justicentyme

Mike; Thanks for the input. I figured they were the same but stranger things have happened with S&W. James

Mike; Thanks for the input. I figured they were the same but stranger things have happened with S&W.

After 2 1/2 months I received the replacement barrel for my Pro 9mm. The invoice was marked '9L'. I'm assuming that both of these pistols take the same barrel. However does anyone KNOW if that is a valid assumption? The barrel fit and lock up seems fine, but due to a table saw 'mishap' I am not currently able to test fire it. Thanks James

Has anyone replaced the motor on their FL2000 with one from a source OTHER than Dillon? After about 23+ years of faithful service my motor has starting issues. I can get it to run by spinning it but I think it's time for a replacement. (I removed the motor and cleaned it but it's just tired.) Thanks James

My wife is 62 years old and suffers from severe RA. She has had both knees replaced as well as one ankle. Her fingers and wrists are so deteriorated that it is painful for her to shoot any load. I am very proud of her that she even shoots at all. One does not have to imagine themselves as a Master Class shooter to enjoy it or take it seriously. James My 9 Pro runs the best around 130-135PF with the factory spring. (I like 147s right around 900fps) If your wife ever wants to shoot IDPA seriously, she should start shooting a legal load now.

Well thanks to forum member Sarge I have one of the stainless guide rods and also 11#, 13# and a 15# ISMI recoil springs which Kenny sells. I finally got a few minutes in between farm chores and took the gun down to our range and tried the guide rod and the 13# spring with the light 120 grain TCBB load that my wife uses in her BHP and I use in my S&W Super 9. As I mentioned in the first post with the stock recoil spring this load would not properly function the gun. I only had 68 rounds of this load available to test so it is far from being conclusive but with the 13# set up it functioned flawlessly. I tried several just loading one round into the mag to check for slide lock and it worked great. I haven't had time to check it from a bench in this gun or chronograph it yet. In the BHP it runs about 935 fps and gives real good accuracy. (The last two IDPA matches the wife shot she has had zero points down). It doesn't shoot quite as well in the Super 9 but is plenty good enough for IDPA. I hope to get several hundred rounds loaded up in the next week or so to check for accuracy (and where the POI is with this load), velocity and further functioning test. So far I am real pleased with the results of the 13# setup so far. I will need to put more rounds through it before I decide on whether to go with some Apex parts or not. As I am primarily a revolver shooter the trigger pull is not that bad to me and it is definitely NOT gritty like some guns apparently are. Thanks to all for their input. James

Thanks to all for their input. It is greatly appreciated. G-ManBart: The slide on my M&P Pro 9mm weighs 18.5 ounces. The slide on my Super 9 weighs 17.5 ounces and I use an 8# Wolff (745 / 4506) spring on it. However it has a hammer (17# Wolff spring)so it really can't be compared to the M&P with its striker system. millisec: Is it just the ISMI springs that behave odd to you in the M&P or any recoil spring that is used with one of the aftermarket guide rods in an 'uncaptured' mode? In 50+ years of shooting this is my first polymer / striker gun and the first gun I have owned that used the 'captured' recoil spring system. Can someone educate me on the merits of this system? kend: I need to get some parts ordered but I want to become more aware of the M&Ps characteristics first. I'll try the email again Thanks again to all for their input. James

Does anyone know what weight the M&P Pro 9mm stock recoil spring is? I have a light (120 TCBB @ 935 fps out of a Browning HP) load worked up for my wife's Brwning HP that I also use in my S&W Super 9. On both of these guns I had to dial in the recoil spring to get them to function properly. I notice that SSS has springs listed from 11# to 20#. If I knew what was stock I would have a better idea of what one to start with. With whatever spring that is in it now it will function only about half of the time. From past experience with the BHP and the Super 9 I know that this load needs a pretty good reduction from stock. Also on the guide rods that SSS offers (both in the stainless and in the tingsten) is the difference just in length? If so what length seems to work best? (I have tried to contact Kenny but he must be out of the office or my e-mails are not getting to him.) Thanks James

I need one (or more) old style bell cranks for the Dillon powder measures. I am told by Dillon that they are no longer available. If anyone has one (or more) of the old style cranks and would like to sell them please contact me. (The same crank may also be black.) Thanks James

Take a look at this site. http://www.pennbullets.com James

Have there been any TDAs used (SSP) in major regional matches that were in the top five finishers in the last five years? Has anyone ever one the Nationals using a TDA? Thanks James

Scott Craig has a free Recoil Calculations program that is available here: http://www.craigcentral.com/shootsw.asp It will return both Recoil Energy and Recoil Velocity after inputting Gun Weight, Bullet Weight, Powder Charge Weight and Bullet Velocity. James

Have you checked the diameter of the cylinder throats? I recently went to a 4" 625 -3 for IDPA and using 230 RN from pennbullets.com got a LOT of throat leading, more than any revolver I have owned in 50+ years. I checked the throats and they were .453". I have some .454" bullets coming that I believe will cure the issue. My 5" 625 -4 has .452" throats and shoots the same load with little to no leading. Some very knowledgeable revolver shooters question if throat diameter can have any real negative effect and give some very sound reasoning for those doubts. I do know however what differences the same load has in two guns that do indeed have varying throat diameters. I have heard it said that because we shoot the 230s in the 720 fps range that we can't get away with 'blow by' like someone pushing a lead bullet at 1000 fps can. James

Years ago I bought a new 5" 625 -4 (non floating hand). I smoothed it up and it runs flawlessly with properly seated Federal 150s at a 6 1/2# or slightly less DA pull. THis gun has .452" cylinder throats. Last fall I bought a 4" 625 -3 (floating hand) that came through an estate that had been shot VERY little. Had it not been dirty it could have very easily passed for a NIB gun. I spent more time on this gun than any other revolver in the last 20+ years. It had the dreaded 'stiff spot' at the very end of the DA pull and it took several tries stoning the hand before I got rid of that and got an overall smooth action. However it will still not run with a DA pull of less than 8# or so. If all goes as planned I will be shooting it at the TriState IDPA regional in Memphis next Saturday. Then it is going to get the replacement hand that Mike spoke of as well as some other work. The biggest bug on this particular gun is that all of the cylinder throats are .453". As I shoot all cast bullets (I just got several thousand 230 RN @ .452") this causes blow by and severe leading in the cylinder throats. I have some .454" 230 RN ordered which will cure the problem but that means I have to stock bullets for both the -4 and the -3. I am very seriously considering replacing the cylinder in the -3 with a Ti model or at least one with .452" throats. In my limited experience (only two guns) the cylinder throat diameter is more of an overall issue than the floating hand. James

For the last three years or so that I have been shooting IDPA I have only shot at club level matches. This year I plan on shooting some regional and state matches. In reference to an upcoming match the sponsors said that 'So and So' (A well know national shooter) would be running the scale and chronograph. Is it standard practice to chronograph everyone's ammo that shoots in a state or regional IDPA match? I just came back from my range after checking some new loads for an older 4" 625 -3 that I bought last fall so I am comfortable that my ammo is above the 165 PF but I was wondering if everyone got checked , random checks, or just a load that is obviously weak. Thanks James

Sidearmour holsters are available for immediate shipment. Just ordered a 4" for my 625-3 and got it in a few days. They have a new belt attachment system that is GREAT. I also have the 5" model for my 5" 625-5. It has the old style belt attachment. I have 5 Blade Tech holsters. I like their pistol holsters but their S&W revolver holster is a 'One size Fits All'. It works okay for an N-Frame but I like the Sidearmour better. It works for the 646 / 617 (although a little larger than need be). James

I have been shooting a 646 in IDPA for the last 3 years or so. I have also been looking for a 4" 617 (no dash) for about that same length of time to set up like the 646 for practice. I have had a 6" 617 (no dash) for many years but it does not have the same feel as the 646. I finally got a 4" 617 (no dash) in July and have set it up like the 646. It has made a TREMENDOUS improvement in my shooting. The 617 and the 646 are only 2 onces different and they balance and feel almost the same. The 617 has a slightly heavier DA pull but like Mike said (and to me about 2 months ago) it is probably a good thing to have the practice gun a little heavier. Neither the 4" 617 or the 6" 617 feel much like my 5" 625. I just bought a 4" 625-3 and will set it up like the others. To me it feels much more akin to the 4" 617 than does the 5" 625. You might not get as great a benefit with the 617 / 625 combo as the 617 / 646 combo but I suspect that it would still be well worth the time & money spent on it. James

Easily made lmooner and demooner are seen here: http://www2.tnweb.com/justicentyme/S&W/646.htm JNT

I recently purchased a new Browning HP 9mm (the one with the low mount rear LPA sights) for my wife. She has advanced RA and therefore her hand strength is minimal and her tolerance to recoil is also less than it was years ago. I will be loading up either a 100 grain cast TCBB at about 875-900 fps or a 120 grain cast TCBB at about 785-800 fps. I am NOT concerned with power factors, recoil impulses or fast double taps. There are only two things which are to be considered. 1.) She must be able to manipulate the slide (after pre-cocking the hammer) and 2.) the gun must feed and function without any problems and not be damaged with too light a spring. I talked to the Wolff tech and he was pretty non committal. It seems that there have been people blaming them for purchasing springs that didn’t work out and wanting to be able to return them so now they (Wolff) offer very little in the way of suggestions. I have removed the mag disconnect and polished the feed ramp. The trigger pull is currently greater than the five pounds which my RCBS trigger pull gauge goes to. She has no problem with the trigger pull and doesn’t want it real light for safety's' sake. I will install a 26# mainspring and that will reduce it a little and it will probably smooth out with some use. In 47+ years of shooting I have never seen a mainspring as stout as the one on this gun. It is supposed to be 32#. The factory recoil spring is supposed to be 17# and Wolff offers 8#-16# reduced power recoil springs. At about $8 per spring I don’t want to buy an unnecessary amount of them searching for the ‘correct one’. Here’s my question, “Has anyone used bullets in this range and at these speeds? And if so what springs worked best for you?” I am thinking of getting 12#, 13#, & 14# in hopes that one of them would work. Of course for her ease of slide manipulation I would like to be able to use something in the 9#-10# range but that seems awfully light. I know that if I went with a stronger mainspring I could go lighter on the recoil spring but then it is too difficult for her to pre cock the hammer prior to manipulating the slide. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks James

Any suggestions for a Para LDA (P16-40 LTD) gunsmith? Action job and barrel / bushing replacement. Thanks JNT

http://www.pennbullets.com/index.html

Sam; I know that your post was a while back but I just came across it this evening. I shoot about 200 loads yesterday afternoon working up a 165 PF load for my 646. It has had a lot of rounds through it and only once, prior to yesterday, did it offer any resistance on the extractor and that was after about 200 cast loads. It was just dirty. I almost always shoot TiteGroup and with my normal load they just fall right out. With a 135 Rainier at 1260 fps they don't fall out but they extract easily enough. It has been quite a few years since I had metallurgy but I don't think titanium expands much when hot. It is one of the most stable metals, that is why it is used in aircraft engine innards. I have read of others having extraction problems with the 646 and other titanium cylinder revolvers. I think it is an indication that something is amiss with the cylinder of that particular gun. I don't use nickel brass. I do use TiteGroup and lead bullets. But with the one exception I have NEVER had any problems with mine. I don't know if it makes a difference but I use the EGW undersize sizer die, the Lee FCD crimp die and alway tumble my brass prior to reloading. JNT

I just browsed the web to get a view of the 'approved' Safariland 371 Split-Six speed loader holders mentioned in the comments by IDPA president Bill Wilson. I assume that moonclips will also have to be in a similiar 'containment' device. Can anyone explain why the semi auto mags must NOT be in a similiar 'containment' device? Thanks James

Mike; These are the solid type. Just like our "Sandbaggin Training Wheel 625s" use. Though now I don't know what use I'll have for them. How can a few whiners ruin a sport for the vast majority?? James

I just got off the phone with Steve from Ranch Products @ 313 277 3118. 646 Moon Clips were completed Monday and are ready for shipment. $1.50 each. JNT