Roadrider18

I happen to like all flavors of the Sig P22x line. I also like Warren rear sights and Dawson fiber optic front sights. So this post is not intended to flame Sig. When the P226 USPSA model was offered with such a sight setup, I felt the need for another 226. I was also influenced by James Tarr's article in the JAN/FEB 2010 issue of FRONT SIGHT. When I received my pistol from the distributor (I am a Type 7 FFL) I immediately noticed large amounts of daylight between the sight bases and slide. I mic'ed the gaps and found .008" behind the dovetail and .007" in front of the dovetail...of BOTH sights. Having taken a file to firearms for over 30 years, I figured something was amiss. However, Ray Carter of Sig Customer Service informed me that such a gap is well within factory specs! This is the first Sig I have ever seen where you can watch a beautiful sunset between the bottom of the sight and the slide. So, I would suggest making sure you like daylight between you sight's base and the slide before ordering a Sig with something other than Sig sights attached. Needless to say, I will be doing a fresh install of my favorite sights (just under $80!)...myself!

Semi fit only means it has been semi-prepped and "might" drop in. Besides lacking optimum hood fit, what about the dwell surface of the legs? Any bump on the dwell surface by the slide release pin during cam down will result in poor accuracy (usually printing vertical strings on paper). What about TOTAL headspace, not to mention barrel headspace? My experience indicates semi-fit barrel headspace will be on the long side of SAAMI specs; not necessarily a bad thing, but, not optimum. If you are looking for improved accuracy, a semi-drop in is a good choice. If you are looking for optimum accuracy, nothing beats a fitted match grade barrel for that specific weapon. To give you an idea....I charge $200 (labor only) to "hard fit" a match grade BarSto; it takes me about 8 hours to complete the fitting process. A Kart match grade takes about 6 hours (still $200 labor). The time difference is due to stainless steel bar stock used by BarSto compared to Kart's ordinance steel. From BarSto's FAQs.... "A SEMI DROP IN Barrel Generaly requires little to no fitting. They should go in about 7 out of 10 times with no fitting required but with the tolerance of firearms, this is not always the case. We strive to give you the tightest lock up, still allow for the barrels to fit with little to no fitting and give you MUCH BETTER than factory accuracy." Good luck!

I removed all parts and reinstalled per instructions thinking that maybe something got out of adjustment over the many thousands of rounds through the feeder/press. Nothing seemed out of whack until I went to tweak/adjust the cam plate per the instructions under Troubleshooting in the op man. I do not have nearly enough adjustment capability at the plate's bolt attachment points on the press to achieve the type adjustment on the cam described in the instructions. Very interesting. I will call Dillon tomorrow and find out if the cam plate has been redesigned. I pre-ordered the case feeder as soon as it was announced so I am sure the plate is a first iteration.

Searched and read about all the issues with Station 1 brass alignment and sizing die, but, did not read anything specific to the following issue.... Setup Dillon 550B with case feeder, 45ACP Dillon dies. I have identified 2 specific locations on the shellplate where the following problem occurs most often regardless of brass head stamp.... (No issues on the upstroke moving the brass into the resizing die) The problem... On the down stroke (after sizing) the brass will move approximately an 1/8" out of position in the shell plate thus preventing the seating of the primer. The shell plate is clean with no debris (powder, etc) lodged into the groove of the shell plate. The press is level on my bench. I have loaded many many thousands of rounds on this shell plate and the problem is becoming an aggravating issue if I have to stop the progression and reseat the brass 7 out of 10 times to seat the primer. I have removed the shell plate and examined for problems; I can't see anything wrong. The shell plate is properly installed. Further, I can't imagine that the softer brass would wear down the steel shell plate over time. But...perhaps so. I have noted that if I pause the down stroke just as the brass exits the resizing die and then move VERY VERY slowly to the full down position, the case feeder piston will 9 times out of 10 hold the brass in the correct position. But, in the past, I have never had to go in super slow motion on the down stroke to prevent the brass from moving out of the shell plate. Any ideas? I am about to order a new shell plate.

Rounds per hour should not be the deciding factor IMO....but rather, how ,any can you SAFELY load adhereing to SAFE reloading techniques. If $$$ is no object, why not go with the 1050? Don't want to spend the $$$, go with the 650; don't want to spend that much $$$, go with the 550. Any Dillon press will give you a lifetime of use with just a little care and maintenance. I use the 550 and the 650 (with casefeed and no powder check system). I use my M1 MOD 2 eyeball (read bifocals) to check EVERY powder charge. How many can I load an hour on each machine? I don't know because I have never (nor will I) timed myself reloading. The nature of design of each machine (550-650-1050) will ultimately allow YOU to complete more rounds/hour, but, just how many, is a function of adhereing to YOUR safety margins. As an airline captain, I'm often amazed at the number of people who are more concerned with "what time are we getting there" rather than the simple request "please get me to our destination safely". Further, not wanting to ding anyone here, but, why in the world would you want to watch TV while reloading? Talk about the ultimate distraction. Pilots at my carrier are not permitted to read any nonflight related material, listen to or watch entertainment devices while on duty on the flight deck. Why? Loss of situational awareness, greatly reduced safety margins, along with numerous other reasons. Not very hard to apply those issues to reloading. In this thread I've read about squibs and double loads. Sounds like either a break down in safe loading technique, distractions, or loss of situational awareness (I wonder if powder drop into that case?). Please don't make reloading a race against the clock....we are all doing this for fun and relaxation (well mostly fun, relaxation and the simple joy it brings). Live to reload and shoot another day with all your body parts properly intact. Time or how many YOU vs someone else can pump out in an hour should never be an issue.

Well....I just reread the article and I missed the subtle transition from discussing 45 Major to 9mm Minor. Mostly, the article was about keeping 9mm psi below dangerous levels and attaining a low recoil. Bill

OK guys......Minor it shall be!!! I was merely going by the article I just read in the Blue Press regarding shooting Major with the 9mm..... I shoot Major with both the 40 and 45 in the L10 and I just naturally assumed there wasn't much problem bumping the 9 to Major (given the information in the article). I have plently of recipes for the floor plus 5 for the 9mm, I was just interested in Major. Bill

I just got the Kimber Stainless Target II in 9mm for my daughter to start shooting IPDA/IPSC. The Blue Press (Aug05) ran an article by Duane Thomas regarding soft recoil loads. Unfortunately, recipes weren't provided. Has anyone worked up a recipe for this pistol using 147gr Montana Gold bullets meeting the 165pf floor? I guess, psi is the critical issue with this bullet and powder, N320, discussed in the article. The goal here, is SAFE, reliable operation with reduce recoil. Thanks to all responses! Bill