AustinMike

Did a bunch of searching, but I'm just not seeing much. Could be not enough caffeine and I'm not asking the search engine correctly. Anyway, I recently started shooting a shorty 9mm open gun. I'm using HS-6 and Zero 125JHP for major. I'm looking for a good minor load now for steel challenge type matches. Most of what I'm finding is production loads and I'm curious about what folks use in open to work the comp as much as possible. I thought about using the lighter 115gr. bullet for starters and backing down the major load a couple tweaks. Any other suggestions for lightening up so as not to bludgeon club steel so much? I'm looking for loads tested in open guns only, please! I already found lots of production data in my searches this morning! BTW, 115gr. WWB runs fine in the gun as long as I put a 7lb. spring in. That's my current steel ammo. The brass tumbles down near my feet, but doesn't jam up. The problem is that it burns filthy and leaves a ton of residue on my C-more glass. I have to wipe it off after every stage with WWB, whereas my major load goes the whole match and stays clean as a whistle. I've got two blow holes in the barrel and a blast shield. Thanks in advance!

Mmm...sippin' some Blanton's Bourbon while reading the forum. Hmm, it is St. Patricks day, maybe I ought to break out the Guiness. Better yet, I think we have all the ingredients for some Irish Car Bombs! Then again, I was planning on shooting a match tomorrow morning.

Drugs, booze, cigs...they do a body good!

Augh! Over-analysis alert! Bob H. showed me the one on his gun and it seems pretty handy, if not rather cool. I'm curious about where and how much to get one, that's all. Nothing I'd be willing to break the bank over, but if it's not too pricey I might consider it next time I'm having other work done to the gun. One less allen wrench to have to keep track of, if nothing else. Just because I don't usually litter my posts with smilies doesn't mean I'm not being facetious. Exactomundo!

The "cool factor" is always a big deal!

Thanks, ya'll. I may have to give J.L. a call and ask about this. Or I could just ditch the racker and those Swensons off before I get used to them - never have had problems with thumb rubbing on the slide on my other blasters. The racker is kind of cool for propping the gun up though.

I recently acquired a new-to-me open gun. It's got a slide racker with the set screw located where I have to pull the slide back to unscrew it. I'm doing some experimenting with different recoil springs and between the awkward screw loosening/tightening and having to keep squirting Loc-tite on it, it's getting kind of annoying. I've seen a gun fitted with a ball and detent setup so the slide racker just comes out with a good tug, but my searches for a source for this aren't coming up with anything. Can a slide be easily retrofitted with this setup?

Sorry to hear that you're getting jerked around, Brian. Amex has always treated me top notch as a customer and it's unfortunate that they apparently don't take as good of care of merchants. You're certainly not the first I've heard with problems. I like them because they seem to be on the ball security-wise. Maybe a little too on the ball as they tend to cut off my card when I'm on motorcycle trips and traveling through several states in a day! I usually have to place several calls to tell them it's just me making all those gas stops. I've been lucky and never had a stolen card, but I started using Amex initially when a friend had his card stolen and they handled everything for him. Other people I know didn't fare as well with stolen Visa/MC numbers. I like to use Pay Pal as much as possible, since I pay off the Amex every month anyway. A lot of merchants have trouble with them too, it seems.

Yeah, nothin' better than riding to shoot somewhere! Guns & Bikes, the bigger the better. Here's mine (well, the bike anyway, the "gun" belongs to the state of Iowa ) on one of my yearly treks around the country.

+1 on Frogg Toggs. I take one or two trips across several states per year on my motorcyle and that's what I wear. Keeps the water out, light weight, folds down to practically nothing, and they are breathable. Lots of suits will keep water from getting inside, but you end up wet from sweat since they don't let air circulate. The Toggs have millions of little holes that air can get through but water can't.

Assuming 230 grain bullets, 4.0 grains of Hodgdon Clays or VV 310 will probably work nicely. Both are clean and soft shooting and you can use pretty much the same load data. I'd start at maybe 3.6-3.8 grains and work up to where you want to be with a Chrono.

I haven't done a direct side-by-side comparison, but I shoot a G22 and like the way it points and handles. When I tried a G35, it seemed to get more muzzle flip to me. FYI, you can pick up rebuilt G22's cheap from Summit Gun Broker. I bought mine that way. Same warranty and hard to tell they're not new. I think I paid $365 for mine, including 3 mags.

I used to have a Milt Sparks Watch Six when I carried a Taurus PT-145 (roughly the same size as a baby Glock.) Very well made comfortable holster. Only problem is it takes about 3 months to have one made. I carry a Scandium J frame now in a Concealco holster. It's similar to the Watch Six, just places the front strap a little different. I'm pleased with this holster (Readyline IWB) and you can get them immediately for a bunch of guns, including Glocks. Concealco Holsters

Dawson Precision adjustable sights are the cat's meow in my book! Their magwell is sweet too, if you're going to shoot Limited or leave it alone for Production. Other than that, shoot it as-is for a while. You might get to tinkering with the trigger later.

Very nice!!!

Cool! Now I can break out all my Harley jokes! So, a guy walks in to his garage and tells his Harley "We're going to take a ride!" The Harley says, "Really???" Guy says, "You bet!" Harley says "Oh boy, do I get to ride on the trailer or in the truck bed?" I got a million of 'em! Jus' kiddin'...Welcome, Scott!

Awesome! Thanks, Tim!

Very sad. Our little ones spend the day inside while we're gone and I keep an eye on them when they're outside playing. We got ours "chipped" last year. Man, if somebody were to hurt or kidnap one of our dogs, they better hope the police catch them before I do. Today is our youngest doggy's birthday! She's 3!

In my 5" Kimber, 230 gr. Rainier and 4.0 at 1.260" was consistently 175pf. 3.8gr. would probably do it just fine, but you have to chrono out of your gun to be sure. For what it's worth, I think that given the same power factor the 230gr. feels softer than the 200gr. bullets. Recoil perception is a very subjective thing though.

Mmmm...snake...it's what's for dinner!

Just got a C classification in L-10 (Kimber 1911 in good ol' .45 ACP.) I've been trying to improve since I started shooting in competition last summer. I seem to have a knack for blowing classifiers. Consistency will come with time, I reckon.

ZZZZZIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGG!!!! Friendly fire incoming, duck!!!

If the labor is free, then go with the most labor intensive project! You have open 5" guns. How 'bout an open shorty steel blaster in 9mm?

I get that type of thing a lot. Shooting doesn't seem to aggravate it that much. Typing and drumming are more problematic. That's a lot of the reason I don't bang the skins a whole heck of a lot anymore. It can be downright excruciating, so I hope it doesn't get that bad with shooting. My chiropractor has made adjustments that help. Some of the stretches you'll find in a book on RSI will help. Anti-inflammatories can help too.