mgrs

A lot of good advice in this thread. Can you run a lockout die in station 3? Relying in gadgets in not the right answer, but it does add another layer of safety redundancy and you can still watch your charges. I use an RCBS lockout on my .45 toolhead and it will pick up >1.5gr variances and stop everything. It's nice to have with dense powders and lighter .45 Major lead loads. On my 650, station 1 is size/decap, station 2 is prime/charge, station 3 is visual/mechanical charge check, station 4 is seat, station 5 is crimp. I only pull charged cases from station 3 (empty or check die station) and never from station 2 (charging) to check weights unless there is a press malfunction. All ammunition that is going to the range is placed primer-up in MTM 100rd boxes so that I can mark case heads and check primer seat depth. I use a lot of S&B and NATO brass, which can lead to seating problems. I can see unprimed brass and run my hand over each 100rd box and feel poorly seated primers.

Currently using WST with 147gr cast FPs. I have used Red Dot with 125gr LRNs and plated 115s. With the 125s at 135 PF, it feels a little sharp, like a firecracker going off. It also will not run a G34 very well unless it is very lightly sprung. As it does not meter too well, I will not be buying any more Red Dot if I can avoid it.

I have been using a Blade tech DOH for a G34 and find that I have a tougher time getting the correct grip off the draw at the same speed when compared to a regular non-offset holster or a duty leg holster. I can draw from the BT DOH faster, but have a problem with presenting the front sight left off the draw unless I grind my hand down onto the gun before lifting it from the holster. Of course this is a technique problem, but it is driven by the angle of the BT DOH, where the gun points in toward the leg slightly. In running my hand directly up from arms relaxed and drawing the gun without that downward grinding "hitch," I often present it pointed slightly left. I am going to try heating and bending the DOH bracket on the holster to try and 'fix' it. As always, YMMV.

Been using a Fricke Archangel with a G19 for 4 months. I like it so much I got rid of my previous holster (Comp tac C-Tac, 4 o'clock). The Fricke is expensive, but well made, comfortable is the bottom is open, so I could carry any 9/40 Glock in it. I like to wear well-fitted clothes and am 5'9", 160, so 4 o clock is difficult. AIWB is far more concealable for my body type. With a good belt, I can conceal a G17 well enough under a t shirt that my wife does not notice it. I could have never done this with 4 o clock carry. Some shorts/pants work better than others due to belt loop location. I also find that, the closer to my torso center line I carry, the easier it is to conceal. I am very careful when holstering, as an ND is pretty much going to go into either your balls or your femoral with AIWB...

Good post. I tried this method in adjusting grip on my G34. I find that my sights are no longer lifting much at all. The Burkett drill with differential grip pressure to find a medium between sights lifting too much and starting to shift right or left due to too much overall tension as opposed to pure grip pressure. I think it paid off, as I dropped my bill drill splits from .2 or so to .13-.15 on my first classifier (Can You Count?) last weekend after a few days of practice.

I tried this pistol (KWA ATP) as a glock trainer and do not find that it works for me due to the different grip geometry. I find that it does not feel at all like a Glock. The biggest problem is that the mag catch design interfaces with my blade tech holster and grip in such a way that I cannot draw the pistol in less than 2 seconds without causing the mag to fly out of the gun on the draw. Otherwise, it is durable, reliable, and accurate.

Jshuberg- Thank you for the thoughtful posts in this thread. Rarely have a I heard someone dissect technique components so far, and it is a good read. I am absolutely guilty of using a support hand death grip to mask trigger control problems with a Glock. I find that instead of drifting low and left like most Glock shooters, I drift horizontally right at times, which I think may be caused by my excessive support hand grip combined with poor trigger control. I actually have the most trouble with trigger control in my Glock 34, which has the lightest trigger of any of my glocks. It might be because the break feels longer and mushier, with more opportunity to to shift the POI as it breaks. None of this stuff shows up much at speed on cardboard, but shooting dot drills and longer distance plates, I begin to see it.

Federal SPP came in today. Same 5k limit.

I've been looking for H335 and TAC for months now. I ended up settling on R 10x and 2000mr. 2000mr is actually pretty good.

I'd also like to crack the code on this. I've never experienced it with anything other than military surplus corrosive ammunition but am always watching for it. You'd think that a powder as fast as WST, even in minor, would generate a high enough peak pressure to seal the primer. I've been doing some experimenting with this recently and can't figure out what might cause it. I loaded a couple hundred some sub-minor plated and cast with small rifle primers in varied pick-up brass, and had no gas marks on the breech face. There was not enough pressure to cause primer flow even in a glock. I have loaded thousands of .45 acp at low major pressures with mag pistol primers and also have never seen breech face marks.

I've had good luck with Red Dot, and it always seems to be available. It also meters fine. I get an SD of 12-15 loading on a 650. Promo is the same stuff even cheaper. It might meter differently though. Both are a little dirty at low pressures. Loads: 230gr LRN @ 1.260 with CCI 0350. 3.2gr Red Dot. 168 PF, SD 12 200gr RNFP @ 1.190 with CCI 0350. 4.4gr Red Dot 173 PF, SD 14

Update: Before buying a reamer or paying to have it done, I lapped the throat and then switched to RMR 230gr hardcast. No more problems. There is a 'step' between the bearing surface and ogive instead of the direct taper on the MBC 200gr RNFP. They also appear to be a much higher quality bullet- no thick molding flash or uneven molding like the MBC I was using. The bullet lube is also on the bullets, instead of in a pile at the bottom of the box....

I use this stuff on just about everything but ARs and .22s. Stays in place longer than any of the "weapon specific" lubes I have used.

Cracked the code. My chamber headspaces OK, but there is "no" throat. The rifling is just right there with no transition. I tried my rejects in a friend's kimber, and they chambered. He gave me some of the jacketed reloads he shoots, and none would even come close to chambering in my pistol. Even with the 200 gr rnfp @ 1.190", I am still encountering rounds that hopelessly lock the gun up. Are they any gunsmiths commonly used by folks here to fix this problem? Thanks

Interesting, learn something new every day. I guess the few hundred of the Rem 6 1/2s I've been picking up from the LGS won't be used for 223 after all. On the plus side, it sounds like they may substitute ok for SPP, so at least not all is lost. I used them for a while with 24.3 gr H335 and remington 55gr and FC brass at 2.245. This load produced 2900 out of an 18" barrel. No pressure signs or ignition problems with the 6 1/2 primers. In fact, they gave me better SD than the WOLF SRMs I now use. I don't endorse using these primers but did "get away with it" with no issues. I may end up using them again if I can't find more SRMs in stock. I also tried them with 23.0 H335 and a PRVI 69gr OTM at 2.255. 2740 out of the same barrel, but I did get flattened 6 1/2s out of it. The Wolf SRMs do no flatten under the same load. As with anything reloading, YMMV!

Steve, I can get about 1 in 10 or less to chamber at that OAL. I'll check some of the 'rejects' in two other brand 1911s tomorrow. I've had no problems with multiple brands of factory jacketed ammunition, but it is made to fit a wide variety of chamber dimensions.

Thanks gordonm1. I did try both taper crimping to .469 and then running the loaded round through an fcd sizing ring. The cases were fine and these extra steps were not needed. Did not fix the problem. I tried forcing some of the rejects into the chamber (bare barrel) and they came out with lead shaved off the ogive where it met the throat. They were still shaving lead even when seated to 1.180. Gun is a Springer range officer with factory barrel. It sounds like I may have a short chamber or a bad batch of bullets, or both.

I thought the OAL seemed short also, however even at 1.20, most of the loaded rounds will not chamber without force due to the ogive hitting the throat too early. They would be dangerous to fire in this condition. Yes, I am using mag primers. I get a very clean burn at all charge weights, but that may be due to the pressure. Thanks!

All- long time lurker here and have been very impressed with the information and attitude on this forum. I hate for my first post to be a "what am I screwing up?" post, but I have started loading .45 ACP cast lead due to high ammo prices.The fastest turnaround I could find was from Missouri Bullets. I have been loading bottleneck rifle for a long time but just started straight wall pistol due to ammunition prices. I've had some strange problems with the following: 200gr MBC RNFP, CCI 350 primers, CCI Brass. OAL 1.190-1.195. Loaded on an xl650 with lee dies, belling just enough to seat without shaving lead and taper crimping just enough to remove the bell. Case mouths mike at .472-.473. Issues: 1) 15-20% of the rounds loaded to this OAL will not "drop check." Although they mike to the same OAL, the bullet ogive engages the throat early. On the loaded ammunition that will not chamber, I tried re-seating by .05 increments until it will chamber. Most of the 'rejects' have to be seated to 1.140 or deeper before the bullets will stop jamming in the throat before fully chambering. Some have to go all the way down to 1.120. This seems to be a large spread and they are visibly much deeper. Some of it might be due to leftover casting flash, but I'd hate to have to remove the flash from each bullet individually before loading. 2) Velocities seem high for charge weight compared to book data. (this is for the 200gr RNFP @ 1.195, all loads measured for OAL and drop checked OK) Red dot 4.3gr starting load: 852 AVG, 32es, 173pf (4.4 gr gives me the same results, anything above 4.5 starts to flatten primers) Power Pistol 6.6gr starting load: 952 AVG- flattened primers, heavy recoil It seems like a very narrow window between a low major load and flat primers. Could it be the magnum primers spiking pressure? On the plus side, I am not getting any leading from the Red Dot loads. Long story, I know. I'm going to drop to 4.2 red dot with 1.185-1.190 for the next string. Thanks in advance for any advice!