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Thank you, I had never heard of them until your post. I will put them on the list to try if the Peltor Tactical Pro doesn't work out. Chris

I've about given up on using temple covers, they just add too much bulk. I have some prescription safety glasses that are heavier than I would like. I have tried using Bollé Vigilante wraparound prescription glasses and three different pairs of wire-framed prescription glasses, two of which are aviator-style. At the moment I'm using a pair of aviator-style glasses from CostCo. Chris

I need some recommendations for hearing protection. Currently I shoot USPSA regularly, and when I'm doing RO duty I have some specific hearing requirements: I need to hear well enough to identify the unique sound of a "squib" round, to hear normal conversation, and yet have enough protection for a full day of shooting. The hearing protection I currently use, the Howard Leight Impact Sport electronic ear muffs, perform perfectly, with one exception: comfort. I wear prescription shooting glasses, and after about three hours of exposure the pressure of the earmuffs against the temples of the glasses pressing against my head becomes very uncomfortable. I wouldn't call it painful, because I can block it out temporarily, but I find myself taking my earmuffs off at every opportunity late in the day to get some relief. I have been using these earmuffs for three years, and they show no sign of wearing out, but the comfort is now an issue. What I think I want is something with the same noise reduction and voice amplification capability as my current earmuffs, but with much softer ear cups. Today I tried foam plugs, and they block out too much sound for my purposes. Has anyone on the forum encountered the specific comfort problem that I have, and if so, how did you solve it? Thanks, Chris

Good catch, I forgot that those parts are included. I'm a lefty, but I have just decided to adapt to the mag release on the left side, and I don't find the extended version to be of any benefit to me. Because I'm a lefty my right thumb is not in any danger of touching the extended Slide Stop Lever (SSL), but I know several right-handed Glock competition shooters who have reverted to the standard SSL because they were inadvertently bumping it with their left thumb, causing either inappropriately-timed slide stops, or having the slide fail to stop when it should. The fact that Glock puts those parts on the guns at least indicates that they are taking some steps to accommodate competitors. I have to admit that reason that I like the G35 for USPSA Production is that a steel target, hit about anywhere by the .40 S&W, will go DOWN, and this has not always been my experience with 9mm. Shooting the 180-grain bullets found in some target ammunition (remember when we could buy target ammunition?), recoil is not a problem as long as you grip the gun reasonably well, at least in my humble experience. Chris

The G35 will have a lighter trigger pull, around 4.5-5.5#, due to the use of the "-" connector. I know that the "-" connector is supposed to provide a 3# trigger pull, but I have never measured one as having that effect without other work, and I have measured a number of them. Interestingly, Glock advertises the pull of the Gen4 G35 to be "~5.5 lbs". Chris

What will be used as a backup, the G22 or the G35? The G35 is a good gun for Production or Limited as well as for GSSF matches. The G35 comes with a "-" connector and an adjustable rear sight. Other than the slide length, the slide has a relief cut in the top. Chris

Good, thanks very much. I'm off to the auto parts store! Chris

My nice new XL650 has a grease fitting (see photo), and my official XL650 maintenance kit has a little grease gun with no fitting. My question is: will an ordinary hardware-store grease gun fit this fitting? I don't plan to drag the press into the store to find out. If you have an XL650 with a grease fitting, and if you bought a grease gun to work with it, please let me know where you got the grease gun and if there is any sort of standard size for these things. Thanks, Chris

I've heard that enough that I am ready to believe it, but I have a dumb question: how difficult is it to separate the brass from the pins when you are done? Chris

Do you mean you'll buy tires from a store that has an actual torque wrench, and knows how to use it to install wheels, so that they won't cause this sort of problem in the future?

I think it depends on how nasty your brass is. Seriously. I'm speaking here of .45ACP only, I know things will be different for rifles and anyting using a small primer. With new Starline brass that I have fired once and then promptly cleaned, I can get it close to pristine using ground walnut shells, even to the point that it cleans the primer pockets pretty well. Then I follow up with ground corncob and a polishing agent, and then plain ground corncob. I'm sure that an ultrasonic cleaner will do better than a tumbler with relatively fresh brass. With old, crusty brass, it's a different story. With very dirty old range brass that has been fired many times without being cleaned, it's not possible (for me) to get that clean with just a tumbler, at least with anything short of steel pins. The whole steel pins thing is new to me, so I'm ignorant about that. With really old dirty range brass, fired several times and apparently never cleaned, I follow this script: 1. deprime it 2. select a batch of about 350 cases 3. run it for four 30-minute cycles in an RCBS ultrasonic cleaner with Hornady One-Shot Brass cleaner at 40:1, using high heat (131° F, if I recall correctly) 4. rinse thorougly 5. run it for 2 hours in a tumbler with ground walnut shells. My theory is that the ultrasonic cleaner breaks up the heavy deposits but just won't remove all of them, the walnut shells finish the job 6. run it for 2 hours in a tumbler with ground corncob with a polishing agent, like Dillon Rapid Polish 7. run it for 2 hours in a tumbler with plain ground corncob. 8. the result is bright and shiny brass, primer pockets are very good, not new, but very good Chris

Thanks, that answers part of the question, and it helps. The other part of the question is the display of threads. If I open a thread with, say, 100 replies, the display starts at 1 and goes up. I would like it to start at 100 and go down, so I see the newest post in a thread first. That's the part I'm missing. Chris

Is there a way to get threads to display the newest message first? I can't seem to find it in any of the controls. Thanks, Chris

Trying to fit an arched Smith & Alexander MSH to a Range Officer to get it to look like the authentic 1911A1 configuration, at least on the outside, is more of a challenge than I expected. I am aware of the issues with the internal parts of the MSH, my problem is with the grip safety. The aftermarket part, in this case from Smith & Alexander, apparently is keeping the three-bladed flat spring from extending far enough to push the grip safety out to where it will work. The new MSH is quite a bit thicker (fore to aft) than the one in the gun, but before I get to really filing on it I wanted to confirm my belief that I will have to seriously reduce the thickness of the MSH to get the grip safety to work. The profile of the Smith & Alexander MSH looks very different from the one in the gun, and from the drawings of the 1911A1 part. Handily, the drawing has no dimension for the thickness of the part: http://www.m1911.org/M1911-A1_REDUX.pdf I am new enough to the 1911 that I could easily be missing something that is obvious to someone more experienced. Please advise. Chris

Ok...so are you running the ILS specific cap, spring, and retainer in the aftermarket MSH (shown on left)...or did you switch those out for standard parts (shown on right)? If you are using the mainspring cap shown on the left with the spring on the right....that's your problem Thank you for the photo, this is a great example of the old saying, "A picture is worth a thousand words". Great work! Chris

Their website says that the rifle has an adjustable gas system. I would start finding out about that, it might be the source of the problem. Chris

Quick question for anyone who has received a shipment from Montana Gold since February: did they ship UPS or US Postal Service? They were shipping in USPS Flat Rate boxes, I wondered if they have switched to UPS. Just curious. Thanks, Chris

I use a Chamber Checker from Evolution Gun Works, and I wouldn't be without it. All of my reloads and all new factory ammo that I shoot in .45ACP goes through this device. They are spendy, the one I use for .45ACP holds 50 rounds and costs nearly $100 (http://www.egwguns.c...amber-checkers/) but it allows you to quickly check 50 rounds for correct size for seating in the chamber,and it also makes it very easy to spot high primers. As a final inspection tool, it is invaluable. EGW makes Chamber Checkers with capacity less than 50 rounds, for a lot less than $100. Chris

Have you checked and adjusted the clutch? I wonder if loosening the clutch a little would let that case fall. Chris

Thanks very much. Chris

Makes sense, thank you. I think your solution is better than two washers because it avoids modifying another part. The XL650 is becoming a hobby unto itself. At least it's cheaper than fast cars.... Chris

Google is your friend. After seaching, check the cached pages. http://webcache.goog...lient=firefox-a This appears to be a dead link now. If anyone has a blank Montana Gold order form, will you be kind enough to post a link or the document? The link to the fax/mail in order form on their website is also dead. If I can't get an order form, I was thinking of using an old web order email response and making up a new form of my own. Any ideas? I can see the end of my 230 grain bullets before the end of the shooting season! Chris

Thanks, it does feel different with just a half coil cut off. Regarding the bearing kit, did you use just the top washer? Was there a particular reason that you chose to use just one washer? I'm not arguing, just trying to learn. Chris

I am interested in cutting the index ball spring, but I'm concerned that I will trim too much. Will you be kind enough to post a photo of your spring, and indicate how many coils were removed? Thanks, Chris

Fair warning: this is a long-winded post that specifically covers some things I have learned about the Dillon XL650 progressive reloading machine. It was originally posted in a pistol forum, so the information may be initially very basic for readers here. Be patient, there's some useful stuff for more experienced reloaders too. In order to follow along, the reader will need to understand how the XL 650 is built, and for that information there is no better source than the Dillon XL 650 Instruction Manual (May 2007), published by Dillon Precision and available at no cost online. Introduction As it comes out of the box, the XL 650 is a somewhat complex machine, one that performs a number of functions with each complete down-and-up cycle of the operating handle: 1. Feed empty brass (optional, installed on mine) 2. De-cap and resize brass (de-cap and de-prime mean the same thing) 3. Feed primer 4. Insert and seat primer 5. Flare case mouth (for pistols) 6. Dispense powder charge 7. Check powder charge level (optional, installed on mine) 8. Seat bullet in case 9. Crimp case around bullet 10.Dispense completed round The XL 650 has a fixed toolhead that holds five dies or devices: 1. Sizing/decapping die 2. Primer, case flare and powder dispenser 3. Powder check system 4. Seating die 5. Crimp die The cases that are being processed rotate beneath the fixed toolhead on a circular shellplate, which is advanced automatically by the movement of the operating handle and a cam. This feature, automatic indexing, leaves the operator with two manual operations for each cycle: place a bullet into the mouth of a charged case with the left hand, and move the operating handle down and up with the right hand. Opportunities for Improvement Before reading further, please understand that this is not new or original information: almost all of it came from other sources including the section of Brian Enos’s excellent site that deals specifically with Dillon Precision Reloading Equipment. There is a wealth of information over there, but rather than just link you directly to it I wanted to summarize some of it and add my own impressions. There are a couple of opportunities for improvement (I won’t call them “weaknesses”) in the XL 650, areas where a small change can make a big difference. Shellplate The shellplate holds the cases as they move clockwise from station to station. It has recesses machined in the bottom that stop it in position when it arrives over a spring-loaded index ball in the frame. If the shellplate is the least bit loose, it will jiggle when it reaches the index ball and the ball snaps into position. If it jiggles, a couple of problems can occur, including failure to align primers to insert correctly, and spilling powder between the powder funnel, powder check, and bullet seating stations. It is important that the shellplate bolt remains tight, but not so tight that the shell plate won’t rotate. Loading .45 ACP and using Winchester 231 powder, I don’t have the cases more than half full, so I don’t spill too much powder. For a case with powder loaded closer to the top of the case, spilling powder will be more of a problem, so a solution is needed. In my case, I just didn’t like the mess of spilled powder, even a little spilled powder. Among my other faults, I am very clean and neat. The first solution to this is simply to check and adjust the shellplate bolt’s tightness. Loosen the brass-tipped setscrew, remove the shellplate bolt, the ejector wire and shellplate, put a little dab of light grease along the path of the alignment holes on the bottom of the shellplate, insert and tighten the shellplate bolt until it will not move and then loosen it just enough to allow it to rotate smoothly. Then put the ejector wire back on and re-tighten the brass-tipped setscrew, which maintains the adjustment of the shellplate bolt. The second solution is to insert a needle-roller bearing at the top of the shellplate, fitting between the head of the shellplate bolt and the shellplate. With a bearing installed, friction can be reduced and the wobble in the shellplate will be reduced because the washers and bearing stabilize the shellplate bolt. I found it was necessary to bend the ejector wire to clear the bottom of the case insert assembly when the bearing and washers were installed on the shellplate bolt. This bearing is available as a set of parts from McMaster-Carr in California. The parts needed are: 5909K31 Cage Assembly for 1/2" Shaft Diameter, 15/16" OD, Steel Thrust Needle-Roller Bearing (quantity 1) 5909K44 .032" Thick Washer for 1/2" Shaft Diameter, Steel Thrust Needle-Roller Bearing (quantity 2) The total price of the parts plus tax and shipping is $4.87, which I thought was very reasonable. Powder Measure The original powder measure on the XL 650 is very, very consistent, just as steady as my bench-mounted powder measure, so there is no problem here. However, it does not have a graduated meter, so if you need to change powder measure settings as you change powder or loads, the change process is going to be extended due to the need for more checks with the scale as you adjust the powder measure adjusting bolt. The solution is to have a graduated powder measure that can be dialed in to a given setting with some precision, provided by Uniquetek Incorporated, at a price of $59.95 plus tax and shipping. Before purchasing, I recommend that you read the instructions, because you may wish to have Uniquetek install the parts on your powder bar for a nominal charge instead of doing it yourself. Once installed, the micrometer-adjustable powder measure keeps its setting with no problem, and it makes changing loads back and forth very easy because you are moving from one known reference point to another. Powder Baffle As the powder flows down through the powder measure, it’s possible that it will “stack up” or not flow smoothly at the bottom as the volume of powder in the measure is reduced. A cure for this problem is a powder baffle, which will even out the flow of powder. I have used one with good results on a different powder measure, so I did not resist the idea when I saw one available, again from Uniquetek, for the Dillon XL 650. It’s a good idea to deburr the edges of this aluminum powder baffle, but once that was done, I found it was easy to simply drop it into the powder chamber. Toolhead One of the design goals for the XL 650 was apparently to allow the customer to use the XL 650 for several calibers by including features to make caliber changes quick and easy. The removable toolhead plays a major role in providing this capability. The toolhead on the XL 650 is mounted on the top of the frame so that it and all of the dies can be swapped out quickly with another set of dies for a different caliber. To be able to move the toolhead in and out of the machine, it was manufactured to provide enough clearance with the frame to enable it to be changed. The problem is that, once in the frame, the toolhead is held in place by two steel locating pins, and these pins allow some vertical movement of the toolhead when the press is in operation. This vertical movement results in an inability of the XL 650 to provide very precise OAL consistency and I think it contributes to some degree to primer seating problems. The solution to this problem is to fix the toolhead securely to the frame once it is installed, but to allow it to be removed for caliber changes when necessary. This is done pretty easily with a toolhead clamp kit, again provided by Uniquetek Incorporated. I chose to buy their precision toolhead that already had the clamp kit installed because the price of the clamp kit alone was close to the cost of the toolhead. Summary Having an XL 650, beyond using it as a tool to reload ammunition, has provided me with yet another gadget to understand, maintain, and tinker with. I hesitate to say that it has become a hobby in itself, but it could be close! Chris