BigBamBoo

Is there a "better" way to contact them/him? I have sent a couple of messages via the Facebook page and have not received a response.

Got a bunch of guys here at the local club running them and we just tighten the barrel/taken down nut until you can barley take it apart. Never had it loosen up or see anyone else’s loosen up once set up like this. Have about 5000 rounds through mine.

I am using a standard STI I bought from Brazos. http://www.1911store.com/magreleasesti-2011.aspx

Not trying to hijack your thread OP. But I too recently got my first open gun and it had the original “big dot” sight on it. And while I thought about rocking it old school....I decided that was not for me. So I brought it up to date with a new sight mount, sight, and a few other updates. Glad I did. Let us know what you end up doing. Here are some before and after shots of my rig:

I have used two dedicated ones and they run flawlessly.

I have ran WWB 115gr exclusively through all of my PCC rigs. Works well for me.

5000 rounds without cleaning a blow back gun? I can not answer your your question because I clean my rigs after every match. Just like I don’t like a dirty house, car, clothing, etc. I would never run my guns that dirty. Maybe someone else can chime in.

Well my JP GMR-13 actually weighed more than the Ruger. I have two 9mm AR style race race rigs that are in the sub 6 lbs range...Taccom uppers, etc. I am no faster with them over the Ruger. Granted I am only a A rated PCC shooter, but for me these “big” disadvantages folks bring up are just not there for me. I guess if you are a supper high speed low drag M/GM shooter maybe you would be faster with a AR platform. But I still say that same M/GM shooter would be just as fast with the Ruger. There are plenty of GM’s who shoot Glock’s, CZ’s, etc., and Folks dog on them because you know...they would be so much faster with a 2011 style pistol Anyways.....I shoot to have fun and at 50 my glory days are behind me. The works well for me. No better no worse then my AR’s.

I’m sure if you put one in the hands of one of the top shooters they would be winning matches. Indian not the arrow applies. On a local level, I have won a few matches with mine.

I recently starting shooting open, so take it for what it’s worth. At first I was unsure if I was going to like it. But now, with dry fire practice and range time, it just feels natural with it. And, I am using the go-guns Opposable Extreme and for table starts, it really works good. As others have said, try it....if you don’t like it you can take it off.

Looks really good!

I shoot to have fun. My high speed low drag days are behind me.

I just started shooting ooen....I mean like ONE match under my belt so far. So take anything I post with that in mind. I went from limited to PCC due to my aging eyes and not being able to see iron sight as well or fast as I use to. The dot changed everything for me and made shooting USPSA fun again for me. But I have been really missing Pistol shooting. Being in Calif really limits what pistols are avaibke to me. So I had thought about CO. But after shooting a few different CO rigs that the folks here at our club shoot, it just did not excite me much. I was able to find a “new” (less than 50 rounds through it) old open gun and snatched it up. I had two days of dry fire practice before shooting in the match with it. All i I can say is, the fun is back again for me and I look forward to moving forward in open. I would say go for it. I think you will have a bunch of fun regardless of age. good luck and happy Holidays.

My shooting buddy is a lefty and runs a Gibbz Arms lefty setup. VERY nice upper and lower. Works well for him.

Yeah...I guess Tom (the RO) missed that...so no penalties. I noticed that my self right away while reviewing the video.

Good looking rig.

Yes sir. I thought about putting a new comp on it. The gunsmith who did the work said run it first. So far, I think it works well. So for now, I am not going to change anything else for awhile.

Just to keep this thread alive I thought I would share my "new" open rig. This is my first open gun. Being in Calif. it is tuff to get ahold of a STI due to our "safe handgun roster". A couple of years ago I stopped shooting pistol and went to PCC due to my aging eyes and not being able to see my sights. And while I have LOTS of fun with PCC, I REALLY miss shooting pistols. So about 6-7 months ago I started keeping an eye out for a used STI that I could use the frame from to have an open gun built on. But, like any supply and demand item, even "well used" STI's are fetching $2-3K. And a well used open rig commands $4-6K. So I had just about given up on the idea of a open gun and was looking at carry optics. But CO just never really excited me much. I saw a old open gun listed on a few sites, but it was...well...old. And the price was more than I was willing to spend on it. I had pretty much forgotten about it until a month or so ago when I stumbled on it at a much lower price. So I actually read the description on it. It was an old Briley El Presidente. I had used Briley barrels and chokes, but I did not know they ever built guns. As I looked at the pictures I could see it appeared to be in VERY good shape. And it stated it had less than 50 rounds through it!?!? Wait...what? 50 rounds? So I contacted the owner and he confirmed it had only 20 rounds through it! I told him I would buy it if he could meet me halfway....we were about 4 hours apart....and if it was as he claimed, we had a deal. He agreed. I then contacted Briley and they put Cluadio on the phone. He and another gent were the ones who build the El Pres's. I gave him the ser. # and he was able to tell me all about it. It was built in 2000. He gave me a run down on the parts used, etc. Gave me a run down on the history of the El Pres's and all kinds of good info. Now...it was time to bring this old rig up to date. So I replaced the SS STI mag well with a Dawson Ice, replaced the sight mount with a Cheely, topped in with a RTS2, added a thumb rest, slide racker, had it set up for 38SC, all new springs, etc. So it now looks more like a racegun and not something Han Solo would be packing. Ok...next step....how do I feed it??? I do not reload for pistol. Hmm...hello...Dillon Precision? I need a 1050 w/Bulletfeeder. But....my buddy who also shoots 38SC tells me I need to shoot it NOW. And our club match was a few days away. He tells me come on out and use my ammo. Yeah, yeah...I know. Not the smartest thing to do. But man...I want to shoot this thing. So I show up at the match with my 18+ year old "new" open rig. Having NEVER shot it. Using borrowed ammo. And went for it. The first stage (seen in the video below) was a bit tense for me to say the least. But the gun ran like a top. Not one hiccup. And I was able to place 6th overall out of 41. I was pleased with that after not having shot a pistol in a match in over two years. So here it is before and after. Do I wish I could have an Akai, Atlas, CK, Brazos, etc.? You bet. But I am EXTREAMLY pleased with how this worked out for me and for the price I would have had to pay double for the above rigs. I will be moving from Calif at some point and then I will have a cool open gun. For now I am please to start my journey in open with the old Pres. free screenshot software

Atlas Gun Works has all k8nds of videos on YouTube.

LOL...I caught that as well after watching the video...RO did not catch it though.....Thank you Tom??? (the RO).

Yes, my buddy (who supplied the ammo for my first match) has a C-More slide ride on a 90. He shot my rig and instantly said, "I wish I would not have shot that"....now he wants to do a RTS2. Everglades Ammo MRH. I like it a bit better than the Double Alpha Race Master as it places the holster/gun a bit farther from my body.

Yes, watching the videos, I was very impressed on how flat it ran. I had thought about swapping out the comp, but the gunsmith who changed the sight bracket said those were good comps and just run it first. Glad I actually listened this time! And I am very excited to be back shooting handguns...I missed it a lot. Thank you. And yes...so far, I am liking the RTS2.

Let’s just say I got a good deal on it. The gent had been trying to sell it for since early this year. I think the old sight scared everyone away. I know when I first saw it listed back in May, was that was just an old rig and is probably wore out. I am glad I revisited it when I saw the lower price a few weeks ago. On another note, I am very impressed with the comp. I had mentioned to the gunsmith who did the work on it for me that maybe we should put a new comp on it. He was pretty adamant that the Briley was a good design and to just run it first. Glad I did. I have not yet chronoed the ammo, but it was my buddies load and he has two holes in his barrel and it makes 175pf from his rig. One I get my press up and producing ammo I will make sure I am good, but have no plans on changing the load if I don’t have too.

I own property in AZ and hope to build a home on it some day. As for upping and leaving...would love to but I have my elderly father who relies on me for much of his daily life choirs. Some adult children here. And my better half is about to start a job that will pay way more than she could land anywhere else. I am in far No. Calif. where the cost of living is still reasonable and most of the folks are conservative and our Sheriff is pro 2A. I am lucky that I am self employed and my business is 100% online so when it is time to go, my income will not change. We will be staying in the western states as I do a LOT of coyote hunting and access to public lands is very important to me. Once you get to the Midwest it seems like there is little options beyond hunting leases to hunt. CA is truly a lost cause. It has been sad to see it decline into a socialist state so rapidly.

Thanks folks. It was a fun day. I was just happy the pistol ran and after two years, I can still shoot a pistol...although a bit slow!