BroncoGlenn

Thanks for the quick replies. Didn't have a rulebook handy and couldn't remember. Shooting single stack and normally using 8 round mags I wind up with 9 loaded and I'd like to start with an even number of rounds instead. Looks like I'll need to pickup a couple of 7 round magazines for the sake of starting the stage with. The even round starting was just something that had been bugging me, and in the past I'd shot mostly in SSP with a doublestack and never gave it much thought. But I've still got a couple months until I'm back and playing again.

Is it required to top off the magazine at the LAMR command or is it legal to simply slap in a magazine, rack the slide and call it good?

I've got a S&W PC1911 in black stainless and I am very impressed with it. Ran a couple hundred rounds through it on its innagural run and had zero problems. Granted the PC guns have a lot of hands-on assembly involved, but from what I've heard of the basic S&W 1911, most everybody has been happy and without regrets. There were some problems with early production guns where the safety wouldn't release but those problems have apparently been addressed in current production. The external extractor on the S&W model should be of little concern. S&W has been using external extractors on all their autoloaders and has years of experience with them. I don't think I've heard any people mention extraction problems. S&W has reports of very good customer service, and their guns come with a lifetime warranty. If you have a problem with the gun S&W will send you a pre-paid fedex label so it doesn't even cost you a nickel to send it back for warranty work should it need it. I don't know turnaround time, but IIRC it's been reported as less than 2 weeks. Ultimately the S&W 1911 gives you a lot of gun for the money. I don't think you would be dissapointed.

Have a Netgear router/firewall/printserver that I've had for a few years now and been very happy with it. Had a Linksys before that. It lasted about a year requiring the occasional power cycle before it went tango-uniform. I had never been impressed with Linksys products, and that was purchased to "give it another try," and as a result, to this day I'll pass on Linksys.

That might explain why the be ordering page shows the mkiv not shipping until later in August.

Very impressed with the quality and size of the Shooter's Connection Range bag. Easily handles everything that's important!

Was shooting a stage where you start in a seated position with gun holstered. At buzzer you move forward about 15 feet and open a window and begin firing. I can't recall what footwear I was wearing, some form of hiking shoe, but when I went to hit the brakes to stop my feet went forward out from under me. My 4th point of contact promptly wound up on the ground with my left hand out to help cushion the fall. My right simply retained a positive grip on the pistol and kept it pointed downrange. Not that I had time to think about it, it was like an instinctive action in keeping the pistol secure and pointed down range instead of my right hand also going down to break my fall. I was happy with myself in controlling the pistol, but my ego took some bruising.

Wonder how long it'll be till we start seeing ads on TV for the new and improved Slick-50!

I ordered a Shooter's Connection bag. Back home I've been using an old American Tourister shoulder bag. It did the job, but with just one main compartment, and the two end pouches I'd spend more time digging for stuff. So I figgured I'd try to salvage my sanity and treat myself to a bag that seems to have it all. I like to haul a lot of stuff around, so I'm thinking the SC bag should work for me. Shooter's Connection seems to be on the ball with their online orders. I ordered the bag on June 30 and got an email on July 1 saying my order has been shipped. I wont be home for a couple more weeks so it looks like it'll be there waiting for me.

If they didn't charge so much for the movie and the concessions I might be half tempted to throw away the trash myself. The theater employs people to do this, so I see no point in preventing them from doing their job. Anymore, however, I would simply bring in my own snacks and drinks (5.11 vests and the wife's purse are handy for this) which I will throw away myself. Right now aint too bad though. Here in Iraq ol' Haji is selling Star Wars Episode III (amongst many other titles) on DVD for a whopping $3, or 2 for $5. And the bottled water and Gatorade is free!

And hopefully there aren't any misses or make-ups needed. Would be easier to pull off with a rifle using 30 round mags. Limited 10 I'd look like a porcupine with mags sticking out.

Thank you Stewart. Glenn

Well, I was sitting around BIAP at Camp Stryker (Iraq) and decided to go ahead and order a 650 with the BE upgrade, case feeder video, and a bunch of other goodies. Order was placed on the 16th. Talked to my wife earlier this evening on the 19th and she said it had already arrived in a couple boxes at the house in Las Vegas. I'll be home on R&R in July to check it out, but I've only got a couple weeks so I don't think I want to mess with trying to set it up yet. There'll be time for that come November when I should be home. The BE.com was a very easy process for ordering, I was quite pleased. Mucho Gracias Brian!

Darn it! It's called "aggressive dehorning." That's my story and I'm s-s-stickin' to it. Glock has a chopped top slide to reduce slide weight. But it's allowed in that case because it was done by the factory. So what if I send a blaster back to the factory's custom shop to have some stylish lightning bolts cut clear through the sides of the slide? The work was done by the factory. But what if it's not done to deliberately trim weight, it's done for the sake of styling. But regardless any doubt goes in favor of the shooter, right? Call me twisted by I have visions of a blaster with the 945's fish scale serrations and lightning bolts cut through the sides of the slide.

Shower or laundry bags. The mesh lets loose dirt fall out. Pretty cheap too.

I haven't seen anything in the rule book that says there is any particular default method that says you have to shoot from the side or over the top of. If the course descriptor doesn't say you have to go around the side then there is nothing saying you have to go over the top. As long as you engage the tagets near to far (tactical priority is required by the rules) when going over the top then nothing is done wrong. If anybody trys to give you a PE for going over the top of the barrel--when nothing in the course descriptor said you had to shoot from around the sid--have them point out where it states in the rules you are required to go around the side.

I've never gotten anything beneficial from reading the scenarios to the stage. They all tend to be over the top situations for the most part. Maybe some people like an explanation about the situation. Perhaps it goes back to that IDPA requirement where stages have to be "realistic" where it has to be something that could possibly happen, so the stage designer is simply trying to rationalize that per the IDPA stage requirements. Sure I guess it could happen, if you were a carrer Hollywood action movie star there might be a script come by that has a similiar scene. Or maybe working as a private security contractor around Baghdad.

Don't worry. In a couple years when the equipment rules are changed--again--there will be a requirement for how little the gun, holster, and ammo carriers can print against your concealment garment when you contort your body in various ways. Oh, and to ensure that shooters don't utilize footwear that can give them an advantage, everyone will be required to wear leather sandals with knee high black socks. Which can not weigh more than 12 ounces.

What about drilling holes across the mag well of the frame? As pointed out earlier there isn't anything prohibiting the lightening of the frame. For shaving a few fractions of an ounce off I can see how this might do the trick.

So an aggresive dehorning job on the slide to make for a more comfortable carrying gun is ok as long as you don't do it for the sake of lightening the slide?