kneelingatlas

None of the CZ triggers I've installed were 'drop in'; each time I reamed the holes with a drill bit. Better too small than too big...

Back when I was wrestling in high school the most effective grip training I did was rope climbs. We used hands and feet at first, then feet dangling, then legs extended out at a 90 degree angle to the upper body with 90 degrees between them; the real bad asses would use a weight lifting belt with a weight dangling between their legs, the best I ever did was a 25# plate. Now that I'm a 30 year old executive, it just grip my pen REALLY HARD when I sign checks!!!

Dremel tool, homemade guide rod, it sounds like you're ready for some redneck gunsmithing: http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=171217&hl= Just cut the barrel yourself!

The SA gun converted to SA/DA isn't, strictly speaking, Production legal. Personally I like to covert to SAO and use a TS trigger to get a longer reach and per/over travel adjustment. Does the SA pistol have the same trigger bow as the SA/DA, so you just add a disconnector? The 75B is Production legal; I had one and sold it because the short beaver tail dug into my hand in recoil (my 40 ammo is a little hot to boot).

Massaging the wifey also does wonders for the grip strength, among other side effects

These forums a great; us regular guys can rub elbows with the giants in the sport.

I just posted my 'Trainer' in the classifieds.

Yes, with the stock base pad, but the CZC bases put them over 141mm.

Those are for the small frame of your Phantom and are actually a hair over 171mm. Stuart Wong posted about modifying them to fit in the 171mm gauge, but I can't find it right now.

Yes, I use a CR Speed WSM II for my TS and have used it on a host of other guns. As far as competitions go, I only shoot USPSA, but I'm not aware of an IDPA division the TS fits into. Neither of the pistols you mentioned are optimal as they are; the Phantom would be a great Production if you modify it to be legal, but the TS fits into Limited and minimum caliber for Major scoring is .40, so the 9mm is handicapped. I wouldn't worry too much about what you already have, but moving forward, I would check out the regular matches near you and be mindful of the equipment rules as you start spending more money. It sucks to pay for the same real estate twice. I have lots of guns and have bought an sold twice as many, so the conclusion I came to is when you decide you want to shoot a particular division, do some horse trading to get into the optimal gear in your favorite platform. It sounds like you're a CZ guy, so the optimal pistol in each division looks like this for USPSA: Production - SP01 Shadow 9mm Limited/Limited 10 - Tactical Sport .40 Open - Czechmate 9mm Major (or a converted TS, like my poor man's CM below...) If you wanted to do something similar, your 9mm TS would make a great host.

Nope, ten round .40 mags have a short body and a big plastic block for a base pad, whereas ten round 9mm mags have a full length tube with a dimple which can in fact be drilled out. However you're in luck, Exile Machine sells full cap mags to shooters in restricted states disassembled into parts kits and they recently got a shipment of TS .40 mags.

Yes, I actually bought the Tanfoglio above from Free State Arms; he's a great guy and the guns he gets from Century Arms are perfect project guns.

You looked at 165 velocity. The majority of your basic 180gr factory loads are 178-181pf. Indeed I did.

Do I sound like a first period apprentice?!?

No keyholes; the ream was pretty nasty, I wasn't surprised. Fortunately this barrel has seen it's last bullet, it will live the rest of its life as a dummy for single shot exemptions (it's a CA thing...).

I've got an American Security Products 14 gun safe and the door just lifts off the hinges; the door weighs about as much as the body.

Remington UMC 180 grain is advertised at 1150 fps, that's 207PF!

When I get to a computer I can post pictures, but the idea is: get a 3/8"x6" bolt, chuck it up in your drill press, and turn it down with a file as it spins. As you get closer to your desired dimensions, use a finer file then sand paper, if you finish with 2000 grit it should look professionally done. Patience and persistence is a great substitute for high end equipment. I think just a plain zinc bolt will do, but if you wanted to get fancy you could use a SS or automotive grade bolt, but you better double that patience and persistence!

Man I feel for you Mark. Do you have a drill press? power drill? Make one yourself!

That bit chucked up in my drill press would probably work OK, but I think if I'm going to cut any more barrels, I should probably invest in the crowning tool (or leave them square).

Well, I did it! I figured how to open up the group: I tried crowning this: with this: The resulting 'crown' was at about a 74 degree angle, rather than the prescribed 11, and clearly it didn't pan out too well...

Oh yea, I left you hangin'. I shot a steel match with PMC factory ammo and it shot surprisingly flat with the two port comp pictured above, the dot feels like cheating! I'm working on a slide racker as it's a major PITA to clear a jam when you have to pinch the slide between your thumb and index finger; I had one jam from a round jumping up through the feed lips and sticking straight up. I have since traded two 40 mags for 9mm mags, my big stick also arrived from CZ USA yesterday! When I saw a post on here for SPP in stock at Cabelas, I jumped all over it like a hobo on a ham sandwich and bought 20k, which has served me well as currency for trade, I traded 600 primers for a pound of HS6, then scored some 124 grain CMJs, so as soon as my buddy bolts down his 550, I'll be in business. I can't wait to test some Major loads.

"I didn't know she had the G.I. Joe, kung-foo grip" I started working out with the Trainer/#1 and immediately say a big improvement in recoil control; a buddy shot a video of me shooting my Limited gun with factory ammo running around 180PF and it looked pretty flat. I will however second the warning given above, if you start to feel tendon pain, give it a rest. I found after taking a break for a few weeks, I felt better and was doing more reps than before. A friend at work was passing around a #2 I was able to close it with my strong hand and aaaaalmost with my weak hand, so my next order was a #2 and a #3. Let me tell you: that #3 is no joke! I'm a finger's width from a close and I don't anticipate that little bit giving up very easily.

You were my inspiration Flex! Here's the target, maybe a hair better than it started, but all in all, pretty much the same in all three muzzle conditions...

I've got to have someone take a picture of my grip because I don't know what you guys are talking about.