DogmaDog

Yeah, the result is partly determined by how you set up the experiment, and there could be some strange artifacts in Patrick's results. I just like that he really actually explained what he did, and the results he got. We see so many claims of "38% reduced recoil" or "perceived recoil reduced by 62%", with no explanation of how the number was derived. I like that Pat said, no kidding, with X brake installed, the rifle on the cart rolled backwards 5" instead of 10", without the brake installed. I can make sense of that, even if I'm not, ultimately, shooting my rifle on a cart, or turned 90 degrees. What I'd really like to know is how the A2 muzzle device performs. Suppose it produced 40% reduction in rearward movement. For $5, and much less blast, it might be a sweet deal. I don't think so, but I'm curious. If I recall from one of Kurt's posts, his test placed the comps in order: Hill, Cooley, Miculek from most effective, to least, but didn't quantify that. DogmaDog

I read Patrick Kelley's article about compensators in the Nov/Dec issue of Front Sight with great interest. Thanks for putting in all that hard work to make an objective comparison! Couple of questions occurred to me: 1) Did you test the stock A2 compensator, to see how it fares against the others. I'd be curious to know how it does. 2) You mentioned the Neth compensator was designed for low blast, and showed it was correspondingly less good at reducing recoil than other brakes...but does it actually produce low blast? It's great to have someone do some real testing, and explain what they mean when they say "49% reduction in recoil". Thanks again, DogmaDog

You're lucky your girlfriend wants to shoot and compete with you. I'm envious. I don't own a .22 pistol, but I do have a .22 conversion kit for my 1911. Just by switching out the magazine and top end, I can change between .45 and .22, and get the same grip, controls, and trigger. I don't think they make conversion kits for M&Ps yet...they do for 1911s, Glocks, and I think Berettas. So that's could be a way to get both guns. As far as caliber, 9mm is the cheapest centerfire ammo available, and it's the smallest caliber allowed in IPSC or IDPA matches. I don't think you can go wrong with a 9mm. I managed to compete while I was still a student. I lived off-campus, so keeping a gun in my residence wasn't a problem. I did have to drive pretty far on Saturday morning to get to the match (the closest was an hour, the next closest almost 3 hours away). But man, it really was worth it to get away from school, and relieve some stress! If you live in a dorm, you probably have to store your gun with the Kampus Police, or whatever, and talk to the school psychologist every time you want to check it out, or something (I'm kidding about the psych). Still might be worth it. DogmaDog

Hmmm. Only thing I see is you picked a 5" barrel, and specified the IMM (4.5" barrel) gun. Which is it?

I have an SLP mark 1, which I haven't used in a USPSA match yet. It's the same gun (I'm told) as the Winchester SX-2 Practical. One problem I have with it is the loading gate. At the forward edge, there's a sort-of semi-circular cutout. When I load with my weak hand, and use my thumb to push shells into the magazine, it's possible for the loading gate to come down slightly, and trap my thumb! It can be painful, and also slows me down. To avoid the problem, I have to make sure to put the base of my thumb right up on the receiver, to keep the thumb parallel to the loading port, as much as possible. I've heard this referred to as "Benelli Thumb" (apparently Benellis have the same problem). On the Benelli, it's been corrected by welding a little tongue on the end of the loading gate to close that gap. I haven't seen the same solution on the SLP. Someone here posted about cutting out some material from the receiver at the forward edge of the loading port, which might work. The second issue is there's a little "edge" on the top of the magazine opening, where the front of a shell could catch on its way into the magazine. It only comes into play if the loading gate is fully depressed, and the shell stays right on the gate as it's pushed in. I haven't actually had a problem with it when practicing loading at speed...only while pushing a shell in real slow, in order to figure out the mechanics of the system, so I could modify it to fix the thumb problem. I like the trigger on the stock gun, and it comes with IC and Mod chokes, and two gas pistons for light or heavy loads. The rear sight blade is kinda busy (a white diamond, and some little white tick marks on it). So far, I just fold it down, and use the rail as a rear sight. It could probably use a larger bolt release. So far, it's been very reliable, and the recoil is light (at least compared to a pump) DogmaDog

OK, next question from the re-cert test: "Can competitors inspect a course of fire "out of turn", i.e. when they are not in the next scheduled squad?" I know it is poor etiquette to do so. 6.6.1 specifies competitors must follow the match and squadding schedule...if it says anything about walk-thru, then it could apply. US8.7.5 says "no person is permitted to enter or move through a course of fire without prior approval of a RO or RM". Under that rule, a competitor could inspect out of turn, IF the RO gave permission. So is "If permitted by the RO or RM", "US8.7.5" the answer, or is there a rule which specifically addresses this situation (I haven't been able to find it if there is) Thanks for your help, DogmaDog

Does relieving the forward edge of the loading port prevent this "Winchester Thumb" problem I have with my FN SLP Mk 1? If so, how much material do you remove? Can the lift gate be modified to prevent my thumb from getting pinched? If so, how? It looks like the sides of the loading port were also beveled...anything to watch out for specifically, when doing that? Thanks for your help, DogmaDog

I just got an FN SLP Mk 1 (which is the same as an SX2 Practical, I'm told). Just playing around it seems I might have trouble with loading--the tip of my thumb gets caught between the lift gate and the front of the loading port in the receiver. It sounds like the mods we're talking about here are what I need done. But I still don't clearly understand what you guys are talking about. Could anyone take some pictures and post them? Are there other modifications I could do to make loading easier (this will be a limited shotgun)? Thanks for your help, DogmaDog EDIT: Took my gun out yesterday and put 100 rounds of shot and 10 slugs through it. Had one hitch, I fired, and the next round ejected onto the lift gate, but the bolt locked to the rear. It only happened once, and I'm not sure why...for now, it's just "breaking in" issues. Sights seem pretty much dead on, but the rear sight is weird...a V notch with a white triangle beneath it, and white index lines on the right side--very busy, and unusual. I might take the rear blade off, which would leave a larger U shaped notch. Centering the front sight in the groove on the rail worked fine for shot (I was shooting 8" plates at 25 yards). I didn't try slugs that way. I'm definitely going to need a modification to the loading area. My thumb gets caught between the loading gate and the receiver. I guess it's the same as "Benelli Thumb" discussed elsewhere here. What is the fix for a Win SX-2/FN SLP, who does it, and how much does it cost?

I would think you'd be best served with a shotgun giving the maximum magazine capacity allowed for your class (8+1, for limited and tactical class, yeah?). So a ~21 or 22" barrel would be better in that regard, I think.

Well, I ordered one yesterday. For some reason, CDNN is selling the 18" barrel version for $10 more (?!). I went with the 22" and 8+1 capacity. CDNN is sending me a free cheap C-more clone sight, a pair of shooting glasses, and a subscription to "Field and Stream" with it, lol. Anyway, I'm looking forward to it. I'll let y'all know how it turns out. DD

I saw in the CDNN flyer, too. It looks just like an SX-2, but it's a black and white photo on newsprint, about 3" long... Does anyone know about the FN shotgun, compared with the SX-2? Are they the same design? Is the FN a quality gun? Available mods/parts? Anyone use one in 3-gun? Oh, and were all SX-2s made by FN, or just some, and how can you tell by looking at the gun? I'd like to hear any feedback anyone can give. Thanks, DogmaDog

Many ports don't allow you to engage all the targets without moving, or at least shifting your weight on your feet. If you need to leave the port and move to the right, start shooting targets on the right, then shift your mass to the right in order to engage targets from right to left...I think of the port as a pivot point, and keep my momentum. It's faster and smoother than shooting the targets in the same direction you're going (left to right, in this e.g.). This is just an example of picking an optimum engagement order for the targets, and not a "rule" or a "law"...it might not be the best way for any particular port. DD

Two questions: 1) How about a 14.5" barrel with comp...are those making minor, or is it iffy. 2) CMMG sells 16" barrel with rifle length gas system. (www.cmmginc.com). Do these things work? Would they work with decent 55 gr ammo? What do you think? DD

Man... There's a lot of assertion that one comp is better than another, but I haven't been able to find anything that really explains why. Who designs comps, and how do they do it? I can understand designs like the Cooley (big, vertical, flat baffles provide large surface area for gas to work on. I can understand designs like the Miculek or Rolling Thunder (round holes are easy to drill) I'm completely befuddled by the DNTC shape. I have no clue how a comp designer decides how many holes to drill, or how large they should be. How does one make a rational decision?

In IPSC, (and Cowboy Action, I expect) most targets are pretty close, and all the movment and target transitioning make it advantageous to keep both eyes open. With the weak eye open, I can transition from shooting a target to acquiring the next target, or locating the next place I need to move to, a bit faster. When I shoot highpower rifle, (or the Marine Corps rifle qualification course), and the target is a 12" (or smaller) bullseye at 200 yards w/ iron sights, I close the weak eye, because absolutely every bit of awareness has to be focused on sight alignment and trigger control. If there are long, tight shots in IPSC, I'll often close the weak eye to take those, too. Keeping the weak eye open enhances speed. I find it can detriment accuracy, too...but it's only noticeable when a very high degree of accuracy is required (e.g. a 25 yd open target=both eyes open. 25 yd headshot=strong eye only...for me, anyway.) To learn, shoot various IPSC drills, like El Pres, the Bill Drill, Matt Burkett's timing drills, and variations. I've never actually timed any, to see if I really shoot El Pres faster with both eyes than with one, though. Anyone ever done an empirical experiment? DogmaDog

Depends on the shot. On a long, tight shot, I'll do a deliberate reset as part of the follow-through, to ensure a hit. On closer, easier shots, I'll eke out the extra speed available by getting off the trigger as soon as the sights lift. Just like seeing what you need to see, feel what you need to feel on the trigger, in order to make the shot.

I used 4.6gr WST under a 200g LSWC bullet. You'd probably have to bump it up a tenth or two with a jacketed bullet. Made right around 170 PF.

Uggg! You don't want a .38 Super for Limited or Limited-10, because in those divisions, .40 is the minimum caliber which can be scored Major. If you're going to shoot a single stack, it's only going to be competitive in L-10 or single stack division, and it's only going to score Major if it's a .40 or .45.

www.gunsprings.com Wolff website has plenty of springs.

Hey all, I'm working on my RO review exam. One question poses: "A competitor is walking through a CoF during the inspection period. He's loading magazines while inspecting the course. Is this allowed?" Rule 8.7.4 says he can't use any "sighting aid" other than bare hands during the walk through. My interpretation is that the magazine isn't a "sighting aid" unless the competitor is holding it up between his eyes and the target (not likely when filling it). Therefore, loading mags during the walk through is allowed. Am I right? Thanks for your help, DogmaDog

No, you won't be over your head. Every division in USPSA offers tough competition, but every division also offers support and opportunity for new/inexperienced shooters to learn, have fun, and improve their skills. If you approach the sport with the attitude that you want to be safe, have fun, and become a better shooter, then it doesn't matter what division you shoot in. If an STI is the gun that fits you the best, then get one and enjoy shooting it! DogmaDog

There's an ad for the CED7000 in the new Front Sight. It has a picture of a shooter with it strapped to his wrist. I hope one of its features is a "passive start"--so you could wear it, and it would start on your first shot. That way you could have a look at your string during a match. I've wondered why shot timers are so dang big for a while. We'll see, I guess. DD

Bring what you have. If your goal is to be a better shooter with the gun you will carry for self defense, then bring it, and shoot it in whatever division they put you in. If your goal is to be competetive, and achieve a higher score than other shooters, then bring what you have and shoot it in whatever division they put you in. When you have some experience and understand some of the nuances of the different divisions, you can start to make intelligent choices about what equipment to use for each division. Welcome to the sport! DD

Thanks gents, I disabled the mag brake by bending it at bit. Mags drop free if I just put them in, and then hit the mag release. It's definitely a round moving forward and catching on the front surface of the mag well, or some other bit of pistol innards. I had some problems a few months ago I believed were caused by weak mag springs. I replaced all the mag springs, and those problems stopped. There does appear to be a small burr on the stripper rail inside the slide. What tool should I use to remove it? I have a dremel, but do I use a felt wheel with some kind of polishing compound, or what? I'll mess around with the slide stop, too--it does look like it sticks out quite a bit farther than it needs to. Thanks for all your help, DogmaDog

Hey all, Last time I practiced with my CZ-75b, I had problems with magazines not dropping free. It seems that the top round in the magazine moves forward and prevents the magazine from dropping out. I don't know if the round moves forward when the gun is fired, or when a round is chambered, or what. I only shot it with Blazer ammo, and the problem occured with all magazines, both 10 and 15 rounds, and seemed to occur regardless of how many rounds were left in the magazine. Anyone else have this problem? Any ideas on what causes it, or how to fix it? Thanks much, DogmaDog