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Any way you slice it, that's about $700 worth of barrels I'd never use.

I would be interested in the Honcho Race Ready if it came without the 40 and 38SC barrels. I already have three 40sw guns and don't need a fourth. I shoot 9mm major, so a 38SC barrel is useless to me. At my age and eyesight, if it doesn't wear a dot I can't shoot it.

I also recently switched to an Everglades Holster. I really like it. This one holster handles all four of my Open guns without adjustment. With the Racemaster and Alpha X I was always having to change out magnetic block to suit the gun I was going to shoot that day. I wish their thigh pad was designed differently, but that is my only complaint. The draw is smoother and quicker than with either of the DAAs.

I started out that way. For years I shot only a 1911 45. As I got better I found that it really was not optimal for everything. For one thing, a 3.5 lb. trigger is a drawback for most competitions. I bought a Limited gun and loved it. Then I bought two dedicated 22 conversions for the 1911, one for bullseye and one for competitions. Then I built a custom 1911 45 so I could have one set for bullseye, and the other with a 2.2 lb. trigger for competitions. Then I bought a custom Open gun, and later a backup. Then I built a custom 2011 Open for USPSA and a 1911 Open for Steel Challenge. This turned out to be overkill, so I'll probably thin the herd a little. So back to the original point. As long as you don't want to shoot Open, two 1911 45s will get the job done with few compromises.

All of the European powders seem to arrive in batches. When I open my last 8 lb. jug I order 16 lbs. even if it is on backorder. That way I never run out, or have to switch to another powder because what I want isn't available.

Wow! you really have a slow barrel. I'm at 10.2gr Major Pistol under a 115 for 168PF. Here is how this works. As you work up a load ladder, the gun shoots flatter and softer as you go up in powder, right up until an appreciable amount exits the front of the comp. That hits your hand harder. As you add more powder, it may shot flatter, but it is going to hit your hand harder and harder. If you are getting hit and a lot of gas exits the front, try a faster powder. Major Pistol is very slightly faster than AA7. Next fastest would be 3N38. After that comes HS-6, then Silhouette, then WAC. The ideal scenario is all of the gas is redirected by your poppels and comp ports, and the barest amount exist the front of the comp. That is as soft shooting as you can get. Less powder or more powder will hit your hand harder. Less because there is not enough gas to firmly push the comp baffles forward. So the gun is not pulled away from you as much. More because gas is jetting out the front and pushing the gun straight back into your hand. Here is an example of the former. My old main Open gun has two 3/16" poppels and a four chamber-five port comp. My loads were 7.2gr WAC and 7.4gr Silhouette. Both hit my hand hard. I experimented with 10.2gr Major Pistol and the gun shot substantially flatter and softer. I was now making enough gas to work the comp.

I'm using Shooter's World Major Pistol powder and love it. I is half the expense, meters like water, compresses easily if needed and is super clean and accurate. It is a little slower than 3N38. AA7 is another candidate.

If you drop your AA7 load down to a point where you don't get good combustion, or you no longer make major, move to a faster powder. The reason is you will use less powder, so less gas is produced. If you are willing to make hardware changes you have other options. You could exhaust more gas by adding more side ports to your existing comp. You could also add poppels. I'm in your situation right now. My Major Pistol powder load makes a little more gas than my comp can handle. So I'm dropping it off this afternoon to have two 3/16" poppels added. I want the gun to shoot flatter, so that's why I am going that way. It will also rob gas from the comp. Another remedy I tried but did not like was going to 124gr bullets. So there are a variety of ways you can tune your load and gun to work together. BTW, there is no law that says you have to change anything if you are making too much gas. If you are willing to accept additional muzzle rise and a harder hit to the hand, stay where you are.

brain fart.

Around me it's $100 plus parts. Most of the $100 is setup time. Once the barrel jig is setup, the work is done in no time. If you are being charged more than $100 plus parts, your gunsmith does not have a barrel jig and a mill. Stay away.

Rather than fit a new safety, put a new sear in. EGW has the thinnest sear I've used. If the TS is loose one that, an Extreme Engineering Ultra Light Sear is next. It is also a very good sear. If that isn't enough, go to a Harrison Custom True radius sear. That is the fattest of the bunch. Generally you want to replace the least expensive part to cure the problem. BTW, I had the same problem with one of my Open guns. New pins and plunger tube spring cured that.

If the hole locations in the frame are off even slightly, you will have to address the angles. Adjusting the hammer hooks to the sear nose is the easiest way. I have two JEM Guns frames where the holes were perfect. Everything dropped in and no adjustment was required. On an STI frame I had to adjust the angle of the hooks very slightly.

If the brass sticks on the MBF funnel, run them for 30-40 minutes in corn media with a dab of Dillon Case Polish mixed in. That cures the sticking. BTW, check out Ammobrass LLC next time you need brass. Less expensive and better polish. Fully processed and push through sized. 100% pass the Shockbottle case checker.

I don't understand why anyone would shoot 9mm major in anything without a comp. Recoil is harsh and your splits are longer. Who needs that?

EGW or Cylinder&Slide (Extreme Engineering).

s, I mis-remembered. I copied it from Shooting Sports.

Supposedly it is very slightly reverse temp sensitive. It is super fine grain and meters like water. I've only been using it since Apr, so I can't speak to temp sensitivity. So far it has been exactly the same from 45 to 80. Here is a picture I copied from Shooters World. MP is finer than AA#7, and 10.2 gr fills the case (9mm) very slightly more.

pew, Major Pistol is half the cost of 3N38 and is much denser, so no powder spillage.

Correction for above. My Peltor Ultimate 10 earmuffs are rated at NRR30. I just received the Peltor Tactical Sport 500s and tried them out. The are rated at NRR26. However, without electronics they definitely reduce sound by more the the Ultimate 10s. I think it is because of the better ear cups and sealing. They are also a lot more comfortable to wear.

pew, adding poppels will lower the PF, but not by a lot. Two of my Open guns are nearly identical except one has two 3/16" poppels. It is 4PF lower than the gun with no poppels. If you have a lot of gas exiting the front of the comp, a pair of poppels may cure that. They rob gas from the comp and make the gun shoot flatter. Major Pistol and SS#7 are a lot denser than N105. IF you decide to go to one of them, use the N105 up for minor loads.

Before you do anything, do the Brazos gas test. Hold the gun a couple of inches from a white no-shoot and fire. If there is more than a light splattering of debris, you are making too much gas for your comp to handle. This shows you how, plus it is an informative article. http://www.brazoscustom.com/Home.htm If you are making too much gas, you can add poppels or go to a faster powder. Major Pistol powder and AA#7 are the next fastest. Next fastest would be 3N38. Then comes 3N37 and HS-6. Next is Silhouette, followed by WAC and CFE. You can also try different bullet weights. 115s feel softer to me than 124s. BTW, 3N38 is only available in one and pour pound containers.

I have been using the Howard Leight NRR33 soft foam earplugs for some time. I buy them by the case. You do have to compress and insert them properly. When fully inserted into the ear canal, I believe they do reduce by 33dB. Cover them with an NRR28 ear muff and you can barely hear the RO. I just ordered a pair of Peltor Tactical Sport 500 muffs. Based on some of the comments here, I'm hoping they will allow me to hear commands better while double plugged, and provide the same protection as my non-electronic muffs.

I have one Open gun with a full length, wide dust cover. I have another with the conventional dc, and a third that started as a wide full length, but I had it cut off the match the slide lightening cuts on the slide. It shaved an ounce of weight off the front, which was just what I wanted.

Decibel Defense is the 37. Several of the claimed NRR 34 got really bad reviews saying they were no where near as reducing as claimed. They all looked the same with different name, so I think they were manufactured by the same plant. If you care to you can find them in a search on Amazon. The Pro for SHO NRR 34 looks promising, but there is no explanation about their methods or how they reach so high a rating with their small size..

I don't use electronics because the NRR is usually around the 22 mark. I want more than that. NRR32 plugs are good enough for me for most guns in wide open air. NRR28 muffs in addition are fine for Open guns in open air. Not for anything with a roof over it. I'm going to replace my NRR28 muffs with the 34 or 37 pair I recently found. My hearing has definitely taken a hit since I started ROing and shooting Open guns.