Carlos

Just compared prices on the Wilson Combat website (since they seem to have low prices) and their extractors were $25 to $30 depending on series; no indication that they are available in SS; I seem to recal paying about $65 for the AFTEC I had in .45. In light of all this, the price of Sandy's extractor seems reasonable to me. I agree w/ Brian; its about time somebody addressed the 1911 extractor.

Conversely, who said they would? I merely stated what they NEED to do; I did not say what they would or would not do in this situation. The next step is to hear back from IPSC GUY as to what reply he receives. Regards, D.

Warranty or not & Dawson or not, they need to replace this man's slide. No question that they built the slide & they should follow Dillon's example on customer service w/ a "No BS warranty". Anything short of free replacement and I agree with Dillon: to do otherwise is BS. I don't mean to come off sounding harsh on poor STI but the gun owning/manufacturing community tends to hold more traditional values and I think we should lead by example by following the traditional rule: the customer is always right. Replace it for free & build a loyal following. Please let us know that they say.

I posted a question on this round on (of all places) Glocktalk & someone responded with a name & contact info. Over there, I am "Carlitos" (Carlos was taken) & if you search on my posts, it should appear. No idea as to whether it will meet major though. EDIT: Numbers of a SIMILAR caliber from a 14" barrel from the Speer Reloading manual #13: 7mm T/CU (.223 necked UP to 7mm, NOT 6.8mm) .284" Dia. 145 Grn BT HP-Match (Speer Part Number 1631) Powder: H322, 27.0 Grns MAX Vel.: 2118 FPS Test barrel length: 14" (Fourteen Inches) Power factor: 307.1 (Rifle MINOR) Would you get to major out of a longer barrel? To meet 340 PF for major, you would need 2,344.8 FPS. That means you are 227 FPS short of major with currently published data out of a 14" tube. Anyone want to bet you could easily make major with the 7mm T/CU out of a 20" barrel? Maybe even an 18"?? It might take V V powder, but I would think its do-able with the 7mm T/CU as is and the cases are simply necked & fire-formed .223. As for the 6.8mm, who makes bullets in that diameter & what weights? Found a 6.8mm link; looks like 115s for now: http://64.177.53.248/ubb/Forum78/HTML/000512.html Regards, C

That is exactly what I have done and it is completely legal under Federal law - subject of course to your state's laws; I have personaly made both AR-15s and a semiauto handgun. The serial number is not required. I put a made up serial number on simply to avoid hassles. You cannot obliterate the ser. number on a gun "manufactured" by a person licensed to "manufacture" firearms; an unlicensed individual can make firearms intended for personal use without being subject to tax or serial number requirements; one common example of this is people who buy a black powder 6gun and convert it to fire metalic cart.s. Take a look at this site: www.roderuscustom.tzo.com. One of the many specific letters from ATF is here: http://www.roderuscustom.tzo.com/cgi-bin/i...ATF_Letters.pdf There are also many threads on the legality of creating your own firearms. There are sights with pics and full descriptions dating back many years on sites such as ar15.com as well as the AK-47 portion of that site. I was amazed to discover this topic back in 1999; since then I have learned basic machining skills and bought a Harbor Freight mini mill (benchtop Bridgeport). It has been incredible fun and very rewarding. Take a look at the sight & let us know what you think. ERIC: thread drift alarm noted & I will make no further posts on this topic as it is supposed to be about AR-10 w/ FAL mag.

HAHAHA- someone else follows the mad adventures of Clark? (very entertaining stuff!) Luis: Does Imbel make a copy of the STI/SV 2011? Thanks for posting pictures of your guns! Regards, Carlos

You might also consider machining your own AR-10 lower built to take FAL mags; Kristi Tool had these though you will have to have your own machine tools to complete it. The Kristi Tool lowers are designed to take the AR 10 upper receivers and FAL mags (magwell is complete on these). I have made my own AR15 lowers; it is not a money-saving thing but it is cool to have a custom gun without a serial number. I eventually made one up and stamped it on the sides just to avoid the endless arguments with the less informed. I have used my homebuilt ARs to compete in 3 gun locally. Once source for materials are the Les Baer AR15 lowers with magwell broached. There is a good builders site at www.roderuscustom.tzo.com Regards, C.

The one you want is the 85 Combat. It has to be the Combat model - not just the 85. Why? The 85 Combat comes stock with adjustable sights, it lacks the Series 80 firing pin safety which is a GOOD thing as all the Series 80 safety does is make the trigger pull heavy. And the Combat has extended mag relaese as well as no "mag break" so mags drop free. This gun is nearly perfect right out of the box. Add the lightest hammer spring offered by Wolff, maybe a lighter recoil spring and a hammer/sear polish and you have a very sweet Production gun.

We'll have to agree to disagree on the BE, but you'll get no argument from me on the CZs; they are outstanding guns that are perfect for Production division - just ask forum members Ron Ankeny & Angus Hobdel (sp?), the 5th place finisher at the FGN. Both shoot CZs (with much greater skill than I can manage). I shot much of the 2003 outdoor season in Area 8 with a bone stock borrowed 75B in 9mm but the CZ you want is the CZ 85Combat. Why the 85 Combat? It is supperior to the 75B in that there is no Series 80 firing pin block on the 85 Combat. In addition, the 85 Combat has an overtravel adjustment on the trigger (no need for a custom "speed bump" on this trigger!). It comes stock without the "mag break" so you get drop free magazines unlike the 75B, it has adjustable sights, and extended mag release, ambidextrous safety and slide release and if you buy the dual tone model, the slide is non-reflective black parked to eliminate glare. I found one online for about $450 plus shipping.

"Number 3 in WSXIII (production) shot a Jericho/Baby Eagle. " If this is the guy from South America, then he was leading Sevigny by a wide margin for the 1st part of the match. Stratochief - unless you live outside the US, then you did NOT send it back to IMI; you sent it back to IMI's crappy US distributor, Magnum Research. who I also have had problems with due to their lack of support/parts or interest in the 941 (marked as a BE) that THEY imported. However, they are not IMI. IMI produces an excellent gun with top potential for USPSA Production. Here is why: The frame has a long/heavy dustcover like an STI. The frames and slides are indeed forged by Tanfoglio but machined in Israel where an Israeli hammer forged polygonal rifling barrel is fitted. There is no identical Tanfoglio and even the long dustcover Tan is not imported into the US so if you want these features, buy a baby DE. They use the same slide for 9mm and .40 so the 9mm is effectively a bull barrel - just like the STI adding weight and stiffness. There is also a steel full lenght guid rod (unlike the CZ-75B) which adds just a bit more wieght up front. Add in the full-length frame rails copied by CZ from the Swiss Sig 210 (the most accurate 9mm auto in the world) and you have a very accurate gun with plenty of accuracy for USPSA - even the 50 yard standards. I may be the one Vlad is referring to; I compete with my 941 in L-10 (.40 cal) and will probably use it in production once I decide on a Production load. As for the trigger, simply add the lightest hammer spring from Wolff for the CZ/EAA and the trigger lightens and smoothes up dramaticaly; I have NEVER had a light strike with this spring (even shooting Speer/CCI ammo). you could also stone the sear/hammer surfaces though I have not had the need as the trigger is light and smooth. I am probably still just over the 5 lb 1st shot limit for IPSC although I think spring changes are not allowed in IPSC - I shoot USPSA so it is not a concern for me. Those of you outside the US could get by with trigger/sear polishing I suppose, and still have a tremendous Production gun. I just returned last night from Israel last night where I bought some custom IMI parts from their distributor in Tel Aviv (read more about his at www.czforum.com under CZ Clones, thread Greetings from Israel) for use in L10. As for those who bashed this gun, try again. I once had a factory STI that jammed on occasion. Do STI or SVs suck? Hardly. Both STIs and Jericho 941/BEs have many features that lend themselves to fast accurate shooting in USPSA. Mine was great right out of the box and has only gotten better with time and a lighter trigger spring. If you are looking for a great production division gun for about $400 to $450 NEW, this deserves a look. EDIT- I realized I came off a bit rude during the last paragraph; it was not what I intended. I simply do not wish for such an excellent design to get a bad reputation due to a few (very few I believe) bad examples. Feel free to ask any questions and I will do my best to address them.

"Those guys have more balls than brains if they tossed a gas grenade in a meth lab. That thing is one big bang waiting to happen" I dunno, considering all the hassle of cleaning up the contamination, risking officers lives serving the warrant, the wasted dollars on prosecution, appeals, jail space, etc., I am not sure that launching an incendiary tear gas grenade or flashbang from a safe distance wouldn't be a GOOD idea for solving the meth lab problem in a more sanitary fashion. This idea is not exactly in the the holiday spirit though. Brian, glad to hear the neighborhood is getting cleaned up & hope your ride turns up in good, non-contaminated condition.

Using WestCoast 200 RNs bought in bulk w/ other shooters for $50/k delivered and H. straight Clays pwder bought in 4 or 8 lb jugs and 5K primers for $14/k, my costs are at the low end of Gungeek's: $3.50 a box of 50. I work here: www.shootersparadise so brass is free for the sorting but if you shoot in a match, you generally don't get your brass back (not around here anyway) so it only lasts so long. Reloading can't be beat! BTW, your Blazer 230s are running over 190 powerfactor while your competition is shooting 200s at about 167 powerfactor (I did) - better ammo for less money. Something to consider.

Agreed here too & its good to get back to useful content. Thanks for the links. Personally, I accept the schisms in action shooting sports as inevitable & think the best way to keep all shooters & gun owners on the right track is to minimize the differences between the sports (USPSA, IDPA, Polite society, even SASS & the others) and just shoot them all if possible. If PS came to my town, I'd give it a whirl. The people doing it are handgun owners & that alone makes them "my kind of people". Time spent shooting is time well spent as far as I am concerned.

Its store policy or a mistake on the part of the sales staff as far as I know. I grew up there and live ebout 20 min from the MD border (in VA thank God). I bought 2k of WInchester 9mm at the MD Bass Pro Shop two months ago without a request for ID. What happened to you is not a matter of state law. However, at one of the big chain stores (K-mart or walmart) about 2 years ago, I was asked for ID to buy .22 ammo. Fair enough, one has to be over 18 to buy it if its for a rifle or over 21 if its for a pistol - stupid state interpretation of law but thats the rule and one has to be over 18 to buy ammo throughout the US as far as I am aware. Thing is, I am 36 & look my age. What was really odd was the clerk glanced at the ID and then ran the Driver's License' magnetic strip through his cash register. I'd just been registered as a buyer of handgun ammo, thanks to Walmart/Kmart's ammo policy. Sorry to hear that Dick's has cowed to some dumb idea of "ammo control" without the support of the legislature. Being a private company, they do have the right to deny your purchase. What the MD legislature has done by law is require registration of all reloading propellant buyers and a record of every transaction no matter how small. The day I bought 2K of 9mm, I also bought 14 Oz of Clays and it required a photocopy of my license & my signature in a log book. That is state law. Another good reason to donate to the NRA, the GOA, or the pro gun civil rights group of your choice.

HAHAHA good one Ron! What his sarcasm is meant to suggest is that Glocktalk should be re-named "Rude Society". I would go even further and name it "Rude and Ignorant Society". It is "the anti-BE". Anyway, returning to the BE civil mode, Polite Society, from what I understand, was spun off from IDPA by those who felt that IDPA was (or had become) too much of a game and that it strayed from the intent of teaching one to be "tactical" or preparing to handle a situation in a "tactically correct manner". I consider all action shooting sports to have worthwhile training value including cowboy action though I choose to only shoot USPSA. The name comes from the addage: "an armed society is a polite society".

You need case support to run major 9 in a Glock. KKM makes the barrel that will handle major 9. I don't know about the other brands mentioned. KKM makes a quality barrel that you will like & can shoot safely w/ major loads. C.

I started out with a Glock 19 because it was all I had at the time (2000). The IPSC match I started with in Virginia had only "Open" and "Standard" divisions so I was scored along with the Major S_Is in Standard division. Besides the low scores (which I did not like) I constantly heard "get a real gun" or "plastic is junk - not including plastic S-I grip frames of course!" or "the only real gun is a 1911! (except for the 2011 of course!)". So I fell for it and bought an STI Edge. And an SV open gun. And all the crap that goes with them. Money would have been better spent on ammo and match fees. Open and limited are OK, but they are just different divisions, nothing more. Ignore your overall score & shoot what you want. Personally, I have really enjoyed Production with a borrowed CZ-75B; since it was borrowed, I used the old minimal leather Dillon CLS or belt slide for the Glock 19 (it sorta fits, its safe, and it does not mar the finish like Kydex) and uncle mikes mag pouches on an old leather belt. This whole rig would be about $400 compared to God-knows how much for the S_Is. Again, shoot what you want. If people give you crap for not shooting Open or Limited or for shooting minor, just ignore them. Better yet, strive to beat them with "inferior" equipment.

Blazer .45ACP/230 is surprisingly hot and can run close to 200PF out of some guns. For pins, there is a .40 cal load using V V 's N105 that will push a 200 grn plated bullet to over 1100 fps for greater than 200 PF. Not something I'd shoot out of an unsupported 1911 or stock Glock .40 barrel though.

Hey Lliden! I thought I was the only other guy who shot a .45 Edge! 15,000 rounds of major reloads before I sold it & it was not worn at all. Here is a tip on the ejector (since mine loosened too) Take out the pin & just let it sit there. Yep - when you take off the slide & turn it over, the ejector will fall out. Does not matter. The ejector does not have to be pinned. As for wear & tear, I went through 2 leaf springs (following problems) and an ejector that broke (original, ser. numbered to the gun). It was never 100% reliable (what gun is?) but malfunctions were fairly rare. Its still out there & BTW, I bought it used with who knows? how many rounds on it (several thousand anyway).

I'd like to know. I called SV about 6 months ago; their response was: OK for IPSC, NOT OK for USPSA. I asked them a question, they answered. I think they know a thing or two about USPSA & IPSC. As to the "why?" part, I think their phone number is on their website if you want to call. Better yet, somebody get another ruling from Amidon.

" It has been my experience that MD's don't take kindly to someone complaining about the match or pulling out rule books when they didn't offer to help set up. " Got that right. No one likes a range lawyer or a complainer. In designing indoor matches, I don't have the resources to control every possible way of shooting a stage so, for example, my "walls" (black plastic hanging from the overhead target carrier wires) only reach to waist level; I specify that they actually extend to the floor & no, you cannot shoot under them. I also, at times, specify that "all shots must pass through this port to score" - shoot in whatever position you like but only shots going through the port are going to count. No doubt that complete & total adherence to the "freestyle" concept is the best way to do all things USPSA but its not practical nor economical for a designer on a shoestring budget w/ limited help in a very short amount of time. Still, its fair as the rules apply the same to everyone.

Good discussion. Having seen it & even firing it once w/ his loads, I can tell you Phil's gun & load are nothing special. Any of the top dozen tuners will build & sell an STI that shoots very similar to Phil's. From what I have read here, the description is accurate. Until very recently, Phil used Accurate Arms powder provided by his sponsor. Now he uses V V - probably N320 under 200 grn Westcoast Electroplated rounded flat points loaded on a regular 650 by Phil. If you ask him, Phil will tell you he does not practice anymore. This is true. As a full time police instructor w/ overtime, there is no time on the job to shoot. He is also a small business owner (www.shootersparadise.com) but this job also leaves him no time to shoot outside of competition. And he is a full time competitor, shooting primarily USPSA but also showing up at IDPA, PPC, Steel, and even the odd GSSF match. How he finds the time/energy is beyond me. He'll be adding "daddy" to his many titles in a few months, BTW. What's his secret? He did practice constantly when he started. He had little money for practice ammo to feed his old single stack .45 so he would dry fire at home - every night. He placed small targets around his place & practiced it all; draw, reload, & movement. If you ask him about technique, he will explain many shooting aspects that are quite similar to the ones in Brian's book - watching the front sight lift out of the rear blade & knowing exactly where/when it will return, flexibility in trying new techniques etc. Whether he arrived at the same place as Brian on his own or through another source, I don't know, but it speaks well of what Brian gave us in his book. Phil may not be as well known as some of the other competitive GMs out there but its important to remember that he finished second at the nationals; barely being edged out by only one man - TGO. Not only that, the match was decided on the last stage by one single round. Give credit where credit is due; I think Phil is often not given the credit he deserves in USPSA. Anyway, I am likely preaching to the choir here.

For those who may not have heard of Angus, he is the top CZ guy right now having placed 5th in Production at the Nationals shooting (I think) the CZ-85 Combat - a fantastic gun that is much like the 75B but without the "Series 80" style firing pin safety to heavy up the trigger & without the Euro-inspired "mag break" that stops the 75B from dropping mags all the way out (easily dis-abled if you buy a 75B). This thing also comes with a 6 groove barrel (very accurate), a non-reflective parkerized slide (in the dual tone gun anyway) trigger adjustable for overtravel, adjustable sights & about the most comfortable grip on the planet! All this for about $500. For those considering joining the ranks of Production Division shooters, the CZ-85 Combat would be an excellent gun to start with & it has the potential to take you to the top levels of USPSA competition. Angus wrote: "Anyone have any good production 9mm loads? i am sure that is a topic for elsewhere. I have been playing with the 147 Zero JHP and N310?" Yep - about 3.2 grns of the stuff & I load it out WAY long for 9x19 at about 1.155". At the Sectional this load chronoed just over 900 FPS out of some of the 9mm military cases (lower case volume) with Star brand FMJ RNs. I have also used the Zero 147 JHP (slightly shorter) Master Match 147 FMJs in RN & TC, and even West Coast Plated 147 RN. The CZ gobled up everything without a hitch! The primers do flatten a little but nothing to worry about and, the recoil? What recoil? Angus: what weight recoil spring are you using in your 85? I shot most of '03 with a borrowed 75B & just bought the 85 Combat for next year but the recoil spring seems a bit heavy. Any suggestions?

147s loaded out to 1.155 (max for Glock mags) & either 3.2 or 3.3 grns of titegroup. Very soft shooting.

Vince wrote" "Bottom line: given our overriding emphasis on safety, conventional wisdom suggests that competitors go out of their way to ensure that they don't even remotely give the impression that their behaviour is unsafe." Here here! We create safe areas with the intent that they be used. Why not use the safe area? In Area 8, we routinely help break down the stage we end on, thus calling for us to bag our guns on that stage rather than go to the safe area. Simple solution: we have the RO stand at the line, we show & get a clear gun, hammer down & bag it. Rules or not, why the need to "handle" a holstered gun? I don't see it. Do things right & leave the rules gaming to how you shoot a stage.