LowSpeedHighDrag

Dan is much more of a 3 gun guy than I am, but having said that, I use a JP LRP-07 rifle with an 18" barrel for targets 0-350 yards. Using the load JP recommends (Hornady 110 gr. V-Max bullet) I get fairly low recoil and excellent accuracy. Haven't had the chance to go beyond 350 yet, but if I did I'd switch to 155 or 168 gr. heads, and I'd still be comfortable with the 18" barrel. As always, YMMV.

I've had good luck with the Syrac Ordnance adjustable gas block, available from Brownells. Started off with the JP Rifles version, but prefer the Syrac because it has detent positions rather than an infinitely adjustable screw like the JP. Makes returning to a setting easier, more like adjusting a scope's elevation or windage.

Interesting. So you're saying that putting in a heavier spring will help with smoothing out the cycling?

I have the JP 9mm carbine, and while it'd good, I wouldn't say they worked miracles. The blowback system has more recoil than I was expecting. Still experimenting trying to get the lightest load that will function in the gun.

I picked up a DVC 9mm back in December. It's run great, with no issues. Trigger is excellent. No complaints at all.

+1 on the PRS. I have one on my JP 308.

I got the OOB at the range, not during a match, so I have no idea what I was using at the time. More likely something not known to be especially reliable. At Steel Challenge I tend to use Eley Club and CCI standard velocity. Neither have given me any issue at all. Given how dirty .22LR ammo generally is, I wonder how much of the issue is just poor maintenance...

I've had a total of 1 out of battery detonation with a 15-22, over at least 4 years of Steel Challenge shooting. Ironically, it was a few rounds after I thought to myself "this is silly using hearing protection for a .22" Well, I got the answer quickly. It was probably because the chamber was a bit dirty. But the take away is that the 15-22 can fire OOB. Don't know that it's any more likely with this rifle than another .22, but it can happen. Likely? No, I doubt it.

And it's a lot slower than shifting the gun in your strong hand to hit the release with your strong thumb. Not my experience. I have small hands, and find shifting the grip to be awkward. Instead I just slide the support hand thumb past the mag release button on the way to the next magazine. Takes no thought or time. On my STI only slight pressure is required to release the magazine. If I needed to make a firm push then it would be a different matter entirely, and shifting the grip would be better. I have an STI paddle for the mag release button, but for me it got in the way of my grip. YMMV.

Don't know if it's the same problem you have, but I'll tell you my issues with some STI magazines. I bought a DVC Limited in 9mm, which came with 2 126mm 10 round mags (thank you, MA). Both worked perfectly. I then purchased 4 additional magazines from various sources. All 4 had issues with locking into the frame. They would work, but only if inserted with a lot of force. I found that the top part of the magazines, above the magazine catch notch, were out of spec compared to the ones included with the gun. Each one had the tube more squared off than the ones that worked. Wound up having to reshape the magazine bodies by using a vice and a brass mallet to tighten up the dimensions. Took a while, but finally have them working. Sounds like STI doesn't always make their mags correctly.