Mike in CT

Hi Guys, I have been shooting M&Ps for about 5 years now. My main pistol is the 5" Pro with Apex parts. I was able to pick up a 5" Ported model and have a couple of questions. I do not feel much recoil reduction with my 129 PF loads, sounds like I need to bump the charge up? Also I am not impressed with the stock accuracy, even in a Ramson Rest. So here is the big question. I know you can get a conversion barrel to make a 40 into a 9, can you get a conversion barrel to make a 9 into a 40? Maybe have the slide reamed out to 40 spec and then buy the 9 conversion barrel?> Sounds like KKM barrels are the way to go, anyone have one quad ported and if so did it make a difference? Mike

I have been researching this both here and on other forums. It seems there is a lot of information and likely a lot of mis-information out there. What I would like is a dot that floats ABOVE the iron sights. I see no use in having the dot partially covering the iron sights, seems odd to me. I am not sure what the actual definition of co-witness is, but it seems like everyone has their own idea. With that said, does anyone have solid info on an optic and how the dot sits in relation to the iron sights? I have been looking at the Burris FF3 (cheap, lifetime warranty), J Point and Dr. I cannot find an STS anywhere, looks like the new STS2 is the only one available and that DOES NOT fit the pistol regardless of which plate you use. A picture of the sights/dot alignment would be great. thanks in advance, looking forward to getting the optic mounted! Mike OK, I looked up the definition of co-witness, looks like what I want is the lower 1/3 co-witness, so the dot floats above the iron sights.

Same Problem here. Call Smith and they sent a label for me to send pistol and CMore to them. Going to check with them next week. Sucks, out $300++ for the Cmore, I wonder what Smith will say or do?

I think I will stick with a spray of gun scrubber and *flossing* the inside of the mags with an old sock! Mike

Did they come out with a kinda brushed finish or did they stay shiny like buffed stainless steel? Did you just use water and pins, or did you add some cleaner, Mike

I was thinking the same thing. I wet tumbled some aluminum mag basepads and it worked well. Rounded any rough edges. Waiting to see how the wet tumble works! Mike

OK, so I am almost embarest to say I use the STI 126mm 'pinched' 10 round magazines. For those of you not familiar they basically folded in a groove on the sides making it basically a single stack mag. STI has sent me new springs but they lighten up quickly and do not seem to last more than a season of shooting at best. Anyone else out there use these and have you found a replacement spring for these? I am thinking that there must be some longer springs (like for Wilson 10 round 45ACP mags, that could be fit into these bodies). Thanks Mike (no longer in CT, now in CA.....not sure which is worse for gun owners.

I load with moly coated lead bullets and have s similar problem. If I force them in the case guage it will actually shave a bit of moly/lead off the bullet. It appears that the bullets themselves had a bulge or oblong diameter and they stick out past the rim. Once I 'shave' that part of the bullets they work just fine. Might want to try that. BTW I load with U die and FCD and I still end up wiith this problem. It is the bullet, not the case in my situation. I can get from 1 to 3 per hundred. Normally all of these would have chambered. neat trick, I had my gunsmith take a brand new chamber reamer and run it down the guage and the barrel so now both are the same spec, Mike

Always nice to pop into the forum after many months and find just what I was looking for. I just bought an Edge after owning an Eagle for 6 years. I also hear the load long info, generally 1.18 is what I hear the most. My Eagle would run with either 1.13 or 1.18 just fine. Will be making some test loads and hitting the range the next few days to dial in the Edge. I plan to load about 5.5grns WSF under a Bear Creek Moly 180grn . I will end up loading at whatever is the most accurate. My only other 40 is an M&P and I do not need to make major as I run that in Production or IDPA so might even be easier to load the major PF longer so I always know which is which.

So I called Benelli, they say that it looks like it would work but it does not. bummer

I am looking to shorten the LOP on my Benelli M2 so today when I took the butt pad off I saw what looks like a second set of snaps 1" in from the end of the stock. Looking at the outside of the stock there is a visible line where this second set of 'snaps' is. Could it be as easy as just cutting off 1" and popping the butt pad back in? I did some measurements and it looks like the second set of snaps has the same width, but maybe 1/4" shorter, maybe the butt pad can conform to that? Any advice or suggestions appreciated. Mike

Yeah, I missed on the first attempt by 1 question, not bad considering I did not prep for the test. I am trying to login for my second attempt and it does not recognize me. It just says. warning, check your email address. Yeah, I tried both my email addresses, upper case/lower case, cut and pasted my email address from the recert notice I received. no luck, Anyone run into this? Any help appreciated!

8ring, I am local to Bear Creek and we will either do group buys or have one guy swing by and pick up an order. What are you looking for, maybe I can help out. He has raised his prices but only a couple bucks per thousand. Right now he says he is 2+ months behind in filling orders. Our group just put in a 100k round order so we will see how long it takes. Mike

I have loaded thousands of rounds of 9, 40 and .223 but new to the 45 ACP. I like WSF as I can use it in both the 9 and 40, and since I have a decent supply would like to look at using it in the 45. But I also have a few pounds of Titegroup as well. I am planning on a range/chrono day with some test loads, but always like to hear what everyone has to say about going one way or the other. I see that both Titegroup and WSF provide recipes on their websites, any opinions or advice between using one or the other? I will be loading with Bear Creek Moly, 230Grn SWC. Mike

I just stumbled on to this thread and it sounds like the mag pouch is legal but I think I will call HQ Monday and ask. My desire to run this mag pouch is that I shoot IDPA, USPSA, both with either double stack or single stack magazines and this little pouch will accommodate any of the mags I would use at any given time. Just my two cents, but they do not appear provide any advantage, but then again I am a slow shooter and play the games for the fun of them, not to be the fastest guy out there. Mike

Thanks, I plan on shooting them, I guess I was just looking to see if I could find a way to get them to gauge. I do not mind using them for plinking but for a match I gauge everything first anyways, Mike

OK, so maybe this is a dumb question, but when I lower the sizing die all the way down and then some, doesnt that supposed to bump the shoulder back or am I missing something? Mike

I have been reloading for several years and now have a year and several thousand .223 rifle reloads experience. I am having some issues getting almost all of the PPU 11 headstamp brass to fit my case guage, but they chamber OK in my Stag Arms AR. I am reloading on a Dillon 650, using the RCBS Small Base sizing die, trimming with Dillon Trimmer. Most all the other headstamps I test trim and case gauge fine. The PPU's always have the rim stick up out of my case gauge. I have tried adjusting the sizing die until it bottoms out and cams over with no luck. Some LC brass shows the same problem, while most LC gauges just fine. By fine I mean they drop in all the way and drop out when I turn the gauge upside down. The trimming is fine, I trim all cases to 1.750 and the length is not the problem. Any ideas or suggestions? Just go with it since the chamber ok? thanks Mike

Thanks All!!! Just got my toolheads back from a friend that installed the HeliCoils in them and gave me a floating die set up for my rifle. I already bought the Uniquetek spent primer assembly, the only down side was that my stock screws holding the stock metal plate were not long enough for the new plastic piece but a quick trip to HomeDepot solved that. Maybe Dillon changed the screws as I had not heard of needing new screws and none were supplied in the kit. Can't wait to get back out to the press, Mike

+1 Brian hooked me up with a XL650 and everything to load, 9mm, 40S&W and .223 Excellent service by any standard, Mike

Hello, So I just ran through 500 rounds of 40 S&W on my new 650. Just love it. What I cannot figure out is how to advance the primers when you start to load from a dry primer assembly. What I have been doing is just running shell through while the primer system advances to a point that there is a primer in the right spot. Is there some trick to being able to advance the primers manually? On the other side of the priming is when the buzzer goes off. I have not yet counted but is there typically a certain number of primers left in the system when it sounds so I can just count rounds until the system is dry? Lastly, the little chute that catches the good primers is nice, but I find the primers sliding out of the shoot. I just took a piece of tape and wrapped it around the end of the chute to make the walls taller, is there a mod to do this a better way? Thanks for helping a noobe (just new to Dillon, not reloading) out, Mike

Great thread here. I also have made purchases from InlineFrabrication and have to say all items are top notch. I have a light kit and roller handle for the 650 on order now. Had I seen his strong mount I would have gone that way but saw it after I ordered the Dillon. I have just switched from a Hornady to the 650 and have been looking for the tweaks needed and this thread is a great help. I have my order set for Uniquetek and will pick up these washers as well. I really like my toys to work when I want to play with them......thus the reason I got rid of the Hornady, seemed like I was always having to tweak something or was breaking small plastic parts....granted I loaded many, many thousands of rounds with it. Also happy to find the 650 primer tube trick. That was one thing I really like on the LNL, the tube dumped into a gatorade bottle and kept everything clean. I will do some more reading, and maybe it is just me, but why the need for the thrust washer or needle bearing? Also, aside from the washer trick, the improved case feeder mod, the toolhead clamp kit, and primer catch assembly, is there anything else I should be looking at? With the low primer warning system on the Dillon I may need to bump up the completed round akro bin, I use to use a full catch bin on my Hornady to tell me when I was running out of primers! Mike

BoxerGlocker, What is that clear tubing on your press? I watched the video and did not see any cases dumping into the Akro bin so I am assuming that is some type of shell catcher? I just got my 650 and have set it up and loaded 100 rounds of 40. I went with the 2 toolhead set up for 223 as well, using the trimmer on one head and a deprime die on the second toolhead. I am looking forward to running about 1,000 .223 rounds through the Dillon shortly. I previously loaded on a Hornady but am finding the 650 very a very nice machine, Mike

Well I just got off the phone with Brian and I have a 650 with all the goodies and setups for 9mm, 40S&W and .223. Now just to clean off the loading bench and get ready for some setup. The Hornady will have to go as my bill from Brian was a bit more than expected, but I tossed in the .223 conversion and that bumped it up. Now just to wait for delivery, and then start the set up. I am sure I will be reading through these forums for set up tips and trick as well as checking out YouTube. Will post back after I am loading with the Dillon, Mike

Thanks for all the input. I was thinking this over and while it would be nice to have 2 presses set up (keep the LNL), I usually load in high quantities to hold me over for a couple of months shooting. I think what tipped the scale in going to the 650 would be that I can sell my Hornady (they offered to go through it at no charge) and looking at it that way I would really only be out of pocket several hundred dollars versus the full $1000 of the cost of the 650. I am going to pull the trigger on the 650 set up for both pistol calibers for now, then buy a .223 conversion kit once I sell the Hornady, Thanks for all the info, Mike