boo radley

I certainly agree with that last point, and the irony is, a trigger job is specifically allowed for IDPA shooters, making USPSA Production Division *more* restrictive on equipment. As to your former point, I dunno...I only dabble in IDPA but I shoot with some folks who are pretty serious IDPA members, and *by far* there's no desire to cross over because they're happy with their current game, and they don't want to fall into habits that would hurt them in IDPA(e.g., speed reloads, etc). There's a slight amount of resentment, too, at the implied sentiment that they'd really be happier in USPSA, and it's just a matter of equipment tweaks in the rules, etc. I think you can draw a pretty clear Venn diagram, and the circles won't move much, no matter what rules are changed.

When I had a 34 and 35, what I did was buy a used G22 slide, when I found one at a good price, along with a spare trigger housing/ejector. My thinking was, if anything went wrong with the lower, I could just swap 'em (both 3rd gen), and if anything went wrong upstairs -- more likely with .40 major, I'd just slap the 22 upper on the gun. A year later, I now have a G24 and a G35. When I shoot production, I just load .40 minor. It's a nice combination. At the Florida Open a couple weeks ago, my trigger spring broke between stages, as I was practicing on a plate rack. I didn't know what was wrong at first (hadn't had that happen before), but it was a BIG relief knowing I could just grab the 35 and go. It ended up, I had enough time, I could swap out parts, and get the 24 running again....* I will also say, the malfunction rattled me badly, and I had enough spring/trigger/etc differences, if I hadn't been able to do some live-fire practice, to make sure the swap worked properly, I wouldn't have tried it. So, if you can find a decent complete upper (eBay, wherever), you can save a little and always have a complete back-up in .40, and most of what you'll need for 9mm, with your 34. * in retrospect, if I had shot the 35 for the rest of the match, I might have gone minor at the chrono, since I loaded for the 24....Something I hadn't thought about at all.

Wow...that's a fantastic deal, Doug. Good catch ! I think I got my first G35 and a G17 off of GB (both of which have seen a 'little bit" of competition use ). Indeed! Do a search now on GB for "Dawson." There's an old Dawson 1911 there for $3800, and a LTD gun for $3500. That's a good point on entering a low bid, to show interest, but...that low?? I mean if you're listing a gun for $2100, say, I'd be a lot more inclined to start looking for an email address, for someone who bid $1800, but didn't meet the reserve, than say....$180.

Linda -- called today (the 800 number is eternally busy, btw) -- and had zero hassle booking a room and getting the match rate. Thx for setting this up. BTW, is there online squadding for this match? I didn't see anything, so I'm thinking, no... Thx

Those are some amazing slide cuts, and the gray finish looks great. I'm not putting down the pictures, but with work that outstanding, I think you should consider a professional photographer, maybe?

I've had 5 Dawson basepads for the Glock, sold them, and just bought 3 more. Don't need to Dremel *anything*, at least in my experience with 8 of them. And there are no instructions. The tricky part is making sure the base of the magazine, fits into the channel of the basepad properly. You might think it's in there, but really make sure the mag is square to the pad and push and wiggle a little bit. It should take very little effort to close the gate, if the magazine is aligned properly, in my experience. Steve

The Gunbroker site is pretty cool, but it sure seems like there's a high signal-to-noise ratio, and some really odd listing and bidding behaviors. Reminds me of eBay, way back when.... Some things that truly baffle me: 1) Bid of $200 (which will be the only bid) on a new STI with a Buy-it-Now price of $1800, or something, and a reserve. I see this regularly. 2) A listing of some 80's-era pistol with a grainy, out-of-focus photo, and a crude description: "I built this gun. Runs good." And a price tag of like THREE THOUSAND DOLLARS. 3) My favorite -- listings with a blatantly misleading title designed for maximum search hits. A poor practice, but regardless: saw an STI Trubor with the title "NOT GLOCK KIMBER..." So aside from pissing folks off with this description, what does the seller imagine will happen? "Well, I was looking for a cheap Glock 19, but for only two thousand one hundred dollars more, I decided to buy this here scope gun." I could possibly see the logic of "NOT SVI..." but who's going to buy a freakin' Trubor when they're looking for a Glock or Kimber?? Strange. I'm sure good bargains do exist on that site, though -- has anyone really had a positive purchase on a used competition gun, there?

IMO, I gently disagree. Create a niche, and you'll grow lichens - tough, and stubborn, but not necessarily the healthy crop you're looking for (to finish the bad analogy). Simple is good and simple is streamlined; not 11 different Divisions, with 1.8 shooters in each, with a myriad of equipment rules. As an example, I remember a local match last month that attracts a lot of military shooters (R14), many of whom are new to the sport. At the briefing, the MD started getting into the "if you have ABC you need to shoot in XYZ", and it would have confused the hell out of me, had I just started: granted two especially murky areas being Limited minor issues, and Single Stack and the provisional status as it relates to Classifiers.... Wth SS now, I wish they'd just go ahead and remove the "provisional" designation -- if it dies after another two years, it would piss off a very vocal minority, and why bother? But it's not too late *not* to create any new Divisions, unless there truly is a significant number of potential new members that would find a home with a brand-new Division. Otherwise, you eat your own.

Could there be a difference, too, in stock barrels? In my G35 I need 4.5 to feel safe, and that's around 169-171pf loaded to 1.135" and Zero 180gr JHP's and Winchester small pistol primers. With Montana Gold 180gr JHP's I go up to about 4.6gr. 4.3gr of Titegroup puts me right at the edge of Major. However, with my Glock 24, it looks like 4.3 is perfect. The chrono at the FlOpen matched the results from the chrono I'd tested at an indoor range -- 943fps / 170pf. Weird.

For $200 it would have sucked if one of the 10 stages had been "Times Two" or some other classifier we've shot times twelve....In fact, one of the things I thought was great this year, were 10 high round-count stages. Last year they had that "roll the dice, whatever color is your no-shoot" kinda stinky one. Now I'd be down with *11* stages, one being a classifier. Besides, Z -- if you like classifiers so much, you sure picked an odd division to shoot! I wish there were more (any?) classifiers that challenged shooting on the move.

I was pretty surprised to get a call from Matt, yesterday, asking if I wanted a slot. Guess I earned one with an L10 class win last year. I'm not really sure I can swing the $, but debating. Plus, in my short experience, there's no shooter more dangerous than an L10 "B". But anwyay, do most people fly into Missoula (coming from East Coast), or is there a big cost savings to flying into Spokane and driving?

As '45dv8 suggests, that vibra-prime unit is a huge time-saver. I loaded for almost two years w/out one, and can't believe how much nicer this cheap tool makes the process. I've got an old 505 scale I picked up on eBay for cheap, and notice I have to be careful to always check zero....In retrospect, I wish I'd bought a cheap digital scale. The 505 is precise, but a bit slow and tweaky. I don't see a media sifter of some sort on your list. You're going to want some way to seperate the tumbled brass from the media. As KMCA points out, a good idea to pick up some ammo storage cases. I like plastic boxes that hold individual cartridges nose down, so you can easily check for raised primers (something you'll enounter as you start).

I'm assuming that's the right term -- you see them in DOH holsters (specifically) and I'm sure other pieces of gear. The moment the hole in the kydex gets slightly larger, there's no way to the female piece snug, since it turns along with the screw. FUME. Yeah, there's a workaround, by cutting a slot for a screwdriver in the pieces (doesn't everyone carry a Dremel to a match?) but I've never seen such obnxious, easy to cross-thread, lose, damage, etc., hardware in my life.

I had a long, meandering post in the editor, but I've culled it to this: So I've been thinking about this, and came to the conclusion that (at least as of now, Friday<g>) this is really kinda simple. There's a finite amount of "stuff" you have available to you when the buzzer goes off. Like a container, or glass. Fill it with a goal of speed, and there's no longer room in the glass for a vision-driven goals (calling shots, etc). Does this seem reasonable?

I have stayed at the Green Gables in Lake Wales 3x, now -- last year's FlOpen, a class, and this year's FlOpen. About $79 a night, and 20 minutes from the range. I'd have said it seemed reasonable, though this last go-round was a bit rough. First, my reservations were messed up, and they had me for Th/Fr instead of Fr/Sat, so I was told I'd have to move rooms. But the good news was, I'd be getting a nicer room Saturday. So check in, and find the bad news is, I'd be paying the upcharge for the nicer room, too. <grumble>. Anyway. Check in, open up my room, and some poor guy drinking beer in his underwear jumps off the bed about 3' in the air, when I open the door on him. Back to the front desk -- "Ooops. Our records show that room was supposed to be empty." Anyway, at 0darkthirty Sat. AM, I pack up all my stuff, and vacate the room only to get a call on my cell-phone later that afternoon, saying, "Mr. King? You didn't need to vacate, after all -- you can keep the same room." Nice. I will say, the restaurant near the motel has improved considerably, though a far stretch still, from "good." On another topic, this is only my second Open, but I really don't mind the wait between stages, for whatever reason.

I like your philosphy, Rich, though I don't think it will happen. Single Stack is maybe a great "theme match", but maybe not so great a Division, until this 'chicken/egg' thing gets straightened out? Besides Zhunter, who wants to pay $200 and shoot against 1 or 2 othe people? Regardless, as Tony Shores pointed out, the FlOpen probably isn't a great gauge of SS, since it is high round, with lots of great shooters in Open and Ltd, which makes (at least in my mind) wanting to shoot in those divisions attractive.

Ah! Now your screen name makes sense -- NH is "New Hampshire". You know, for a Yankee.... Glyn, great shooting with you and everyone else on Squad 19 -- what a terrific group of upbeat shooters. Many thanks, too, to the hard work the staff at this match puts in. Those are long hours (heard the plate rack being shot in the dark, when I arrived at 06:30! One thing that really struck me -- in addition to the usual devious stage designs, etc, -- is how well built the stages and props are. Everything was rock solid, and I'm sure that takes countless hours of work in the background. Had a terrific amount of fun shooting this match, and that was my primary goal. I also wanted to be competitive in my class/div, but gave my own self the 'roto-rooter' on "Plumbing" when I started the stage convinced I wanted shoot it at the speed of light, with predictable results, many mikes, etc. A shame, but good lesson, and I had many stages I was really pleased with. Got incredibly lucky, actually -- there was a good wait after the first few stages on Saturday, and I wandered over to the practice area to shoot a plate rack. First shot -- then nothing. Damn trigger spring on my Glock24 broke! Fortunately I had a spare gun, my G35, and was able to swap out the spring, and I bought a spare from Chris Patty, at the vendor's tent, but that was incredibly fortuitous it failed there, and not in a stage. Anyway. Again, what a terrific squad (Eric, great shooting with you again, too!), and fun match.

<whew!> I was worried the plan would somehow involve the ammo arriving at the chrono station at 98.6F

Don't know a thing about compensators, or gas blocks, but that 2nd video (about 1/2-way through) is a great "3-gun" video, and helps answer some questions I've wondered about, as far as how 3-gun works. must....resist....urge....to.....try. But D*MN that looks like fun!!

*50's*?? What about for the weekend? Weather.com seems to say mid-60's, or so as a high, and 40's to wake up. Man. Hoping to shoot in shorts/t-shirt, for a change, but at least it will be nice not to be clenching chemical hand-warmers between stages.

I could not agree more with Flex's post. I've had expensive dies for my 650, and have happily settled on the cheap Lee 4-die set for both .45acp and .40. I only went a year with "pecking" primers, before buying the $25 vibrating gizmo from Midway (ha), but I chortle every time I use it. Don't be afraid to look on eBay or post a WTB in various forums for things like scale, calipers, tumbler, etc. Depending on how much you're really shooting, an SDB in the caliber of your choice, might be a great way to go. Use it for a year or so, and if/when ready, upgrade. I can't imagine the 650 w/out a case-feeder. It shouldn't even be an option.

Ha! In complete honesty, I did not. Still think my sentiment was correct, but I feel awful silly.

Jack -- how is that not gratuitous? I understand your point, but "Hussein Obama?" I read that, and it reminds me of hitting the wrong button on my car stereo and catching a snippet of fixed-income, elderly shut-in's, bitching about liberals on an AM-band talk station.... What does L-10 have to do with the war in Iraq? IMO, look at it like this: L-10 stays 2008 a new 'Brady Bill' is passed, and the Division becomes a *lot* more popular. 2008 -- ? no new Brady Bill is passed, and L-10 continues with more or fewer members, depending on how many a possible Single Stack Division cannibalizes. L-10 goes immediate loss of at least some percentage of membership 2008 a new 'Brady Bill' is passed, and the Division is reinstated. Since it doesn't require anything *new*, it should be trivial to resurrect. 2008 -- ? no new Brady Bill is passed, and business as usual... Regardless of politics, I see more harm than good with killing off L10. Steve

CDRODA396 -- those stages sound familiar....Range14? Man, I'd say the day started off more than a "little cool," but I'm like a lizard, and not happy until June. I feel your pain, though, and it sounds like you made the best of it with some other gear. You probably know this, if you're a local shooter, but Sir Walter's having a special classifier match in March, so that's a chance to get revenge on the cardboard gremlins. Steve