MilkMyDuds

Competition striker springs are usually lighter than stock. I'd get a new stock striker assembly from Brownell and try that. Also, using Federal primers could definitely help as they are much softer than Win and CCI.

Any estimates how long the stock MP9 recoil springs last? How about the typical aftermarket recoil springs such as the ISMI ones? Thanks.

I know the match primers are very soft. How about the regular ones, are they as soft as the match ones?

Looks good! I guess it is a bit larger than I was hoping for, but I'd give it a try. Thanks.

Hello, I have been using the Harbor Freight dual-drum wet tumbler that can hold 1 lb of brass in each drum (each drum can hold up to 3 lbs of stuff, with 1 lb media, 1 lb water and 1 lb brass). That basically translates into about 250 9mm brass each tumbling cycle. I am looking to double that capacity, e.g. 500 9mm brass each cycle. Can someone please suggest web tumblers that best meet my needs? Thanks.

Thanks. Do you know if swapping in the FSS trigger + the sear will change the characteristics of the existing APEX competition kit behavior, such as trigger pulls, etc?

I lube my cases with NuFinish while dry tumbling. Works pretty well.

I am in a similar boat. One of my MP9 pros has APEX competition kit + RAM installed. Now I am planning to add the APEX FSS trigger to it. Does anyone know if I can simply purchase the trigger and swap the stock trigger out? Or do I need to buy the whole APEX FSS trigger "kit"? Looks like the FSS trigger requires a special sear to work. Not sure if that sear has already been included in the APEX competition kit. Anyone knows? Thanks.

We had equipment inspection and 7 bullets handed in with label on staff shooting day BTW - I wasn't a match staff, but I felt everything was as tight as level 4 matches could get

I got 2 cover calls on staff shooting day. So yes the SOs were very strict. I've seen Sunday shooters arriving early on Saturday to study the stages, and hearing them whispering "this is not a cover call?" while some of the stages were in progress. Keep in mind when you stood behind the safety line and watch from different angle, you are really not in the right position to call cover or not. The SOs following the shooter closely knew what they were doing.

Hats off to match staff who have to be on the muddy and rainy range for 2 consecutive days! They made the great match experience possible. This is indeed the most well organized IDPA match with the best prizes I've ever been to. Looking forward to next year's already

TF also sells the SSS pads http://taylorfreelance.com/shopping/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=4&products_id=47 and it looks like they have them in stock. (I'd give them a call to make sure). Looks really cool and cost effective! Ordered 6 of these. Thanks!

Thanks for the info, guys. I'd love to get the SSS base pad for ESP, but they have been OOS for quite some time. That's why I am thinking to get the TTi base pads.

New to modding MP9s. I am looking at the SSS mag well (aluminum version) - http://www.speedshooterspecialties.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=1071, and wonder if it works well with the TTi small base pad - http://tarantacticalinnovations.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=58_59&products_id=286. If anyone is running this combo, please confirm. Also, the SSS mag well is said to be IDPA ESP legal. Does anyone know if it's also true for the TTi base pad? Thanks for helping out.

I noticed something interesting when lead shaving happens. I load the Bayou flat nose, and I can easily see the the circle imprint on the flat surface of the bullet nose tip, supposedly caused by the seating die when pressing down. What's interesting is for the ones that have lead shaving issue, this circle imprint is not in the center of the bullet nose tip. The ones which do not have shaving issue usually get this imprint very close to center. This leads me to think the lead shaving issue is mostly concentricity issue - e.g. when the seating die is tilt, or maybe the base plate of the press is tilt. I have been extremely careful in placing the bullets in the dead center of the brass mouth. That did not help. In stead, I found that if I place the bullets slightly tilt towards me, the lead shaving stops. This implies either my seating die is not level, or the plate is not level on the SDB. Indeed, when I used the bubble level, I can verify my bench is level and the press base plate is also level. That leaves only a deformed, or defective?, seating die on my SDB. BTW - just to be clear, I am using the flat nose seating die for SDB, not the round nose one.

I have been reading many great threads in this forum, while studying Lanny Bassham's book. It is very obvious that many shooters have their best while they let the subconscious mind take over on the shooting part. However, what should the conscious mind be doing during all that time? I have seen people suggesting focusing on ONE and ONLY ONE thing, may it be "grip", or "seeing target", etc. I am curious, shouldn't the conscious mind focus on the stage execution that was formulated during the walk-through/planning/visualization? Or, the state execution should have been visualized so many times such that it also becomes what the subconscious mind does? My personal experience has been that I have to memorize my stage plan via visualizations, then remind of myself of the positioning, reloading, etc. during the execution. That work is certainly done by my conscious mind. Is that a good way to occupy one's conscious mind during a stage? Any insights are welcome.

I like being watched. When people watch me, I outperform myself.

I saw your pic has "0.45" on the Dillon funnel. Mine did not. Yours are Dillon dies, while mine is SDB built-in die, though the funnel is removable. I think that's the difference. The Dillon funnel with non-SDB dies is probably shorter, while the Dillon funnel with SDB die is longer fore sure.

Not sure how your figuring the MBF funnels are "very short"....... Just measured my .45acp funnels, and the results: Dillon: 2.722" OAL MBF: 2.850" OAL Not able to measure the 9mm funnels as I've got the XL650 currently set up to load 147g Montana Gold CMJ, 135g and 147g Bayou Coated without changing the height of the MBF funnel/powder measure. I feel confident that with this much die height still left, I could easily over-bell any case at will: Just not seeing how the MBF funnel is unable to "bell" a case mouth as much as the Dillon: I was too lazy to take pictures when I first received it. My fault. However, you were using 45 funnel to assume 9mm is the same. Your fault. Just took it apart and took the pic. On the left it shows I have to turn my expander die all the way into the press to get even decent bell. On the right you can see the comparison of the MBF funnel side by side with the Dillon stock funnel. You can easily tell which one is shorter.

I got the MBF/DAA funnels a couple weeks ago. It has some advantages over the stock Dillon funnel, but it did not stop the lead shaving issue. What it helps is a better bell to manually seat the bullets. The bullets just go in so much easier with the MBF/DAA funnels, while with the stock Dillon funnel, most times I have to hold the bullets with one hand as I seat them, even when the bell mouth is already pretty big, 1/2 inch down the brass wall. The MBF/DAA funnels, however, is very short, compared to the stock Dillon funnel. The problem with that is you cannot really make the bell go big enough even when you turn the expander die all the way down. The most bell you can get with MBF/DAA funnels on SDB is about 1/3 inch down the brass wall. As a result of that, the lead shaving issue still exists. The real fix is to use Dillon funnel and just make a huge bell mouth.

Right on. For me, coated would be the perfect choice only if I could stop the endless shaving of lead on my SDB... I even upgraded to use the MBF/DAA funnels...

This does sound interesting, because according to the laws of physics, the same mass (147gr) reaching the same velocity meaning these bullets carry the same kinetic energy when they are out of the barrel. Since coated require less powder to burn, it implies coated has less energy source to start with. What I am getting out of this is that the jacketed bullets must have transformed some of the original energy into something else other than velocity. Could it be more friction turning into heat energy while they travel through the barrel?

I am doing an experiment with Bayou coated 147 FP vs. Precision Delta 147 FMJ TC. I load them with Titegorup and both to OAL of 1.135''. What's interesting is, when both are loaded to reach the same MV, 880fps, in my case, the coated feels softer shooting, and I can feel the difference and tell exactly which round is loaded with coated vs. FMJ when randomly mix matching them into the same magazine. I then looked at the video taken during the shooting, and noticed the brass were being ejected further with the FMJ. Did anyone else notice this? Is there an explanation for this? Maybe because Bayou, being coated, requires less powder to reach the PF floor, than the PD which is FMJ? So less powder = less recoil = closer brass ejection, even though the bullets reach the same MV?

Does anyone know the approximate round count lifetime of the stock recoil spring on MP9 Pro 5''? What signs would I notice when the recoil spring is near the end of its lifetime? I'v heard early unlocking (causing accuracy degradation) when the recoil spring is becoming too soft. What else? Also Speed Shooter Specialties carries 2 models of non-captured guide rods for MP9. One says Fits M&P 4.25" & 5" http://www.speedshooterspecialties.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=0&products_id=747 The other says M&P 5" only http://www.speedshooterspecialties.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=0&products_id=985 Anyone knows the difference between these two? I wonder if both would work on the Pro 5'' Thanks.

Thanks for the pointer. Yes this is exactly what I am looking for, except I want it run on my desktop with 28'' monitor too!