Griswold

Anyone know where I can get replacement magazine springs for the 18 round Shadow mags? These are the CZ branded mags. Wolff doesn't have them and it seems Brownells, Midway, etc. doesn't have any either.

Guns & Ammo ran an article with the typical 5 shot @ 25 yard group testing off sandbags, took the average of 5 groups. Heavier and slower loads seemed to group pretty well in the 5" model. Winchester Ranger 147gr averaged 1.92" and Speer Gold Dot 147gr averaged 2.37". Winchester 115gr white box was the worst at 4.06." Hornady Critical Duty was the best at 1.76" Kinda meaningless numbers to an extent, but 2" is pretty good. It would be cool to see results from a good rest, at least a Ransom or a better vise. Maybe more encouraging than reports of good accuracy is the lack of stories about wild inaccuracy.

Hard to go wrong with Ghost pouches. They're tough and versatile. Probably about the best option for the price. The only problem I've experienced is the plastic tensioning insert on the inside of the pouch coming loose. If it happens though you just pop it back in. I like the way Black Scorpion pouches look. They are more complex and cost more than Ghost and you can only set them up bullets forward. But might be worth taking a look at if you want something a little above run of the mill Ghost pouches and don't want a bullets out orientation. Looks like they fit most double stack mags, but M&P mags aren't specifically listed as fitting.

My Apex barrel didn't improve the size of my groups but it did put different bullet weights on the same point of impact. The factory barrel put 147 gr bullets about 8 inches high at 20 yds with the same point of aim compared to 115 gr bullets, all ammo loaded to about 130 power factor.

Thanks for the photos. Interested to hear more of your thoughts on it.

That may not be Production legal. I think Appendix D4-22 prohibits removing a safety. Any other opinions on that? I asked Smith's customer service about a 5 inch model with no thumb safety and the (quick) reply was that it's not offered in that configuration yet. I sure hope they offer it soon. It's looking like you might not have to throw $100 worth of Apex trigger parts in it right away and some sort of "Pro" model with better sights might be great as long as it's not overpriced.