BallisticianX

thank you paul788, I'm glad I was not hurt worse either. I'm only 30 years old but I have been reloading regularly for 20 years. In that time I've never had a primer detonate ever at all. Yeah 20 years, my Dad started me reloading when I was about 10(under his supervision of course). By the time I was 12 I was loading without any tutelage,and without any supervision by 15. My Dad drilled into me to be safe, and I have been for 2 decades! That's why this experience injured my pride worse than than it injured me, and I'm very thankful that it didn't. Reloading is a process that demands respect in every way. Paying attention, removing all distractions(no TV or radio etc.), and being overly precise. There should be no compromise in anything you do at the reloading bench. In my case it was an equipment malfunction that was to blame but it is an impending situation for those who neglect paying attention and taking precautions when reloading. Though, as I said, it was not my neglect that caused it but this incident really bothered me because it ruined my safety record aside from equipment.

I have had a primer tube detonation. I had a jammed up primer in my LnL's slider. It jammed up the slider in it's rearward position, directly underneath the tube. I had it happen before because the primer's would roll in the slide as it drops from the tube because the primer system would not hold adjustment. So when some wiggling failed I had no choice but to remove the primer feed housing to clear the jam. I was removing the bolt and holding the primer slide back with my other hand to prevent it from slamming forward when the housing was loosened. As the bolt broke loose the housing moved a little and pow.......about 75 small pistol primers all went. It blew half of the primer slide out the back of the press (cutting my hand open and slamming into my beam scale, ruining it) and the other half blew out the front wedging itself under the shellplate ruining it. The primer level rod shot straight up into the drywall of my ceiling. I was stunned by the blast, covered in black soot, and was just in a state of disbelief. I am aware of the power of the little but mighty primer. But it is incomprehensible until you have this happen. I will say that Hornady's blast tube that the primer tube sits in did it's job and did not rupture. If it had it would have sent shrapnel everywhere, including into my chest. When I called Hornady, they replaced my press, supplied a new scale, and were very gracious about taking care of me. The replacement press holds all adjustments and it works flawlessly when compared to the blown up unit. I had called them previously about the priming adjustment issue and had just replaced the cam rod they had sent me. It was running good and then started acting up. The problem I suspect was the milled slot that the cam rod mounts to on the type of the frame was incorrect. Well anyway it was an experience, but some stitches, a new press, and some time and it's just another "lucky" chapter in life. I commend Hornady for how they treated me and handled the whole thing. I still don't recommend experiencing it yourself, lol. http://

Though any standard 7/8"-14 dies will install on the LnL, not all dies due to there qualities and designs work. I use Hornady Dies in my LnL. I had used some sets of RCBS and Lyman previously. The problem with Lyman dies are they lack enough chamfer on the entry of the sizing die carbide. It makes for quite the hassle because the case HAS to line up with the die perfectly, we all know that is not usually the case! So many times in the loading session the die hits the case mouth edge stopping the press stroke dead. I'm not a fan of Lyman Dies for reasons other than this anyway. As far as RCBS dies, they have too much left to be desired when it comes to quality control. The sizing die does not size enough for auto loader use. The seating dies are not true on center in relation to the inside bore to seating stem. I failed alot of "RCBS" loaded rounds in the chamber checker. The Hornady dies size down correctly and leave a smoother surface from there Titanium Nitride insert. This smoother finish aids in magazine advance and feeding. The Seating die has a sliding alignment sleeve matched with a floating seating stem, same basic design as Redding and Forster competition rifle/pistol seating dies. I get very concentric reloads out of them and rarely do they fail in my chamber checkers. You will want to use the separate expander die and the standard (supplied) powder through tubes in the LnL. The Hornady powder through expanders are a poor design. They do not have enough taper profile to give you a "flaring" case mouth. They use a slightly oversized straight insert and open up case walls. They stick bad and cause battering on the powder measure. Not to mention results in shaving of lead or copper when you seat lead or plated bullets. But the Hornady expander die is a well designed tapered plug to flare the mouths without expanding the case walls. I dont know why they are different. I called them about it and the guy in there warranty dept. didn't understand why the engineers didn't use the same design on both. I was told they were going to release a "lead bullets" powder through expander to improve the design. The last I heard they shelled the project due to lack of demand for any of there powder through expanders. Hope this helps you out.

A good starter gun if your going new is the STI Spartan (MSRP $698)in .45acp. .45acp will give you major power factor of which is a distinct advantage with score. The Spartan has a good trigger and is accurate. The only thing with it is you need to shoot round nose bullets to get optimum feed reliability. It is a government configuration, mainly meaning it is a 5" non-ramped barrel. Non ramped barrels without a little work to the throat doesn't feed well with Semi Wadcutter style bullets. Though an inexpensive trip to a competant gunsmith will fix that. It is a great gun for the money, best value on the market in my opinion. You will also need at least 5 magazines. This is an area you do not want to scrimp and will be a sizeable cost to do so. It will enhance the reliability of the gun whereas a cheap mag will cause you problems. For the .45 you are allowed 8 round mags, and you will want to use 8's not 7's for the advantage. I suggest a mag with a Round follower (not a flat) either a Wilson Combat, MetalForm Elite, or Tripp Research Cobra Mags. (Tripp research are also MetalForm made tubes). They range from $35 for wilson upto $60 for metalform. I will mention STI factory mags used to be Act-Mag brand and I did not like them. STI has recently changed to MetalForm Elite's as there factory Supplied mag. SO if you get "New" stock STI facroy mags you will be ok. The other things you will need is of course mag pouches and a holster. There are tons of options for each out there. You just want to have open top style mag pouches for ease of getting to them. As far as holsters, read the holster requirement per USPSA rules to make sure a particular holster is ok for use. Some retail sellers will have a note stating what approvals a holster has. A holster that is open topped preferably made of Kydex is a great choice for ease of drawing the gun. I hope this helps!!!!!

Winchester NT, Federal NT, and CCI Blazer NT. I called CCI about the reason for small primers in 45's when I first noticed some of the brass laying at my range. I was told that "NT" stands for non toxic and the priming compound is different than conventional priming. This new compound's characteristics works best in the small primer and is only available in small primers. So all ammo that is "NT" has to have Small Primers. I can't attest to that information being completely true, but that's what I was told.

Colt sear springs are good. They are a little on the long side. The little bent over tab on the end of the sear leaf is also longer than everyone else's. I assume they do that to ensure the leaf wont slip off the sear. I will mention that the EGW sear spring is a colt manufactured spring. That information came direct from EGW when I spoke to them Monday. They also mentioned some of the colt springs they got were lesser quality than usual. He told me they are getting new ones in that have been corrected. That is why they are "out of stock" at the moment.

You will be very pleased with bayou "gator snot" 200 gr. SWC. Thats what I'm currently shooting and they are very accurate and clean. I get 5 shot sub 1" groups at 20 yds with them. My bore is lead free after 200+ rounds. I like W231/HP38 powder, it is accurate. But I use Titegroup for USPSA. I get a comfortable cushion for the power factor with 4.9gr. It has less felt recoil than W231 with loads making major pf.

I prefer finger grooves, and have them on most of my pistols. But mainly I like a thicker grip (like a 1911) to fill my hands. Most revolver grips are too thin, the only ones I could find that had a comfortable size were Nill grips. They were without finger grooves but they feel right. I also prefer smooth over checkered for revolver.

Thats good to know, I was curious if someone elses mags work with the TacSol. There mags are well made and function great but break the bank!!!! I was going to try a kimber mag but hated like hell to spend the money on it to not work. I will have to order one now, I'll put it through its paces. Thanks

ss+P, I mounted mine on a .45Acp STI Spartan frame. They will work on any 1911A1 government configuration as as well as an STI 2011 frame, with there respective magazine. It will not mount on a gun with an extended ejector installed on it's frame. This is because the unit's ejector will hit the frames ejector before the unit lines up with the slide stop pin hole. As far as there mags, they are available and currently in stock from midwayUSA, Single stack mag is $59.99 and STI wide body mag is $69.99. My unit was purchased from a Gun Shop in my area that is a dealer for Tacsol, they had the units available in there shop. I looked at MidwayUSA to buy the unit and they were out of stock, two days after I bought it from the gun shop they were back in stock, as of right now there out of stock again!!! These units are in high demand and most of the product line from TacSol is also very desirable amongst shooters. They are a small company with about thirty employee's so they are limited on there production, but it is worth the wait. Also the mag capacity is advertised as 10 round for both styles. I will tell you that my Single Stack mag will hold 14, but is sketchy with it's reliability when you load over ten.

It just so happens I recently had the same problem with my spartan. As a matter of fact it is probably close to getting it's boarding pass to come home from STI. The guys from STI had to stone down the rough spots on the sear and hammer as well as replace the sear spring. The sear spring (as supplied by armscor) was rubing on the frame disrupting the tension. So now I have a better quality sear spring. Unfortunately some of the small parts on the spartan that are armscor made are not as good when compared to actual STI parts. I suggest you contact STI and arrange to have the pistol returned to them for repair @ (512)819-0656. They will give you an R.A. # and there UPS account # so you dont have to pay for the shipping.

It should. I'm using mine on an STI Spartan, of which the Frame is made by Armscor. Armscor I believe makes Rock Island Arms. The Unit may require some fitting of it to your frame, though nothing major. The only compatability problem is if your using an extended ejector. It will interfere with the units ejector. If it's a stock ejector you should be fine. If you want to be totally sure give Tactical Solutions a call. They are very friendly folks that will answer the phone when you call!!!!!!!!

I was curious to know if anyone elses mags would function in this unit. I have it atop a single stack so if you know of anyone elses ss mags that work with the TacSol unit please share!!!!

****UPDATE***** The problem I experienced with the magazine for this unit jamming up while stripping off the second round in a fully loaded magazine (10 rds.) is fixed. Upon dis-assembly of the mag I found gum and grit inside of which I removed but this was not the soul culprit. There are three witness slots milled into the side of the mag for viewing round count. There were some burrs on the inside from this milling process rubbing onto the follower. Especially the lowest one, the one the follower will duck just below when loaded to 10 rounds. After removing these burrs, giving a general polishing to the mag body, and a light coat of teflon dry lube the problem is gone. It will now flawlessly run with a fully loaded mag. I removed the Aimpoint and returned it to it's home atop my MK II. I sighted it in with the supplied irons and had a great day of picking off 12 Ga. Shotgun shells at 15 yds. with ease. I like the front blade on this unit, very easy to see for my horrible eyes. So I will now wait until the Burris Speed Dot I ordered for it arrives to ready it for both Bullseye and steel work. (If you have any experience with the Burris Speed Dot please post it on my topic about it in the technical accessories forum)

I just ordered a Burris Speed Dot sight for my TacSol 2211 conversion Unit. I wanted a reliable and repeatable tube style sight to use for Bullseye work. This Unit shoots plenty good to do it. But I also wanted a larger tube for increased range of view to also use it for some rimfire steel work without sight changes. I own several Burris scopes and love them, solid built, hold zero, very precise adjustment, and great clarity. So when I saw there Speed Dot I ordered it based on my previous experience. Just curious to hear what you guys think of it. I really like Aimpoint but to pricey for my current budget. (I have an aimpoint 3000 on my MKII but it is too long to use on my 2211 unit, 2211 unit shoots better than my MK II target!)

I understand both sides of the discussion, but you are absolutely right Craig. I reload so I'm subject to DQ if my "reloads" dont cut it. But A box of factory loads that don't make it is ok......unfair to say the least considering the lesser recoil advantage it may provide to the store bought shooter. The PF should be met no matter if its bought or reloaded to keep it fair and eraticate the need to prove whether it is factory or reloads. Whats next, the requirement to produce a receipt of the ammo purchase for proof??????? Thats the only way to prove a Factory ammo claim. To much complication for a simple sport!!!!

I Cant speak for the ATI pistol you are inquiring about but I just wanted to say stay away from the Chiappa pistols. I handled one and got to test fire one. In one word.....garbage. The thing is so loose I'm surprised it stays in one piece. The thing really reminds me of one of those crossman BB pistols by its finish and fitment and it's (lack of) accuracy. I see the ATI is german made piece, it is probably not a bad buy. The germans have a good reputation for quality. I can say that if you decide to go with a conversion top end, I suggest the Tactical Solutions unit. I just got one and it's an awsome, reliable, and accurate piece of equipment. I just wrote up a review with test targets on it in this forum.

I suggest you go with an STI Spartan for the most cost effective option. It has the same firing conrols as all the STI's so you get a good trigger to start with. I have handled a lot of springfields and think there trigger stinks. As far as accuracy my Spartan shoots my Major PF loads into .800 5 shot groups at 20 yds. Not too shabby for the price. It has a great barrel lockup and slide to frame fit, mine was better than any stock springfield or taurus Ive ever handled. You are getting a great gun for the price. The only quirk with the Spartan is it is finiky with feeding SWC style bullets. This is because of the non-ramped A1 design barrel. With a little barrel feed lip work it will be just fine. If you want a ramped barrel configuration than the Trojan is another great choice with alot of performance for a little bit more than the spartan. I at all cost would stay away from the taurus.........I've seen a few in action and they don't shoot very accurately and apparently the sights aren't very securely fit. I've seen my friends fall off a couple of times. That might be because of the constant jerking of the slide to clear jams !!!!!!!

My setup for SS; A Blackhawk CQC holster(without the serpa lock) it draws very smooth, adjustable retention, and secures the gun very well. I liked it better than the bladetech for its rigidity on the draw. I use a Wilson stainless magwell (clip over style, clips to the two bottom grip screw inserts.) It is very secure and works great without the cost of the magwell/mainspring housing combo type. I use Metal Form Elite mags, the most dependable and tough mags I found. They use a "steel" rounded follower, Cobra removable base and Wolff springs. I use Hogue finger groove grips, they just feel right for me. As far as recoil spring for a 9mm I cant say, I shoot major with .45 with an 18lb wolff spring.

Yeah that is the only thing thats a major negative to the Unit......the price of the Mags. I just ordered one a few minutes ago actually. I got it for $60 at MidwayUSA.

Thank you Soundwave, I'm a particular person whom is not happy with anything short of perfect. I get very frustrated these days with anything I buy because it is never right. It almost always requires a warranty return to make the item live up to the manufacturers claims. I really felt I had to do a review on this solely because everything I was told by Tac. Solutions over the phone was honest and backed up by the units performance. Another nice thing is Tac. Solutions offers a free service of fitting there products to your intended gun if you have issues with fitment. Also there products are lifetime warrantied and the unit is so neatly made I can see why they do. I'm very happy I went with this one versus the Marvel. Tactical Solutions says there unit will also do sub 1" groups at 50yds as the Marvel unit 1 will. They just dont have the time to test fire each one to send a proof target.

I guess it was!!! I am very happy with the unit. If you get one you will be too. The reason this thing runs so well is the magazines. They are an aluminum machined mag designed around there unit and built with precision in mind. Only there mags will work with the unit. The drawback is the mags are $60 a piece at MidwayUSA, or $90 a piece from Tac Solutions direct.

STI has great customer service. They will take care of the problem. They will also pay for the shipping both ways!!!!! I had some feeding issues with my Spartan, about identical to your issue actually. My Spartan is non ramped and is usually finiky with anything other than hardball. They made it run by changing the feed lip configuration and barrel link. I helped it with some good metal form elite mags. In your case I believe the Trojan is a ramped barrel so it may be the barrel link needs some attention and possibly a little heavier recoil spring. Give STI a call they will fix it for sure!

Here are the test Targets, finally got them to post!!!!!

I have a Tactical Solutions Unit, I just posted a topic with my review of it in this forum. Check it out, I myself after the results I got today at the range am very pleased with it for both accuracy and reliability. It's the best built conversion out there. It's a steel slide versus everyone elses aluminum slide. Aluminum will surely wear out much quicker riding on your steel frame. It has a slide lockback on the last shot, it also carries a lifetime warranty, whereas everyone else is only 2 year. It shoots under 1" 5 shot groups at 20yds of the bench with most ammo(likes 40gr bullets better than 36gr offerings) See my post to get my full opinion and how I tested it. I shot around 500 rounds today putting it through it's paces.