BPiatt

That looks like a Safariland designed by Pride/Fowler.

I've done test on all of this. I've run an empty std. length buffer tube with a lightened bcg without any problems. I ran about 500 rounds (semi auto) When it came time to use it in matches, I ran a buffer with one weight and a delrin spacer, just because I was a afraid of a malfunction. (never had any with or without the weights) Keep in mind why you're doing this. You're actually not REDUCING felt recoil.... you're CHANGING it. In my experience I found the gun will definately cycle faster, hit your shoulder harder and the recoil will seem to finish quicker. I ran this light weight stuff for a full season. Then I got a new gun with standard weight parts, shot it and thought Holy S___, this cycles soft. So like it said, it changes the recoil feel. I've read articles on high power shooters wanting as much weight as they can get. They seem to think the bolt will stay locked longer, resulting in more accuracy. I'm not sure on that thought but I never ran accuracy tests, with and without weight.

I've been running a 16" barrel with a long gas system for a long time. They will run just fine.... however, when changing from a 20" to a 16" you might have to enlarge the gas hole a touch. No big deal just keep in mind that the bullet dwell time between gas port and muzzle is now shorter and may affect cycling. I've always been fond of the feel of the long gas system. Carbine barrels kick harder and exert higher pressures at the bolt. DPMS sells the Tactical 16" rifles in just this configuration. It's the same barrel I used last year in competition, as did Tony Holmes. 1/2 - 3/4 minute right from the factory. I also have a Tactical 16 as one of my AR's I use at my PD job. I found one ammo that would just not run my gun but that was old SAMSON ammo the department found cheap several years ago. Everything else runs great, factory 55's, green tip, 50 gr. reloads, right up to current military 77 gr Sierra's. Bushmaster offers a 16" barrel with a long sight radius but they have the short gas system UNDER the handguards. The sight block at the end doesn't have a gas port in it.

I used the Mounting Solutions Plus sight. The metal post come in three sizes. I used the smallest at .050 with a .020 fiber optic. follow this link for photo and details. http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?prod...&t=11082005 I went to a fiber optic when the R&R plates started to show up at matches. They would paint the targets white and the protective square plate below the target black. Using a 6 O'Clock hold, I would loose the black front sight in the black protective plate. The fiber optic fixed that problem. On a close hoser stage, I don't know if it helped but several times I thought I was shooting a dot sight, when my brain would register the green fiber optic dot in the center of the targets. I don't think it was a help, just something I noticed. Bruce Piatt

On a 1100 I use for Sportsman's Team challenge/ Sporting Clays, I cut mine down almost 1/2 it's length to reduce the weight and prevent wear on the pin. If you want to shorten it, the only thing you have to watch is when you have a full gun. When you go to put one more in and it stops short, make sure you don't cut the EZ Loader any shorter than that distance. If you do, and you mistakenly go to load another, it will start to go in the tube, go past the EZ Loader which will spring up, blocking the round from coming back out of the mag tube.

I've been using it all season... about 1500 rounds thru it, I'd guess. It's holding up great for me and I'm pretty rough on my equipment. I've only shot it out to 400 so I can say, with my ammo, the reticle is damn near right on. I mean, my 300 yard dot is a coulple of inches off, so a torso hit is no problem at all. The 400 yard hash is perfect (for my ammo). I'd like to see the 200 yard dot removed as you really don't even need it. FYI, I shoot a 55 grain Sierra BlitzKing bullet at 3100 fps out of my 16" barrel.

All right now... it's gone. I haven't seen it and I've heard it's a "side spitter". I've got cash for whoever has a copy

I agree with the magazine issues. I have found the Metalform magazine designed and sold by Springfield Armory is the best feeding, single stack, 9mm magazine on the market. Instead of having the spacer in rear, they've scalloped the front of the mag and made the tip of the scallop into a little feed ramp.

Hey guys.. Take a look at the Burris Speed Dot 135. I used it this year to win the Bianchi Cup and the Sportsman's Team Challenge. For AP I use the 3 minute dot version mounted on top of a Stick Shift mover base by Warren Moore. Bruce

When I first saw the title of this post "Rule book for Steel Challenge", the first thing that came to my mind was...... LOL....... LOL..... Rule book???? Who needs a rule book??? Draw gun, Hit targets, preferably FAST, don't get hurt !!!! I guess I'm a littel punchy from working the overnight shift.

If I were in the spot to start from scratch, I'd build a 9mm gun. 1. Bullets and Brass are the least expensive. 2. Accuracy is as good as any other caliber. (Mine shoots 1" at 50yds) 3. Function (feed/extraction) is not an issue. 4. If you wanted to buy factory ammo, most any location has 9mm. (except for counties like Italy where 9mm is illegal)

With a 115 gr. bullet you need 1043 fps to make power factor. 1100 fps ammo is accurate enough but is questionable on functioning some guns. 1150 seems to work the gun good, feel good, and is plenty accurate.

Martin, Your math, while correct is pretty complicated. Here's my formula I've been using for years. distance to target in feet DiVIDED BY speed of bullet in FPS MULTIPLIED BY speed of target in Inches per second or for 25 yard line (75 / 1150) X 120 = 7.8 inches 20 yard line (60 / 1150) X 120 = 6.25 15 yard line (45 / 1150) X 120 = 4.7 10 yard line (30 / 1150) X 120 = 3.14 (Remember to do the math in the parenthesis first.) My ammo does 1150 fps

Who can I email a picture of my gun so you can upload it to this forum? As you can tell, I can pull a trigger better than run a computer. Bruce Piatt Whoever wants to do the upload, send me an email at bruce@brucepiatt.com

Damn..... same weekend as the DPMS Tri-Gun Challenge

I've been using Federal .223 brass for years. I get if from my PD work, (American Eagle 50 JHP loads), reload and use it once. I let it fly when I'm traveling to matches. The stuff I shoot at home during practice can see 2 or 3 loadings but then it's shot on a rainy or snowy day and I let it lie. I have noticed different lots did have different OAL's when it came time to size/trim. Being too short by a few thousanths isn't a problem. Varying OAL will have it's biggest impact on any crimp you put on them. If you don't crimp, then OAL (up to max) won't affect your loads at all. You can trim shorter than the book says. I did have a batch that I ran thru my dillon electric sizer/trimmer. It was set for proper sizing and trim to 1.750. The entire batch didn't even touch the trimmer. So I readusted and trimmed to 1.744, then adjusted my taper crimp die specifically for that OAL. I couldn't tell any difference in accuracy.

While I've done it in the past, tumbling loaded ammo can cause problems. 1. Excessive tumbling can break loose the primer compound. 2. I've heard of rifle rounds detonating in the tumbler... Never seen it, only heard about it.

The Caspian shrouds are available and shipping. $312.50 retail. Check them out at http://www.caspianarms.com/Merchant2/merch...tegory_Code=A02 See you in a couple of weeks. If anyone from overseas is interested, let me know what you want and I can arrange delivery at the Bianchi Cup. Bruce Piatt

I just worked up two loads for 185 Sierra JHP's Out of a 5" Nowlin Barrel 4.8 gr. Titegroup = 770 fps 5.1 gr. Hodgdon HP-38 = 750 fps

I just worked a light load w/ Titegroup however I was using 185 JHP Sierra's. 5" Nowlin Barrel 4.8 gr. Titegroup = 770 fps.

I can shoot either... Once I get shooting the Optics again, I may not want to go back. I pre-registered but still haven't committed. If I go, I'll be taking the wife and staying at a decent hotel. She thinks I want her to go for "vacation time".... hell, I just need her to carry another 5 kilos of ammo ;-)

FYI folks, When making plans, be careful what currency they're listing on the various websites. The match fees list EURO's while the Hotel listings are using Norway's Kr ie: Quality Hotel Grand, Kongsberg 1465 Kr = $155 USD / night

How did I get in OPEN???

OK, I made contact with Caspian regarding hole patterns. Just like their other scope mounts, hole patterns will be Weigand or blank.

Martin, It's the Weigand hole pattern but I don't think it would be a problem to make a few without holes and leave it up to you for installation. If this is something people want, I'll pass it onto Caspian. I'd like to hear from those who would be interested in a mount without holes. Bruce