Carlos

Driver8M3 and SA Friday: are you two up for the challenge? I guess-timate we'll need about 18 months' lead time to find bikes (I'm close to picking up a Suzuki DR650), master trail-riding, program in all the GPS points and save up enough vacation time. Who's game?

For those who enjoyed the 1st report from the trail, I found an even more detailed report with more photos on a different forum (and yet another report below that): http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=358010 and http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=153795 Plus, the guy who scouted the trail and who sells route charts has a website here: http://www.transamtrail.com/ regards, d

I spoke to a friend in the industry about this exact car on Sat. Cost to Ford to bring this car through the DOT and NHSTA approval process is well over a million dollars per model (and every model has to be submitted). AND, they can't simply submit the Euro model here for testing: it turns out that European side-impact limits are LOWER than in the USA (something about them knowing how to drive & there being fewer SUVs driven by idiots over there), so things like the window height would have to be increased, metal added to the door and frame, etc.. SO, a USA model would require a complete re-design (which would be costly). BTW - Ford has no money since $2000 of every car sold goes to greedy union "legacy costs." Ergo: no 65 MPG Ford for us.

+2 on going with a 75 over a 1911. Perfect for smaller hands and the all steel frame is a plus (without being too heavy).

Big plus 1. Fast, efficient, accurate, friendly, - and modest as heck to boot. AND - she's a volunteer!! Linda - you are a sweet-heart; please know how much we all appreciate you.

Guys - I think we all agree that this thread began with a typical "gun/cigar shop commando" - who claimed greatness but who could not back up his claims. That issue is settled. The guy was a blow-hard idiot. Second issue this thread has morphed into is: loaded vs. unloaded chamber carry. Which is faster? Frankly, I think this is a foolish issue to debate. In the USA and in USPSA, we are accustomed to and practiced in loaded chamber carry and competition. Its faster. Period. So, we are left asking: "why would the Israelis not carry that way?" Revchuck is right. I've been to Israel twice, I stayed in homes with them, visited the West Bank and the capitol, Jerusalem, and crossed the border into Jordan. I also visited gun shops there and talked with the people. As Revchuck pointed out, when their country was created in 1948 they had literally dozens of models of handguns being carried every single day by people speaking dozens of languages. Result? Huge losses of life and injury due to gun accidents -especially with handguns. There was only ONE answer: teach all to keep the chamber empty. Teaching someone to keep the chamber empty can be done without even speaking their language. Was there a loss of speed due to empty chamber carry? Of course. But accidental deaths went down. And training made up for much of the loss of speed (though not all). The Israelis still take their guns everywhere (and I do mean EVERYWHERE) so the potential for accidents is extreme, and in civilian areas they keep the magazines OUT of their rifles. However, I witnessed border guards with magazines in their M16s - and presumably a round in the chamber. It was the only place I saw such a thing in Israel. I believe the Isrealis have 2 policies depending on the area where they are carrying: chamber loaded in high risk areas and empty chambers for others - such as the teen-age recruits carrying their M16s around the shopping mall (which I also saw often). Empty chamber might seem like a dumb idea to most in the USA. The Israelis, however, are anything but dumb, and they have very good reasons for doing things the way they do. Can we now lay this argument to rest? Regards, D. Pat: this guy was neither The Burner nor was he TGO in disguise, and from just listening to him talk for 20 or so minutes, I had serious doubts that he could do a Mozambique from condition 3 in under 2 sec. I do not doubt that the two mentioned in the first sentence could do it, but few of us have their talents... Perhaps the last bastion of maleness, the cigar shop has now become the last bastion of the infamous Mall Ninja...although it is hard to look the part in chino pants and a black T shirt with foreign writing on it that noone can read or understand, while talking shit and clutching a Padrone Churchill in his gun hand... It just makes me nuts to listen to people who are so obviously full of stuff, and then when you question them on the least little point they take umbridge and then jump into the truck and hightail it...came out with all kinds of stuff, like he preferred the Glock 19 with the 32 round mag for doing house to house searches...he did not look like he had done many of them with a 2" dunlap over his already large belt, and a chicken wattle neck, but I'm a 100 yrs old what do I know... As far as not knowing the top shooters, you don't have to be a shooter to be aware of guys like Cooper, TGO, Grauffel...they have name recognition that exceed the boundaries of a solitary sport.... Said he trained his students to carry what they needed on a daily basis and in most urban areas that turned out to be a 9mm or 380...he asked me what I carried and I told him .45 ACP in a custom Commander...he asked why so big a gun for urban use, told him they did not make the Commander in a .46ACP...no smile, laugh, or sigh of understanding...just a cigar store ninja smirk.....just about then we got into the time factor of his shooting and he left shortly thereafter... It is just a shame that you can't go anywhere anymore that you don't run into these idiots..figured I was safe for sure at the cigar shop, but wrong again.

I was thinking the same thing. Keep the concept of free-style alive and kill this proposal (and this is coming from someone who very rarely shoots open).

The p-32 is an EXCELLENT design - as proven by Ruger's exact copy of the gun in .380. Did you know that the gun is an actual locked-breach design rather than the usual straight blow-back? And Kel Tec does a great job with the quality and support of their guns. +1.

I used to run a small USPSA match at Shooters Paradise - an indoor range with a Caswell Grantrap backstop (shredded non-steel belted tires). Someone decided to break range rules and shot tracers into the backstop, resulting in the destruction of the building, the end of the business, the end of our club, and the loss of more than a dozen full and part-time jobs. Fire is a real risk.

The 75 is one of the most copied semi auto designs in handgun history- second only to the 1911. Interestingly, the company that invented the 75 (CZ) never patented the design - which is why there were copies out by the mid 1980s (and the fact that it was hard to officially import guns to the US from behind the iron curtain). The Bren 10 is a direct copy of the 75's design. CZ's TS and the Tanfoglio Gold and Silver lines are capable of wining any USPSA or IPSC competition as is (in fact, the reigning World Champ uses a 75-variant). With some innovation (like your grip frame idea) then perhaps they will start dominating in the USA and world-wide. I for one think that the sport & the shooter benefit from brand competition.

Impressive accomplishment - especially for a person who is relatively new to the sport (but not to shooting). Bob's accomplishment also affirms several concepts - including the idea behind Production division (he won with a basically stock gun and the entire a rig he used probably cost well under $1000 brand new, including the gun) It is also a well-established fact that the Glock is as competitive as ever (while having a slight edge over my beloved CZ - in that the magazines are more tolerant of dirt & don't need to come apart every time they hit the sand or dirt). But I am still sticking to the CZ and the new M&P for uspsa.

There is good news here: -did you know that your 625 is also chambered for .45 Super? Every 625 ever made is suitable to handle the .45 Super. The Super is a brand new caliber that most folks do not know about; its only been around since '88. Would you guys doubting the 625 for deer change your mind if it launched a 230-grain bullet at 1,100 ft/s.??? (and that is only with mediocre powbers; I bet Vihta Vouri powder could come up with some amazing loads for this one!) Just a quick search turned this info up http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.45_Super http://www.realguns.com/loads/45Super.htm

Good news is: if the brass is NOT primed, you can send it regular mail, and the postal service "flat-rate box" is a real deal at about $9. I know that about 1800 to 2000 once fired .45 cases fit in one well-packed box and should sell for over $100 easy. Do not send it by mail. UPS- ORMD should be fine . I would say call them but you can talk to 3 different people and get 3 different answers. Ammo is ORMD. Powder & primers alone is HAZMAT and you cannot ship those without a hazmat account with UPS. i would consider the primed brass in the same category as ammo.

I found an old post that suggested that when I searched. Power Pistol seems flashy according to some. I'd agree with that (I've loaded it for .45 ACP). Has anyone tried accurate #2 or #5? Or Universal? A little research shows Solo 1000 is even faster burning than Clays, which I've heard can have some nasty pressure spikes in 9mm. Don't go just by the chart. Solo 1000 is a single base powder - like the super safe Vihta Vouri powders. Clays on the other hand, is DOUBLE base - meaning the powder company mixes in actual nitroglycerine with the powder!!! (!) Nitro-freakin'-glycerin!!! No wonder Clays can cause pressure spikes!! (and yes I am being overly dramatic so that hopefully the point sinks in that I prefer single base powder whenever pushing the envelope in reloading. There is a good reason that Vihta Vouri was THE powder for the old Major in Open.). Solo 1000 is the powder you want. Remember to adjust your Dillon's powder measure to first throw TOO much powder and then work your way down to the load you want. With the Pro's long barrel, you will not need much Solo 1000 for Minor.

Good man. I take it you have seen Justin's copy & his free solid model download of the S_I frame here? : http://www.cncguns.com/projects/stiframe.html -he did the frame in aluminum - which is no longer offered in the US - but only made some proto types for himself. Aluminum seems innovative enough to me - especially with the interest in .22 cal steel challenge guns. If you join & research the older threads HERE you can see Justin's progress from an idea for a copy of the S_I and the actual guns he made at home for himself (and yes - making your own handguns at home is 100% lawful). As for the "ethics" - Mpolans and Merlin have it right (IMHO). But, does that mean folks should shop only price? - and not be loyal to companies that support us like STI? No, of course not. I choose not to purchase or recommend Kimber 1911s because they don't give any money to USPSA or IDPA. Same goes for Colt. These are simple facts. But, that's my personal choice and I do not fault either company for making and selling guns to Americans for the purpose of exercising our RIGHT to handgun ownership (that right existing even in Washington D.C. and Chicago). Plenty of 1911 owners don't shoot USPSA or IDPA and I am sure they are happy with their Colt or Kimber guns. All gun companies are good companies in my eyes - I just support some over others - based on support for the sports that matter to me. And, brand competition benefits all gun owners in the US - so I am glad that Colt and Kimber are still out there arming Americans. As for a US-made 75, I though that Valtor or someone announced at SHOT that they were bringing back the original USA-made 75, the Bren 10? Any word on when & how much?

here you go: http://www.cncguns.com/projects/stiframe.html

I won't shoot another GSSF match in NJ for that reason - almost all my Glock 17 mags are regular capacity now. 3gun in NJ? Out of the question in my book (its a shame too since I know Jim & the guys run a great shoot up there. Keep up the good fight Jim!). Restrictive laws DO have a chilling effect on ownership and shooting activities in general. If there were a major revolver or S.S. shoot held there, I'd still travel to NJ.

Not a felony. Not even a misdemeanor. I make my own guns at home too. It is allowed (I would not risk going to jail & leaving my wife & child high & dry if I had any doubt at all that its legal to do so). -do you need a license? NO. -do you have to be over 21? Yes. -do you need "permission" from anyone first? NO. -do you have to pay an excise tax? NO. -can you make more than one per year? YES. If the gun you want to make is legal to buy & own in your state, then its legal to make (provided you are not a criminal). The gun above might not be allowed in California, and in New York state you might have to get it added to your regular handgun ownership permit before completing it, but in most other states of the USA, you simply build it & enjoy shooting it. One requirement is that you must have the INTENT to make the gun for your own personal use and ONLY for your personal use (i.e. - you can't make it with the idea of selling it). Actually, the same law applies to your reloaded ammunition - you can only make it for yourself and no one else. You do not have to have any serial number at all on the gun. (repeat - NO serial number required - at all). But, that being said and true, I believe that about 99% of LEOs are not well versed on certain BATFE regulations and will probably arrest you (falsely) if they can't find a number on your gun - so I suggest simply making up a pretend, ficticious serial number and stamping it on the gun (like your birthday date perhaps). This might also help in recovering the gun if its ever stolen. If anyone has any questions about making your own handguns, ARs, AKs, etc., please ask. Its not secret and its certainly not against the law. Regards, C.

I spoke to Henning about both of the items I'm looking for. He said he was seriously considering making these items, but nothing right now. EGW makes a hardened slide stop pin. But it does not "attach" to the slide stop; there is no need to have a slide stop on your gun. There are also base pads out there, but I'd buy them up as soon as you find then since Tanfoglio is no longer making Gold Teams on the small frame/small magazine size.

While it looks like Greek citizens and other living in Greece are prohibited from reloading their own ammo, every other nation's competitors would appear to be OK as far as bringing in their own ammo - correct? Even so, a friend described a problem he had with TSA some time back; they did not want to let his 11 lbs of ammo on the plane because it was stored in plastic reloading boxes marked with his own lables. Certain TSA idiots were used to seeing only factory ammo boxes and they protested until their manager stepped in and exercised some common sense. While I won't be going to Greece, I would probably pack my reloads in some sort of factory packaging just to keep the TSA (and possibly the Greek authorities) from complaining. BTW - lets hope the Euro/dollar exchange rate improves. Its still a great location even if the dollar is not as strong as it once was.

It has been a few years since I played with 10/22s but I remember that the ONLY part you need for a sub-1 lb trigger was a $30 custom hammer - I think I used the Volkartsen. I found out the hard way: I bought the complete $100+ parts kit and put it in one gun (PITA to install too). Then I put a $30 hammer in my brother's gun and his trigger was every bit as good as my $100. Save yourself some money - just buy the hammer.

Is the FN loading gate similar to the original Winchester/Browning's gate?

Barrel? I have never and WILL NEVER clean my pistol's barrel per Wil Schuemann's advice (he made the barrel - he should know!). Chamber? - sure. Have to clean that. But the only thing that touches the rifling is bullets. Gun? Every other match to every 3 or 4 matches (unless its a major match - I always clean before one of those). Magazines? I clean those DURING the match. If it touches the ground, it comes apart for cleaning.

I am with Mark and SAFriday here. Not much of worth outside of FrontSight and maybe Small Arms Review once in a while. RE Guntest: right idea. Poor execution. They obviously don't shoot any of the pistol sports & are fairly ignorant as far as gunwriters go.

No photo to share, but the family car's plate is: "OQ0 - QO0O." As I said, no photo. That's the point. (hint: I live right next to DC).