DT Guy

My mother in law had an African Grey, and it talked up a storm and was mean as a snake. A mean snake, at that. After she passed away (emphysema, don't smoke, kids) the bird (which figured prominently in her will) was bequeathed to my sister in law. For the first week or so after she got him, he didn't speak at all, which I guess is common when their circumstances change radically. About a week into having him, she calls my wife, her sister, completely terrified and out of her mind with horror; turns out the bird had started coughing and clearing its throat, then groaning, in a precise and perfect imitation of my (now deceased) mother in law. My sister went over, and came back nearly shaking with fright. She said it was a near to a ghost as anyone could imagine.... I'd be glad of the dry-firing!! Larry

Thanks, Chet; Appreciate the info- Do you offer any frontstrap treatments, like stippling or checkering? Be nice do get those in before the chrome- Larry

Based on the banner on your homepage, I understand it's hard chromed, has a Dawson front sight and an ICE magwell (nice start on an ESP gun, it sounds like) included. I'm just wondering if there's a complete list of the work done to the gun, and if this is a one-off, or an item that could be built to order? Thanks! Larry

I'm getting ready to try and run my 75b SA in IDPA, and wondering what trigger parts most of you would consider replacing for a 'competition only' trigger pull. So far, I've replaced the stock plastic trigger with the CZ Aluminum replacement, and respringing and careful fitting has the trigger at about 4#. Not bad, except I'm used to 1911's with sub 2# pulls, and would like to get close to that in an IDPA-legal (read 'with fpb in place') format. I'm thinking a flat trigger and competition SA hammer from CZ Custom, but was wondering if anyone is making an upgraded sear (or if it's needed), and what springs/other parts you might suggest? I tried an SA yesterday that had about a 1-something # pull, broke like glass and moved about 1/16". And now that I know what's possible, of course, I'm going to spend a bunch of money and ruin some parts trying to get there.... Thanks for any help, Larry

Title sums it up, I suppose. Looking for pros and cons of the 5" vs. the 4" XD's in IDPA. A bit of background-I'm struggling with aging eyes, 'grew up' on 1911's and currently shoot a 4" gun with only minimal success. Am I missing out on a lot by not shooting a tactical? Larry

I'm 47, and my sight has gone silly bad in the last two years. Where I used to be able to wear my 'distance' prescription for everything, I now have to wear distance lenses for driving, reading lenses for reading and computer lenses for...wait for it....using the computer. I've found the computer glasses work very well for the front sight (no surprise, as they're a 24-26" focal length) but won't let me FIND targets. Or walk around without bumping stuff. And monovision lenses seem like an expensive experiment. But I have a sneaky idea: I've been buying glasses online for about six months now (I use eyebuydirect, but there are lots of places that can sell prescription lenses online) and can get a shatterproof, scratch resistant pair for about $11, with shipping. At that price, I can afford to experiment. My current plan-and I'd like to hear opinions on it-is to order three identical frames with near, intermediate and far prescriptions, then swap various lenses until I find a combo that can work for the front sight and seeing enough of the target to tell a no-shoot from a shoot, at least. I'm suspecting intermediate-shooting eye and distance-weak side eye might do the trick. If it fails, I'll have three add'l pairs of glasses, and be out ~$35. If it works, I'm the frugal genius my grandmother always encouraged me to be.... Any suggestions or ideas? Larry

The ultimate 'liability' in a gunfight is to miss the aggressor. Do that, and not only do his chances to kill you go up, but the odds that you've struck an innocent have also gone up. Get the gun set up to shoot the absolute best you can-you'll never need it more. So I don't draw a line between a 'carry' and a 'competition' trigger; I set my guns up to maximize my chances of hitting what I'm aiming at, and minimize the chances I'll hit someone else. Larry

Thanks. I've got a tricked Glock 35 that does all that, actually. I'm trying to stick with 9 for cost (not reloading anymore, at least now) and would like to have 4" and 5" tops available with fixed and adjustable sights. I'm still working on what I'll shoot best, but would like the variety and ability to experiment without 2 trigger jobs,etc. That said, are top ends ever available from SA or any suppliers? I've searched without luck, but could be missing something. Larry

I've come to realize I'm liking my XD9 more and more, and I've begun thinking it would be nice to be able to swap to a 5" top end at times. I know, 'Buy another one' is the logical answer, but I'm thinking it would be easier/better to work with one trigger, one grip, etc. for a while. I've switched guns often (too often) in the past, and I'm wondering if sticking with one platform might not have benefits while I resume competitive shooting. Any ideas where to buy top ends, or any thoughts on the idea itself, would be most welcome. Larry

I've shot 150 rounds of 9, and it shot OK. It does seem to look more 'plated' than jacketed, though, despite what the box said. Larry

I've got a CZ75B SA, and the word on the CZ board is that the B models break that pin pretty quickly. CZ includes snap caps as a presumable fix for the dry firing limitations, so I imagine they'd work in the XD as well. Myself, I just drop an o-ring in between the FP and the hammer. Quiets it down, too. Larry

Now I know why my shooting in IDPA sucks...I've been trying to calculate the drop and windage in my head. Larry

Try a few live firing exercises WITHOUT a target. Don't worry about hitting anything but the backstop, and see what your time is. Then do the same thing dry. This will allow you to break down whether you're overaiming or there's an actual physical difference in your draws. Larry

Has anybody tried the prepackaged Wolff competition spring kit for a Glock? Do they reduce the pull substantially? I'm also wondering how reliable they are with harder primers, like S&B. Thanks for any info, Larry

Duane, The M/C PowerMags have removeable bottoms. Sounds kind of dirty, when you put it like that, doesn't it? Larry

For a permanent application, you can use "Acra-Glas", a product made and sold by Brownell's (http://www.brownells.com). It's sort of an epoxy with gel consistency, and gets as hard as a rock and sticks to damn near anything. It was originally used for bedding rifle stocks, but these days it's used for lots of stuff. Rumor is some of the people doing Glock grip reductions use this to replace the polymer parts they cut. Larry

I might be in the minority, but I think Glock's idea of putting 45 acp ballistics into a G17 sized frame has lots of potential. I have small hands, and could never shoot a G21, but really enjoy my G35. The question I find myself asking, though, is this: How will IDPA and Bill Wilson treat the new cartridge? If it really offers 45 acp ballistics, it seems the new G37 should be welcomed into CDP, right? With that said, I wonder how Wilson and Co. will take to sharing 'their' class in that way? Larry

Take a look (brownell's web site would be a good spot) at a trigger with a 'take up adjuster' and you'll see it's nothing more than a vertical cut in the forward part of the trigger bow. If your trigger lacks this, use a cut-off wheel in a Dremel and make a small (go slow-smaller can get bigger, but bigger CAN'T get smaller) cut into the bow of the trigger. Bend the cut piece out a very small amount. This now prevents the trigger from going as far forward into the trigger track as it did before, and will eliminate the take-up, if done right. Keep in mind that SOME take-up is necessary, so it's better to start small here, too. Test the gun with only two rounds in it, to ensure that it doesn't 'double' when you fire it. If you're still not sure how to do this, that might be a clue that a)I'm a terrible explainer and/or b)it's time to see a gunsmith. HTH, Larry

Well, a new trigger will certainly work. But if you're cheap like me, put a small vertical cut in the front of the trigger bow (right behind the attaching point of the trigger pad) and bend the cut piece away from the sear, toward the front of the gun. This piece is now your take-up adjuster. Of course, if you cut too deep you'll weaken the trigger, so keep your wits about you. Larry

I'm not Benos (just another thing to regret!), but I like to see the POI 'dot the i" of the front sight. I agree that NOT seeing where the bullet will actually strike makes me tense. Larry

Matt Burkett gave me the following advice regarding elbow position: Shoot a magazine while slowly rotating your elbows from 'down' to 'up' -(Or is it 'in' to 'out'?) and watch the recoil pattern of the pistol change. It was fairly obvious when I did it that there is (for me, anyway) a 'right' spot and several 'wrong' spots. FWIW Larry

Bring a gun, speedloaders/mags and a holster that covers the trigger guard to ANY IDPA match and they'll walk you through anything you need to know. New shooters are treated very well at any (local, now) match I've ever been to. FWIW Larry

When you are trying to 'win', you cannot-that is not Zen. When you are doing what you are doing with all of your will, regardless of what anyone else does, that is Zen. I think. Larry

I'm really starting to appreciate the two clubs I shoot at (Howell in Yorkville, IL and North Porter County in IN)-- Friendly, helpful, actually try to make sure you ENJOY the match, and not a lot of egos running amok. I'd thought that was the rule, rather than the exception, but this thread has me wondering. Larry

What you don't want to see is a "bi-polar, bare" At least if it's me...middle age is kicking my rump. Larry