KrymSIX

My limited gun has a fluted bull barrel, but its also a long slide with 6 inch barrel, so the material removed does help to keep it balanced in the hand and not super front heavy. For the purposes of single stack I don't think it would be a great idea to have a fluted bushing barrel as others have suggested. Then if you are running a 4.2 inch bull barrel, the weight savings likely won't net you anything. Since slide cuts aren't allowed in single stack its mostly a cosmetic touch that no one will see for the most part. If you do the work yourself i suppose it won't cost anything (if done correctly of course) but seems like an unnecessary expenditure if you plan on having a smith do it. As always, you're entitled to do what you like, but you shouldn't expect to see any appreciable difference in how your gun handles as a result.

Just a heads up, but if your health insurance offers coverage for hearing aids you may be able to get soundgear or SportEar high end custom electronic earplugs covered because they use hearing aid caliber ciruits and chips. They're both supposed to be quite good

Hey all, so I'm in MA and limited to 10 round mags. Specifically wondering about the feed lips. I know the consensus is .380" at the rear of the feed lips and .385-.390 for the front. The very front of all 3 magazines is closer to .435. There also doesn't seem like a ton of give in the mags to accommodate a bit more angle on the bullets as they are snug in there. Are the tuning suggestions the same for 10 round mags ir are there other things specific to the 10 round mags? Thanks

A good, thorough cleaning between changing loads for different events seems a whole lot easier (and cheaper) than swapping components.

But you're also talking the exact same gun. Like unchanged. I may have misinterpreted, but I thought he meant like switching some components to make it work for open then switching back for steel challenge. My recommendation was based on a misunderstanding I think.

Open guns can have a reputation of being finicky, but once dialed in will run and run. Me personally, i wouldn't want to be switching up configurations on an open gun routinely. If you're already saying you won't be competing this year, why not get a gun you can shoot steel challenge with and have fun at the range? Then if you want an open gun you will have had a year to save up for it. I think with guns, the jack of all trades build is a bit of a myth because you have to lose something somewhere. Jack of all trades, master of none, or master one and jack up everyone. Especially with an open gun i think you will want a gun that is dedicated for that task.

MikieM, i suppose builders could tell you at least what magazines and what OAL they function tested the gun with. But that is extra effort and while doing it for one gun might not add a ton of time or effort, but doing it for every gun they're working on could be tough (if they are going to troubleshoot it down to this is an optimal OAL for every gun since each gun is going to have its own preferences). Also you're right it could open them up to legal complications if they provided load data and someone made a mistake or something.

I think BeerBaron is onto something there. The commonly accepted practice with 2011s seems to be that they are going to be tuned for a specific handload/reload by the end user, thus any "tuning" from the factory or builder is more to test that the gun will cycle and function, but they aren't really set up to run right out of the box. Factor in they may use mags tuned differently etc. Etc. There are so many variables it's impossible to guarantee no tuning necessary. Whether they should or not is a different matter, and I agree there that in an ideal world it would just run lights out when you drop that kind of money. There are certain companies that really seem to push for that ability to run straight away, but they cost either more money, wait time or both than the production or semi custom guns. Hopefully you'll get it running to your liking or sell it off and are able to get something you like better.

Do you feel the muzzle support on the 014 is a big factor in its favor or just something different than the other 2 you've had?

If you could post pictures of the finish that would help others to see the finish flaws that you're seeing. Also, it looks like a "painted finish" but pvd/dlc just looks like that. Are there areas that shift color slightly where others don't or some other flaw in the finish? Otherwise, thats just how it looks.

Slvr, do you have any tips on some exercises to ensure getting a clearer sight picture or is it just taking an extra half a beat to get it? Thanks

Mike21STI, how do you like the 014 compared to some of the others? Balakay how did you like the blade tech speed with the 6 inch 2011? Thanks

As far as tuning the issue put by playing with OAL of your hand/re-loads I'm not an authority on that. However, from your picture I'm wondering if it's maybe the coated bullets themselves being a little "stickier". Have you had the same issues with fmj round or flat nose bullets? It could just be that that gun isn't too fond of coated bullets. Some guns will run them without issues and some have problems. Adam from Atlas Guns had a video talking about not liking coated bullets all that much outside of range practice because of their FTF issues.

I would peak in the classifieds. In recent memory there have been a few 9mm 2011s from respected builders in and around 2k. The SPS pantera seems like a good gun, it really does, but the average price they pop up for these days seems to be around 1400+. For a few hundred more (1700-2000ish range) you can pick up a used tuned Edge or used gun from a smaller but respected builder. I'd suggest one of those options over the Pantera because if you decide to resell they'll hold their value much more than the Pantera will. There have also been some used Atlas and Akai guns in the classifieds. If you got one and didn't love it you could turn around and get your money back when you sold it easily. The platform is expensive, so better to spend a little more now than get an entry 2011, which will still run you 1500ish+ and then love it. Sell that for a grand or less and then go buy a higher quality gun and be out 500 on top of whatever the newer gun costs.

You might want to check some of the guitar building vids where they do hydro dip swirls. It looks like a lot of them are using professional 2 part spray clears to protect them. The problem I could see happening is a lot of the clear coats are going to have a slickness to them, even the matte coat ones which would kind of defeat the point of or at least work against the stippling

Would wither work well for a 6 inch 2011or mostly just the standard 5 inch slide?

I almost wonder if your best bet wouldn't be to head to your local kohls or marshalls or similar store and see what they have for shorts this time of year. The way clothing is sized these days it may be best to try them on first and then go and buy more of what you liked. The marshalls by us has columbia hiking shorts and some others so maybe you would have similar luck? Short of that I'd check some hikers apparel places

I went for the mid to have a little extra ankle support but I've never liked how the full height/tall boots feel. I've had ankle injuries in both ankles though (dislocations, high ankle sprains) so that effects my decision to go for a little more support vs running shoe height. I've also found that for hiking I like having the laces go up higher on my ankle so the laces over my forefoot/metatarsal can just be on the looser side of snug. If you don't have ankle issues or don't like the feel you don't lose anything going to the sneaker height version of their shoes/boots in terms of grip or anything. I think the merrell sole is one of the grippier ones oyt there without being super heavy or borderline cleats

Hey just a follow up for you. The Merrells I have are the Capra Bolt mid. They are great and are waterproof. The only thing I might recommend is to get the mesh version. I got the leather version and i could see them getting too hot in summer. I'm probably going to get a pair of mesh ones for summer

I've had good success with my Merrels. They have a more rounded toe box and have enough height in the vamp/tongue area to accommodate my larger/taller than average metatarsal area. Solomans have always felt a little more of a narrow and long shoe, similar to adidas.

If you were dead set on shooting your existing gun, it might be worth getting a 40 s&w barrel for it. Theoretically you shouldn't have to change anything else to make the switch from 10mm to 40 sw work. I know Mr.Postman did this with a Tanfo Hunter (its on his youtube channel) to shoot limited at one point.

Definitely unsafe as it is. I would Not try to heat an reshape it yet. You gotta go back to the maker and get it either remade or fixed to comply with uspsa rules if he's selling it as a uspsa holster. Furthermore, as is, it's just an unsafe holster. Hopefully it gets taken care of tor you

Valerko, to me the biggest differences are definitely in the ability to perceive contrast as shown in that series of youtube vids. I think once you use a set of high quality glasses outdoor on a bright day where you need some tint to protect from the sun but still need the contrast to see your dot or fiber and need to make out which silhouette is the "non target" in a group of 3 the contrast and added clarity will really pay off.

My experience is not from shooting sports as I'm just diving into them. However, I think one thing that keeps people up at night before a big match, a big meeting, whatever is second guessing what they can do differently on "game day". Having confidence in your training will really help mitigate those second guessing feelings. If its following an instructional book or video, working with a coach, just pushing yourself, whatever helps you have confidence in the work you do before the match will help you sleep better the night before because you won't be worrying (or as worried) about what you maybe could have done.

As the title says looking to see if anybody has had any experience with black scorpion pouches. Particularly interested in these https://www.shootersconnectionstore.com/Black-Scorpion-Thunderbolt-Master-Pouch-with-Magnet--P4442.aspx Thinking maybe one or two with the external magnet and then three normal ones. Thanks guys. Or is there another semi economical mag pouch I should look for instead?