Steve133

It's not exactly a night and day difference from other brands, but there are two main things that I like: First of all, the design of the shell clips themselves result in nice, smooth release of the shells, with fewer fumbles and "bowed" stacks of shells. The flip side of this is that retention isn't quite as good as some other models, and that might be an issue. I personally have never had a problem with it, but that's just me. Your mileage may vary. Secondly, I really dig the modular design - there are lots of configuration options, and they sell the individual components and hardware to set things up exactly the way you'd like. For me personally, some of those options, like the newer 12-round setup, strike the best balance between minimizing belt real estate occupied while keeping individual groups of shells easy to grab. Plus, they support the sport well and have good customer service. Most of those things are true of a few different manufacturers - it's not like they're the ONLY game in town or anything, but I've basically settled on those.

Not surprised by the lack of feedback out there - I can't recall ever seeing anyone use the DAA caddies at a match... but then again, I wasn't really looking for them, and even if there really is no one using them, that doesn't mean they're a bad product or anything, but maybe folks are just set in their ways using other models. I can, however, personally vouch for the Invictus. I've mostly seen a roughly even split between Invictus, Carbon Arms, and Safariland - I think I like the Invictus the best of those options, but I have a Carbon Arms chest rig that I'm perfectly happy with, and none of my buddies who use Safarilands have ever complained about them.

That all checks out, thanks for passing that along. Like I mentioned earlier, the WRS hood that they use in their level 2 holsters is a standalone component sourced from Bladetech. I wouldn't worry too much about voiding the warranty on the hood - even if you manage to completely destroy the hood, you're probably not going to damage the holster itself, and replacement hoods can be ordered from online shops that sell kydex holster-making equipment for ~$20. Looks like I'll be breaking out the razor blades before next season starts....

I'll echo what others have said (RHT is a small company with good CS, so I'm sure that they'll be pretty responsive to you)... but if you're also looking for a sanity check on that issue, then I can provide that as well. I've been using one of their level 2 holsters for the past year or so, and while the craftmanship on it is great, the WRS hood is a little finicky. Not their fault at all, since it's a standardized aftermarket part that they don't even make (I think it's Bladetech?). And it's not even Bladetech's fault, either - it's just the cost of doing business with a generic component like that. If it works for everything, it's probably not going to work all that great. I've thought about a few modifications to improve it - very carefully contouring the engagement surfaces of the locking mechanism, for example, or changing up my mounting system so that there's less play in the holster itself - but haven't actually done anything with it yet. So far, it's basically just been working on it in training. I don't think there's much to be done about hitting the release faster, but I've been working on getting better at hitting the release while doing something else (running, dumping a long gun, etc.). If you do hear some suggestions back from the RHT folks, I'd be interested in hearing what they tell you, though. Please keep us posted.

Can you please elaborate on your issues with the Rise trigger? Not trying to call you out on it at all - quite the contrary, actually. I'm just looking for more information. I don't want to keep recommending them as budget options if they're actually bad, but I'd like to be able to back that up with information that's more substantial than "this one dude on the internet said they suck". I could google it, I'm sure, but I tend to value direct input from people who actually have relevant experience more than that. I'll add one nice-to-have to list that other people have already provided. You can definitely build an AR with minimal general gunsmithing tools, but if I had to pick just one AR-specific item to have, it would be a tool for installing the pivot pin detent. I've got one of these, but there are other options, like this one. For me, at least, that stupid detent is the only really tricky part of the whole build process, and a dedicated tool more than pays for itself in reduced frustration.

Can confirm that the GB model that Shooters Source carries will work fine with Magpul mags.

Spring you probably don't need to mess with. Heavy buffers are generally used to tame the recoil impulse of an overgassed rifle. If you're going with adjustable gas and a lightweight carrier, there's no need for a heavy buffer. No need to go crazy and start going after super-lightweight options either, but I've had good success with a standard carbine buffer and spring. I don't think you're missing anything regarding the relative pricing of the BCGs. Unless you're talking about something really out there, like a titanium model, I've observed that the biggest price differences are between different manufacturers - if the same manufacturer makes both a standard-mass and a low-mass carrier, the price difference isn't that extreme, in my experience. I'm guessing that the in-house Brownell's model is fairly cheap just because it's kind of the equivalent of a generic brand and not one of the big high-speed, low-drag names.

My vote would be the Viper. I've heard nothing but good things about them from people that I trust. Any of the options that you're considering would probably get the job done, but all of them give up something to the ideal "top-tier" optics that are the most popular... and from all that I've read and hear, the Viper is the one that gives up the least. If price is a substantial concern, then I totally get it. Go with whatever's cheapest. But good glass is not cheap; if you've decided on a general performance tier of optic and can afford all of the specific models in that tier without substantial hardship, it's probably counterproductive to think too much about the price differences between individual models. In that way lies madness. I'd think of it more this way: you're looking at a bunch of solidly mid-tier optics, and you're already committed to spending $150-$200 more than an entry-level optic like a Strike Eagle or a Primary Arms. To get anything substantially better than the options you're considering, you'd have to go to the top tier (Razor, Mk. 6, etc.), and I've never seen any of those go for less than $900, and $1200-2000 is typical. When viewed in that light, the $150 isn't all that much.

Since there was some discussion about adjustable gas blocks earlier, I'll add that if you almost certainly want one if you're getting a lightweight BCG. Everything will still work with a nonadjustable block and the lightweight BCG, but you can't really get the benefits that Tortoise was talking about without being able to fiddle with the gas system. I've used the larger version of the Miculek comp on a .308 - it works fine. It's not the absolute best performer out there, but it's really solid from a price/performance standpoint. I've seen the entry-level Rise Armament triggers that Tortoise was talking about go on sale for as little as $75-$80, so it might be worth it to wait for a sale. I've got one that seems to work okay - haven't really shot the build that it's in much, so I can't speak to the longevity of it. If you want to get closer to $200, I'm actually a fan of the Elftmann ELF SE, which is normally in the ballpark of $160. For $190-200, you could also go with one of the Hiperfire Hipertouch models, which are also very nice. There are PLENTY other options in that price range, but that's what I have personal experience with. Lots of things in a rifle build come down to personal preference, but that's especially true of the trigger. If you have any range buddies that have ARs with nice triggers, it might be worth asking to try some of them out. If there's a local shop that sells a lot of AR parts, they might have some demo units set up, but that's kind of rare to find. If you can't try before you buy, it's not the end of the world, either, but it's always helped me gain a little more confidence when buying new stuff....

Nice! If you could post the results, that would be awesome. I'd be very interested to see how that turns out.

I've never done that or seen that done, but I've thought about it a lot, actually. I don't know for sure about Red Hill, but I know that Weber Tactical quit making retention holsters for Open guns - apparently, each one was a completely custom one-off that required too much time and effort to be commercially viable, and that makes sense. I don't have a lot of details, but I'm guessing that the incorporation of a retention mechanism was the difficult part. It seems like you could work around that with a modular approach - have a "core" section with the locking mechanism that interfaces with a kydex shell molded for a particular gun. G-Code does something with a vaguely similar concept, I think - a "core" holster built for the slide profile for a particular holster, which is then mated to different bottom halves in order to accommodate different lights and whatnot without having to have entirely different holsters. It seems like GLS, or something like GLS, would be the logical choice for an active retention mechanism in that system, which I guess is why every race holster ever for USPSA uses a roughly similar one. A hood creates problems with clearance for an optics mount, and the ejection port lock that the Safariland ALS uses has linkages to the release lever that would also probably interfere with the mount. Hood and ALS systems would also be difficult to implement in a modular setup. The only potential drawback would be issues with slings that's already been mentioned, but I think that that issue is generally overstated - like you said, it's not an issue if you sling muzzle-up, and I'd argue that extended periods of running around with a slung long gun and a holstered pistol are rare enough that it's illogical to make that the main deciding factor in your equipment selection anyway. You could probably design something that bypasses all of the issues with the GLS anyway if you were starting completely from scratch, but I think that hacking up a GLS holster and possibly attaching it to something else is probably a good enough solution for the shadetree holster maker. I have a discount code from Safariland that I picked up from a prize table - I'd been thinking of using it to order a handful of GLS holsters to mess around with, and I might have to do that now....

Pretty close is all I need. Thanks again! Currently stuck at work, but I'll check that against the PSA lower once I get home.

Awesome, than Awesome, thanks man! Now that I think of it, the dimensions of the cutout in the receiver that the release sits in would probably be the most useful. The height top to bottom, the length front to back along the top, and the length front to back along the bottom should be enough to give me an idea on potential fit. See also this masterful MSPaint mechanical draft drawing.

Along the lines of this thread, I've got a forged PSA lower that doesn't play nicely with most (all?) aftermarket PCC mag releases, but the stock mag release is pretty stubborn, so an extended model that gives me a little more leverage would be nice. I can drill/tap the factory button if it comes to it, but a drop-in solution would be slightly better, given my time constraints.... A few days back, I stumbled across a picture of an Angstadt Arms PCC lower with their extended mag release on it - their website only specifies compatibility with their lowers, but just eyeballing the pictures, it sure LOOKS like the mag release dimensions on said lowers are pretty similar to those on the older PSA forged models. Anyone have an Angstadt Arms lower that they wouldn't mind taking some quick measurements on?

+1 for the Bogies - they're the most aggressive grip pattern that I've found so far from any manufacturer. No direct experience with the Lok checkered grips, but I'm assuming that they're not too far off from the texture on the VZ checkered grips that I've used in the past; if that assumption is correct, the Bogies are substantially grippier.

Don't see it in competition circles too much... but I will say that it's far and away the best choice if you want to frak up some toasters.

In terms of objective quality, I think the only way you're going to see a substantial difference between a TSO and a 2011 is if you're talking about a full-up custom build. So, if you're talking an out-of-the-box TSO against an out-of-the-box Edge, it's going to boil down mostly to personal preference. Why do I think that? This video explains at least of some of it. It isn't exactly the comparison that OP is making for a few different reasons, but I think it's germane enough to the general "CZ vs. 2011" debate to include here. Initial disclaimers: Yes, this is produced by the staff of a custom shop comparing one of their in-house guns to something else. I've met/talked to the Hayes Custom guys on a few different occasions, and they're honest, stand-up guys, but I'd imagine that there's still some level of bias, even if it is completely unconscious. The "2011" in this comparison isn't an actual STI model, but a tricked-out RIA doublestack. So, factor both "STI vs. RIA" and "stock vs. custom" into your interpretation of the results as appropriate (in my limited direct experience, I'd say a stock STI is much nicer than a stock RIA, but that a thoroughly-customized RIA is probably a shade nicer than a stock STI). They're talking about 9 mm for use in 3-gun, not .40 for USPSA, so some of the notes on recoil control, etc. won't be directly applicable to the immediate question at hand. With that out of the way: https://youtu.be/LP0eCLXuq0o To summarize: a slicked-up RIA is considered slightly nicer than a TSO (to the tune of half a point on an arbitrary 10-point scale) by the people who make said slicked-up RIA, mainly because it shoots a bit flatter. With a stock STI Edge, I'd imagine that the results would come out in a wash. No fancy slide cuts means that the 2011 probably isn't going to shoot any flatter than the CZ (and in that case, the advantage might move to the CZ); but the ergonomics are going to be a little bit better on an STI than an RIA, so the advantage that the CZ has in that department will be smaller. It would all come down to personal preference. I shot a Tactical Sport in USPSA Limited for a couple of years, and considered moving to a 2011 to be like all the cool kids when I got some extra cash on-hand. After looking into it more, I wound up just buying a TSO to have as a backup, since there were marginal (if any) actual quality differences, and I wouldn't have to start from square one on holsters, magazines, etc.

To echo what everyone else has said... it depends. Pretty sure that UML doesn't have any restrictions on magazines in Tac Ops, and I don't think (though I'm less sure) that 3GN does either, but some outlaw matches will bump you to open for running a drum mag. I've personally never seen a match that would straight-up disqualify you for using one. Don't know about the beta mag, but I picked up a D60 when I found a decent price on one, and I've been surprised by how much use I've gotten out of it. Honestly, I haven't run into too many stages where the capacity was completely necessary, but it is really handy for rifle stages that involve rooftops or other weird positions where a 30- or 40-round stick mag would be awkward, but you want more than 20 rounds....

Starting to dip my toes into Open, and I've been kind of curious about this as well. On the subject of dot sizes: up until now, I've only really used red dots on rifles, so I've been using 1-2 MOA dots on everything. I have astigmatism, so I've just kind of always dealt with those starbursting on the higher brightness settings. I recently grabbed a 4 MOA dot that was on sale to run on a PCC, and it seemed like it was much less prone to that kind of distortion. Is that, like... a thing? Am I just making that up, or has anyone else noticed that as well? Because if this is a real thing, then yeah, I'm on the 4/6/8 MOA dot train 4 lyfe.

It's entirely possible that there are other options out there that I've missed, but based on the relatively small amount of research I've done, I agree with OPENB - I think that the Nerd Urn is the only off-the-shelf model I've seen. I'm personally hesitant about holsters without active retention for 3 gun, but I know that their non-Open 3 gun holster is backed up by a pretty decent guarantee - if you DQ because a pistol comes out of the holster, they'll refund your match fee. The product page for the Urn doesn't explicitly state that that same guarantee applies to that model - but if it does, it might be worth looking into.

The difference in velocity is going to be basically negligible between the two lengths. 16" will be a tad lighter and easier to maneuver; 18" lets you run a rifle-length gas system, which generally lets you get a slightly softer recoil impulse. Depends on which of those you value more. Personally, I tend to prefer an 18" barrel with rifle-length gas. I've never found it to be too unwieldy, and the weight isn't too big of a concern if you don't have a heavy profile. But far better shooters than me have plenty of success with a 16" or 14.5" (or even shorter).

To echo what everyone else has said, with your 3 criteria (steel frame, .40 caliber, ~20 round magazine capacity), I don't think you're going to find a complete setup for $800 or less, but the RIA double-stack is probably the closest you're going to get. I've looked into the 9 mm RIA doublestacks for 3 gun, and I know that there are some cheaper magazine options for those (like the Remington-marked ones for their rebranded Paras, or the Mec-Gar models - though I think sometimes you have to monkey around with the baseplates a bit to get them to play nice with magwells....) - maybe there would be similar options in .40 as well? For what it's worth, while I think that there are better options than the RIAs overall, from what I've read on them, they're uniquely well-suited for testing the waters. They're a little rough out of the box, but they work well enough for just seeing how much you want to stick with shooting. And if you do decide that you want to stick things out for the long-haul, there are some shops out there (I'm in Texas, so Hayes Custom Guns comes to mind, but there are probably others) that do really good things with them. So, drop $700-ish on the base gun now, shoot it stock for a bit to make sure that this whole USPSA thing is worth spending more money on, then spend about that much on custom work, and you get a pretty solid performer. There are lots of options in the price/quality range of the final product (probably a few that are slightly cheaper or slightly better), but very few that let you amortize the cost over time like that....

Don't know what to tell you, dude. Like I said, that's only as far as I can tell. I don't own a Shadow 2, so it's not like I can just pop the magazine release out and compare it to a sample of one. I do know that the TS and TSO can interchange more parts with the Shadow 2 than with a lot of the other CZ variants, so I was thinking that the magazine release might have been included in that, but in retrospect it's probably not likely, since I think the main issue with mag releases was the width of the magazine instead of the width of the frame.... Just trying to help. I'll leave you to it.

I actually tried to post some earlier, but I got bitten by the attachment size limit and didn't want to bother trying to host the image somewhere else I could link it from. I can actually try to put forth some modicum of effort once I get home, though. As for the magazine release, as far I can tell, it's just the standard Shadow 2 unit. You can buy them direct from CZ-USA's web store or from CZ Custom off the top of my head - probably few other places as well. Ditto for the aluminum trigger shoe.

It's definitely the fine checkering (i.e., cut, not cast) and the reduced grip profile. Not as sure about the trigger guard - side-by-side with my classic-flavor Tac Sport, the two trigger guards look basically identical.