StraightSh00ter

Thanks - I'm wondering about the center leg - it doesn't cause any problems, but I just installed a new disco and get a little 'click' when the spring leg moves between the disco and trigger bow (click is actually coming from the trigger bow shifting). I could relieve the bottom center of the trigger bow or bend the spring a little differently but figured I'd see what made more sense first. It sounds like I should leave the spring alone and ease the trigger bow a little...

Is the sear spring supposed to touch the trigger bow near the end of trigger travel, or is it only supposed to touch the disconnector?

Metalform (Same as Dawson w/o aluminum base pad) Tripp (need to make sure feed lips don't spread too much)

My first choice is the Sentinel - chrome is the best finish, and I particularly like the contrast of a black sight over a silver gun as I seem to find the sights faster. It has a forged frame with checkered front strap (opposed to Trojan's cast frame with stippling) and includes a magwell and G10 grips. Advertised as "STI's top of the line" so it should get some good attention to detail. The only thing I'd change in the future would be adding an ambi safety, which would need to be chromed to match. I also like the adjustable Novak sights it comes with, and there are LPA sights that will work with that sight cut if you wanted to change. Second choice is the Lawman - $200 more than the Trojan but you get a Cerakote finish, forged frame, and checkered front strap. It's advertised as 'hand fit' and I've noticed the slide looks the same as the 'top of the line' Sentinel and Marauder - the only 3 guns with tight serrations and not available in .40. My point is just that for some reason I would expect a little extra effort in quality control with these 2 guns. As others have said, Dan Wesson makes some of the finest production line 1911s. I've shot a few 1911s and DW is at the top of the list, with my Sig

Thanks, you are correct. I fixed it.

Download the free trial of Creo Elements, which is basically Pro/E. I downloaded it and had people cutting me parts from the .stl files in a day. It's a pretty powerful tool for a free demo. What you lose is the ability to save other common file types.

I voted 'other' for the Dillon 650. It is my first press and I love it.

I don't really know what I expect out of this, I just don't feel good about throwing out all that plastic. Anyone else? Any creative solutions?

I ran about 900 rounds in an hour this evening and had zero spent primers fall outside the chute.

I just found out about the slipping clutch this evening after dumping in a bin full of cases. ~400 seems to be the number here as well.

I've loaded about 1,500 rounds since I setup the machine to drop powder only in Station 2, and expand/flare in Station 3 with the Lee die. This setup is working extremely well - no brass at all on the shell plate and hardly any powder. I thought expanding a charged case would lead to powder spillage but I was wrong. The shape of the Lee expander seems so much more compatible with my bullets and brass. I haven't had any tipped bullets and I'm running all mixed brass. I ran about 900rds/hr today and was very pleased running the machine. There may be something more creative but I really don't need extra projects at the moment.

I have the Sig (Traditional Match Elite). Yes, there are some MIM parts - but you can hardly tell and there is a huge difference in the quality of Sig's MIM than less expensive brand guns (I have a Metro Arms and the fit and finish is night and day difference). My 'smith did a trigger job on the Sig (removed the Series 80 parts, polished a few things, etc) for $75 and I have a 2.25lb trigger. It's been over 4,000 rounds with stock parts and still going strong. People bash on MIM more than they should - there is good and bad quality of everything in life. Contrary to popular belief, MIM is not held together with glue or plastic. It is a process that uses "plasticizers" to help the powdered metal flow into a form, but then it gets washed out and a chemical reaction causes the metal molecules to bond together. The result is solid metal with properties no worse than cast properties (I believe the property curves are better than cast but don't quote me on that). We were looking at using MIM for aerospace parts but chose other technologies due to the shrinking that happens with MIM parts. MIM has been used in the firearm industry for awhile, and it is widely used in the medical device industry. With small parts the shrinkage isn't bad and by now they've got it figured out for gun parts. I love the feel of the S&W Pro Series in my hands ($1400 msrp), and the finish is beautiful. I have a hard time justifying the cost though, especially because they use a funky grip safety (the internal parts are different/unique). The Sig can be had for under $1000. I absolutely love my Sig - I've shot a fair amount of stock guns, including Dan Wesson. The DW is the only thing that's given my Sig a run for it's money, and I would absolutely buy the Sig if I had to do it over again. Plus it comes in .40 and 9mm which is not very common. The 'non-traditional' Sig 1911s are harder to find holsters for, but not impossible. There's not a significant difference in feel, but looking over the gun does look a little different. I'm sure you'd get used to it. Not a lot of people here shoot Sig guns - they are under-represented at matches, but most people agree that the quality and accuracy are top notch. The barrel is beautiful and durable, the machining is very good, the service is fantastic (lifetime warranty), and Sig has been using a particularly hard (durable) stainless steel in their guns. When you look at what you get for the price you pay, you will find the value is pretty darn good. There could be as many good things to say about S&W but I don't have any experience other than research.

I am just getting over it, too. Some days I couldn't lift the weight of my hand w/o help from my other arm. I tried resting it but it didn't get better for a month. I went to the doctor and he gave me some physical therapy exercises to do. Honestly I didn't do any of them, but when I realized I needed to move and stretch as opposed to rest, it started to get better. I'd be happy to take a pic of the PT exercises if you're interested, just send me a PM or something. But I'm sure you can find some online too.

It seems to me that people around here favor speed, but if you watch the people moving up the score sheet it's the people who are hitting more alphas. My 'smith is a GM and regularly comments that the guys at the top didn't get there shooting Alpha-Charlies. I am still learning so take this with a grain of salt: what has occurred to me is that the difference in the time it takes to hit an A vs C is very small, which means that there are likely other places in the stage where you can shave off time more efficiently. If you save 2 seconds with a better stage plan you won't lose any points. If you try to save 2 seconds by pulling the trigger faster, you likely will lose several points. Shaving time off your reloads or learning how to shoot on the move are other ways you can save time without necessarily giving up points. Like I said, I'm still learning to practice what I'm preaching. It's especially hard (for me) to focus on my hits after I've heard the buzzer, but I do know that every single time I've "slowed down" to make better hits I ended up with higher scores. When people talk about 'slowing down' I think we have different perceptions of what that is. For me, going 'too fast' means my mind is trying to shoot faster than my body is capable - my eyes are off the front sight too quickly, or I pull as shot before my hands have settled enough, etc. So 'slowing down', to me, means calming my mind enough that my mind is in sync with my body.

Was that for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome? I have CTS and it sucks. I'm only 38 and imagine it's only going to get worse - I don't love the idea of surgery but I am starting to ponder it. I wish you the best of luck and health in your recovery. And the marker makes it look much worse - once some of that ink goes away you will feel much better about it.

I'll add the reminder that changing mainspring housings for different checkering, and adding grip tape to the front strap, can help as well.

I like this question - it's pretty neat how the whole thing works. Maybe it's a hot ember in the second pic? The ignited charge initiates the motion of the slide/barrel and the bullet, so they happen at the same time. The bullet is much lighter than the slide and barrel so it moves much faster. Initially the slide and barrel travel rearward together (perpendicular to the link) before the barrel starts moving down. The motion of the barrel could still affect the path of the bullet, but with a tight barrel lugs and bushing it should be repeatable enough to compensate with the sights as others have mentioned. The 1911 animations on YouTube are fun to watch.

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So far the report is the feed lips are spread apart (a little on some, a lot on others) and the springs are worn down just over a coil's worth of length. So they are getting adjusted, smoothed out, and new springs at the very least. I've also got some feedback on the way the mags fit my gun, where some issues are, and will be getting some lessons in how to fix it all. This is unrelated to the dropping problem, but still really cool to have someone diagnose a gun 2,000 miles away based on a few tiny marks on a magazine. Hopefully I'll find time to make a phone call tomorrow.

I tripped up having a different gun for backup at first, and both were 9mm. The weight and feel is a little different between the two, and the sights are different. I'm getting used to the backup a little more and shooting it better. If I were really serious about getting the highest scores, I'd prefer 2 'identical' guns. If I were in it mostly for fun and for some moderate personal improvement, I'd go for whatever fits the budget. Personally I'm ok with the difference, but I'm also OK giving up points shooting minor (for now).

...and V1911, that top gun is beautiful. Is it a 4" barrel?

I thought front serrations were a cool idea at first, and they look cool. But I'm with the crowd of not wanting to put my hand too close to the muzzle. Looks are important to me though so I think I'll vote for them. Better to have and not need?? Some CZs have cocking serrations about 1/3 the way back from the muzzle which seems ideal.

Yes, I should. And yes, we should

I have an Ed Brown mag release in my Sig and a Wilson mag release in my American Classic. I basically bought the Ed Brown because the finish matched my gun better, but then bought the Wilson because I like the button better. I think I bought a second Wilson button for the EB mag release. This is the Wilson I got: http://media.midwayusa.com/productimages/880x660/Primary/400/400623.jpg They both needed minor fitting. And of course I bought reduced weight mag release springs

I have a 9mm Metro Arms (American Classic II) that has a non-ramped barrel. It jammed a lot when new, but 5min with a round file fixed it and now it feeds flawlessly with properly performing magazines. FWIW, I just got a bunch of Metalform magazines which have a built-in 'ramp' of sorts. The front of the mag deflects rounds upward if they are nose diving, and this part of the mag actually covers the barrel ramp in my Sig. They are the same mags tubes as Dawson's and have a good reputation. So basically they eliminate any need or benefit of a ramp (or make you feel better about not having one, or bad about having one and not needing it )