Jim Watson

That is factory. Pre '70 Gold Cups had the slide lightened for reliability with midrange ammo, 185 gr 750 fps. I don't know of anybody trying to wear one out with hardball like Skeeter Skelton did with the Mk IV S70 GC which does not have lightening cuts. So did Commanders, which makes sense in 9mm, but .45? My 1970s .45 Commander is cut away as you show at the rear but not in the front. Hey, a Transitional Model, ooh. I didn't check the Combat Commander; will the next time I have the safe open. My Service Model ACE .22 slide is lightened from the inside, apparently the floating chamber is still not enough to cycle a heavy slide. I have no doubt it was done from the inside for normal appearance. The flutes, toots, and daylight holes seen on the modern race gun would not have sold in those days.

The next time it does that STOP and look instead of pushing the slide and firing the shot. It might be ahead of the extractor.

My (Discontinued, bought used, maybe I should call and see when it was made.) STI Eagle 9mm is a great USPSA Limited Minor gun, and would be a fine IDPA ESP if I could keep track of the loadout. Its only malfunctions have been from trying to cram in as many rounds as the magazine vendor says it will take. I have had one "saltshaker" and three or four "round under follower" occurrences, but only when trying to load more than 21 into a 141.25mm magazine. Settle for 17 in the 126s and 21 in the 140-141s and all is good. But that is a sample of one. I am puzzled by their attitude, but if they are selling guns to somebody, more power to them.

I am currently loading Bayou. I have shot a good number of BBI and some Gallant, one lot of MB. I am just not a good enough shot to tell a difference, once the seating and power factor are adjusted, the only difference I see is the color.

Mine binds on MBX but not STI. I have thought about sanding it out, looks like the front is the place to cut without affecting operation.

Where's the hangup? Have they taken on more orders than they can deliver in a timely manner (common in small operations) or is it the outsourced finishes?

I don't recall which powder but something ate up the cheap acrylic hopper on my Redding measure. That measure now has a metal hopper for static free black powder loading. Sounds like the Hornady is made out of the same stuff. My RCBS is OK, though I don't leave it loaded. My Dillon measures are discolored but not pitted from being left loaded. I made gauges out of plastic rod and cardboard discs so I have something to glance at when I fill the primer feed, a low tech version of the $45 Dillon buzzer. I figure one day I will splurge on the Pyrex hoppers, I had a glass liner in my old CH Autochamp progressive. I used an air pump as vibrator to load pistols with 700X powder left over when I phased out of Trapshooting. I don't find it necessary for HP38 or Bullseye.

Fine print down at the bottom of the page https://www.mbxextreme.com I cannot load my MBX 141.25s to more than 21 (they say 23-24) without trouble. I have tried, but two or three times I have picked up the discarded magazine and noticed a rattle from a round UNDER the follower. And once I had a total "salt shaker" with the follower stuck sideways.

PPC Nationals has a guaranteed stock event, guns and ammo issued on the firing line. IDPA Nationals once had a BUG sidematch, guns and ammo provided. But these are once a year and once ever things, not a regular event. If you just had a box stock division, you would soon find companies putting high end guns in boxes. Elgin Gates tried to keep Casull out of IHMSA with a retail price limit, I don't know how long that lasted.

I have several of the large Federal trays with the reinforcing ribs cut out to use for gun parts or a few rounds of ammo. Doesn't say what to do with the large numbers a regular shooter accumulates, though. I don't know why they don't mold in recycle code numbers. My city only takes 1 and 2; PET and HDPE.

I bite my lower lip in rapid fire, I have it in match photos but never realized it before. I will try for a relaxed face.

In the pre-Legion era, I had a CPO P226 tuned up and campaigned it at SSP. It did most things well except for the invisible slide stop. IDPA slide lock reload was a chore. Rather than go to yanking the slide, I retired the gun to home defense.

Consumer vibratory tumblers are not meant for the weight of ceramic or steel media and water. A friend wore one out in two batches. Get a rotary if you want that shine.

How does one touch up chrome plating?

Aggravated me no end when a shooter rightfully got a DQ for doing a 270 after backing out of a hallway but was seen shooting later. MD: "Oh, he is a Master shooter and traveled 800 miles to get here so I'm letting him keep shooting for no score." I am sure a no score wound would not have hurt as bad as a scored hit on bystander.

Some years ago, I got most of a caddy of Green Dot cheap. I don't have the load data at hand, but it worked best in 9mm and I used up the powder with no thought of buying more.

I don't know about the Cool Guys, but I am now loading a 147 gr Xtreme plated roundnose to 1.16" and about 900 fps for f 132. That could be shaved a bit but I am going to stick with it til I use up my supply of 147s, after which I am going to 124s. I'll probably load them to a bit lower power factor, I only shoot club matches and don't need a large Chronoman safety factor. I am shooting a STI Eagle 2011. I have Gen 1, Gen 2, and MBX magazines. All feed roundnose bullets reliably. I am getting out of 9mm flat points and .45 semiwadcutters. The tweaking of gun and load is just more work than I care to put in any more; I am going roundnose all the way.

It has been a long time since I shot that Michigan Armament .45 with standard Auto Port by Magnaport but I don't recall it making a whole lot of difference. An expansion chamber compensator will be more effective... but more expensive.

Well, yes, I traded my 2520 off to a guy who got as good accuracy with it as anything and metering better, so it is just one of those "match your load to your gun" things, and mine didn't. I didn't notice "dirtier", it wouldn't foul out in the course of a match and that is all I cared about.

When I got into F class, I tried hard to like AA2520. It metered so well that the only time I needed a scale was to set the measure. Unfortunately it was not quite as accurate as any of several extruded powders in weighed charges, so I bought a dispenser and settled in with Varget.

Plunk AND chronograph. I went to order some Bayou 124 coated and saw a short nose no-lube-groove pattern instead of the long nose with shoulder and groove I had been getting. I inquired. Denny said the mold maker said the NLG was more accurate so he bought a set of molds to replace his beat up grooved molds. He said he loaded and Ransom Rested some and they were indeed more accurate. My Colt 1991A1 IDPA ESP has the shortest throat of guns I shoot regularly and I had to seat the new style bullets to a substantially shorter OAL. I figured that would call for a lighter powder charge so I chronographed a downward ladder. Nope, I am going to have to increase my load. I will measure seating depth vs OAL.

This thread is eerily similar to what I was reading earlier about the "low number" 1903 Springfield. Weak metal Bad ammo Bad luck Only a few "Mine's fine." Too bad the OP is far foreign and can't walk in and lay his barrel on Mr Strayer's desk. I couldn't bring up the link to the lab report.

One of the few shops to keep the factory ejector rod latch, most put a ball detent in the yoke. I like the stop screw on the rear sight. I would set it for a 50 yard neck or head hold.

The JAmes bullets look to have a shorter nose/longer bearing surface than most, similar shape to the Blue Bullets I have seen. I have been loading Bayou 124 9mm and find that they now have a different mould for the weight. I ordered some to try.

There was a lot of this sort of stuff going on during the AWB 1994-2004. Magazine "repair parts" sold all over the place. Even "overhaul kits" with all parts loose in a baggie. I was surprised that the feds did not mount a sting to sell somebody an "overhaul kit" and follow him to see him assemble a banned "ammunition feeding device."