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fbzero

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Everything posted by fbzero

  1. No lies detected. PD's biggest downfall for me is that they are much harder to catch in stock than RMR's offerings. To make matters worse, their in stock notification system doesn't seem to work the majority of the time. The double-edged blade of being a popular option I guess...
  2. 100% a good idea to have multiple sources of the materials you need. As I said, both companies are great, but if open pistols are why you are going with the Nuke, then the PD JHPv1 and JHPv2 offer the base with no lead exposed at a cheaper price(about 1.5c cheaper per round based on buying 1 case/3K). The Nuke, while excellent, is really geared more towards self-defense and you are paying extra for that functionality in a context that doesn't really require it. The Nuke is great for what it is though, and also a great option for someone that wants to stockpile a single projectile for multiple functions. On an other note, 99% sure USPS has lost my most recent shipment of 135gr RMR MatchWinners =/
  3. They are good to go. I use both RMR's and PD's and consider both to be top notch. Edge to PD for anything with a comp since they have no exposed lead on the base. Edge to RMR for having weights that I prefer, like 135gr. RMR also has frequent sales, 2nds, etc. Both are great companies, so just decide what your needs are and go with the one that best meets them.
  4. I measure because if I'm setting up new dies or a press, I am able to duplicate my previous results. For the bell, I'm just trying to open up the mouth as little as possible to not damage the projectile when seating. I usually see 0.382-0.383 recommended for this and I usually end up in the 0.381-0.382 range. Depending on the diameter of your coated bullets, you might end up with slightly more. For the crimp, all we're really trying to do is remove the bell - not hold the bullet in place as you seem indicate in your comments regarding setback. Preventing setback is a function of neck tension, and if it is proper, you shouldn't be getting any setback even before you crimp. Anywhere from 0.376-0.379 is the general range(recommend the higher end of that range for coated projectiles) here and we all find out what works best for us. I like the majority of mine to end up at 0.378-0.3785.
  5. I agree 100%, with two caveats. First, at the matches I was attending at the time, there wasn't that much paper past 30y or so once the state shut down the 200y bay. Even with the 14.5", I was confident in doubles on 95% or more of the targets. Second, my 18" isn't of similar front end weight. Not saying that the difference would be massive, but my money is that there would be a slight edge to the rifle that offered more mobility at that particular match. Ultimately though, I probably just wanted an excuse to build another rifle more than anything...
  6. Wasn't for PCSL, but at a time when most of our local 3gun never went over 200y and was mostly fast bay style stuff, I built a rifle with a 14.5" Faxon barrel that comes with a pinned brake in the gunner profile, adjustable gas block and 1oz buffer kit from Taccom. Super light build that was perfect for matches like that. I'd say it isn't limited to 200y, but if I were really stretching it, I'd still prefer my Stretch 16" or 18" Criterion build. It's the one I always grab for close stuff though. Maybe a tad more recoil, but I'm certain the transitions are faster and probably more than make up for it.
  7. This would be my guess as well. When adjusting your overtravel screw, you need to be able to rock the hammer back and forth with the trigger pulled back completely and ensure that there is absolutely no engagement between the hammer hook and sear.
  8. Red Hill and Weber Tactical are good options. Ultimately, the GX is nicer, but not reasonable unless/until lead times improve. The RH or WT are still very good and definitely won't hold you back and you can add a lever yourself as mentioned above, which I have done.
  9. So far since putting in the 12lb mainspring, I've done two matches and a practice session without any more light strike issues with the SA primers. It's close enough to the 11.5lb spring on the trigger pull that I'll probably just leave it that way even after running out of the SA primers. Hopefully that will help some of the other S2 shooters using them.
  10. Had the 13lb CGW spring in, but it did have a considerable effect on the DA pull. Got my hands on a 12lb Eric Grauffel spring from BSPS and it felt considerably nicer than the 13lb, so I rolled the dice and took it out to a match this weekend with more of the SA primed ammo. No more light strikes so far, so hoping that extra little bit is all I needed for reliability.
  11. Just wanted to follow up on this after getting more rounds loaded with these primers down range. -My first range trip to chrono/test was 50 rounds, no issues. -After this, I brought 200 to a local USPSA match and ended up having a single light strike, which went off on the second strike. Didn't read too much into it at that time. -Took another 200 out for testing purposes yesterday and had two more light strikes that both went off on second strike. Firearm is a S2 w/ CGW pro kit installed, 11.5lb hammer spring, extended firing pin, etc. Never had any light strikes with Fiocchi or WSP, so assuming the issue is that the primers are indeed harder at this point. Have installed the 13lb hammer spring for now to see if the issue goes away, and if it does, will keep it in until I shoot through the SA primers. Not knocking the primers at all, some are harder than others and we can make our firearms less reliable when we change internals. Just the nature of the beast.
  12. Aluminum, didn't even know steel was an option.
  13. I can't speak to the AC, but I run the Eemann Ultimate in my CZ's, which I have installed with the CGW Pro Kit. I do prefer it to the more curved options. My index finger pad naturally goes to where it should be with the flat triggers and they feel like they break closer to 90 degrees in SA mode.
  14. While I have no doubt that uniform cases would improve accuracy from a technical standpoint, it is 100% possible to create loads that make fuzzy holes at 15-20y with mixed brass. The mixed brass certainly isn't the problem here, but likely the 111 PF. I'd guess that your velocity isn't high enough to stabilize the projectile. You might as well be throwing those 147's; You're only at about 750 FPS. In my experience, 147's seem to tighten up once I pass 900 FPS.
  15. Dillon seems to be the brand to choose for support and longevity. A 750 would absolutely work, but I have a different take having started on a 650(same as 750, different priming system) before going to a 1050. I still have my 650, but use it for things like .40 S&W, or loading already processed .223. It's an excellent press, just has it's limitations. You are looking to load 9mm and possibly .223 later, both rounds that you're going to come across crimped brass with. With no way to deal with that on the 750, you're more likely to get the occasional high/hard to seat primer. Additionally, the extra stations come in pretty handy to take care of extra tasks.
  16. I'm using a 1050, so my brass is getting swaged making it pretty easy to seat primers. Sometimes foreign primers can be just a bit larger in diameter making them harder to seat than our domestic ones, which has bit me with Ginex primers on a 650 before. Sometimes they'd look fully seated, but it would take two strikes to set them off still. That stopped as soon as I started loading 9mm on the 1050 though.
  17. Out of curiosity, are you using the stock firing pin or an extended one? In addition to the 11.5lb, I have the extended firing pin, so perhaps that is what's making the difference...
  18. After not having much luck with the 69gr and 8208 XBR, the "accuracy load" of 25.3gr of Varget at the bottom of this page worked great for me in multiple rifles. Not sure what primer they used, but I used Remington 7.5's. Never bothered to look for anything else to do with my 69gr SMK's after testing it. Fortunately, the 8208 XBR I have has done better under 77's.
  19. I can only say what I've seen, but if there is any parallel to rifle loading, I agree on the full ignition theory. Often if I am getting bad ES/SD's with WSR's, switching to either CCI 41's or Rem 7.5's will improve those numbers considerably. In those cases, I'm basically going from a standard primer to a magnum primer, so better/more consistent ignition has always been my running theory. I haven't really observed it in pistols so much, and have just assumed that such an effect would be far less pronounced with such small charges. On the other hand, it does seem like some powders benefit while others don't really benefit much on the rifle side of things, so another possibility is that the pistol powders I've typically used just don't need that extra "oomph" for consistent ignition. My current charge for USPSA loads is 3.3gr of Prima SV under a 135gr RMR MW, so maybe I'd see this effect if I was using one of the slower ones people use where they are dropping 5.5-6.5gr...
  20. With the Fiocchi's, ES was 23.7 and SD was 8.2 on my last 10 rounds over the chrono. Having problems finding the data on the previous 10 rounds I did in a different range session, but the data was almost the same. With the SA primers, ES was 42.2 and SD was 11.6(ES 31.3, SD 8.9 with the one outlier removed). In my pistol reloading experience, primers don't usually make much of a difference for ES and SD. I verify over the chrono to be safe, but the reality is that between Winchesters, Remingtons, S&B's, Ginex, Fiocchi's, and now these SA's, I've just never seen enough of a difference to matter for pistol applications. With rifle loads it can be another story. To me, it seems like the best way to improve ES/SD with pistol is to load on the higher end of the load data for your powder and(if possible) make your OAL to where the projectile is very close to the powder fill line or even slightly compressed. Just keep in mind that the main function of OAL is to feed reliably, so you might not have much choice there. Other than reduced perceived recoil of a faster powder, that is the other advantage of powders like N320, Sport Pistol, etc. The higher end of the load data for those is basically minor PF + a cushion so you aren't riding the line. When I first got the Ginex, I had a 650, so my 9mm brass was not getting swaged. They were difficult to seat, and I'd get bit by the occasional high primer at a match if I didn't case gauge to weed them out. Before I ran out of them, I picked up a 1050 from a guy that was getting out of pistol reloading and never had another problem once my brass was getting swaged during the loading process. If your brass is being swaged, the choice between those probably doesn't matter. I believe the Ginex's are heavy metal free though, so if that is worth ~25% extra cost to you in the current market, they may be worth it. Got the SA's for 5.2c/primer delivered, while ordering Ginex would be closer to 6.5c/primer right now.
  21. I grabbed some and would do it again based on my first trip with them. Only loaded up a small batch to start with to check things on the chrono with my current load and make sure they go bang, etc. Initial thoughts are below. -They seat easy enough, not super tight like the Ginex I used during the Obama shortages. -Some people have reported that they are "hard", but my S2 with an 11.5lb mainspring/extended CGW firing pin set them off without issues. May or may not be harder than some others, but that's a pretty light mainspring, so I'm thinking people must be taking things to extremes with their trigger work or weren't getting them fully seated. -Compared to the Fiocchi's I have been using, the ES and SD were a bit higher, but still pretty good. If you're one of those people loading to 127PF, throw 10-20 rounds over the chrono and make sure you aren't going to get bit. If I throw out the one round that was the biggest outlier, the ES/SD are almost identical, so maybe just something related to the mixed range brass I use or a light powder drop, etc.
  22. I've been using thick ones on my S2's and thin ones on my S1. I initially used them because they came installed, but did eventually try without them and thought it had a negative effect on the felt recoil *for me*. I understand that this short strokes the slide action and some people claim this will induce malfunctions, but have not had any issues.
  23. I use flat safeties on the Shadows too. Would probably use the wide ones if the placement was closer to a 2011, but as it is, they slightly interfere with my support hand on the CZ's.
  24. Most of the reloading machines themselves have some standard variation, say 0.006. Then throw mixed range brass with it's own variations on top of that, and I'd say this is pretty normal.
  25. No joke, they really missed the mark on the 507 comp reticles. Should have done like a 2 MOA, 6 MOA, 8 MOA, then maybe something with a ring suited to shotgun...
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