saw was as practical (fun) as what I'd done with guys using "real" guns. I've dabble in local pistol and rifle matches over the years, never 3 gun, for this reason. Is it an excuse? Maybe. But I know that for $350, I can take a class from reputable trainers who will work me with my actual carry/home gear. It's a whole lot more like what I saw that turned me onto shooting. YMMV, IMO, etc..

Walmart carburetor cleaner. $2/can. Spray it on the slide, and a shop rag, rub with vigor. If it's persistent, you can use a poly gun brush. If you REALLY need to, you can use a bronze brush.

The 3/4" Dremel emery disc does a great job of giving a nice, even, radius.

You're removing just under 1/2 the weight of the bolt assembly. Your receiver is going to take a hard beating, regardless of the spring, unless you build your own dual or telescoping recoil system. You can up the hammer spring and the main spring, but that is not a real solution to that much weight loss. If you want to play with the action change the springs first. If you're dedicated to cutting weight, get your 1/4" and 3/8" carbide bits out, order an extra weight, make a couple of holes, and go through the trial and error.

The Vario has scallop cuts on the rear of the trigger bar, which is allowing the trigger to pass under the GS.

Maritime spring cups offer less drag, as they do not have full contact in the FP channel liner.

Indeed! He did a multi-cal conversion on my SP101 cylinder a couple of years ago, and the work is fantastic!

Tinnitis is the bugger-bear, not hearing loss. My stepdad's was keeping him from sleeping (brown water navy, Vietnam- pintle-mount .50 caliber & various .308, etc..). Mine is a low grade sinnngggg, that I hope does not worsen with age. That MZLMAX, with a BFD looks attractive. https://www.primaryarms.com/indian-creek-design-.5in-blast-forward-muzzle-device-w-thread-protector

This^^. As your grip evolves, as noted, this may not fully resolve the issue, but it is a HUGE improvement.

Melonite is basically the EPA approved, US version of the Tenifer finish. It makes the surface extremely hard. I had forgotten that- it would be muuuch easier to mill an aftermarket barrel. The tungesten weight is there to ensure that the bolt closes fully. If you can acquire an extra weight, you could weigh it on a postal scale, then start with 2 5/8" holes drilled through(carbide bit), and start seeing how much weight comes off. Shoot a box or two, and see what happens. I'd do less than you think you want, because the lighter mass block will slam fore and aft more quickly, and you have to start playing with spring weights, if you start short-stroking.

You got me pondering... This is the barrel I have in my 10/22 TD : https://www.pikearms.com/catalog/product/04770 Pike's does 10/22 stuff, pretty exclusively, but I'd give them a call and see if either they would take a look at your barrel or know someone who would; or, see if you could have a Green Mountain barrel ( http://www.gmriflebarrel.com/9mm-blank-9mm-raw-blank-17-x-1-1-10/ ) cut to your desired specs. I know you can loose weight in the bolt, which is the main mass affecting recoil. I loooovve spending someone else's money!

I would not have thought the front to be that much of an issue, but... Shrouding the barrel would (most likely) be best achieved by having a smith turn down the barrel to a nominal OD, creating a shoulder, just forward of the rear sight assembly, then placing an aluminum or CF sleeve on it, and using the muzzle threads to lock it down with a corresponding muzzle device/lock nut. Probably the most reasonable, cost-wise. I would be hesitant to suggest a "pencil" profile on a barrel that's already been fluted, as I ass-u-me that the engineers have already settled on a durable but lighter profile, but that's well beyond my tinkering level. Rugers are known for being meaty, after all. Edit to add: I say "pencil" in the context of a thinned, untensioned barrel.

Your easiest, cheapest (custom) solution is to find a linear comp, in the caliber you want, with an OD of 3/4", and thread the outside. If you don't want the comp, you could bore it out with a hand drill & a vise. https://www.amazon.com/Special-Thread-Round-Speed-Steel/dp/B007PL33P6 I believe you can rent the large die handle from Autozone or O'Reilly's for free (with a refundable cc deposit). The Indian Creek Blast Forwarding Device is another option, depending on what you're wanting to do. ~$70 and will work with most any 1" or less OD brake.

I'm not a competitor, just a non-professional smith. 1) OEM spring weight, or are you running heavier/lighter weights? When were they last replaced? 2) Mag catch, as mentioned. Check it for spring function, and is it intact. 3) How "hot" are your loads? 4) The bit of mag I can see looks well-worn. All worn about the same? How many rounds? Mag lips (metal) flared any? 5) Have you successfully used this barrel before? Do you see bullet nose-marks on the ramp (you shouldn't)? Short version: The first suspect is mag height. Are the rounds elevated enough to reliably enter the chamber(mag catch & barrel)? Second is short-stroking. The slide is moving too fast/too slow, and not catching the round properly(loads & springs). Third is round positioning. If your mag lips are bent in or flared, the round will nose into the ramp and kick up or if the nose is too high, the nose will hit the top of the chamber. This can also happen if the ramp is a bit long, and catches the round early. If your chamber is tight or not polished enough, this will lock you up.

Someone with that unit would be the best source, but: I would take the spring off, and measure the OAL, wire diameter (0.0XXX), and the number of coils per inch, then call Wolff Gunsprings and tell them you want to step up in resistance a bit. They'll usually have good recommendations. My suspicion is that an AK recoil spring might be trimmed to fit.

I've only got ~700 rounds through my build, but the rail surface area is larger/longer than OEM, and I like it more. No issues so far.

Have you considered seeking counselling for this enabling behavior of yours...?

^^This!! I've been holding out, hoping that Ruger will offer their PCC in stainless, but will probably pick one up this year, regardless. In a practical context, there aren't many situations where i need to reach out much beyond 100 yards. From a 16" barrel, a 9mm round is picking up a few FPS, the HPs will have more consistent expansion, and (obviously) range and accuracy are significantly improved as compared to a handgun.

At this time, LPA. Pricey, but well above anyone else's offering. Miniature Machine Corp. (MMC) back in the '90s had one I liked more, but they are no longer in production. LPA Rear You'll have to purchase a separate front band or ramp to use with this. LPA Front and rear from Europe. Call them to check the barrel diameter for the banded front. Honestly, you can stick a set of Mossberg 590A1 GRs on, and they'll work just fine, and be a whole bunch cheaper, but the LPAs are a heavier build, and are very well finished.