Carlos

I understand your concern about safety. Question: by how much did the red-light-camera corporation increase the length of the yellow light when they took over control of your traffic lights? Are you sure that the cameras cut down the accident rate? Or rather, maybe the cameras did not have anything to do with it at all - but instead, making the yellow light stay on twice as long caused the rate to go down? Just curious.

My wife (aka the Teutonic Princess) is from Germany. During a visit to her home, I was shocked to see the number of cameras in use there. Germany goes a step further: every overhead road sign is made with a series of dark glass windows. The cameras can be moved from sign to sign - but the driver never knows which signs have the cameras in them. Really effective (and devious).

Here is a secret you need to know: -attach the gun's frame to the suitcase. Only YOU keep the key. Gun theft from luggage is WAY up. And, it is often unreported - so its even higher than reported. Not only are baggage handlers going through your luggage, but low-level TSA workers are opening your luggage - which simply didn't happen before 9/11. That is a 100% increase in the number of people who you don't know who are handling your gun outside of your view. How can you make sure your gun gets to the match? 1) Take the slide off the frame. The reason many gun owners don't do that is they simply do not know how to do it. YOU are smarter than that. 2) Run a cable lock or a "U" lock through the mag well AND through a suitcase handle strut. Now, to pass airline regs, the gun has to be in a hard-side case. But, even a Glock plastic gun case qualifies. Here is the shocking/difficult part: you might have to drill a hole in the gunbox (but I'm confident you can) to run the cable through the frame and suitcase. Look - the reason handguns are stolen is that they are easily concealed after the thief gets off work at the airport. If the thief can't separate the gun from the suitcase, he simply won't bother stealing it, because he can't explain to his co-workers why he is taking a whole suitcase home. It is possible to cut a cable lock. But its more difficult than just waiting for the next guy's gun and stealing that instead. What about TSA lock rules? TSA can look at the frame all they want. Nothing says the frame can't be locked to the suitcase. TSA has NO reason to cut that lock. Fly safe. And have a good match.

Well, these are all just "75s" - just as the number "1911" refers to a common design even if not all parts interchange or even have the same caliber. Generally,: -CZs use smaller diameter pins for the trigger and extractor. Some other pins might not interchange. Mag catch holes are in slightly different location - but some mags might interchange. Best get the Mec-Gar mag (or factory mag) intended for your particular 75. -Tanfoglio and most of the other makers of the 75, use a different system to tension the trigger & hold the mag catch in place. They also use a different type of detent on the safety. Most use roll-pins in place of CZ's solid pins. The 75s are all extremely strong guns that, like custom 1911s and 2011s, can withstand USPSA and IPSC major ammo that would reduce many other designs to piles of broken parts.

When visiting California, I often saw cars with no license plate on them - usually just an advertisement for some dealership. I am talking NO number at all - not even a temporary. I've only seen it in California. I know that around here (D.C. area) you wouldn't get 2 blocks without getting pulled over & your car impounded if you had no plate on the back.

Cy - you want a USPSA-specific class. Take a look at the classes offered by USSA.

Our country ROCKS!!!!!!!

Those milage figures suck - thanks for the info. Personally (maybe this is just me) I'd pay more to know my fuel $$$ were going to a US farmer (I believe in buying USA-made products) - even a subsidy-fattened, pork-barrel addicted farmer instead of into the pocket of most OPEC despots. Not a rebuttle at all - I'm just sayin thats all. Sounds like the "flex-fuel" technology comming out of Detroit needs some work!

Well the Caspian has a metal grip frame and its available right now. STI and SV are still trying to develope a metal grip frame for their limited guns - but so far its just vapor-ware. If it was not important to have a metal frame on a limited gun, then why would BOTH STI and SV be working on one? In addition, both the TGO's and Jarrett's limited guns are built on metal-framed limited guns. Besides, Caspian has always been a major sponsor of USPSA and almost any 1911 smith I can think of praises their dedication to quality. Get the Caspian.

I'd go with the 9mm. Brass is easier to find, and with the power factor being so low, the 9Major is here to stay (check out the trend reported in USPSA's magazine, Front Sight about the trend towards 9Major. As far as accuracy, the Camp Perry match pistols in 9mm are super accurate at 50 yards; NONE of them are .38 super. 9mm is plenty accurate for our sport.

Agree its very nice - but its over $700!! egads this sport has gotten expensive. all- thanks for the links and discussion. d.

Dont for a miinute believe that. As more and more city's see them as ways of generating revenue. They are citations without any penalty other than the fine. That is all the city is after anyway. The equipent is the property of a company hired to run it and they get 65% of the take for using their equipment. The citation's often state that it is only a civic fine not a moving violation so people wont contest them. So be careful out there as city managers and the commissioners in the city look for ways to generate more money, you will see them appear. I have seen the cops in my city watch people run the red light at the intersection and not do anything as the flash from the cameras go off, when asked, theyy were told to let it go as the city makes the money off the citation not the state. In North Carolina the county school system in which the citationn is issued gets the revenue off of all traffic citations by state law, so if it doesnt go to court the city gets the money. Correct. In D.C. a few years back, the press caught the city admitting to their actual motive: money. Someone filed a FOIA to get an official city memo proposing a contract for more cameras. The memo's only justification for the cameras was the projected revenue generation. Not one word about safety - none. When they were called on it, the city tried to claim "Oh its only about safety. We just forgot to mention that." D.C. IS the city that Mayor Barry built (he is STILL on city counsel btw). And the cameras were installed. The companies pull a trick when they first install cameras: the DOUBLE the length of the yellow light. The effect of doubling the length of the yellow light dramatically cuts down on accidents. Then, the camera company makes this claim: "See? Cameras save lives!" - when in fact, the camera had NOTHING to do with it. Its a money-making scam by governments - nothing more.

Agree! These stupid "1984" style cameras stand to put many police officers (and lawyers) out of work. Your case might not change the direction in which this society is headed, but for everyone's sake, I hope you make them PAY (and then spread the news far and wide).

Hi Cy - it is an internal part as much as any Glock replacement guide rod and unlike that Glock part, it can't be seen from outside the gun with the mag in place. Furthermore, leaving it out provides no competitive advantage. It's OK to leave it out under the rules, but you should replace it and here is why: leaving it out exposes the hammer strut and the mainspring (aka hammer spring) to all sorts of junk; it might even be possible to hit the spring while doing a mag change - and that can't be good for the spring or the mag. How does this happen? Its easy to re-assemble the gun with the brake in place, but to actually miss hooking the brake through the mainspring cap pin. The gun will look and function normally, but the brake is not hooked in place. Don't feel bad, a certain GM I know had the same issue (at an Area championship) and manganged to fold the spring up due to a particularly forceful reload. It also took a lot of work to undue that one. Regards, C

Put another way: we competition shooters are too tiny of a market. -lots of people in the US own ARs. -compared to the average 3gunner, most AR owners can't shoot worth a darn. But, they don't know that and they probably don't care. -those AR owners will spend $$ for mags - a LOT more $$ than we spend on equipment. Result? Don't hold your breath for any new mags over 30 rounds. Sad fact is, we don't matter as much as we'd like to think we do. Now, if the US Military adopts anything over 30, well then, THEY obviously know it all. THEN things might change.

Hi & welcome tacdriver. ABove posts answer the Q. You mentioned that you are new to reloading. .38 special is a GREAT place to start, as it is very safe to reload. Why? -The .38 is so old that is started out as a black powder cartridge. As a result, there are some REALLY old guns chambered in .38 - and the reloading companies know that their data could possibly be used with some old guns. As a result, the data is conservative. Follow the book or the website and you will be fine in the knowledge that there is a wide safety margin for the .38 special. Another advantage to starting with .38 Special is that revolvers are not subject to "bullet set-back" - which can happen with semi-autos. Once you start reloading ammo for semi-autos, check back with us w/ any questions. Regards, C.

Not much new to report on. This is from today's (5/15) Washington Post: "Solicitor General Clement Says He Will Step Down By Robert Barnes Washington Post Staff Writer Thursday, May 15, 2008; A07 Solicitor General Paul D. Clement, a key advocate in court for the administration's counterterrorism policies, will resign from the Justice Department in early June, the department announced yesterday. Clement, 41, has argued 49 cases before the Supreme Court on behalf of the government, including some of the most controversial since he was appointed in 2005. He has also represented the government in federal appeals court cases. A former clerk to Justice Antonin Scalia, Clement has been a member of the Federalist Society and is well-known as a legal conservative, but he has also been praised by liberal justices on the Supreme Court. Clements's tenure has been marked by a willingness to find a position that attracts majority support, even if it means less emphasis on ideological stands. Gun activists were upset with him earlier this year because of a brief he filed in the Second Amendment challenge of the District's handgun ban. Clement agreed with their position that the amendment affords an individual right to gun ownership, but said the lower-court ruling that struck the D.C. law was so broadly rendered that it endangered all federal gun control legislation. He urged the court to return the case for further review; it has not yet ruled. Clement will leave office on June 2. He has not announced his plans. "I will miss not only Paul's superb advocacy on behalf of the United States, but also his wise counsel and keen legal analysis," Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey said in a statement announcing Clements's departure."" - nothing to comment on here, other than IMHO, these sorts of resignations are common in the months prior to the end of an administration. And to be clear (and stear clear of any political comment) I am simply saying there WILL be a new administration after the inaguration - whether its the McCain administration or someone else. Each new administration usually prefers to have their own pick for solicitor general, and unlike the AUSA scandal, the political appointments at this level are in no way suspect. RE when Heller is due out: the Court usually issues decisions on Monday. It could come out early, and be issued this month. Most observers predict it will be out in June. Keep your eye on June 2, 9, 16, 23 or 30. It would not be impossible for the decision to come out in early July though. Sorry if that's not precise - and I know, its a long tome to keep your fingers crossed.

Another one in agreement. But first - welcome 223! Just curious - are you shooting under USPSA rules? Or IPSC rules? Both set of Open division rules allow all the holes you want. The subject of "holes", aka hybrid-holes, aka "popple-holes" (especially when just drilled in the barrel) have been discussed many many times here. I think its safe to say that the advantage they have is this: personal preference. In other words, they are not "required" for you to win or achieve a good score. Something else to consider is: you will usually need more powder to meet Major power factor. Personally, I would not drill any holes. Rather, if you are convinced you want holes, then have the smith install a Schueman ribbed barrel with ports in it. Wil Schuemann puts a taper to those holes or "ports" and I'd suspect he is using 17 degrees of taper - plus the length of the nozzle,er, I mean "port" is far longer than just a drilled hole - so its far more effective, at least in theory. In any event, welcome. Please post a pic of the new gun when it arrives. Thanks, D.

Hi LindrTW I am with Flex - how does it shoot? Second, the 19 can be an accurate gun - mine would hold them all in the black at 25 yards on an NRA repair center (probably better off sandbags). But it need not be a tack-driver. What is your accuracy goal? Third, the barrel is supposed to be tennifer-treated also. Re-crowning on a lathe, while possible, would seem to require at a minimum a carbide lathe bit. Thereafter, the crown would not be tennifer protected. An aftermarket barrel might be cheaper. And lets you shoot lead worry free. Please let us know how the gun shoots with the current crown.

Anyone else with a slow barrel? Hi guys. I also shoot a 75 like yours. Mine is a CZ Standard IPSC model. They only came in .40 And, mine also has a slow barrel. It takes a little more pepper to make it to Major with my 75.

Turtle! THat is AWESOME (now you are the most famous officer on the force - in a GOOD way that is!! - see below:) D.

Agree 100% Lived in Eugene, OR for 2 years. Many folks around there seemed to turn a blind eye to people taking drugs - especially pot. But even those pot smoking drug-heads crashed cars, killed people, missed work, and funelled their money into a shadowy world (beyond taxes) where it eventually funded all sorts of other crimes. As bad as those problems were, the meth users out there caused even MORE problems too numerous to get into here. Nice place to live other than all the drugs all over the place. Is it any better here on the east coast? Hardly. Baltimore City is estimated to have over 70,000 hard core drug users (mostly heroine) and has turned crazy-dangerous. D.C. is certainly as bad. And they are predicting bumper crops of poppies every year. Good grief - where are we headed? Stay safe on the TDY & look forward to seeing you at the Nationals! D.

Good info - thanks! Q. note on the 1"x3" rule: Amidon ruled a while back that the 3" does not include the threaded portion of the brake - only the part that actually functions as a brake ahead of the muzzle. This was an issue with some versions of the excellent TTI comp that, when take off the gun and measured, were over 3". Working part of that comp is actually under 3".

Hey Jayman! Good to hear from you on this site. Speer also makes electroplated bullets - but they are deathly afraid of anyone finding out about it just because of these types of problems. Speer hides the fact by calling their bullets "TMJ" (total metal jacket) instead of "plated." Even the Glod Dot is electroplated. So, why does Speer ammo not tumble? No one is certain why (could be that Speer's electroplating is thicker). BUT, tumbling generally appears to be related to the use of fast burning powder. Example: Phil was once sponsored by West Coast (electroplated) Bullet Company and another powder company but he was then picked up by Vihta Vouri. He tried N320 with the 200 grain plated bullets that worked in all his STI guns. Tumbling occurred. Switching to the slightly slower N330 curred the problem. For some reason, Titegroup is often associated with tumbling bullets. Problem with slower powder is: it kicks a lot harder (slowing you down), you have to use more of it, plus you have to buy it, test it, and work up load for it. Getting back to Speer, I believe they simply use a slow burning powder in their ammo. Regards, Douglas

Thanks for the report! Springfield has certainly been a rock-solid supporter of USPSA over the years. Their double-stack limited gun has probably won more Limited titles than the STI/SV and their single stack guns are popular in, well, Single Stack. Their XD has also shown itself to be a worthy competitor - particularly in Production division. These new versions will only enhance the XD's suitability for the sports and for defense.