BallisticianX

Ive been trying to develop some 38 Short Colt loads for my 627 with what I have on hand. I have a custom 5" barrel by Pinnacle Performance (Factory barrel wouldnt group with 38 short colt, Specials or magnums). In the last two days I've tried Berrys 158 Gr RN .357 diam., Berrys 130 Gr RN .356 diam, and powerbond 158 Gr HP .3575 to .358 diam. Powders used are Bullseye, Titegroup, and WSF. Thus far the accuracy has been dismal regardless of which bullet with all three powders with the 130 gr being the worst, I expected it to be with a .356 diam in a .357 bore, but it was worth a try for elimination sake. The Berrys 158 RN shot best with 3.3 gr Bullseye and 4.4 gr WSF getting 3" groups at 20 yards. The Powerbond with 4.4 WSF showed the most promise with a 2-1/2" group at 20 yards. But still both dismal. After all this I decided to try some 38 special cases to determine if its the Short colt cases or bullets that the gun despises. I loaded up my 38 special recipe I used to run in my old 686 for ICORE that shot very well, Berrys 158 gr RN over 4.0 gr of titegroup. At 20 yards it shot a 1" group. I also ran a 38 special load from 30 years ago that someone gave to me (tag says 150 gr cast 3.6 gr Unique) and again 1" group at twenty. Im starting to doubt that the short colt's long bullet jump in a 357 mag cylinder "doesn't hurt accuracy". Any thoughts on this?

The thumb rest is a nice feature. But you need to adjust it so it's as forward as possible to where the pad of your thumb still reaches it. I found setting it to close causes the weak hand thumb to arch up and that causes to much down push as well as pushing to the strong hand side. Recoil. Springs as previously play a big part in dip...stronger springs exert more force to the forward slide motion. Depending on the weight of your slide, steel or polymer grip, comp weight, and load will determine the spring weight. There is no exact answer as to the best weight. You gotta buy different weights and try them. My 38SC has a 10.85oz slide, Ti comp, 170pf load, and steel grip. This setup works best with an 8lb. Reality is muzzle dip will come and go with grip too. So don't go crazy trying to eliminate it completely, just minimize it to where your happy with shot placement on double taps. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I had one on my recent Bedell build. Not a bad comp. I prefer the CFD comp as it has a predictable vertical dot movement and consistent dot return. The Bedell comp gave me the bouncing dot or "figure 8" but the dot would return decently. I think the Bedell comp would benefit with some side ports like the CFD. That would most likely eliminate the figure 8 dot movement. All and all it's not a bad comp and Max seems to win with it. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

A practice session and a match are two different environments. In a match you have a different mindset induced by the pressure and urgency in required actions. This is not induced at a practice session. Therefore your muscle tension and mind change under the stress. You may not realize your gripping to hard or too little, getting a bad grip position, and so on. If your springing is on the edge of satisfactory to too heavy or too light the slight change in what your doing could be enough to faulter the gun etc. You gotta find what your doing different between the two. The common equipment related issue to account for this is in practice people tend to not load mags to capacity whereas in a match they are. Possible you have too strong a mag spring when compressed at capacity thus slowing down the slide. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The MBX mags are dimensionally larger than STI mags. I found they tend to stick in the gun rather than drop free. That said seating them were hard here and there. The cure is to round out the bottom inner lip area on the frame where the mag slides through. The MBX mag body pinches right there on an STI frame. The other thing I encountered was the MBX spring & follower were not to stable. The spring or the attachment thereof allowed the follower to roll around inside the tube. It also allowed the follower to slide forward and protrude past the magazine body. Ditch the MBX spring and follower for Grams. The mags just load and work smoother. And trim the lock back ear off. Slide lock on and open gun is useless and beats on the gun. Open slides are cycling much quicker than most and It slamming into the slide stop beats the slide notch and it rides on the bottom of the slide inducing wear. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It is "fooey". But is commonplace. It usually happens if sales of the new model doesn't meet projections. They look at it as all the time and money invested into design &prototyping needs to be recouped to show profit. If it's not because the other affordable option is still outpacing sales they force the hand of consumers by discontinuing the affordable model. Of course this could also hurt overall sales if there are other brand options the budget minded consumers could be swayed to. In this case CK Arms has that option to us. So it may prove catastrophic for STI in the end. STI revamped their distributor ship structure when it transitioned to employee owned. Subsequently it cut back available dealers across the country. Now there is less places able to get their products. That was not good move in my opinion, nor is leaving a void in the product line by axing the Tru-Bore. We shall see...... Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It is "fooey". But is commonplace. It usually happens if sales of the new model doesn't meet projections. They look at it as all the time and money invested into design &prototyping needs to be recouped to show profit. If it's not because the other affordable option is still outpacing sales they force the hand of consumers by discontinuing the affordable model. Of course this could also hurt overall sales if there are other brand options the budget minded consumers could be swayed to. In this case CK Arms has that option to us. So it may prove catastrophic for STI in the end. STI revamped their distributor ship structure when it transitioned to employee owned. Subsequently it cut back available dealers across the country. Now there is less places able to get their products. That was not good move in my opinion, nor is leaving a void in the product line by axing the Tru-Bore. We shall see...... Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Common business practice, minimize models to promote sales of the flagship model. Also producing less models/options simplifies production and increases availability. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'm still playing at my indoor match. So far I'm loving this setup. I just need to get used to it. Splits seem fast and dot recovery is perfect. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I use the SV trigger system. The trigger weight plays a role. If the trigger is heavy it has a tendency to stay at rest when the gun moves and can bump the sear. Light triggers reduce that. Of course trigger return leg tension also is part of the equation. 1911/2011 three legged springs are a sensitive setup, they need a perfect harmony to end up just right. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I don't own an Atlas custom....yet. But I have had an extensive conversation with Adam. He is a exceptionally nice guy. His work is complimented by the folks who own his stuff and Im yet to see a complaint. He would be one of 2 people I'd be comfortable with having a 2011 built by. The other being Dan Bedell, whom is equally as good a guy as Adam. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I've had a few comps and so far I am a fan of the CFD comp by Binary Engineering. The LSI comp previously mentioned is based off the same design theory originated by Binary Engineering. The CFD comp does the job and reduces muzzle flip better than anything I've tried so far. The dot tracking is consistent, therefore predictable, and vertical, no figure eight or side to side bounce. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

This would also be my first question. Now you can isolate if it's a mag or gun issue. If the mag feed lips are not tuned or have burs it can cause a nose dive. To light/worn out of a mag spring can hang up a follower and cause this problem as well. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It is aggressive, won't slip in hand! I did go over the whole thing with a stainless wire brush to both brighten the bead blasted look and take the razor edges on those little needle point chevrons in the grip. I'm loving it so far. I'm actually going to a informal indoor match tonight to unleash it on some stages! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Your problem is the expander die. Have experienced this myself in the past. Two expander stem designs are out there. One that only flares the case mouth and the other flares the mouth as well as expanding the case walls. I do not like the whole case wall expander style. Case wall thickness variations between brands and even lots make it impossible to have any single dimension work across the board to expand that case wall. Stretching those case walls open takes tension away from the bullet. You need that tension to work in conjunction with the crimp, not relying on crimp alone. I load all my Auto loader ammo with just a light flare to the mouth. I go as far to machine my own expander stems to eliminate any case wall stretch. The only other concern you may be experiencing is a batch of soft brass that has no spring back. That will exacerbate the expander issue I just explained. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

For 38SC I have used 3n38, WAC, A#7, and Silhouette among a few others. The two best for making that comp do its job noticeably better was 3n38 and A#7. Accuracy between the two were near identical, recoil impulse was less sharp and smoother with A#7 but not lazy. A#7 was considerably quieter than 3n38. A#7 seemed to recover my dot back on target a bit quicker. Then cost is considerably less for A#7. Either powder is a good choice but I personally would choose A#7 even if it was equal expense to 3n38. My load is 10.1 gr A#7 behind a PD 124 JHP CCI SP mag. primers and assembled in the USA inside Starline brass. Velocity is 1380ish.

I know this thread is "solved" but time and time again I see questions asked that have no real answers. Like minor loads out of open guns, what's the best way to do it? Well the best way is found, not told. Each gun is unique and singular. What works with X may not with Z. The gun hobby is trial and error. You need to explore to find your own answers when there are as many variables we have in this game. I have (or had) open guns that feel great with the light bullet fast powder approach and are horrible in others. Shooting is a hobby of waste, effort, and time. You need to waste components in trial an error of every option you can get, the effort to seek out those various results and learn what they mean and it takes a lot of time. In the end you find the success if you agree to the above terms. There are almost no golden rules and very few shortcuts. That's why calling this a hobby is actually deceiving, it's a passionate addiction. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Amen, the grip fitting sucks. The tip of my index finger was numb for two days from down pressure on a needle file from about 300,000 file strokes lol. Then blending and refinishing the grip safety was another time consumer as your unable to grind the grip safety into the frame because the frame has a finish on it. Then filing open the trigger slots, and brush finishing the whole grip with its hundreds of texture cuts. In 15 years of working/building guns I find it the worst gunsmithing tasks I've ever done! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Dry fire is a good piece of advice. Make sure to incorporate practice draws to bring the dot to the target in the screen. Bad grip and no draw practice with a dot is not forgiving and will cost you lots of time trying to frantically find the dot. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

You can use Super Comp even if it was originally built around regular super. The only thing you might have to do is increase the extractor tension. But you may not have too. In open the rimless super comp is a more reliable choice. It improves magazine reliability without that regular 38 super semi-rim causing the rounds to curve and hook each other inside the mag. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

https://vimeo.com/201051711 Here is slo mo of it in action. Gun: 5" Bedell build, Schumann bull barrel, 38 Super Comp. Load: PD 124gr JHP, 10.1gr A#7 1385 fps. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I just recently finished up my PT Evo grip and added a CFD Ti comp shortly after. Fitting the Evo grip to a STI "TG" serial frame is not a fun job....tedious and timely. Be warned! After I got it on and shot it My initial thoughts are the added weight of the steel grips does absorb recoil and dampens gun movement for a faster reset. The weight is in the hands so it does not affect any swing or transitions for me as there's nothing forward to offset balance or create a lever effect. The CFD comp seems to push the gun back down efficiently and works well. I'm very pleased so far with the setup. It's considerably flatter and quicker to dot reset than prior to the metal grip. Then the CFD comp added shortly thereafter just sped it up a touch more. I included a pic of this fracked awesome setup! I'll post a video of this setup firing during my testing of the grip comp combo. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

A missed point of concern is if your shooting range brass what was it shot from? A 9mm fired from a unsupported barrel (Glocks for example) will leave a bulge in the case. Most standard dies will not hit low enough to work it out. So you have a partial bulge to blow out even more on your next firing. This is a common occurrence in a 9mm major load from open guns..had blown out cases lock a gun up tighter than a clams ass. Push through sizing like the Casemaster Jr is the best preventative measure for the bulge. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I just got done with my PT grip. It definitely changes the 3 finger spring angle to lessen tensions. So I guarantee adding tension to both the sear and trigger return fingers are inevitable. For example my trigger pull as tuned prior to the PT grip was 2.3 lbs, after PT grip without touching the spring was 1.2 lbs. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Not sure if you need 38 super (semi-rimmed) or 38 Super Comp (rimless) brass. For open guns Super Comp is the way to go. No magazine issues with stacking and hooking issues like regular 38 super semi rimmed. (They are both interchangeable with the possibility of a minor extractor adjustment.) 38 super & Super Comp are both readily available from Starline. The only other source for 38 Super Comp I know of is Armscor, they started making it but I can not speak of its quality. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk