MontanaMac

Red Wolf is out of stock right now. Are there other retailers either in the US, or will ship to the US for less that a gillion dollars?

One of the things I've read is that the noise-canceling features on iPhone 4, 4s, and probably better Andriod phones is the main culprit in unreliable shot detection. Exactly the behavior you normally want from a phone works against a shot timer app. Also, since iPods do not have microphones, you must use an wired external mic with an iPod touch. I'm a iOS developer, and I'm not going to mess around with making a timer app. It sounds like a great idea, but the hardware actually works against such an application.

After a whopping hour of dry draw practice, I was convinced that it was safe enough to try it in a match. Shot a pretty challenging course on March 3rd. It was a fast draw, and I never knocked it forward, or had to re-grip. I picked a lot of brass, ran around behind the RO scoring, and all the other normal non-shooting activities, and never felt that the pistol was not secure. All in all, it worked well. The biggest problem was using it in the match without any live practice beforehand! Never really a wise choice to use new equipment for the first time at a match... One thing that definitely needs work is the hanger, and probably even the two-point bolt system. I'm thinking of copying the single-point rod system used by the commercial manufacturers. This hanger worked, but is a bit clunky: At least for this XDm, and probably similar frames with squared trigger guards and an accessory rail, the fit was secure, but still quick. The second prototype is at least a month away, but I'll let ya know how that goes. That didn't pose a problem to me... I think I tend to be curling my fingers as I grip anyway, which keeps my fingers from hitting. However, I will say that one of my draws from the surrender position was a little off, and I banged my thumb on the inside. I may try to reduce the inner plates to only 2, to slim down that side. Thanks again for all the suggestions and comments!

Yes, the tools required aren't quite that simple. Still, specialized machining tools or CNC machines were not required. Not everyone has a stationary belt sander, band saw, or even a drill press, but those are relatively common machines. Actually, once I post construction techniques, you may be surprised how easy it is. Mostly, it just takes patience, attention to detail, and a little experience. The best part is, if you screw up a plate, it's pretty cheap and easy to make a replacement. Honestly, considering the time investment, and the fact that the end result is not as good (yet) as several commercially-available holsters, I doubt that many would recreate what I did. But it is within the capabilities of many, not all. Thanks again for all the comments!

Hmm, I like the idea... grinding a flat side on the ball would be easy, but I have no idea how I'd machine the hole. I'm thinking an easier way to achieve the same result would be to fit the ball with an "L" shaped wrap-around piece, and then just file a notch outside the hole. Kinda hard to explain... The nice thing about the XDM is that the trigger guard is not only fairly square, but has a bit of a lip on the bottom--one of the bolts rides against this ledge, fairly well keeping the gun from falling forward. However, a standard 1911 or other rounded trigger guard would be much more prone to falling forward. I think I read that earlier versions of the Ghost holster required a hole to be drilled in the trigger guard, and I imagine that was to engage a pin for just such retention. Thanks for the idea! Anything that allows for upward movement, but not forward will work, but it would be really nice to make the mechanism work for any shape trigger guard with no gun modification. I appreciate all the nice comments from everyone--it gives me more motivation to really come up with something as good as a Race Master, which is a tall order.

I'm just getting into Limited this year. On the one hand, I admit that hours and hours of practice are going to do much more for me at this point than all the fancy race gear. Still, I'm doing this for fun, and it IS fun to have cool gear... but also expensive. I got a Springfield XDM .40 5.25, and there just doesn't seem to be much available for this pistol yet. I've heard that the DAA, Ghost, and CR Speed holsters might work, or can be made to work with this relatively new gun, but that's a lot of money to gamble on "maybe". So I decided to make my own. My prototype is made from four pieces cut out of 1/4" aluminum plate. The three main bolts which hold everything together are placed just so that they hug the outside of the trigger guard. The gun is held in place against these bolts by means of a ball detente, pressure adjustable from the back with a large bolt and concealed spring. For mounting on a hanger, two tee nuts are embedded in the back outer plate. Springs around each main bolt keep the trigger guard plates apart, and allow adjustable grab tension on the guard. It actually works pretty well. The tension and "grab" is very adjustable, and the draw is very quick. One problem I see is that a hurried or careless draw can knock the gun forward (and possibly out!) before a proper grip is achieved. Maybe all race holsters have this "feature", and it just takes more practice to insure that doesn't happen. In any case, I would appreciate any feedback on how to make it safer without sacrificing speed, or any other modifications you'd care to offer. This is not a commercial venture, so feel free to copy the idea and make you own if you'd like. In fact, once I arrive at a final design, I will post detailed drawings and construction instructions and release it as an "open source" project. All it took to build were a bandsaw, drill press, belt sander, taps, basic tools, about 10 hours, and the parts in the photo. Thanks!

I've been lurking and reading for some time... never got around to registering, mostly because I am new enough that I had nothing to add. I finally did have something worth posting, and so I registered and tried to post with some photos. I get the message that I "... do not yet have enough posts to have a links in your posts." Okay, I guess I understand the reasoning here, but I can't seem to find any info on how posts it is going to take to become "trusted". Help? Thanks. P.S. I guess I could just go post replies to a lot of threads, but I don't believe that would be helpful, or really make me all that trustworthy anyway.

Practicing on steel a couple weeks ago... things were starting to click and feel good. I started trying to get faster. Drew my Springfield XDM, and apparently slipped my finger onto the trigger WAY too fast. Put a bullet into the ground three feet in front of me! My pride was the only thing hurt, but it sure did give me a wake up call! A 1/10 of a second is not worth putting yourself or worse yet--someone else--in danger. Thanks for the reminders everyone!

So far I've only been to a few matches per year, although for a few years now. Therefore, I'm always seen as a new guy. I've played a lot of sports, and been in a lot of organizations, and I must say that the people who shoot seem to be the most welcoming and forgiving or all. Thanks!

Many years ago, shooting the A2, the routine was to zero your windage after every match, to double check the number of clicks agreed with what you though you had on the sight. Well, my second day at WestPac, I forgot to click in my starting windage. These high-power rifle matches usually start with offhand at 200yds, and I was not the most confident offhand shooter. It took two shots for me to realize the fault was the sight, and not me pulling to the right! By then, any hopes I had of placing high in the match were gone... That's been 20 years ago, and it still haunts me!

Hi there, whoever may read this... I've been shooting competitively for over 20 years, mostly high-power rifle and bullseye pistol. Couple years ago I took my .45 to a USPSA match and actually won a trophy (okay, so I was the ONLY entry in Unclassified Single Stack). I went to a few more matches here and there, culminating with the ridiculously stupid idea to shoot a regional in Open, with my 10-round SS .45 and little practice. Needless to say, I got smoked--it was a good lesson not to get too far ahead myself. I don't know if I really learned my lesson however, since this year I'm competing in limited (different gun and equipment though). At least now I know that it takes a lot of work and practice to even make it to the middle of the pack in limited. I hope to be much more involved, practice a LOT more, and participate in this great forum! Thanks, and PM me if you're around Southwest Montana and would like to shoot sometime! Scott