Norther

Started with a Trophy Match: Dawson FO front sight, .100" Gunner grips, modified for mag release clearance Extended mag release and a sear from Phil Strader's parts box 15 lb recoil spring and 19 lb mainspring Soon to have: Caspian locking ambi safety Dawson No-Gap magwell

Close to a grand? My Trophy Match was $1300 new. I think Trojans run $1000-$1100 range.

Shooting revolver is a lot of fun. Definitely an added challenge though. I'm usually the only one at our local matches, but at least I no longer finish last... I started because it was the last of the 6 divisions I wasn't classified in. I've ended up sticking with it longer than planned.

I like to sit for single-stage rifle loading and stand at my 650. The Dillon is currently mounted to a 30" high bench (30"X50" top) with a strong mount (I like the bullet tray), and it's too low. My new bench in the works will be 24" X 96", bolted to the wall and around 36" high. No two tier bench for me; just get an adjustable height stool with a back as previous posters have done.

I've been wearing glasses for over 25 years. I've tried contacts twice, and have always gone back to glasses. Maybe astigmatism correction in contacts has advanced (last time I tried contacts was around 6 years ago), but I've always found I could see better with glasses. I've been getting Transition polycarbonate safety lenses, and frames with removeable side shields, so I have daily wear/sunglasses/safety glasses in one. I happen to like the smaller lenses, less weight to slide down my nose, and you usually only look through the middle area anyway.

The visual technique that leads to greatness in clay target shooting - looking right at the target - is the opposite of what is required to shoot a pistol as good as it can be shot. If you want to move out of B class, you might dedicate some serious training to: seeing the front sight in razor sharp focus before each shot fires. A good axiom is "keep your eyes moving." From the target, back to the sights, back to the next target, back to the sites, etc., forever. be I'm probably mistaken, but it seems to me that focusing on my sights would increase accuracy more than speed. My issue is more speed than accuracy. Admittedly, the local shooting group is relatively small (we only have one master class shooter), but I usually have the top or near the top score (not counting time). That's why I said I'm not entirely sure it's a problem. The other reason is that after many years of shooting (not necessarily this sport), it will be VERY difficult to change. I just can't see how I can focus on the sights without closing my off eye or taping my glasses, neither of which I'm very willing to do. Something to do over the coming winter... Not necessarily disagreeing, just seeking knowledge. That's why I joined this forum.

I do this too. Never thought of it that way, but I used to shoot a lot of Skeet before I started pistol shooting. I still can't focus on my sights, rather just looking "through" them and focusing on the target. Somehow I'm not entirely convinced it's a problem, as I seem to shoot pretty well regardless. But maybe that's why I'm only a B shooter...

This summer, I shot a USPSA special classifier match. Our club allowed us to run the six stages with two guns, to get classified in two divisions. I shot identical XDm's in 9mm and .40, for Production and Limited. Being classifier stages (low round count), I don't recall the added mag capacity of Limited being a big help. The point is, my scores for the two were almost exactly identical. Guns identically set up, from the same holster and mag pouches. I do tend to shoot a lot of A's. I went from C to B in both divisions that match.

Was that the rising zero or the final zero? It always seemed so handy for a .22 rifle that the first zero was pretty much 25 yards and the second zero was fifty, IIRC. (Or was that 50 and 100?) Matt "Final" zero. If I "zeroed" at 15 yds, there wasn't enough difference to tell/matter at 25 yards. But if I "zeroed" at 25 yards, then I'd an inch or so high at 15 yards, which I didn't like. be Interesting. I always zero around 25-30 yards, and figured there wasn't enough difference to matter at shorter ranges, and I can still hold dead on out to 50. Could be that I'm just not good enough to notice. I don't have any problems hitting 10" plates at 50 with a dead on hold though. Now I need to go do some target shooting to really figure out the trajectory of my various guns...Kinda cold and snowy outside though.

You mentioned an XDm .45. In USPSA, it really only fits in L10 division, and even then I think .40s are probably better. For .45, go Single Stack, as it sounds like you are planning. i currently shoot a SA Trophy Match, and I like it. If I were to do it again, I think I'd likely try a STI Trojan, just based on reviews. I am happy with my TM though. Thinking of a .40 Trojan...

Side note, a 646 just sold on Gunbroker for $900. Looked like it had seen some use. I'd been watching it but I just bought a new limited gun...

The question, I believe, addresses how to stop a ricochet after the bullet hits the primary backstop (in this case, the ground), since it will be hitting that backstop at an angle. For the rest of the targets, the berm is the primary backstop, and ricochet isn't usually an issue. One local club, whose range is on soft silt, uses nothing, and you can occasionally hear ricochets going over the berm. The other local club, whose range is on rocky mine tailings, never uses this sort of target setup for obvious reasons.

I know this is old news, but no one mentioned the method I like. I welded up some bases from 1/8X2X4 tubing. A 12" piece flat, with 2-6" pices welded flat at right angles on each side to form a cross. One more 6" welded vertically. The vertical takes a 2x4 for the wall support, then stick 2x4s in the base flat on the ground. An 8' through the 12" piece right angles to the wall has held it in all wind I've seen. Very wide base possible, but easy to disassemble and move. No staking necessary, but if you did you could use shorter 2x4s in the base.

Interesting! That's how I shoot. I never looked at it quite that way before.

Locally, USPSA and Steel are the only games in town. I can drive down Alaskapopo's way for a weekend USPSA/IDPA match (one Sat, one Sunday) if I can get away and feel like spending the gas and hotel money. Did it twice last winter. I thought that particular group of IDPA shooters was a good bunch, not too hard on me for airgunning etc. when I didn't know better. Most of them shoot both too. Planning to do it again soon. Summers are too busy.

My SA Trophy match has the stock rear with a Dawson .100 front. I think the rear is .125, but not certain. I like it.

I may be mistaken, but I think all Springfields and all STIs except for the Spartan are made in the US. I think the Ruger is too.

Drill and tap--great idea. I have that problem with mine. I am changing holsters for a different reason, though, so I'll see if it goes away. So far I've always found it when it falls out. As far as front sights, get one from Protocall. Great fiber optic sight, and as far as I know your only option if you want one narrower than .125 (stock). When I got my JM, I didn't like the grips. I tried the Hogue rubber ones, didn't like them either, so I ground the finger grooves off and reshaped them a bit. Still didn't like them, so I got the rubber ones for the X-frame because of the recommendations of some on this forum. I didn't like them either, so I went back to the JM grips, and reshaped them very slightly. Now I find after lots of practice that I do like them. Go figure. Did my own trigger job, and ground off the hammer spur because it would just hit my hand. Now I have a smooth 7.25 lb pull that ignites Federals seated on my Dillon 100%. I didn't want to go to the hassle of seating primers separately to get away with a lighter pull. I may not be much of a pistolsmith, but it's way better than the 12 lb pull it came with.

If they were buying an entry gun, it would be a $600 secondhand 625. Or shoot that six shot .357 with magnums to make major, not .38 minor. I'm not really firm on this, but I hate the idea of a gun not really having a place. Obviously, there's not really a good answer. I have enough of a hard time counting to 6; if I got a procedural instead of a click as a result of a miscount, you can bet I'd go back to singe stack and forget revolver.

I've done that. New to shooting revolver, concentrating on reloading on the move, went right past it. No wonder why it was so fast...

This happened with my S&W 1911PD. Actually, the rear leg of the plunger tube sheared off. S&W replaced it, sure, but then the mag catch lock broke (twice) and I had to send it back because of hammer-follow...my SA Trophy Match hasn't had any problems and has at least 3 times the round count. I buy S&W revolvers, but this is my last S&W semiauto, I think.

<"As of now I am a guy that likes to shoot revolvers but don't feel my gun has a "legit" place in the division."> You know, when this poll first started I voted to leave things as they are. But it's true, that 8 shooters really don't fit anywhere, and all handguns should fit somewhere. Revolver division is clearly the place for them. On second thought, I'd go for including them scored minor. I don't agree that a current-edition 625 4" is not competitive at the level most of us are at. Maybe at M and GM, but not for most of us. Look at Limited. There's no real consensus on 5" versus 6".

For a front sight, go with Protocall. The others are too wide, Protocall's the only one to make a .100" wide fiber optic. Also, he's great to deal with, I ordered one from him that got lost in the mail and he sent another right away.

Counting to 6 makes no difference, because with an 8 shot you still need to count (to 8). Counting might be slow, but not as slow as an extra aim-n-click. When you shoot a six shooter you better be counting to six or you will waste time with a "Click". That's what I said, except it's no different with an 8-shooter. Still gotta count.

Counting to 6 makes no difference, because with an 8 shot you still need to count (to 8). Counting might be slow, but not as slow as an extra aim-n-click. You're comparing apples to oranges. You say to compete you NEED a gun no longer made because it's the "gun to have", but then say you use a <$700 1911 in SS. I doubt your 1911 is the "gun to have" in SS (That's probably a Wilson or Nighthawk or Brown or...). All I'm saying is my thirdhand 4" 625JM is a blast to shoot. I rarely have other revolvers to compete against, but on short revolver-friendly stages I generally give all the other divisions a run for their money.