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Because I wanted to. As belus said, you don't need any more than 10 rounds in a mag for SCSA. Most of the time you only need 5 or 6. I love the feel of 1911s. I have two custom and one semi-custom. I shoot a custom 22 conversion unit on a 1911 for RFPO, and I wanted the same feel for Open. I will say that once a month I have an SCSA match on Sat and a USPSA match the next day. Then I'll use the 2011 Open for both.

It depends on what else you want to shoot with the pistol. If you only shoot SCSA, why not just use a single-stack 1911. You can buy a super good one for a lot less than a mediocre 2011. If you also want to shoot USPSA Limited, you want either a CZ 75 TS/TSO or a 2011. The TS will run right out of the box. The 2011 may or may not depending on brand and who you bought it from. I just built a custom 1911 9mm Open gun specifically for Steel Challenge. I could have used one of my custom wide-body Open guns, but I wanted a single-stack.

Interesting. I've been using the same springs and followers in my MBX mags for three seasons (4 matches a month). They are still just as good as when new. No tilting followers either.

Order another set of collets from Hornady, then carefully sand the inside of the bottom collet to .356" or .357". Use bevel base coated bullets. Or you can do as I did and ditch the whole Hornady bullet feed system for a Mr. Bulletfeeder system. The mini works well, but I went for the whole system. I love it.

That is exactly what happens. That being said, I used the MBF funnel/expander with the Hornady bullet feeder die and it worked fairly well. I'd say about 80% required no intervention. When I switched to the entire MBF system, 99.99% of the drops seat perfectly. When there is only one or two bullets left in the column you will occasionally get a less than perfect seat.

You do not get bullet base bulges with the MBF, because the bullet enters vertically. The MBF bullet feeding system is superior to the Hornady, and much quieter. A Lee Factory Carbide Crimp die will remove any remaining issues you have. I'ss say again, with the MBF funnel you want none or the barest amount of bell, especially if you are not using the LFCD.

My buddy shot Blue Bullets for a while and got crudded. Then he tried HiTeck. Now he only shoots JHPs. I only shoot JHPs and 4000 rounds later I can still see the machining marks in the bottom of the comp ports.

I am using the Hornady seater, but not crimping. It's the MBF that makes the round go straight down, not the seater. I crimp using a Lee FCD. I gave up on the Hornady bullet feeding system, and bough a whole Mr. Bulletfeeder set. Should have done it sooner.

e3 is softer and more consistent. SDs are lower with e3. I tried 200s one time and felt I could take a nap between firing and return to battery. I gave the rest of the 200s to a friend who used them for practice. For most of my Limited shooting I used 180s. Toward the end I switched to 165s, because the sights came back quicker. I tried 155s, but my gun didn't like them at major. It loves them at minor. Go figure.

My PTXs must be the older ones, because none of them have steps. If you are using the Hornady bullet feed system, you do need some flare to get the bullet to drop. With the MBF feed system and expander, you do not.

I prefer e3 for 180 and 165gr bullets. If you want to use 135 or 155 at major, you'll need a slower powder. WST is a great powder, but it is not as consistent as e3 in 40, or 45 for that matter.

It is not the same principal. The PTX requires you flare the case. The MBF does not. With the MBF the bullet is inside the case and vertical. It cannot move when the plate indexes, so the bullet is always seated concentrically. Flare, especially excess, is the enemy of concentricity, because the Hornady seating die does not do a perfect job of righting the bullet.

I'm experimenting with it for 9mm minor Open loads for Steel Challenge. I need more gas than e3 provides, and less than a lot of the slower powders provide. For 40 and 45 I'm sticking with e3, although I will try SP for 40 minor just to see the recoil differences.

You obviously have no idea what you are talking about. National shooters get their guns worked over. You cannot go into a store and buy a DVC and expect it to run 100%. I shoot with six guys who bought them and they all had issues. The longest took 6 months to iron everything out. I know several people on the Rudy Project shooting Team. Some use DVCs with 8 lb. variable recoil springs. They get them directly from STI and they run 100% right from the start. It works just like blueprinting an engine. They are tuned at the factory. Brazos used to use STI frames and slides in his custom builds. It they were out of spec he sent them back. He now makes his own slides and frames. That should tell you something. Now lets talk about actually building a gun yourself. The amount of time you spend correcting STIs woes is exorbitant. The machining is terrible. I used to be a Tool & Die maker and I would be ashamed to put out something like that. Sometimes, as in the last STI 1911 receiver I used, you cannot fully correct a problem. Contrast that with the last JEM Guns receiver I used. Everything was perfect, including the machining. I deburred and assembled. That's how it is supposed to work.

Use Clays data for e3. It works the same, except it exhibits no spikeyness at the top end and has no temperature sensitivity. For years I have been using 200gr bullets in 45- LSWC for bullseye and Truncated Cone for everything else. 3.4gr under a 200 LSWC make an excellent bullseye load at 726fps, SD 4.97. 3.8gr will get you 800fps. That is way more than enough even for pin matches where you have to clear the pins off the table to score. I hate the people who use full factory for pins, because it destroys them. I don't shoot 230s because the sights are slow to return.

I had the same problem. Removing the spacer helps, but you do not get reliable feeding because the 9mm follower is too short. You need a 38 Super follower. A suggestion I received was to use 38 Super mags instead.

I swapped the PTX for a Mr. Bulletfeeder expander/funnel. It is a two step expander. the bottom portion is 'normal' sized and the upper portion is bullet sized. No bell is required, but a minute amount helps the bullet feeder in the next station. Bullets drop in vertically and do not cant when the shell plate rotates.

38SC = 38 Super Comp, a rimless version of 38 Super. r, I use MP for 9mm major and it is clean as a whistle. Dot tracks straight up and down with no wiggle.

Most reflex mounts have locating pins. Put the pre-zero'd replacement dot on, push it forward against the pins and fasten. If the sides of the head are tapered the zero will be exact. If socket head or the like, it may be off a little bit.

This ^^^^^^. Autocomp is in no way similar to 3N38, so Ultimate can't be either. Try some Major Pistol powder. You'll love it. You'll use about 1 gr more than your 3N38 load. BTW, you have gobs of case capacity, so why are you shooting 124s.

No it isn't. And if you built guns you would know the difference. In the past I have said I would never, ever use another STI frame or slide, or anything for that matter except the Gen 2 9mm mags. I've been told the new management is cleaning up their act and thing are becoming more consistent. I hope so. That being said, why on earth would you buy STI when you have JEM Guns, PT and Cheely out there.

STI has changed their frame dimensions so often there is no way of knowing. I have a JEM frame machined for a standard polymer grip and the e2 went on without requiring any fitting at all. This same grip would not fit on my early CM prefix serial number STI frame. Material removal would be required.

The purpose of ports in a comp is to redirect all the gas before it exits the front of the comp. In an effort to get the gun to run flat with just a comp, people add more and more powder. Once you get to the point where gas exits the front of the comp, you are increasing the recoil your hand feels. So you can add side ports to relieve some of that extra gas. Then you are shooting softer and flatter. The easiest way to get a gun to shoot flat is to add poppels. Those high pressure jets of gas really hold the muzzle down, but at the expense of a harder hit to the hand. The poppels rob gas from the comp, so there isn't as much gas to push against the comp baffles and pull the gun forward. You add more powder to compensate, but at the expense of loudness. Basically, if you have poppels and a comp, like the load you are shooting, but have a lot of gas exiting the front, add side ports. If you like your load and how soft it shoots, adding side port will increase felt recoil.

This ^^^. When I bought my stuff there was not as large a selection as now. I like the DAA belts. The Shooters Connection belt is made by the same firm, but the inner belt is thicker and stiffer. I prefer the DAA. For Production I like the Ben Stoeger BOSS hanger with holster. I'm fussy about mag pouches. I want the pressure applied to the back of the mag instead of squeezing the sides. The DAA Racers are the nicest I've tried. I have six of them and the hold up, pluss work really well.

Sure, but what is the point? If you buy a backup gun you already have two of every barrel they furnish. I won't live long enough to go through four 9mm comp barrels.