fsbk366

Mostly just pistol, but it might double on the random rifle/3-gun day. I would prefer it if the bag was waterproof naturally, without having to put on a cover.

Anyone know of a good range bag that can handle outdoor conditions without worry? I mean setting it down in a muddy puddle of water, and maybe some light rain. The range I go to is less than optimal, and I'd prefer a bag I don't have to worry about soaking up ground water/mud. Size isn't a major concern, but maybe a medium sized bag.

Well, I wish I had paid more attention to you guys. Ran my second ever Action Pistol match at a local range last weekend. Got half way through my 3rd and final stage of the day when my gun jammed. Could not drop the mag, pull the slide back, or pull the trigger. Had to be smacked loose, then had to have a metal rod rammed up the barrel to pop out the stuck round. For what ever reason, that piece of brass was thicker at the base. No damage to people or guns, so not horrible. Just embarrassing. I went home and checked every single other round I've made so far, and all fell effortlessly into the case guage. I brought home the offending round and confirmed that it did not fit into the gauge. So had I done what I was supposed to do, I would have known long before pulling the trigger. Lesson learned, I will check every round in the future.

I ended up buying a nice set of calipers on the way home from work on Friday. Those bullets were mostly between 1.171 and 1.172. I ran them all through the bullet seating die and they came out at about 1.155. I took 150 of them to an action pistol match Saturday and did not have a single failure. Now I am confused. What is this case gauge actually testing if it isn't overall length? Is it looking for rounds out of shape? If so, wouldn't the case sizing die fix that at the beginning?

The bullets fall easily into and out of the case gage. When I hold the case gage in the air and drop in a round, the bottom of the shell is recessed slightly from the top. When I put the gage on a flat surface, the tip of the bullet just barely touches the table and pushes the entire round up so that the bottom of the shell is flush with the top of the case gage. Simply put, the round is exactly the length of the cage gage when measured from the outside. The calipers I have are analog. They aren't zeroed properly and it is difficult to make out the thousandths place accurately. So I am guessing my rounds are somewhere between 1.165 and 1.170. Maybe it doesn't matter, I don't know. I am still very new to reloading. I've got my first action pistol match tomorrow and am hoping to avoid excessive failures.

9mm

With the Dillon case gage, how do you know if a round is to long? Is it the overall length of the entire gage, or is it when the bullet starts to raise in the gage? I have a couple hundred rounds made up that raise in the case gage so that they are perfectly flush with the top. Should I be expecting problems? I do have a set of calipers, but doubt it's accuracy.

I am wondering if I should upgrade my pistol before starting competitions. I've had my XD9 for the past 5 years or so, and probably sent 1000 rounds through it over the years. I am an ok shot, hitting nearly all Xs/10s on a standard silhouette at 15' or so. I am planning on attending a USPSA match and/or an action pistol match at a local club each month. I want to start in the production division, then possibly upgrade into the limited, and maybe one day open divisions. If I've done my research correctly, it is probably going to cost me about $300 to upgrade from my old XD9 4" to a new XDM9 5.25". The question is, would that money be better spent in another area? I've already bought a reloading machine. What about the fit and feel between the two? The XD9 feels very smooth and fits in my hand well. Should I expect the same performance from the XDM9?

All is well. I forced it in, and after the initial hard part, it was not a problem. Thanks all!

So I should push the plastic piece up into the slot until the thick part hits the bottom of the shellplate tab? It just worries me because it is plastic and is going to take some decent force to get it in there. Don't want to break my new toy before even using it!

Hey all, I've been in the market for a reloader for awhile and finally pulled the trigger on one last week. Ordered from Brian here because of all the helpful info I got on his ordering pages. Anyway, it arrived last night and I happily cleaned up some workbench space and got to tinkering. Everything is set up, except for the powder stage. I am not sure if what I received was incorrect, or just the 'new' way to do it. There is a little white plastic piece on the rod that attaches to the shell plate or ram. In the instruction booklet diagrams, it looks bullet shaped with a recess that appears to click in place. Mine looks nothing like that, which isn't a big deal, except it doesn't seam like it will fit inside the little hole without breaking. There is also no little recess for the plastic piece to click in place. I attached a picture as I was sure I wouldn't be able to explain it correctly. I am wondering if anyone has any info on this? Should I just cram that plastic piece into the hole or should I look into getting the correct plastic piece?