Carlos

Olympic's 1911 division "Safari Arms" made one. Believe it was a casting.

Well, this is not a hate thread & I am not posting a rebuttle - actually I agree the prices seem somehow out of line even with the price of gas as it is. But there are ways to save $$ reloading that would have been unthinkable a few years back. For example: You stated: ".45 Blazer reloadable" I take it you mean brass. Well I have reloaded the aluminum stuff (the center-post is hard on the decapping pin though). It works. Its cheap. It takes some of the pain out of lost brass matches. Steel Wolf .45 and .223 cases - also boxer and reloadable. Everyon noticed by now that primers are about $120 per 5K when you can even find them? I don't pay that. Fact is, the Wolf primers are less than $100 and they are BETTER than all but the Federal primers. Put aside the snobbery & realize the Russians KNOW how to build good stuff when they want; noticed who wins all the Olympic gold metals in shooting? FInally - bulk. Get organized. If enough guys get together, there should be some savings there If this all seems a bit too much stinginess, then quickly calculate your price for reloads or factory ammo if you bought TODAY vs. 2 or 3 years ago. I bet your costs have doubled. Mine certainly have.

Sure - its a D.D. and subject to a $200 tax, but why o WHY hasn't someone started making modern reproductions of those things? Practical-schmactical, it looks like it would be a lot of fun to shoot (though only God knows WHERE around here I could shoot such a monster!). Now where did I put that lottery ticket?

I shot a select fire G36 once; it was not mine so I can't say specifically what zero will work for your gun. However, the sight I use on my AR should be about as high above the centerline of the bore as your g36. My zero is to adjust for the bullets to hit 1" LOW at 25 meters. They will hit dead on at 50 meters, again hit dead on at 230 yards, and they should never hit far above or below the point of aim out to 250 yards. Where did you get a G36? What country are you in?

good point. Could a president simply ban imported 5.45x39mm? A: yes. And, there is nothing to stop him or her from doing so. Without straying into forbidden political territory, I will simply point out that the 1990s import ban on Chinese Norinco .223/7.62x39/5.45 and other ammo/gunparts import bans were accomplished by executive order - i.e. - without the input of congress. Thus, we citizens have about ZERO recourse to change such actions once the order is given and they are NOT usually announced in advance. We are virtually powerless to stop such import bans. I suppose you could write letters to the WHite House if you so desire (you can also write letters to Santa - good luck with either). Even regulatory actions like the draconian reloading supply restrictions abandoned earlier this year are easier to fight because they require a public comment period prior to becoming a federal rule. Public comments are not binding, but they cannot be ignored either. There are no large scale domestic manufacturers of 5.45x39mm that I know of.

Doug, I could not agree with you more. In addition this wise move by our BOD will help bridge the gap between us & those who compete in SASS (since Steel challenge has a Cowboy Division) and right now there is little cross-over between the sports - least around here anyway; I believe its the same all over the US. Furthermore, the great sport of GSSF is great for beginners, but its a long, wide jump to USPSA and local Steel Challenge will help bridge the gap between GSSF and USPSA. And the addition of a .22 class is perfect for Juniors (our future and the key to our survival) and many significant others who can certainly handle a regular USPSA gun, but who feel more comfy with a .22 (know anyone like that? I do). I am having a very difficult time seeing ANY downside to us buying Steel Challenge. Good move BOD

Also make sure your Benelli does NOT have the pistol grip stock because adding any magazine extension will constitute a violation of federal law, could get you presecuted, loss of guns & gun ownership rights, trip to club fed, etc. Only exceptions are to search out one of the "pre-ban" / pre-1989 guns or add enought US-made parts to make the benelli a "US made" gun.

That link features pictures of every stage from the shooter's persepective - excellent! & thanks.

Speaking of American Handgunner, didn't Angus Hobdel win that? I know his steel gun is an open 9mm "Champion" model that comes from the CZ factory with a 3 port factory comp and a factory 1.75 lb SA trigger (Vlad used to have one & I shot it quite a bit). I think Angus might have modified his with a dot sight and maybe popple holes. Good choice for a steel gun would appear to be a CZ 9mm.

[admin note: merged threads] First off, please limit this thread to facts rather than pontificate on the wisdom of a decision made (the dicision to buy Steel Challenge). I located the stages for the Steel Challenge at this LINK (or try: http://www.steelchallenge.com/steelchallenge/2006/stages.htm ). Looks like an interesting mix of plate sizes - apparently all static. Thought of a few Q.'s that might come in handy for clubs that want to participate. 1) If a current USPSA club were to put on a Steel Challenge with all the stages, what would it cost to purchase the steel? 2) What steel in current USPSA inventory could be used? (i.e. could a round falling plate be somehow safely mounted to meet the Steel Challenge target requirements - without removing the base?). 3) With the lower power factors typically used, could a lesser grade of steel be used - possibly at a lower cost? Would regular USPSA Open loads for 115 grn + @ minimum 165 PF be allowed? I ask since it might be possible to source steel from non traditional vendors if it does not require specialty steel to withstand the usual ammo. Again - its just a Q. I know our current open ammo would chew up much of the steel that cowboys/SASS shooters use. This sport seems likely to come to my area (A8). Being as its now part of USPSA, I would certainly give it a try. C.

Shay - you are probably aware of this already so please forgive me for pointing this out, but your plan calls for a coated lead bullet - the "Precision 185 RNF bullets" - which act more like a LEAD bullet than a JHP. Lead bullets seal the bore better than jacketed bullets. Thus, you MUST use a lighter powder load to achieve the SAME pressure and velocity as someone using a jacketed bullet. In real terms, if you decide to use N320 (probably a good choice) you will need to back off the charge that Neomet is using. Moreover, your bullet is supposed to be 5 grns heavier than Neomet's and I usually find Zeros to be 2 to 5 grns under the advertized 180 gr weight. Stay safe & let us know how your load works out in the TS. Regards, C.

3gun around here is rarely over 100 yards (we don't have the land for longer) and Wolf plain works at that range. Besides - seen the price of ammo & components lately? I bought a bunch of the 62 grn way back when due to 1) I own 2 AKs in 223 2) to shoot at short range matches and 3) seemed like the mild Wolf load would not recoil as much as full-house 5.56mm imported miltary surplus. I also use it in my RRA S.S. 16" AR. Bullet jacket is all copper. A washed steel jacket WILL be a problem on the 3gun steel we use - thanks for the tip. And, with my current supply of 1000 rounds, many of the cases actually "shaved" part of the jacket when the factory loaded them; high quality ammo this is not. But accurate enough to 100 that it works as intended. I will likely start reloading the steel cases soon for use on stages that are very close range; the steel cases are apparently VERY consistent as to AOL are are boxer primed, plus you can be reasonably sure they are "once fired" since very very few reload them. I will NOT be going for 5.56mm load levels. Just a soft shooting load that meets minor.

Good heavens - that sounds like something out of one of the "Aliens" sci-fi movies! Truly this is one species that is a "born killer." Thanks for the (macabre) info.

About the longest I have managed was 1.170" in my guns (had 2 of them at one time). I'd suggest 1.160" or shorter to make sure there is room to move around in the magazine. WARNING: that rules out many of the loads here in the 40 section of the forum. It also rules out many powders. At such short lengths, I am relying on factory Major data with 180s using Solo 1000 powder.

That bastion of the "vast right-wing conspiracy": MSNBC.COM (mods - that is a joke - not a political comment) has a column called "Gut Check America" with reporter Kari Huus who covered the issue (in part) of car wrecks involving persons who may not have lawful status in the United State. Her report is here: LINK to Florida news station and to MSNBC.com or try http://www.nbc6.net/msnbcnews/13646970/detail.html Stuart - sorry about your truck. Glad you are OK.

Greetings Yaarr, Can you tell us what brands of powder are available in your country? For example, I know that in Europe, Vectan and Rex powders are more commonly available than in the US, while many common US powders are not available elsewhere. Very generally, the reloaders in the US who reload .357 Sig have noticed issues with bullet set-back. Many of them believe that the Lee brand Factory Crimp Die may help prevent set-back.

Great match report! I confess, I've also shot both sports . Back when we ran an affiliated USPSA club HERE (shootersparadise.com) there was also an affiliated IDPA club at the same facility. By sharing target stands, pasters, props, and ideas, both clubs prospered & saved money. Better yet, there was a lot of cross-over between the sports. Many shooters soon realized that both sports offer what we all seek: trigger time & chance to improve our skill. Its all good time spent behind the gun.

Then the question becomes: "How do they define 'make'?" They could buy semi-finished barrels from another source & they simply chamber them (heck, even I have chambered 1911 barrels - but I certainly did not make them). Or they contour, thread, add extension, chamber, crown, drill gas port, and finish someone's blank (getting closer to common definition of "make"). In the purest sense, they start with the correct steel rods from the foundry, gun-drill them, rifle them etc etc (see above). But whatever method they use, the DPMS barrels are accurate far beyond what their price might suggest. And the support our sport.

I think it looks a lot better & obviously it shoots well w/ a gauruntee as you mentioned. For California 3gunning, your setup looks good to me. thanks for posting the pics & info.

Note on grips: I strongly suggest a coating of grip tape. Most ski shops (probably rare in FL) or skate-board shops carry it. Just trace and cut out a pattern to cover both grips and the front strap. Might not stick well to the wood; I suggest a cheap set of factory black plastic grips that have been de-greased. Also, the key to CZ reliability is good clean magazines. Get the latest Mec Gar 16 rounders and the rubber base plates used on the P-01.

Dirtypool wrote: " Have answers that make sense. Just like non-gun people asking you "Oh my Gawd... could you really shoot someone?" You better ask yourself that question before you actually start to carry." A female co-worker who has 2 kids once asked this when she learned I sometimes enjoy recreational shooting & assumed we keep guns at home (we do). SPecifically, she asked, "Do you think you could really shoot another human being?" (assuming the guns would be used for home defense). I answered: "I am not sure. To protect my life & my family, I hope I could do the right thing and not freeze." But then I asked her: "If a criminal threatened the life of your children, do you think YOU could actually harm that person or shoot them?" Her response: "I would kill anyone with my bare hands if they threatened my children!" Funny how there was no hesitation in her response or her thoughts (when it was her kids).

Looks great to me! Remember to save any trashed brass (cracked, crushed) and also your used primers as they can be sold to a scrap metal dealer as "yellow brass" for more than $1 per lb.

I have a backup SP-01 that came with the competition hammer from CZ (I ordered it that way). Trigger wise, you still have work to do. Bad news: the hammer still "cams" even with the competition part. this means the trigger is working to actually cock the hammer back slightly in SA mode. Good news: its easily fixed. Besides the many good smiths here, the principles in fixing this are the same for a 1911 as for the CZ's SA mode. Its my belief that any reasonably intelligent 1911 smith should be able to correct the camming problem and get you a decent SA trigger.

I understand your concern over burn rate. BUT, there is a guy named Bill Wilson who builds custom .45s that all come with a test-target and the load listed on that target uses the super-fast powder V V N-310. That fast powder is not cheap, but its obviously the best powder Bill could find to show off his $1500+ .45s. And, that fast powder is the darling of the 50-yard Bullseye crowd. Now you noticed Titegroup (TG) heating up your gun and I agree with you; heat is a bad thing. But did you know that TG has the HIGHEST content of Nitro of any of the double based powders? (37%). Don't take my word for it; the Blue Press profiled this fact in an article by our own Duane. So, how much Nitro is in V V N-310 or in Solo 1000? Answer: NONE! Zip, zero, nada. That is why they are called "single base" powders. The ONLY active ingrediant is guncotton. In a perfect world where I was rich, I'd use the expensive N310. But I find Solo 1000 every bit as useful for loading .45 ACP, .40 Major, and 9mm 147 minor. Regards, Douglas

The 9mm case is far stronger than most people give it credit for - the widespread use of Major9 proves it. BUT, I have heard of exaclty TWO (2) case failures with it and I own one of the failed cases; that case had probably been loaded 10 or more times and it showed evidence of haveing been to a commercial reloader (the pocket was machine-cut to remove the possibility of primer crimp). THe key is to start with verified ONCE FIRED brass. The failed case given to me by a friend was bought off the web and was advertized as "once fired" - but that turned out to be false. Buy/obtain brass from a source you trust. My Nagel built Major 9 Glock gets only 9mm brass given to me by friends in law enforcement; their range is closed to the public and the brass is all true once fired. I get about 4 or 5 loadings from mine before I lose them or relegate them to Minor use. One other point: there is one brand of 9mm that you can visually verify as once fired: S&B. The factory primers are sealed in red & its easy to see if these cases have been to a commercial reloader (avoid commercially reloaded cases at all costs; they often have many many loads on them and often fail). True, the high-quality machined primer pockets do have a sharp edge due to their precision process. BUT, these are very very strong and well made cases.