Carlos

I agree, can't they afford the few minutes to fill it out, and a stamp? Give me a break! Indeed disappointing. My only guess is that many non-responders are members who do not participate in USPSA any more or who might have bought a membership for other reasons, like CMP/DCM qualification. On another front: are there any announced endorsements from the candidates who did not make the run off?

Unique is cleaner than Black Powder - but not by much. Tried it once. Smelly, smokey, filthy stuff that was temp sensitive. Never ever used it again - it was THAT bad. Invented over 100 years ago: they should call it "Antique" instead. Hard to believe, but they have actually come up with better powders over the last 100 years.

Same here. -and cuts down on DQs from my experience. I add prone due to the "P" or "practical" in USPSA. Let's just say that if anything is ever in-bound, I'm likely to hit the deck & react from there.

Welcome! Few general personal beliefs: Whichever bullet weight you choose, please load LONG (out to 1.140" to 1.155") unless you have a 75, such as a CZ 75. For some reason, the 75 seems to often feed better with a shorter, book-reference OAL. For Minor, you want a powder at the FAST end of the chart to create a soft load. Medium and slow powders work for hotter ammo or 9Major. Single base powders seem to burn cooler than double base. I use Solo 1000. I have used & like the Vihta Vouri powder (not crazy about the price though). Double base = titegroup, bullseye, etc. If your load does not meet your accuracy expectations, first try switching to bullets sized to .356 instead of .355. I've loaded bullets in 9mm from 90 grns to 180 grns (yep - 180. Bob King used to sell those). I recommend anything from 147 down to 124 (provided the 124s are close to 125 to 130 PF. Big fan of Federals due to fact that many of my guns have lightened springs & Federals are the easiest to set off. I hate CCI for that reason. My "old wolf" copper colored primers are great. Might go back to Federals now though. Winchester were also great primers. Never tried Remmies. Please ask more questions; the be.com community is very helpful.

I can be set up for under $1000 if I use the M&P... there is no way I can get a 2011 for that price. I understand the advantages for the 2011 pistols, but I don't have $3000+ to drop on a 2011 and mags just to dink around with. My dream gun would be a SVI in 38 Super Comp, but if a M&P 40 will work for the time being then I would like to experiment with it. I'm not looking to win matches or be a GM with the thing, just have fun and upgrade when or if I decide I like Open more then Production or Limited. I wouldnt worry about resale just because you can put all the original parts back on and have a normal m&p again. you have the right idea about having fun, and open is definately a lot of fun. and you also have the bonus of not having to do the duck walk after a stage looking for 38 super brass. Also building on a budget is a lot more fun because its harder, thus being more pleasing to use. Key questions here are: 1) Are you willing to reload your own ammo? If not, then "open" and "major" are tough to come by with factory loads (yeah, I know about AA's .355 Super - nice, but kinda spendy). 40 facotry ammo solves that. SJC figured that out some time ago & offered a Glock based solution. and, 2) are there mag restrictions in your state? I think CA and HI might make Open a tough/expensive proposition with mags over 10 rounds. Canada is in the same boat. 40 might make a lot of sense in those states & Canada. 3) Do you already own the gun? Might be worth working with what you have rather than starting over.

First off, OP: welcome! Second, its been a while since I cracked a reloading manual. But, I seem to recall a published handgun load for N105 and 180s that was right up there in 10mm territory & if I was looking for a dedicated hunting round, that might be it. In general, I find 180s to be the ideal bullet weight & don't have much use for other weights (besides maybe 200s). Finally, I gotta add: 40 is one of the calibers I NEVER push when reloading, meaning I stick to the book. The guns and the data all date AFTER the late 1980s. When the manual states "max" - they mean it. THis is not the case for calibers like 9mm & others where the manual has to account for older, weaker guns out there. 9mm is capable of a lot more than the manuals suggest - with the right gun that is.

Hi Clay! One caution for you: listing "manufacturers" can be very misleading. E.g.: -manufacturers of 1911/2011s: dozens. Too many to count. -manufacturers of Glock style guns: One (maybe 2 if you include that steel/aluminum aftermarket frame). If you break down 1911s by maker, it might appear as if few 1911s were used in a match, whereas that would not happen if you broke it down by "style" or "operating system" or "and clones." Look at the list below. "CZ" is listed as 17 guns or 12.5 percent, but the IMI is most certainly a "75" also, as is the Tanfoglio listed. Thus, "75s" (of any maker) actually totaled 19 guns instead of 17. 75s have been made in dozens of countries; the maker in the Czech Republic is but one manufacturer (though they invented the design in 1975).

Plenty of "beat" officers eventually earn "M" and "GM" and then go on to assignments like training, etc., where their talents are better utilized. Others still fit the definition of "LEOs" even if they are not with local departments, and are not what routinely are thought of as "cops." They are still LEO officers - to me at least. If they are allowed into the club, then consider: Phil Strader, Ernest Langdon, Eric Lund, Scott Warren, Ron Francisco, and Todd Sindelar. What about Bob Vogel? While the folks named are outstanding shooters, what concerns me are the many officers who are under the mistaken impression that meeting the bare-minimum requirements of their department somehow makes them "experts" in the use of of firearms. The public certainly seems to believe every LEO = firearm expert.

Hum, interesting. . . . .as an Open shooter running 9major, S&B is some of if not the best brass I've used. I've loaded some to the point the headstamp is barely there and have no concerns of the brass failing. The primer pockets stay tight, bullets seat centered (can't say that for once fired R-P brass), it's just good stuff. Last winter I shot the same 150 or so pieces of brass in 7 or 8 indoor matches where I get almost all my brass back. I finally left it on the ground at the A6 match and was sad to see it go. Same experience here. I prefer the S&B to other "range" brass as it lasts a long time, is high quality, and 1X fired cases are easy to spot since they primers are colored red (sealed) from the factory. Good brass IMHO.

There is a revolver barrel on display at the Sharpshooters Range (previously Gilberts Small Arms Range) that has been cross-sectioned to reveal all 6 bullets stacked up due to a squib. The range is located in Springfiled Virginia. Many local shooters have seen this barrel & can confirm. I do not have reason to doubt the OP.

I love it and I have been using it since 2004; 9mm, 45, Major 40 - even 38 special - "I put that **** on everything!" When adjusting the Dillon powder measure, fiirst go to a LARGER volume of powder & work your way DOWN to the weight you want. Should work better that way.

Longer sight radius for Limited rimfire - that makes perfect sense! Thank you Seiichi & hope we meet you at a match someday. Regards, C.

I am not as enthusiastic as Charles about any "LEO-ONLY" event being associated with our sport. BUT, where these things happen, I believe it works well to follow up the LEO portion with a sanctioned USPSA match later that day, or the following day & invite back the officers who shot the previous day. That exact scenario happened some time back in our section; the same general stages were used & many of the LEOs actually did come back the 2nd day. I heard very postitive comments from them & I think USPSA might have gained a few new members, plus it's always good to have more LEO participation in USPSA.

I think I finally talked my better half into trying out shooting - and maybe even a little competition. Steel challenge is the perfect venue. So, I just ordered a used 5.5" Buckmark. But I can already hear what the first impression will be: "it's heavy!" So, for Steel Challenge, which TacSol length barrel is preferred? 5.5" or 7.5" ???

The short answer is NO. If you want her to shoot a 20 gauge in open you can go with a Saiga but the modifications are rather expensive. Another option is a 12g with the gun modified to accept those weak Walmart sheels which in my opinion recoils much softer than the standard 20g. I actually have a Siaga 20 which has been converted to PG format using US parts and a G2 trigger group; it works well & the recoil is very low. I would be willing to sell it to the right 3gunner (or trade it for an unconverted Siaga12). Please PM me if you need it, since this is not the right forum for sales or horsetrades.

Same here. Use it in all 3. Works great. "I put that **** in everything!"

Hi OP! I also have an FN SLP except mine is sold/marked as the Winchester SX2 or Super X2. They are the EXACT SAME shotguns from the same plant. Ironically, like Mike, my FN/Wichester does NOT like any ammunition made by Winchester. I use Federal low recoil slugs and the German-made Wolf brand slugs (they are actually excellent quality - much better than many other Wolf products). You DO NOT want Sabot slugs. They are way too expensive for our game & offer no advantage. Your best bet are the low recoil / managed recoil slugs - or Wolf (which cost slightly less).

Agree 100%. Merlin is, I believe out in Texas. I also believe that his state is known for its wide-open expanses of land. But, even Texas is changing. Here in the built-up mid Atlantic, USPSA ranges invariably have neighbors within a bullet's range - which is why a shot over the berm is DQ of the most serious type. Further, bullets landing on adjacent property HAVE caused serious problems for a number of ranges I can think of around here. How far will a deflected bullet travel? I do not know, but any distance beyond the berm is unacceptable. The simple answer is that all falling poppers should be replaced with forward falling poppers as soon as it is possible (I realize that it might not be a financial "possibility" for all clubs to replace every popper right now - but WHEN replacement times comes, buy the right poppers).

The proposed rules are really sad and pathetic. What seems worse is the attitude of the voting members which Alex summed up rather well. Looks destined to pass in Greece. While I have defended some of IPSC's rules (such as those rules which are required for IPSC to exist in countries like Italy), the current proposal seems to be 100% driven by IPSC's OWN unfathomable quest to further water down the sport, seem more "PC", brown-nose ISSF - or whatever else could possibly be their twisted motivation. If it passes, it will be a sad day for IPSC. Hope you are listening, old friends (Neil & Vince) & reconsider before it is too late. EDIT: just wanted to add: Linda Chico & others are volunteers. Protest these proposed rules as you see fit; but please first consider the hard work of folks like Linda before deciding that a boycott is the best way to protest. Thanks Linda!

As a general courtesy in USPSA, I try to follow the "1 target rule" if practical, just to keep things moving along. Then again, the matches I ran were indoor matches requiring the 6 shooters on each squad to finish all 4 stages in under 1 hr.

I am pleased to hear this. I had been trying to promote this powder since 2004 or 2005 after it became difficult to buy VVN310 & N320 (and I later lost my dealer-pricing on VV) AND because I noticed that Solo 1000 is a fast, SINGLE-BASE powder (like N310/N320) for which there is handgun data. My hope was that if enough people bought Solo 1000, it would never be discontinued. Fate, being what it is, intervened & now I rarely shoot; haven't even set up the reloading in the new house. Maybe when my kids are old enough to start shooting, Solo will still be around!

XRE is correct - with N105 it is practically impossible to overcharge the cases we use in our guns (ie supported ramped barrels). Look at the primers - you shoudl see no pressure signs or flattening despite exceeding Major. Yes - it will probably be compressed. ANd keeping the OAL consistent / not growing can be tricky. I have used the tricks of: minimizing the amount of bell 2) using BOTH a seat die followed by a Lee combo seat and crimp die, or re-crimping. Seems wrong crunching the powder this much - but again, I find 105 to be Uber-safe.

Varget replacement powder that meters easily: does anyone remember a SHOT show announcement about such a powder? Thought I read it was essentially identical to Varget except for the change to the grain size to make metering (especially for 223 & progressive presses) more consistent? What was the powder & is it available yet?

Noticed this forum linked in a story about Indians organizing to protect their rights. http://indiansforguns.com/index.php Looked around a bit. Our brothers (and sisters) in arms over in India seem to have a great forum! I also think it bodes well for the global cause of lawful civilian ownership & use of firearms if a country like India accepts & understands this important right. Hope they also become major players in the international IPSC/USPSA arena.