66L

I have pulled the E2 grip off several times and I can't see where anything is rubbing, which I expected and was surprised not to find. As far as why I like the E2 grips a little better, it's a close call, but the more aggressive texture does better in my hands. I also like the lack of screws to come loose, which I experienced first hand. In all honesty I wasn't sold on the E2 grips at first due to riding the slide catch. I recently got a 226 single action slide catch that faces it forward and there is no chance of riding it now, it should be standard on E2 gripped guns. The downside to that slide catch is it precludes using other grips with a specific slide catch cut-out like the originals. I also don't notice my hand being any further down the frame or away from the slide. The 226 has a "higher" bore axis to begin with and if the E2 grip increases it, it's negligible. This is the only Sig I own, or have owned, but I make a point to dry-fire any I come across, and this combo of E2 grip, short strut, and long seat is the best I've found by far....with seemingly no consequences from the mixed parts.

My 226 came with E2 grips, the long mainspring strut, and short mainspring seat. Being my first Sig I bought the traditional 2 piece grips, short strut, and long seat just to try it...and I actually think the trigger pull is better like this. Wanting the best of both worlds I put the non-E2 parts combined with the E2 grips. After reading a bit online, it appears this combination should not work, saying there isn't enough room under the E2 grips which prompted the change in parts. But despite what I'm reading, it seems to work fine. Am I missing something here or running the risk of breaking something? This is a new production gun, bought about six months ago. Standard P226R, if that makes any difference.

Does anyone have a line on an in-stock X-Five slide catch? I just purchased my first Sig, a 226, but would like to try the SAO versions slide catch to hopefully keep from riding it. Top Gun is the only place that I can find that lists it, but they are back ordered.

If I had a 1917 I probably would. "Beautiful" hardly does them justice. But in all honesty that's exactly the style of ejector rod I want. On the off chance I could find just the rod, is there any reason it wouldn't install on my 625? With all of the crazy accessories they make I can't believe this part has been overlooked.

I shoot a 625 and reload by pushing the ejector with the palm of my left (weak) hand. After a long match my palm is sore and it occurred to me this would be somewhat alleviated if the end of the ejector rod was larger. Kind of like the old hand ejector models had. Are there any aftermarket manufacturers that make a product like that, or some add-on part I'm unaware of? I realize the barrel lug would need to be cut to accept an over-sized end, but I think it would be worth it.

Every department I'm aware of here in central VA is required to carry a specific department issued weapon, myself included. Only one of them, a very small and specialized PD, carries revolvers. Larger PD's have a harder time providing that many firearms, but for most a single platform makes the most sense in terms of training, maintenance, gear, and liability that they issue. Revolvers are going to be a more and more uncommon thing to see in police work as a primary weapon.

Absolutely. I pick my shooting order (within and array of targets) based on a number of things, but entering and exiting the position is of primary importance. On a simplistic stage with basic movement between boxes from left to right, would you prefer to shoot the targets right to left or left to right?

I think I get what sroe3 means. If you have shooting positions in a lateral line and move left to right, the first target you get to in the next position will be on the left. But ideally you will be able to see all of the targets at once and be able to choose which one you engage first. This is where my question came in about shooting targets in a specific order to facilitate moving.

I have really grown to like a "tighter" sight picture, as in .115 front/.125 rear. It forces me to get the sight picture right, rather than "close enough" with a wider rear like the Sevigney at .150.

I believe the factory Glock .40 22 round mags are legal for open and they can be found in the $30-35 range, with excellent reliability from what I hear. Your setup sounds pretty good and I can also highly recommend the Dawson Ice magwell when you get to it.

My mind being as simple as it is, I have a hard time looking at stages with an eye that critical. The approach of "single big push of the trailing leg" to get me out of the box and onto the next one is a simple concept that I can use. I can't fault my friend though, he cleaned up on that stage, so whatever he was trying to suggest to me worked well for him.

At a USPSA format steel shoot this weekend I was discussing how to run a particular stage with a friend of mine. As a right handed shooter I typically engage targets in a left to right order. He suggested shooting from right to left, that way his body's momentum was leaning towards the right, setting him up to move to the next shooting box, which was to the right. I have timed myself shooting plates left to right, and then right to left, but don't see any real difference on the timer. So my question is about the idea of momentum, or body positioning, aiding in lateral movement. Do you think shooting targets in a particular direction would affect which way you need to move next?

A G22 is my primary competition pistol in SSP and Production divisions. I don't know much about the 3-gun rules, but for IDPA and USPSA a G22 won't put you behind the curve at all. If you reload your ammo, .40 can be rolled into very light recoiling loads. Factory ammo can be purchased almost anywhere and the gear side of things is virtually unlimited.

I'll second what everyone else has said, it's form fitting and comfortable to wear. For USPSA I keep mine right in front, and bending straight over can be uncomfortable with my bit of spare tire, but you will learn to work around that. The main bonus for me is using the IDPA compliant devices makes for an easy transition between sports, other than carrying them on the side vs in front. Don't think you'll be disappointed.

Yes it is IDPA Legal ok, but you see the difference in opening the cilynder or is very little ? You definitely see a difference. If your thumb makes contact on even a small portion of the SDM latch, it's not going to slip off and you can still get the cylinder open at speed. It is a fairly inexpensive part and easy to put on, so not reason not to give it a try.

Within the last month or so I put on a SDM latch to my 625JM. I went with the "older" style, simply because it seemed to have more surface area. It dropped in fine and is a night and day difference over the factory latch. I really wanted one of the Hogues, but they aren't IDPA legal, and this revolver is used for all of my shooting sports. I don't think you'll be disappointed with the SDM.

Black Creek range near Mechanicsville in central VA hosts an outstanding all steel match the 2nd Saturday of every month. Here is the blog where they post match announcements and scores http://blackcreeksteel.wordpress.com/ It would be worth trying. Other than that I'm not familiar with any other steel matches.

jester, don't get too wrapped up in the MIM parts. If you are looking for a collector piece you would want a no-lock/non-MIM version, but for a working gun I have yet to have an issue with MIM parts. There are a slew of manufacturers that use them with great success. I personally own a 625JM and it is one of the best shooting revolvers in my collection and without a doubt has the most rounds through it. Let us know when you finally purchase one.

The 625JM is not a performance center revolver, so in terms of action work it doesn't have anything done to it from the factory. There is also a 625PC model (has the multi-color grip) that has the charge holes chamfered and action work done by the PC. Both are 4" barrels. The only reason I can think to get either of these is if you plan to shoot IDPA, which has a maximum 4" barrel length. If USPSA and ICORE are your only games I would go with one of the 88/89 5" models if you can find one. It's hard to go wrong with a 625 though, they are fantastic competition revolvers.

Congrats on the new Ruger, they are well built revolvers. For reloads, the empty cases will not likely fall out on their own. You will have to get the gun vertical and hit the ejector with force. For whatever reason the GP100's extractor is not quite as long as a spent casing and they will hang up frequently it you don't get the muzzle straight up and let gravity assist you.

I have been competitively shooting pistols for about three years and have never noticed my breathing patterns. That may or may not be a good thing, but the last two days as I hit the start button and wait for the three second delay it seems all I can focus on is inhaling and exhaling. It has become quite the distraction. Do you think about whether you're breathing in or out? Does it make a difference if you are doing one or the other? If you do think about it, and find it equally distracting, is there something you do to get your mind back on the stage/drill? I haven't been to a match where it's been a problem, but if I'm not making the most out of practice, that inadvertently will be affecting my match performance. I have the IDPA Carolina Cup coming up in a month and fear this is going to stick with me. For what it's worth, I have noticed I'm a little faster if I'm inhaling rather than exhaling. Justin

A coworker of mine reloads and I have been getting my ammo from him. He is giving me 230gr RN Montana Gold bullets on 4.8gr of Alliant Red Dot powder. It is somewhere in the neighborhood of 170 power factor. It has never crossed my mind to assume a different powder would keep from having left over flakes, but I'll mention the suggestion of Clays and see if that works out better, thanks for the tip.

It's good to hear everything is running as it's supposed to. I use a lighter rebound spring simply to help with the trigger pull weight, but a lot of top shooters like a strong trigger reset. I keep my revolvers pretty wet under the side plate which makes it more difficult to see wear and keeps things as smooth as possible.

You guys have some really creative ideas about this. Makes you wonder why there is nothing commercially made for them. On the hand, what do you do with the empties or partially empty clips? I have been using a large freezer bag to store them in until I get home, just to keep the left over powder flakes from going everywhere. What are your suggestions for that?

Lee, valid point. I never considered if a bottom shelf round were to go off on my NM holder...some important parts of my anatomy would be in real jeopardy. I suppose it's not worth worrying about for storage/transportation purposes. Justin