redbulladdikt

the holster is only 33% of the carry equation--properly sized pants, a good leather belt and a well made holster is the trifecta...like a good tripod, if one leg is weak the whole structure is destined to fail

this is a hot issue with me after this past IDPA season locally... as mentioned my a bulk of the posters here, we expect every shooter to paste targets and reset steels; this past season we had a major rise in brass vulturing instead of pasting and it is frustrating as all-heck... I have taken to heart some of these suggestions presented here and think I am going to politely suggest we put a couple guys on brass recovery next Spring... thanks OP for starting this thread!

in farm country where I reside...I am smallish

I recently added a Rock Island 1911 in 10mm Auto to my carry rotation...my primary is usually a Springfield XD Sub Compact .40... The difference between a double-stack and a single-stack are remarkable in some regards and minor in others...I am a smallish guy (6'0"/ 200lbs) and I find carrying the 1911 allows me more flexibility for carry when cover garments are sketchy--its thinner profile seems to blend better when in the 3 or 4 o'clock position... Carrying in condition 1 is never a worry when its a 1911;The design is based upon the concept with redundant safeties (provided they are functional and unmodified)...as pointed out above, a good holster is a big part of that equation...in the case of my Rock Island, the ambi safety stays locked by all of my holsters (DeSantis Leather, Custom Cowboy-style rig, and a Kydex one-off) Being picky in the holster department is nothing to scoff at! It goes without saying that carrying a pistol that isn't Condition 1 is not something I would advise...if the occasion arises where immediate action is needed, an unloaded chamber is next to useless...if you are okay with the Beretta,you should be fine with a 1911...maybe even a bit more comfortable!! **People like to spend others' money for them (the "save more $ for Y because X are junk..."crowd) I can say from experience, there are distinct differences between high-end builders and budget guns--no refuting it...but starting out with a $2000 Ed Brown for a carry gun is just impractical and downright idiotic in some cases...don't shy away from a budget-friendly brand as a starting point to make sure the platform is for you...Rock Island, Remington and Ruger are making some fine examples that won't break the bank and won't make you weep like a child if the finish wears, or god forbid, you have to turn it over as evidence after using it to defend yourself...just my $0.02 YMMV...best of luck to ya and please let us know what you settle on! Happy Holidays to you...Red

working the holidays to provide a needed service is admirable and something I never take for granted--always say Thank Yous and genuinely mean it...Nursing Staff are undervalued bar none... now, working as a Satellite Tech for DTV on Christmas only because some growly (insert expletive here) called in a Service Order because their TV is more important than my Family Christmas--totally different story!

they have had it sitting in the case for 6+ months asking substantially more--finally lowered it down this weekend for 'Pre-Christmas Pricing'...I would put it at 80% condition, 1 mag, no box/paperwork...and yes I do only frequent the place because of their pricing idiocy--Dad snapped up a Benelli 20 for half list

2 more gems I overheard last night...at a 'Big Box' Sporting Goods Store... Customer: I wanna take a look at this Browning Auto 5 in the case... Moron Employee: Oh I don't think you want something that old; We have a whole section of Mossbergs...they are brand new! Customer: (looking astounded) No thanks...I wanna see the Manager now instead... **the gun in the case was a 95% Auto 5 'sweet 16' with original box marked at $1450--must not work for commission! another section, same store, different idiot... Customer is looking at holsters for what I can assume is his first handgun, being purchased last night... Moron Employee:Oh you don't want Kydex,it will ruin the finish on the gun almost immediately! I don't like leather either,its just too stiff and expensive...now NYLON, thats the way to go... **Customer was purchasing a Nighthawk Custom 1911 they had in the case for about $1150...

its an AD/DQ waiting to happen...pull weight is nowhere as important as a clean, crisp break...for a new shooter to the platform (which OP mentions) I was always advised not to make any significant modifications to the weapon for several matches/practice sessions for fear of trying to replace repetitious practice with un-needed modding... YMMV but it has worked for me to heed this advice...

+1 on extractor tension...probably not the wisest idea to bend it for a longterm fix, but doing so will confirm the problem for certain... quick search turned up 12-15 pages of similar issues and all recommend AFTEC at some point...

^^^This^^^ Brownells has everything you would need to build from scratch and you can get specifically what you are after without any of the headaches...

I am in the process of building a 'Rock' 10mm...I can say that all the haterade for Rock Island comes from people who haven't handled/fired/worked on them and will happily spend someone else's money for them on a 'reputable' brand...after handling and firing a cross section of Colts Kimbers and an Ed Brown I can say 'yes...there is a difference' but most of it is simply non-conducive to an entry-level need... The RIA I picked up wasn't/isn't perfect--but with a quick trip to Brownells for $20 in springs and a few hours with the polishing wheel/800 grit sandpaper it ran 550 rounds without a hiccup--can't say the same about Dad's "reputable" Kimber! Next Month it is going to the local 'smith to have a .40 Bull Barrel fitted which will increase flexibility for reloads and allow me to run it in IDPA without losing expensive 10mm Starline Brass... 10mm RIA 1911--$500ish Tuning Parts from Brownells--$20ish .40 Barrel and 'Smith Fitting-$150 Having a Multi-caliber 1911 that runs,in a brand I can Afford--priceless Save the brand-whoring for the HK crowd!

I also used crayons....do a search for 'tacticrayola' and see what it brings up on Google They are usually recommended for polymer components....I did my M&P 15-22 and 10k rounds and counting without any issues.... Guessing the paint approach would be preferred for metal parts...heat transfer could be an issue! Post some more pics when its completed!

+1 on the 550... I can tell you the same thing as everyone else...its simpler and more beginner friendly--I have been reloading .40s for little over a month and after initial setup its been pretty easy to get rolling you got a great resource for info...check out MidwayUSA for components and you should be good to go!

5) English 'Tudor' Cannon--first Arty placements and Naval Cannons 4) 1853 Enfield Rifled Musket--First of the rifled bores for accuracy...technically the first "Sniper Rifle" 3) .44 Henry Repeater--the rifle that tamed the West...powerful, accurate, simple 2) 1862 Gatling Gun--preamble to the modern machine gun 1) Colt 1911--still in production after 101 years...simple,elegant,effective...

+1 on not reloading defense or carry ammo...its widely considered a no-no talk to local LEOs and check FBI ballistics as to what will cause the most damage--I prefer Speer Gold Dot HPs in my 9mm but carry Hornady HTP in a my .40