MWP

It’s looking like another awesome match. I’m ready for a break from cold and rain.

I do not. It had one for testing and it was too long for me. I have a shooting buddy who is a lefty and it works well for him to get to with his thumb.

Shot you a FB message.

Yes, see below. Hogue short and TK. I use both, and I chop them both up a bit to get my thumbs past it. You can even see some blood on that uncut TK release. Don’t worry, I won’t send that one out as a demo....

I have my middle finger more around the frame and on the side of the window that that, and am grabbing the cylinder like that with my thumb. I run with the gun like that and am fully gripping it, with my index finger free to move and eject. In the bottom image I think it takes so much longer for 2 fingers to go all the way in and all the way out compared to staying out of the window completely. Like I said earlier, there’s no “one way fits all,” especially in revolver. I have spent time with each reload and technique and ultimately settled on the one that works for me. I think reload speed should be directly related to classification and vice versa. I also think people should experiment and see what’s best for them.

Yes. The gun rolls left, my middle finger comes underneath and contacts the cylinder, then I roll the gun aggressively to the right, and my middle finger forces the cylinder open. My left thumb then catches the cylinder and holds it in place.

No, as soon as the left hand goes under the frame and takes control of the gun the right hand is gone. By the time my right hand reaches my belt, the gun is empty and rolling nose down.

Fine with me. Let’s create a little sample pack to mail around.

With a factory release I have to loosen my grip tension with my right hand and almost stretch the thumb to get the release all the way forward (think rob trying to hit a 1911 mag release.) This causes the gun to point about 10 degrees left. I hold the cylinder in place and let the gun fall to the right, which ends with the gun laying on its side and pointing 40-45 degrees to the left. Then as I eject and bring it in the muzzle gets back to 0 degrees and down. With the short extended Hogue or TK release the gun stays pointing down range and I can reach the release without stretch. Because I never shifted my right hand on the gun I have less time for my left hand to be where it needs to be, keeping the muzzle closer to zero and getting the first half of the reload done earlier. The gun actually rolls (tilts) left, which gives me a better reach around the frame with my left middle finger, then goes back hard to the right, forcing the cylinder open and into my left thumb which wraps around and controls the cylinder. I use my left index finger to eject and I have no fingers in the window. I have no idea how JM got used to his reload style- 2 fingers through the window and on the cylinder from the other side and thumb on ejector. The gun feels lost to me with his method, out in space, barely staying in my hand as it moves. Then closing fast pinches my fingers in the window. One thing I have noticed is that my reload can’t be done at slow speeds- there’s not enough force to open the cylinder. It can be done it steps to show the hand movement and placement, but not slowly. JM’s reload can be done at any speed since the hands are in the proper location to use muscles rather than momentum to open the cylinder. For me, at the time of testing a few years back, the extended release helped cut a few hundredths off a reload. Moving the gun less in my hands and staying closer to muzzle 0 was the real benefit I found that I wasn’t even looking for. If anyone hasn’t had the chance to spend time with an extended release and would like to try one out let me know, I have 1 that could be mailed around.

Ha! I really need to set up a camera with some lighting and different angles. I usually have cameras running when I’m working on a specific item, but more for my own feedback rather than posting it someplace. I’ve been quicker than that on camera, but the lighting and quality look more like a 90s action movie than practice.

Yes, that is correct. the picture I posted is the Hogue short chopped in half that SSGGlock asked me for. Dave’s releases are pictured higher up the thread, by 10mmdave.

Oh I’m not sure I’d agree with that. I think there are plenty of different techniques that are relevant and could win matches today. My style works for me, but I don’t think it’s the only way to go. There’s so much that it takes to compete at the top levels with those guys. They’re so good, so consistent, it’s daunting. And every one of us has a different style. I have 4 distinctly different reloading techniques that I bring to a match. And I have a couple more that are deep in a bag of tricks if I need them. Everyday I train or get on here or social media and I see a different technique or some slight variation I note it and take it to offseason training to see if that’s something I could use. I felt that I was turning the muzzle left while the gun was still in my right hand to get the cylinder open. This posed a problem for me when I needed to turn left. Before I found the cylinder releases to help (not solve) this problem I planned my reload before the stage to compensate for that left 180 edge. Then once I figured out that I could open the cylinder with the short release without the gun nosing left I felt that was an advantage and switched all my guns to those releases. Oh, and with the short extended release I can open the cylinder with only 1 hand on the gun if needed. Thumb on release, trigger finger moves up to cylinder. Although I don’t use it much in matches, it’s a skill (and in this case a cylinder release) that I have in the event I need it. I have Dave’s small releases pictures above on IDPA guns since that’s all that’s legal. Good stuff if you’re looking for a small piece that’s larger than stock.

I use the short extended release and reload strong hand. I don’t really notice the time difference, but I have noticed how much more control I have over the muzzle with the extended release since I can just move my thumb up and reach it rather than have the roll the gun to reach a stock release. I have to cut my short extended releases in half on the face and round all the edges off on the back and bottom. My high grip forces my thumb to ride against the release and it only takes one full belt of moons to dig a nice hole into my knuckle. On my steel challenge guns I just have a factory release to stay out of the way of an aggressive draw.

I’ll mail a gun this week and get it done so I can report to everyone.

What? No. Not even close to correct information.

I’ve made 35-40 627 and 929 barrels and to get them threaded properly to the frames we needed the new barrel and the frame together. The one attempt we made to cut threads into a fresh blank (even using another frame of same generation as its guide) the threads weren’t cut deep enough. The factory doesn’t appear to cut the frames to similar depth (imagine that.) It sounds like you have a lathe and are just not confident in cutting the threads? I’d say grab a long blank and practice, I bet you can get it within a few tries. And you’ll only burn a couple inches at a time if you don’t. I’ve had really good luck buying long 1-10 .355 stainless blanks from Douglas. They will rough cut the OD to whatever you want when you call to place the order.

If Alliant got that fast with 3.1, I’d assume you’ll be close with 2.8. I’d start a little lower, probably 2.6, but I think you’re on the right track.

Don’t move the hammer or trigger with side plate off. Studs will break.

I’m getting best ignition with the stock pin.

I’ve seen one of these before. 5” right? Seems like the color got added and they grabbed the cylinder from a snub/hunter. Cool gun, I hope you got a killer deal and shoot it a lot.

22 ammo is pretty quiet too, but it will be better than primers over the next 12-18 months I think. Me personally I would keep practicing SC with a 617, from the holster and all, and dry fire field courses.

I’d rather do what you’re doing than not shoot. 617 is a good way to continue to shoot steel, 22 ammo isn’t easy to find, but I think for the foreseeable future it will be easier than primers. And you have the benefit of being able to shoot all those short 22s that everyone accidentally buys during these times. 617s are fantastic training aids for center fire. Set it up identically to your CF guns, holster and all, and shoot that to conserve primers for nationals and WSSC.

I’ll shoot my carry guns/ gear in the off season in outlaw or idpa matches. But other than that it’s 100% revolver. I think I’ve dug myself a revolver hole, not really sure I could change now.

Not unless you don’t want to not have a functioning 929 anymore.

I have tried it. I couldn’t tell the difference in it to 9x19 when in moons. I tried it when early on there were so many issues with getting 9x19 brass to work properly. Now that we have those things solved, I haven’t even considered doing it again. I personally have not tried to shoot a 929 with 9x19 without a moon. I can’t remember anyone trying it either. I think the reason it is that way is so they can sell the gun in areas where 9x19 isn’t permitted by civilians, and the factory doesn’t mark the gun 9x19 for the same reason. It’s been a few years now, but I could have sworn there was someone on here who loaded and shot 9x23 in the early 929 days as well.