boo radley

Good points, all, and I read each reply carefully. A purchase like this truthfully is a pretty major whack on the discretionary spending, and that's another factor. My wife and I don't have children, but $1.5-3k (a pretty accurate range?) for a Limited set-up isn't a trivial expenditure. So I think my plan for attack will be patience and flexibility. I'll set up a gun fund (starting with selling some guns/parts I don't use -- look for a G34 to be on the classifieds, shortly), and otherwise save some money, but go ahead and splurge on flying to a big match or two I wouldn't otherwise shoot, later in the summer/fall, and plan on taking a course if I start feeling "stuck." At least for now. Good d*mn thing I'm not really interested in 3-gun. Steve

Jake - that's an excellent point, but I don't think my practice would change; at least not right now. In other words, I don't think I would suddenly do *more* practice with a shiny new pistol. Seriously. In fact, one concern is that right now I dry-fire in my garage, and don't think twice about dropping the mags on the hard concrete floor. Who cares -- a 10-rounder is $10ea, used, for a Glock. However, I'm not sure what kind of abuse a metal double-stack mag could take? The thing that has me mostly thinking is this: I can grab my 1911, and shoot nice tight groups, free-style, taking my time. With the Glock....twice, now, I've run to the range after a match, to "revalidate" the sights. Of course they weren't off, but I still shoot the other frame more accurately (though when I concentrate, the G35 is certainly accurate, if that makes sense).

Aaaggh...getting a bit of new gun fever. I've been shooting a G35 for not quite a year now, and really have mixed feelings about staying with it, or getting a new/used S*I, or something. The Glock has been reliable, outside of a bad period with a spring and recoil rod issue, and magazines are cheap. It's pretty accurate, and the only thing that truly bugs me is the trigger (I have a Sotelo kit). I can't say the Glock has helped or hurt me, but I also feel at a crossroads: I've moved into B-limited, but I don't have the sense I did previously that I can improve in big chunks, anymore; I think gains will be tighter and more granular. For example, recently shot a classifier that just felt great. I don't see how I could have shot it better, yet it will still be *maybe* 70%. This is where I think a new gun could possibly help; get a fraction here and there, and there, and.... So I read many glowing reviews here, of various high-end Limited guns, and statements such as "improved a class, just from this gun!", etc., and I wonder how much is true. I've shot a couple STI's briefly, and they certainly are nice; no doubt. That said, I also know there are plenty of top-level shooters using a Glock, and at least *some* GM's, like Flex?, using one in Limited, although it's clearly not a favored platform. I realize it's the "Indian, not the arrow," but I could maybe justify new arrows if I thought they'd truly help. I've tried timing Bill Drills with my Glock, then 1911, and I'm still faster on my Glock, but that's because I'm so used to it, at this point. Think it's worth a change? Or should I keep shooting what I have, and maybe take what an STI would cost, and fly to some big matches I wouldn't normally go to, and/or get some more instruction....

Good deal, Jon! I know you're doing something right -- every local match I shoot in, when I look at the results, you're always at the top. Great accomplishment.

Hate is too strong a word, but two general annoyances: 1) Small businesses that direct emailed inquiries > /dev/null. Don't provide email as a option for customer contact, if you can't/won't/don't have time/* to generate a response, even if it's as simple as -- "Hey, thanks for you email, please call me and we'll chat." 2) "For Sale" ads in papers, newsgroups, or even here, that are just a pointer to an eBay auction. If I want to buy XYZ on eBay, I'll *look* on eBay -- otherwise all you're saying is, "I'd like to use your interest to drive the final price up as high as possible...." What I like, however is March Madness.

I'm starting to get a box like that. It has two Fobus's (Fobi?) in it, along with a couple Uncle Mike's mag holders that are held together with epoxy, and.....

If for no other reason, the CR-Speed is terrific because you can set up your equipment *once*, and quickly put it on and off. A lot of times when I practice I don't even bother with the inner belt, in fact. With a single leather belt, you have to thread it through the loops, add your pouches, etc., as someone else pointed out. The difference is what - the cost of 5 boxes of ammo? This is one of those pieces of gear that's truly worth what it costs. I have 2 in fact.

Eager -- I have somewhat the same issue as you. Close (10min) to my house is a county-funded modern indoor range (goes to 100y!). It's very nice for an indoor range, but has the same restrictions you mention -- ie, no multiple targets. I run a couple different drills when I'm there, and so far haven't run out of ways to maximize the time, or creatively practice. The current drill I'm doing, which is busting my *ss, is stapling 5 or 6 of the small paper-plates in two rows, to the carboard backer, and shooting those against a timer. Very hard (for me) to shoot this clean in a reasonable time.... But options are endless. Aim out to the right of your physical target, at something imaginary, shoot twice, then transition to the paper target. Track hits, time, etc. Get a timer, if you don't have one. Then, in my garage, I'll put a couple dry-fire challenges, and run those against the timer, or if I'm feeling lazy, I'll just spend 15 minutes in my office in my house, dry-firing against a couple reduced-size targets I've taped to the wall. It's a hard call. I'd certainly like to find/join a club that would let me do IPSC-style drills outdoors against steel, paper, with movement, but I only know of a few and those are an hour or more away, with waiting-lists. As long as I feel like I'm continuing to improve with the practice I'm doing, I'll probably maintain the status-quo.

I tell ya, this was the hardest thing for me to overcome. Till I started shooting with a dot, I had a lot of trouble with intermediate range targets and over confirming the sight picture. Hmm....I've been wrestling with exactly the opposite problem, lately. I wouldn't be surprised if my hits were better on 7-15y targets than closer ones, because I'm comfortable seeing a certain sight picture on those shots, and now have faith it's not faster/slower issue, but just an "is" issue. With close targets, I'm shooting them like I used to shoot the farther ones, and not seeing much of anything, or not sure what I want to see, yet....It's all index, top-of-slide, and jerky movement. Not cool. But it's faster than I'm capable of shooting, however -- maybe the AMU is looking to recruit a 40-year old software engineer?

Nice thread, Tony -- After a whopping 1 year and 1 week as a USPSA member, I still feel experienced enough to add the following things, new shooters (and old!) could be told: 1) Pasting/resetting/tear-down. It's for everyone. 2) The on-deck shooter should be able to have the stage to himself; it's really irritating to do a final walk-thru, only to bump into other shooters deep in the order. 3) I don't even have electronic ears, and loud chatter as I'm ready to start can be distracting. If you're near the line, please talk quietly, or better yet, not at all, during the start. 4) Attitude, as was already mentioned. No one likes "Raging Bull," on the squad -- the shooter who fumes and storms around after every stage....Be able to smile at yourself, and congratulate others. 5) Gear. It must work, and you must have enough of it for the match. 6) Safety -- On stages with doors, or other tricky items to negotiate, it would be helpful if the RO would point out the danger, and maybe demonstrate how to handle the prop in a safe manner, for the new shooter. My two pasters....

In my stock G35 barrel, I need about 4.6 gr of n320 to comfortably (~170pf) make major at 1.142 OAL, with a Zero 180gr JHP. When I got my new 650 this year, I decided to drop to 1.135, and decided to go to 4.5gr, figuring I'd be safe. Got a bad shock at the FlOpen, when I chrono'd at 166pf. Perfect, I guess. Maybe 4.2 would work with the longer barrel if you shortened the length -- not sure why you'd load that long in a Glock, anyway...

I have the Dawson ICE magwell on my Glock, and it installed very smoothly. Some older magazines I have do not drop free, because the brass plug slightly swells the grip. This is not a problem with my modern 15-rnd magazines, so I didn't worry about filing anything. This doesn't help you, I realize... Possibly you could contact Dawson, and see if you could get a replacement plug, and start over? Maybe don't do any -- or very little -- filing, this time? BTW, my magwell works fine with Dawson extensions, Jentra "bumper pads", and a magazine with nothing on the baseplate -- just stock. You have to seat it with the heel of your hand, but it still works....

Heh -- just this past weekend --shot my 1911 for first time in months. Night before, carefully case-gauged 200 rounds of ammo, rejecting any that were even slightly "sticky." Checked my mags, hmm....Two of my four CMC 10-rounders didn't drop free easily. No bigggie, since I didn't see needing more than two reloads, and I put tape on the bumper pads to identify the problem magazines. First stage was a classifier (it was one of those 4-classifier matches). 3 arrays, two mandatory reloads. To make extra sure I didn't grab one of the bad 10-rounders, when reloading, I decided to start with my 8-round stripper mag. Bang-bang-bang-bang...next array, mash the magazine release, and son-of-a-bitch, the 8-round stripper mag doesn't drop free. Never thought to check *that* magazine.

Man, great post. I really enjoy reading thoughts on setting goals, obstacles, problems, successes.... My only observation, is now you're shooting a top-of-the line Limited pistol, as a Master(?)-class shooter. Doesn't sound like the competitive fire has exactly burnt-out, or converted to "fun-only"

If you haven't shot matches for 3 seasons, I'd say you've lost your interest in satisfying whatever your ego demands from competive shooting. Family and job pressures are certainly reasons, and not excuses, but I'm willing to bet if your interest level was still high, you could at least "maintain," until such a time as you could resume growth. Why not pick another division, something completely different, like revolver, where you don't have to immediately battle your ego, and see if you can have fun with casual involvement? Otherwise... I don't have enough experience at this, yet, to really offer an opinion, but I was fairly competitive at amateur golf during my 20's, until I just got sick of it -- if I shot well, I wasn't happy, and if I shot poorly, I was miserable (and probably out the Nassau, which I could ill-afford), and getting better got tougher, and tougher, and the self-imposed pressure ruined the game for me. I'll play once a year, now, at the obligatory family vacation with my in-laws, and just smile as my brother-in-law improves his lie in the rough, and visit the beer-cart, but it's never been 'fun' enough for me to want to take it back up.

They don't shoot "Fast" either. OK - I think I see where y'all are going.... But if, say, you were strictly trying for accuracy with the weak-hand...would you cant? I'm presuming the only reason for this is to address recoil, and the follow-up shots? This stinks -- I finally got to where I could hit the A-zone consistently, shooting weak-hand only, by NOT canting, and now I need to go back.

I was going to say -- I think I could have pushed the "adjustable" rear sight out of the dovetail with both my G35 and G34 with my thumb. They're a poor joke, is what they are.

Is there anyone who *doesn't* cant the pistol when shooting weak-handed? I'm really struggling when I shoot with my left (I'm RH), and canting seemed to make problems worse. Shots hit low-right. I don't think bullseye shooters cant, when they use their strong-hand?

With Tim and JoeD. I bought my G35 at a gunshow, and had a couple to choose from...The one I bought was noticeably tighter, and it shoot very accurately.

Damn, Merlin...Are these all for different cartridges, or are some for minor/major/different bullet profiles? I have nothing to add, just wondering. That's a serious amount of Blue. Well, now that I think about it, maybe you arrange one space so that you can rotate in 550's or SDB's, whichever you're using, while the others are in storage?

I generally agree, but I think anyone using PD isn't doing so to gain a competitive advantage; instead it's to get around the hassles of airline travel and the 11-lb baggage limit on ammo, or, that aside the 50-lb (or whatever) single-bag weight limit. For the program to work, it can't be a crap-shoot whether or not you're going to make major, so a "guarantee" and free pass seems appropriate. I think the other idea is, "hey - here's an ammo company that understands the sport, understands power factor, and I'd rather use THEM then try to drive around a strange place, find a Wal-Mart, and shoot Remington 180gr JHP's at 190pf...." That said, PD shouldn't be trying to hug the edge either, or it will piss off a number of fellow competitors when the ammo/gun DOESN'T make major, however. That's my thinking, anyway. I think two members of our squad at the FlOpen shot PD -- Aikidale and Brundoggie. I don't remember whether or not it made major, but they were pretty bummed about how dirty the ammo was, IIRC.

For the last 8 months I've only shot and practiced with Glocks (G35 mostly, and some G34, but same frame as you know), and the last four of which I've been semi-disciplined and conscientious about regular dry-fire practice. When I draw, my sights are naturally aligned, or only require a micro-adjustment. I can close my eyes now, and see my familiar sight picture with the burning green fiber-optic dot. This past weeked, decided to shoot my Kimber 1911 at a match for reasons not germane to this anecdote. What I discovered was that when I shot my sights the stage went about as I'd expect. The problem was, on more than half the stages, or arrays, I simply wouldn't see the front sight, and lacked the visual patience needed to correct the sight picture. (Then there's the reload issue, with magwell and magazine release button differences, too). But I'm still a newish shooter, so consider the source. I also have problems in general with visual patience and control. As IMA45DV8 said, see the front sight. But don't expect it to necessarily *be* there, if you've burnt Glock ergonomics into your reptile brain. Time some Bill Drills, and see for yourself. Can you get the times/hits equivalent?

I'll bet you mean external extractor not external safety. As a data-point, I have a Kimber CustomII, with the external extractor, and have fired thousands of rounds through her with zero problems. I think a lot of the issues with the external extractor cropped up with the non-Govt.-sized models, but who knows. IMO, since Kimber is going back to the internal safety, I'd think a full-sized model with the external extractor will soon be the best buy out there....

+2? +3? I tried a test last week, and got one to run reliably, by cutting 2-3 coils (hard to tell, exactly) off the end, in effect strengthening it. But now it doesn't feel noticeably different from the stock spring, so....why bother?

Well...was planning on shooting Production, but have had some serious ammo/650 woes, and didn't trust any of the 350 rounds I had loaded up, and at the last minute decided to pull out my Kimber .45acp, and shoot L-10 for the 4 classifiers. Botched both the mandatory reloads on the first classifier. Shot the next two more or less about where I'm shooting LTD -- very low "B" average -- and crashed-and-burned on the last classifier. Didn't do particularly well on the field courses, either, but I can't blame the gun for that.... I'm thinking Glock or single-stack, Production, Limited or L10, Open, or whatever, I need to be shooting *in control*, period. And at my level, I'm probably better off worrying about that exclusively, before monkeying with changing guns, rigs and divisions. Kind of a bummer. I had this vision of 4 spectacular classifiers -- whoa! stand back -- but one is what one is, to paraphrase Popeye.