JimmyBob

Am I the only one who licks the window? Seriously though, the one time I cleaned one I used the lens pen thing that came with my DSLR camera lens, it's meant to be used dry, and ought be to convenient to keep in a range bag.

So when are they renaming the division to SemiOpen?

Ha. That's exactly what I wondered when he said his friend is offering it for his birthday. Might just be a nice guy, might be laughing inside.

He doesn't mean warranty, I'm sure the warranty will remain intact, but cosmetic condition is not part of that. From the way the post is written I don't think he expects it to either, just the refinish offer from STI. I'm fairly surprised STI offered that much, what country are you in? A picture is definitely needed to show how the handling is ruining the barrel finish enough to have fit concerns.

The Ed Brown mags have a basepad that doesn't add anything to the width of the base and flares out only slightly as it drops away.

Just the 40? Weird, is there a replacement of some kind? Seems like an odd market to give up on...

Easy winner here.

It's not a reliable optic, it's newly released and doesn't have a reasonable record. Things with life expectancies in the range of many years are not reliable when they get through the first 4 weeks. And it is easy, as shown by the bigger manufacturers that seem to have an easy time with it. CMore isn't a modern optics company, they had a hit product a gazillion years ago, have been riding it too long, and are starting to become obsolete. The RTS isnt a result of "dynamic sport demands", it's a knee jerk reaction to other folks' better products dominating market share.

Yes, $850 for a bare stock gun, the same red flags for buying a used 1911 (search for those, lots of good info that isn't Para specific).

Bianchi is still a thing?

Rio Salado also requires shooters to get a card like that from a safety course. http://www.rsscaz.com/divisions/practical-pistol/pssc/

The prices in the original post aren't going to work out, the prices in the link should be very competitive.

There are times to use each, certain competitive disciplines are pretty much limited to one or the other. Are you asking for a certain type of shooting or just in general? If in general, definitely learn to shoot with both eyes open comfortably.

Pics aren't loading because of the half HTML tag.

Barf, no one uses Glocks, those are garbage. Real pros use hi points, bersas and Soviet milsurp pistols. Duh.

The trick is doing it with a single rifle, the pistol analogy here is you want an single handgun to enter IDPA Bug, USPSA Open and Bullseye. Maybe a 1911 with 3 slides could pull it off pretty well, but it'd be a stretch.

As for glass, don't completely buy into the BS of the glass needs to cost as much as the rifle. Now having said that, the glass is more important than the rifle for benchrest and I definitely have been guilty of putting optics worth more than stuff below it, but it's not necessary, the key is to not cheap out and try to get away with a scope costing 1/10th of the rifle and expecting phenomenal shots. There are some excellent deals on the low end, SWFA and Bushnell had some fixed 10x and 20x scopes that are considered excellent entry level $300 competitive scopes, but with your budget you'll be able to swing a $800 Leupold/Vortex easily.

Well, there isn't really a great setup that will let you do all that. A rifle setup for 100yd offhand shooting is going to look nothing like an F-class benchrest sled, and NRA Hi-power is going to call for a more traditional "match target" type AR or similar. You're almost completely limited to an AR in 223; it needs to be slingable for NRA HP, light enough to hold offhand and in 223 to qualify for F-class TR division, if your local matches don't have an F-AR division. I would recommend an AR with 2 uppers to switch between; a lightweight slingable one for NRA/offhand matches and a heavy bipoded benchrest one for F with a premium barrel.

YES! That's it exactly. Wow those are expensive, might have to rethink this plan, I wouldn't use one for competition if it cost that much, still want one as a heirloom now. Hmmm, I was kinda hoping to find a double stack 9mm, didn't realize this would be a semi-custom only thing. Might have to settle for a Tactical model instead for the games...

Whose thumbs are so tough they wear away a mark into steel slides???

No, I'm not referring to the frame decoking levers, those were on the front of the grips, like the SIG's, the safety I remember looked almost exactly like a 1911 safety, towards the back of the grips right under the slide.

So I've decided that I want to try to run a S&W 3rd Gen (for the 3rd time actually) and I'm trying to find a specific variant but can't figure out the model number. Which 3rd Gen model number(s) had the frame-mounted safeties?

Do you plan on putting an offset red dot/sights or trying to use the scope at both magnifications? I would suggest having some cheap 45 degree irons as well.

To the original poster, the information you're looking for is readily available on the forums, search for queries like "primer hardness rating", "primer hardness comparison", etc. Generally, Federals are considered to be the softest by far, CCI is one of the harder ones, so if you're considering CCI or Federal ammo in bulk, get the Federal to prevent light strikes. For actually examples, you'll need to specify what spring rate your Wolff is, they make several different reduced power ones. You're also going to have other issues if the striker spring is the only part you're changing, as there are other factors involved. (striker weight, RSA spring, etc)

Ridiculous. This is absolutely a question for an internet forum, plenty of people have and use the same part he's asking about. And its not a "go try it yourself for the feel" thing, the strength of certain brands primers is pretty consistent and the rating on the spring is even more so. And some people set their guns up to use very specific components, and those guns would fail if forced to use another type as an alternative. That doesn't mean he needs to get another part just because it doesn't work with one particular brand. The answer that matters here is the one he's looking for, and you obviously have no idea what it is nor any other useful or sensible advice to provide.