AustinMike

I had an elbow problem that was causing a lot of pain about 2 years ago. I just thought it was "tennis elbow", but it kept getting worse and I went to a specialist. I forget the correct medical terminology, but what happened is the the tissue around the ulnar nerve in my elbow was swollen and pinching down on it. 8 weeks of physical therapy and exercises got rid of it for me. Hope a specialist can get you fixed up without surgery!

It's more personal preference. Warren pairs their rear with a .125. On a G17, I think my front Dawson with a tactical rear Warren is .105". It's fast up close, but too sloppy of a sight picture past 15-20 yards. Another of my G17s with a .125 front looks better. Depends on what you like to see.

Figures Production would get all complicated the year I jump in! I can appreciate the concept of trying to have a division that removes the equipment race factor as much as possible. I do think it's good to have a "stock car" division to allow newcomers to bring what they have and for guys like me who like to just keep it simple. It's puzzling/amusing to me that there is so much ado about relatively simple and expensive trigger tweaking (Vanek and other kits aside) while at the same time giving the nod to replacement slides and barrels that may double the price of the gun. One can't seriously argue the trigger thing is about the money if they're going to throw replacement of the entire the top end of the gun out there as legal. In any event, having shot Glocks exclusively the past year or so I've gone more and more back to stock over time and don't really have a problem with whatever the powers that be decide; I just want a clear ruling. I think that advantages assigned to lighter trigger pulls are highly overrated. I have no doubt that if I swap my stock Glock with a GM for his $4000 whizz bang race gun, I'm still getting my ass kicked. A nice trigger doesn't make up for gaps in the mental and physical skills required to succeed. That's my 2 cents at 5:00am as I'm getting ready to leave for an RO class!

Learned something new today!

The locking block change and extra pin was for the extra power of .40. You're fine with it in 9mm, as long as you're not planning to turn it into a major PF open gun. Nope, the rail is a molded part of the frame.

I got a set of the Howard Leigh muffs from Midway on sale. I like the way they fit and the amplification of voices works well, better than a Caldwell set I have. They feel light and don't squeeze my head as tight as others I've tried. The noise muffling is OK for me shooting Production, but they don't block out near enough if you're hanging around Open shooters. I had to put in supplemental ear plugs to RO the guys with those loud contraptions. They work better for rifle/shotgun than bulkier models, but I still just go to my custom plugs if I'm shooting 3-gun or whatever. It's just easier to me.

I stop by the Austin store every now and then to see what used guns they have. They get some great deals on police trade-ins. Not sure about the internet side of things, but they're nice enough in person.

I'd just wipe the drive and put a fresh install of the OS of your choice. I do that with every computer I get.

Dave, I'm very sorry to hear about Winston. As a fellow "dog person" I know this is real tough. He was a good little guy and I'm going to miss seeing him around your house. If you need anything, give me a shout. -Mike

Sorry!

I've shot in every division with Glocks, 1911s, 2011s, etc. Had a real nice custom STI open blaster for a while. Just didn't suit me. I'm back shooting a G17 in production at the moment. I just love the simplicity of the Glocks. They run great, I can actually work on them myself, cleaning is optional. Simple gun for a simple mind!

Was it a chrono outside of a box? If so, perhaps bullet height over the sensors was a factor (the SO shot at one height and she shot at another?) Just a wild guess, don't know if that would even make a difference.

Post some pictures or we won't believe you! Congratulations!

I'm running 4.6gr. of Universal Clays with a 124gr. PD bullet at 1.125". That puts me between 130-135PF depending on which gun I'm shooting. Hodgdon lists the starting charge at 4.3gr. with a 125gr. FMJ bullet, which is what I used as a reference. Start at the minimum charge with a comparable bullet and work up using a chrono and checking for pressure signs. That load works for me, but I mainly chose it because I had like 8 pounds of Universal on hand at the time from when I shot .40.

Storm Lake barrels have a real tight chamber if I recall. That's probably part of the problem. I had feeding issues with a LWD barrel some time back and the solution for me was to seat the bullets a little deeper (adjusting powder charge, of course.)

Very sorry for your loss. Losing family around the holidays is so terrible. I lost my mom at 62 right before Thanksgiving. It's been hard to think about Christmas this year. Thoughts and prayers for you and your family.

Buy a service grade from CMP, it might be acceptable for match shooting, but no guarantees of accuracy. You can always buy a rack or field grade and rebarrel it too. Or buy a barreled receiver from them and build up from scratch to your liking. I've got a couple M1s from CMP. A WWII serial numbered Springfield with a '53 replacement barrel shoots well for me. An HRA from Korea era isn't quite so accurate. It's all luck of the draw. Check prices at gun shows or online and compare with CMP. Their prices ain't so bad!

Standard Buckmark that I picked up used for like $180 or so. Shooting it as-is. May add a fiber front some day. It's 100% reliable with CCI mini-mag.

+1 Mark is a good guy to deal with.

I was paranoid about case support since most of my brass was of unknown origin and I had no idea of the number of times it was reloaded. I was shooting moly coated bullets for a while too and I just felt better using them with a standard rifled barrel. The stock barrels are plenty accurate IMO.

Very sorry for your loss. It's never easy, but losing someone around the holidays is so tough. I lost my mom a couple of weeks ago and Thanksgiving was very hard this year. Thoughts and prayers are with you. -Mike

I just wanted to say thanks again for all the thoughts and prayers sent our way. The past week was probably the worst of my life, but family and friends have helped me make it through. The most powerful thing to me was all the people that showed up at the viewing. I was overwhelmed by how many people came forward and told me how their lives were touched by Mom. Her fellow school teachers, former students, and other friends. It made me feel that Mom did lead a full life that many people are better for having her around them. A single rose laid in Mom's seat at my brother's wedding yesterday. We could feel her there with us. Yesterday was a celebration and I know Mom would have been proud. There are many difficult days ahead as we learn to live without Mom. A lot of work remains to be done getting affairs in order, dealing with insurance, paying for the funeral, hospital bills, etc. It won't be easy, but it helps to know that a lot of people are sending good thoughts our way. God bless you all.

Those who saw my post in the last shot forum know that my mom passed away last week, just 5 days before my brother's wedding. The decision to go on with the wedding was not an easy one for him and his fiance. I don't know what I would have done. On the one hand, it was easy to say it was what Mom would have wanted. On the other hand, who wants to be crying in every wedding picture? Well, he did it. I gotta say, I admire my brother so much. He has served our country in the Air Force. He serves the city of San Antonio as a police officer now. He is a brave, strong, yet compassionate person. I'm more proud of him than ever. Here's wishing my brother, Benjamin, and his wife, Sarah a long and happy life together. This past week has been pure hell. They made it through though! A single rose was placed where Mom would have sat. I'm sure she was there with us, even though we couldn't see her.

Joel, thank you for this thread. It helped me this past week in dealing with the loss of my Mom. Things I've learned this past week, some of which have already been covered. Good things to say: - I'm sorry for your loss. - I loved your mother...she was my friend...she helped me this one time... - Is there anything I can help you with during this time? (mention specifics - take care of plants/pets, run any errands, make any calls - of course, be prepared to follow through.) Bad things to say: - How are you doing? - I know how you feel. - It will be alright. Other thoughts in no particular order. - Have all of your insurance policies documented for your loved ones. Company, policy number, contact info. - Keep important documents together, in a safe place. Maybe a safe deposit box, but make sure a trusted relative has a key. Keep copies of the documents at home and make sure someone else knows where they are. - You can get a better deal buying flowers outside of the funeral home. All of their prices are high. Buy as little from them as you can. - If you are a veteran and plan to be buried in a military cemetery, you MUST have form DD-214. It takes days/weeks to get. Get it now. - People grieve in different ways. Some close up. Some get angry. Cut everyone in your family and circle of friends some slack. Hopefully they do the same for you. - Have as few people in the funeral planner's office as possible. Some family will insist on being there. More is not better. Closest immediate family only. Politely ask extended family to do other tasks. - You will cry lots, often unexpectedly. Something someone says, something you see or hear...anything can be a trigger. If you're driving, pull over. - Hugs can be better than words. - Be as open as you can at a viewing/wake. Walk around and talk to people and hear some of the stories of how your loved one touched the lives of others. It helps. - You will hurt. Emotionally and physically. Stress weakens your body. Take a multi-vitamin and lots of vitamin C. I got bronchitis. - Try to eat regularly. You won't feel like it, but your body needs it.

I'm overwhelmed by the kindness of our friends through this. Thank you all. I'm trying to be the strong one and hold my father and brother up through this. My brother is taking it the hardest. We're burying mom in the dress she bought to wear to his wedding. It's beautiful. As much as I hurt, I can't imagine the pain he feels. Benjamin, my brother, is a good man. He's served our country in the Air Force and he currently serves San Antonio with the SAPD. He doesn't deserve this,none of us do. I believe he's going through with the wedding because we know mom would want that. She won't be there in person, but yet she will be with us. Her life and memories are imprinted on hearts; death can't steal that. I'm trying to help him realize that. This is my mom and brother when he graduated from the academy. I'm going to get this picture blown up for the viewing.