Carlos

I can shed some light on that. Around 2004 or 2005, Phil Strader got a sample of the AAA competition load then under development. We compared the AAA load to some competition ammo I had loaded up: a Zero 147 JHP over 3.2 grns of Vihta Vouri N310 @ 1.150" OAL w/ 1X Hirtenberger L7A1 brass. That ammo made average 875 out of the Glock 17s we were using. The AAA ammo used the same bullet (at least then it did) and it shot VERY soft; it was very very similar to my N310 load. BUT, I asked Phil what the powder was & he replied that it was "Winchester" - then he quoted some three digit number I'd never heard of. I looked around for it on the net back then. Apparently, its a powder that comes only in large drums & isn't available to us (unless you want to set up a reloading corporation & order a ton of it). Of course, that was then. They might have changed things since then. Sorry the info leads to a dead end. Thanks for the data Gman!

Coolduckboy, Sterling, thanks & good to hear from you both. As far as "what next?" I have some predictions. But first, I want to run them by an old friend @ CATO (he just wrote this short blurb re Nordyke): Yes, California, There Is An Individual Right To Keep And Bear Arms Ilya is the editor-in-chief of the Cato Supreme Court Review. I think we are having lunch this week or next; I'll post again here after that. D.

YES to +P+ in the witness! I am sorta surprised anyone here would suggest otherwise. USPSA was once the home of MANY "Witness" (actually, Italian Tanfoglio) 9mms that were shooting 9mm ammo at OLD MAJOR - that is, past 175 PF, every single weekend. The TZs that were once common were simply 9mm Tanfoglios or "Witness" guns. That ammo at 175+ easily rivaled .357 Sig out of a 9mm case. ALL of these guns are just 75 clones. The design is MORE than strong enough for +p. In fact, you could think of the old 9mm ammo as "+p++" - and the guns kept running. Only thing these guns broke regularly was slide stops, and EGW has a low dollar pin that fixes the issue. Even after the ban on all 9mm major under absurd OALs, those old TZs were simply reamed to 9x21, but the loads were IDENTICAL as far as length, pressure, etc. Anyway, the 75 by any maker (Tanfoglio/"witness" included) is about as strong of a design as you will ever encounter. Factory +p+ is easily handled. As far as the manual? My Glock manual told me never ever use any sort of handloaded ammo at all. So much for the manual's "good advice."

SA Friday - my pleasure. (links added for more analysis) Nordyke's impact appears large for the following reasons: 1) It was issued by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, which includes not only California but also AZ, NV, AK, HI MT, OR, WA, etc. In terms of how the 9th Cir. tends to view constitutional issues, most legal scholars agree that the 9th Cir. often views the Constitution as a "living document" that can "evolve" over time to meet the "public good" - or for other reasons (e.g. - the "discovery of new rights"). WITHOUT straying over the line into any discussion of politics (which are prohibited on be.com), most legal scholars would tend to call such a view "progressive" or "liberal" - as opposed to the "originalist" or "black-letter" view typical of Supreme Court Justices Scalia, Thomas, Alito and Roberts. Point is: if even the most progressive circuit (the 9th Cir.) can resolve the incorporation issue in favor of the 2nd Amendment applying to the states, then it would be surprising if the other, less-progressive circuits would not agree and also find that the right is incorporated. As far as possible further action at the Circuit Court level, re-hearing en banc (ie before all of the 9th Cir. judges rather than just a single panel of 3 judges) is possible, though very unlikely. Note: the 9th is also characterized as less predictable than other circuits - just FYI. Also, since the county technically "won" this case (i.e. they are allowed to prohibit gun shows), the rules of procedure prevent them from filing a petition for cert to the Supreme Court to challenge the 9th Circuit's decision. Thus, the entire 9th Circuit is stuck with the court's incorporation finding (a win for gun owners). 2) The defendant in Nordyke was not the state government of California directly. The defendant was a local government. In their decision, the 9th Circuit went beyond a 2nd Amendment challenge to state-wide law, and found the the 2nd is incorporated (would apply) even to the actions of local governments within states. In so doing, the 9th Circuit indicates that the 2nd Amendment is a fundamental right (which is now incorporated accross the entire 9th Circuit). So, both state-level and local governments are now obligated to respect a citizen's 2nd Amendment rights as the are defined by Heller (which is still open to interpretation - as we can see with the D.C. city counsel's fight to pass restrictive gun laws in D.C. - even turning to the California "approved/banned handgun list" as a model). 3) As the following links & analysis points out, 44 state constitutions have some form of the 2nd Amendment protection for the right to keep and bear arms. Also, there is a 2nd Circuit (NY State, VT) incorporation case coming up in June that arguably involves "arms" though that case is about nunchaku or "nun chucks" - so it may or may not have any meaning for the 2nd. Here are the links I have found useful so far: ABOUT HALF WAY DOWN http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2009_04...html#1240254351

solo 1000 and vv N310 are faster burning than clays, why woudn't that make them more dangerous? burn rates http://www.reloadbench.com/burn.html Solo and N310 are single base powders. Clays is double base. THere is more to it than that. But suffice to say: "Been there, done that."

I do not allow walk throughs due to time constraints at our indoor match. I am obligated to run 10 shooters through 4 stages in under 1 hour. Walk throughs are simply NOT an option. Stage descriptions are followed by a call for first shooter to step to the line (I do ask for volunteers for 1st shooter though).

Agree - I've looked far & wide but the ONLY 147 data I've seen is for lead. I prefer Solo 1000 or V V N310 (loaded long to 1.150") for 147s. Clays is not a good idea.

I run an indoor USPSA match. I mean, I set up, RO and tear down a 40 to 50 shooter match. First started shooting indoor competition in 2000. If anyone is at risk indoors, then I am certainly at the top of the risk list. My lead level at last check was an 11 (i.e. - the ADULT limit for concern is either 22 or 24 - so I do NOT have high lead levels). Here is what I have found matters: -do not eat lead. Sounds funny, right? But, eating lead (ie ingestion) is the MAIN source of elevated blood lead levels. Breathing lead is not as big of a hazard. How do you not "eat lead"?? - it is more complicated than you think. Wash the outside of your mouth the second you step off the line. Wash immediately. If your range does not have a sink or bathroom right outside the range door, then make them install one. NEVER smoke or eat/drink at any range until after you finish washing. Why is this SO important? Because, with every shot you make, your pistol's slide is coming BACK at you and throwing microscopic lead particles at your face. Of course, wash your hands, and forearms too. Ever go out to eat after shooting? (I do). Use a fork. I am serious - even with french fries or pizza - use a fork. Yes - you just washed your hands. But GSR (gunshot residue) is not that simple to wash off your hands. Some of it remains on your hands. Hot french fry grease will take some of it off (and it ends up in your blood). Use a fork. The second you get home, put your shooting clothes in a separate bag and DO NOT wash them with regular clothes. Shower. I also use a Neti pot after shooting (you would be surprised). I do not shoot with a repirator. D.

Good discussion folks! Without straying over the line into the realm of politics, I think we are better off as a country if we can get closer to energy independence. At any rate, what Kurt describes is simply a different type of "heat exchanger" or "heat pump" than MOST of us have (or have had) on homes in the US. Here is the difference: Our current heat pumps use air as the "medium" of exchange. Air is not a very efficient medium when compared with water as used in a ground loop system. Example: for the machinegun-loving crowd out there, everyone knows that the early heavy machinguns would melt barrels under sustained fire and had to use water jackets for cooling, except in the case of aircraft-mounted guns, where there was so MUCH air, that air cooling became possible. In Scandinavia, lakes and ponds are so common that heat pumps oftne use a submerged loop - which is far more efficient than out current electricity-gobbling air heat pumps. Consider that route if you live on a pond or lake.

What diameter did your MGs turn out to be? What about the Gold Dots you tried?

Please check this: -measure the diameter of the CMJs. Do not use a regular caliper. Instead, borrow a machinist's micrometer. While Montanas are GREAT bullets, they sometimes are sized too small for certain barrels; and if so, you might consider the .356 dia., waiting for the JHPs, or just try another brand.

Have not tried one yet. Too new to pass judgement on longevity or advantage over traditional 75 design. But, just speculating: it would seem to lower production costs and probably improve durability/consistency. The traditional 75 sear "cage" can move around slightly inside the frame; my TS/Standard IPSC came from the factory with two springs in the back of that cage to keep the block in place (and maintain that 1.75 Lb factory trigger). The Omega should accomplish the same thing (sear consistency) without the need for springs. Looks promising.

Found this on another site (link at bottom): Looks like they did away with the internal sear/ejector "cage" or block used in most 75s over the past 34 years. Ejector is mounted to the frame now - like the 1911. Even though 75s are made by over a dozen companies, so far only CZ is offering this new variant. Here's the link: http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=5&...=37&t=73997

That is BRILLIANT! Funny how commonly we hear of "new neighbors" seeking to shut down our venues even though they were aware (or should have been aware) of our activities well in advance of buying/building next to a club. That happened to a club where I used to shoot pins (Deep Run Rifle & Revolver in Maryland). I am not making any comment about who such "new neighbors" typically are - although I would love to see the look on their faces when they are told that they can't shut down a shooting range because its protected by an environmental program!

Considering how good the M&P turned out to be, it is amazing that the same company (S&W) also managed to produce the Sigma. Its a mystery to me why they still make that gun. Flashback to 1993: I bought my first 9mm Glock out of panic over local and national ban legislation that was then in vogue. My older brother thought he'd pull one over on me by buying a Sigma that was less expensive and in a bigger caliber than my Glock. He ended up with a lemmon of a gun. Unrelieable. Trigger was terrible - not just for feel, but ergonomically, it tended to pull the whole gun downward if you tried to shoot it at all quilckly. "Smegma" "stigma" - how ever you choose to call it, most folks prefer the M&P over S&W's original attempt at a polymer autoloader.

No argument here. Sad to see it go that way though. What strikes me as particularly sad is that most people tend to view military officers, and particularly those in the pentagon as "gun experts" - and letting those people make decisions for our fighting folks in the field. In fact, the decision makers should be talking to people who have been on the ground, been in engagements, who have slogged weapons though every imaginable environment/deployment and ask THEM what works (and what does not work). Unfortunatly, it seems like our top military leadership tends to attract a lot of really hard-headed folks. Hang in there though! Hopefully you can make some progress (to the benefit of everyone in uniform - they deserve the best!). d Dude, been working equipment appropriation for our 'down range' guys since I got back from Iraq a couple of months ago. You have no idea how hard it is to convince the gun-ignorant that something new (or even current) is the way to go. It's been one of the most frustrating events in my career. The chances the military will go this way for sights on future handguns is probably good. BUT, the chances that either you or I WON'T see it in our lifetimes is also very good. I mean, come on. One MUST have a hammer on a pistol or it just ain't gonna cut it with the military boys on the hill...

Here is another M&P set up similar to above, which shows 2 advantages: 1) the dot is nearly "co-witnessed" (ie it lines up with the front sight height), and 2) their is a crude rear sight notch on this particular sight. Here is another pic: and the link: http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=5&...f=4&t=73423 Just to play devil's advocate here, I think a Trijicon or other lumious front night sight in conjunction with the dot would work well here; even if the Dot failed, the front would still appear in a large "ghost ring" - even at night. Couple discalimers: I don't sell sights; dot or otherwise, and I am not sponsored by anyone. And, these are not my guns nor do they belong to anyone I know; and I'm not planning to do this to my Production M&P. Moreover, I carry a .40 cal Steyr, not an M&P (though I also have a 340PD & Glock 19 I carry sometimes). I just thought that these were cool ideas that show how even guns suitable for our Open division can also be suitable for everyday carry - where allowed. Are these the sort of "must have" weapons modifications like the M-4s & M16A2s with dots and rails that are so common in all the news media coverage of Iraq & Afganistan? Maybe not just yet. But, I believe the technology get more and more suitable for everyday handgun use all the time. Enjoy, d

Welcome Bongo - good post! I agree with you. You likely know this already, but I wanted to clarify (at the risk of thread drift) two slight exceptions RE safety area: 1) Ammo IS allowed in the safety area. It can be inside your range bag, and it can be inside loaded magazines that STAY on your belt. What is prohibited is: ammo handling. As long as the ammo or LOADED mags are not touched, they can be taken into/out of the safety area. And, 2) UNLOADED mags can be handled and even put in the gun in the safety area. I am talking about practicing a mag exchange inside the safety area with an UNLOADED mag. I have been yelled at while doing this at several major matches. Once the rule book was consulted, it became clear that handling UNLOADED mags in the safe area is OK. I generally tend to avoid doing it now since it tends to cause a fuss - though it is allowed.

Probably part of the phenomenon. Also, all 75s (tanfoglios, CZs, IMIs, AR-24s, Bren10s, Sphynx, etc. etc) have the following in common: -very high slide speed compared to 1911s. I would bet that is also part of the issue.

Couple thoughts: -the Berry's .45 cal hollow base is cavernous; just HUGE. It effectively increases case capacity. Did not notice (nor did I really test) the accuracy over other bullets. -this design in 9mm would seem to create a LONGER bullet; that could make it suitable for loading LONG in 9mm - as is done in 9mm major - BUT -most 9major guns have ports in the barrel; plated bullets can be used, although accuracy can suffer and the ports can shave off & spit out fragments of plating (as I have experienced). So: the advantage offered by the hollow base is negated by the TMJ/plated design.

Here is the link to the owner's thread (thanks for posting): http://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=27243 Makes me wonder: are we approaching the day when dot sights will become as common on carry handguns as they have become on the rifles and carbines our troops now carry?

You ARE onto something. There are no shots past 80 yards - at least around here. NY state is probably the same way - 90 to 100% under 100 yards. I shoot the Richmond match, and sometimes Blackwater (no shots over 100). Wolf is REALLY soft shooting & fast; I have some of the older 62grn FMJ like yours. At close ranges like we shoot? Speed = win. Besides, you can save the really accurate stuff for longer stages or those "key shaped" steel targets at 80 yards. As far as "manly, full power 223 loads" ?? The other guys at the Richmond match used that (556 NATO actually). I kicked most of them in the kiester using Wolf (and I am a really bad shot). You more interested in winning or being manly?

I shot a used STI Edge in .45 for 2 years in USPSA; picked it up for only $1000 so I shot what I had. The gun never really held me back, though reliability was an issue. WHat matters in USPSA is dry fire and a reliable gun. A friend had a Para Ord in 45; I seem to remember that with Grams mag internals, he had more rounds on tap - maybe 19? I am not generally a Para fan - but if mag capacity matters to you. BTW - the Glock would seem to be a reliable choice. Go fo it.

Please google: ""select load" shotgun drill" or some variation of that.

Under the rules for Select Load, you are not allowed to do that. It would be gaming and incur a FTDR or whatever you are calling it at whatever match. You have to stop shooting, take the shot shell out of the chamber (usually dump the next round out or pocket it) and then load the slug and then shoot it. That is what "select load" means. It is NOT simply having a slug target in the middle of a stage.