CenTX

I finally jumping into the PCC pool without knowing how to swim. Buying a used gun that runs with 124 gr 9 mm factory loads. Looking for a little advice such as spare parts, parts that I might want to upgrade or try out, things likely to break. It uses Colt mags and has a Spinta bolt, Spike's heavy buffer and Taccom ULW barrel which is basically a 5.5" pistol barrel with a shroud to make it 16". I was told that they do not recommend polymer coated or lead bullets due to accumulation in the shroud. Thanks for your input. CenTX

Snowshooze has some handy gadgets, but I have had some issues with his service. I ordered a blue index roller, the invoice says blue and he sent me a black one, no big deal I'll just use the black. I ordered the Top Plate washer on August 1, 2019, when I ordered they said delivery 8/8 to 8/21. It is 8/22 and I still do not have it. I'm waiting on the washer to install all the other items I bought that have been delivered.

Thanks for the suggestion, I'll look into it, that would make it even simpler. Now, I loosen the set screw on the hopper and rotate 90 degrees. The CasePro is now mounted to pair of shelves I cut and screwed together. I index the front of the shelf to the front of my work bench and the edge of my strong mount, that aligns the feed tubes. I found a piece of round screen from an old carburetor the right size to connect the tubes. I ran a couple of gallon jugs full of brass through it with no issues. So it is usable as is.

I owe you. I had thought about trying that, but eyeballing, it looked like it would not fit. After you mentioned it I went back and re-evaluted my set up. I dismounted my CasePro and actually tried it. The results are not very elegant, but as a proof of concept it works. The mock up pictured actually works, but everything is just sitting there. I'll fabricate a mount, I can permanently mount or clamp to the work bench and also a sleeve to connect the two Dillon 9mm casefeed tubes. Thanks again for the nudge to just do it. Bob

I found this, for me, to be much faster than the stock CasePro setup if you do not have a case feeder. The CasePro comes with a 5.5" case feed tube, unless you use a case feeder it's pretty slow. To speed manual feeding, I bought a standard 650 case feeder tube in 9mm (13.5"), more than twice as long the standard one that comes with the CasePro. It is longer, and has a smaller diameter than the CasepPro tube and, in 9mm fits nicely into the CasePro without the adapter. It fits pretty welI, but I use a rubber washer from the hardware store to position the tube. Now I can operate the CasePro with my right hand and fill the casefeed tube with my left. Not as fast or easy as a casefeeder, but much cheaper, and for me it seems faster and smoother than the CasePro included tube . Your results may vary. Further down in the topic is my set up, for CasePro and 650 with one casefeeder. Thanks to Caspian Guy for his suggestion.

While it is aggravating to recently buy a 650 and have it replaced shortly thereafter, it appears that if you load only pistol or rifle calibers the 650 will load, the only hit you take is if it knocks down the value of your 650. However, to some the 650 primer system makes it more desirable. 550 vs 650 primer feed both have their detractors and fans. Having same primer feeds for the 550 and the 650 will reduce Dillon's cost. Per Dillon tech support the 750 indexing roller and indexing block with the spring are not backward compatible. IMHO these changes can be closely duplicated with third party parts.

There is definitely a learning curve to go from irons to a dot. Once you are proficient wit the dot, it will be faster on most stages. Some stages with all the targets up close, dots may not be faster, but with medium to long targets, the dot will be faster. However, there some folks that have been unable to adapt to dots.

I've been fighting this issue for years, I'm 71, and tried most things discussed except the two different lenses strengths. Everything sort of works, but is still lacking compared to my eyes when younger. Red dot sights seem to be the best option for old eyes, it works with or without my corrective lenses. Everything else seems to be a compromise that doesn't work without corrective lenses/contacts. YRMV.

Can't answer your question, but this may help. Look on youtube for A400 Cast & Length of Pull Adjustment. The video shows an A400 wooden stock being disassembled with a kick off. Bob

Trip Research was originally in Austin, they are now in Bastrop.

I think I made a modest contribution on a credit card. PayPal did not want to accept the paypal@brianenos.com

As stated, when shooting USPSA Limited, most are at a disadvantage shooting minor. Unless you shoot all "A"s you are giving away points to the guys shooting 40 S&W. I know 9 mm is easier to shoot, it holds more rounds, it is a low pressure round and ,40 is a high pressure round etc., but look at the results of any major match or the Nationals, nobody shooting minor wins. Good mags are critical, some run without tuning others do not. STI Magazines for 9 mm are harder to tune, SV mags, IMHO, are better for 9 MM and 38S/SC, but harder to find and usually more expensive. As someone else stated, any gun by a good builder should do the trick, this is even more important for 9 mm than .40 S&W, I have seen 40s run fine out of the box with good mags. Good luck.

I shot my first shotgun match today. On the first stage my 930 failed to cycle a couple of times using some 30 year old reloads from when I was shooting trap. No problems at all on the other stages. After the first stage I thought about the problem. A soft grip on a 1911 can cause malfunctions so I figured may it could on an auto shotgun. So on the second stage I held the shotguns as I would shooting buckshot, firmly against my shoulder. No problems after I started using a more solid grip. Might not have anything to do with it, but it seems to have solved my problem. I have just under 100 rounds total through the gun.

Electronic scales are so sensitive that almost anything will change the readings. The scale needs to be on a good solid surface, preferably not your reloading bench. Any vibration will influence the read out. The AC/Heater vent blowing from across the room will affect it. The scale should be turned on 20 or thirty minutes before you calibrate it. Have you checked the scale for accuracy? You can test it with check weights or some small item, test the scale numerous times to be sure you get consistent readings.

The way to tell if you have a 38/40 or 45 tube is the ribs on the side of the mag. A 38 has 4 deep ribs, a 40 has 2 deepand 2 shallow and a 45 has 4 shallow ribs.

The only problem I ever had with SR primers was when I bought some Wolf SR primers when that was all I could fine. They worked in all my 1911/2011 pistols, but my striker fired M&P Pro had about 1 in 10 failure rate. Like pistol primers, not all rifle primers are the same. Some are soft and some are hard. Just because your gun will run one brand, does not mean it will run another, especially for striker fired pistols.

I use BC 40/180, 9/147 and 45/200 all loaded over N-320. No longer shooting 40. I've been using them for over a year and I am very happy with them.

Tax law is very complicated and hard to understand and there are many gray areas. That said I am not a tax advisor, but have attended some tax training related to my previous work. Perhaps if you research it in a different, your shooting is a hobby, your writing is a second job. As always consult your tax professional.

+1 Can't beat it. Very cheap at Wal-Mart. It helps if you have a steady hand. The potential down side, if you ever decide to sell them, permanent marking of your initials may affect the resale value. Of course my Limited STI has a serial number "Tim G", I don't know who he is, but got a really good deal when i bought it used at a gun shop.

I buy sheets of vinyl numbers from the craft shop and either just stick them on or use them as a template to bead blast the basepad. On rubber or plastic basepads, Wilson, M&P, Glock, I use a soldering iron to put dimples on the basepad.

I have two 140 SV tubes I bought direct from SV in July of 2007. I used them in my STI Open gun with Grams springs and followers, never had any issues requiring me to modify any of the followers.

Went to Interstate plastics in Austin, TX., most reasonably big cities should have a plastic wholesaler. They had all sorts of smaller pieces, did not have to buy a big sheet. I bought two different types with a low and a higher melting point. You could also find a supplier on the web.

As I remember it: Magazines used to have to be flush with the bottom of the frame. You could add a butt pad but it couldn't add to mag capacity. When hi-capacity guns became popular, the bottom of the mag still had to be flush with the frame. P9's held 17 in the mag and with one in the chamber, a shooter could now run an 18 round stage without a reload. A lot of shooters still were shooting single stack guns and in an effort to let them be more competitive, the 165 mm long, 11 round single stack mags were allowed. This was when there was only one division, before Limited and the rest. Then Limited was started, which was supposed to be a place where the single stacks could still play. 170 mm mags were allowed in single stack guns but only 140 mm in double stacks. Now, thanks to Gary Stevens, Single Stacks do have a place to play. The flush magazines were not part of the original rules. The first draft of the IPSC rules, June, 1978 , I have them posted them on the Forums somewhere state, " 6. Extension magazines for auto pistols (containing a larger number of rounds) are permitted only on reload, and may not be carried in the pistol in its ready condition." Round count was not much of an issue in the early days, most courses of fire had much smaller round counts than we have today. My guess is high cap mags brought about high round counts. In the early days the browning Hi-Power was the typical hi-cap gun, but you were shooting minor. I quit shooting around 1984, so what happened between 1984 to 2004, I don't know the details.

The only match I can remember having my mags checked was the Columbus Cup in El Salvador.

Matt, Unless things have changed, Dawson tunes for reliability and not for maximum round count. The Dawson tuned mags will vary on the number of rounds, just like untuned mags. My 40 S&W Dawson tuned mags, when legal length, only held 19 rounds, but your results could be different. If I remember correctly, my Dawson 40 mags were too long with the SNL. The SNL base pad is just what the name implies "Sometimes Not Legal" You need to test each assembled mag in the gauge to insure it is legal.