jkrispies

I’m building another PCC upper and have liked my previous TACCOM receivers... and the price is right. It never hurts to ask for alternate suggestions though. My only criteria is I’m looking for a slick side, but being a lefty I wouldn’t mind a brass deflector if it was in the correct spot for a PCC. Brass in my face has never been a problem, though, so that’s a low priority. Pretty angles are fine, but no skeleton cuts for me. I thought this one from AR-Stoner looked promising but it says no back orders: https://www.midwayusa.com/product/197087/ar-stoner-enhanced-billet-upper-receiver-stripped-ar-15-9mm-luger-45-acp-aluminum-matte. Thanks, J

I’m sorry, but who has time for aiming low on this plate or high on that one? Just aim for the middle and don’t be so far off that you miss the plate entirely. Our smallest target is a 10” plate at 18 yards. No round or zero needs 5 inches of drop or rise.

Zero it on the Pendulum plates, no matter the gun, as that’s about the hardest shot you’ll encounter in SC. Either that or the small rear plate on Accelerator, which is about the same distance and difficulty if not exactly the same. I don’t have a diagram in front of me but I’m guessing those are both about 18ish yards. I find that my .22lr returns to zero at 35 yards from that distance too so it works well. FWIW, I don’t worry about figuring my SC drops to the gnat’s ass. Just zero it and practice: When we’re shooting 2’ plates at 35 yards at warp speed, if you miss, it isn’t because you calculated the drop wrong.

Wow talk about great customer service! The Brass Juice folks replied right away (on a Saturday morning, New Years weekend) and asked for my phone number. We chatted for a few minutes. He says that I CAN use the Brass Juice in a vibratory machine but I may need to play around with the ratio of water to brass to mixture. He also recommended running one of my spare vibratories with corn cob media to dry the brass afterwards... but I'd rather get away from that stuff altogether. To that end, I asked if I could just air dry it, and he said that would be no problem if I left the brass out to dry in the sun but recommended that if I go that I use distilled water to avoid calcium spots drying on the brass. He also said that I can get 3-4 uses out of each batch, so I'm thinking that I'll get a bottle along with some distilled water (it's not expensive from the grocery store) and will give it a go for the new year.

Man, there's a whole lot of Carbon Fiber in that photo! Nice!!!

So, apologies if this is a stupid question, but I’ve got four vabratory cleaners sitting in my garage but rally only use one, a large Thumler's. The basins can hold water, so is there any reason I couldn’t use this stuff in a vibratory, say half-filled? Would there be an issue with the chemicals and plastic basins? I always assumed that rotaries were used in wet tumbling mainly because of the additional weight that needed to be managed by adding the steel pins... but this doesn't use pins. Anyway, I sent the manufacturer an email to see what they say.

I think demand is the key, combo'd with the fact that S&W has made a quality product for a low price that in a lot of ways kills the need for a conversion. Well, maybe not kill it exactly, but take enough demand out of an already limited demand that it's not really feasible to turn a profit in the marketplace after paying for the R&D. Yes, a conversion would be way less expensive for me if I could drop it into my PCC and use the same trigger, optics, etc., etc., etc vs. buying a twinsies set to make an M&P .22 setup like my competition gun.... but your "typical mass market consumer" isn't invested into a single gun the way I am, and he's not going to be driven to replicate everything the way I would be. Who knows, though-- maybe somebody will prove me wrong.

Yep, that ^ !!! If you put too much oil in, the problem will resolve itself after the first shot, and henceforth the gun will have the perfect amount of lube.

Hey, hey now! TJ Hooker taught me everything I know.

Some great suggestions here, guys! I’ve now got a Smoke Composites inbound. It will be awhile as I’m on the part-a-month plan, and this is part #1, but I’ll give an update eventually.

Mac-pcc. I'm curious if you're getting "half-dollar sized" accuracy at 50 yards as well? I'm investigating barrels and the medium weight sounds interesting... Thanks, J

Thanks Rowdy! I’m just starting USPSA dryfire training (but have done a ton for Steel Challenge) so this helps give me some baselines to work off of. Curious if anybody else can share some reload drills and pars? I’m a lefty and working to get my reloads at least competitive with the rest of the world.

Well Mark Isler is certainly well loved! It looks like his forearms are only available in 2”. I'm looking for something thinner. Anybody handled a Smoke Composites PCC Handguard?

For people who have experience handling multiple handguards... Who makes the most stable, thin diameter carbon fiber forearm? What I’m really asking is: who makes the best base? I know that they probably all just slip on, but I’ve seen some move around quite a bit if you test up near the end of the barrel. I don’t think the flex was in the carbon fiber itself, but rather it was at the slip-on base, which needed more support beyond the slip-on pressure. Thanks, J

Must... resist... another... hobby.........

After I made my post I realized that I should have listed Cz as well. I’m lookig at one my self for an eventual CO build.

Steam punk that bad girl!!! I like it!

So I'm thinking that 1 o'clock is equivalent to a 30 degree mount? Or is it more like a 70 degree? Hard to tell from the photos I looked up... and I guess it depends on where/how you attach it....

Shoot your current glock in Limited or Production until you can afford a proper 2011. You will appreciate the practice now, and having proper equipment in the "premier" divisions is a must. Now, yes, a GM can pick up any gun and shoot it well. But you're not a GM. To that end, If you're really concerned about it and don't already have too much invested into the Glock in terms of mags, holsters, etc., I would recommend selling/trading it for an M&P or Sig only because the Glock grip angle is different than a 2011 platform, and it would be better to train in something that's more similar to where you hope to eventually settle on in the end. I'm not saying that an M&P shoots like a 2011, but IMHO the Glock grip angle is a big deal that might well be addressed sooner rather than later. Now, if you want my real, real opinion, I'd get a 1911 and shoot Single Stack while you save up for the 2011. In that case you'd really be training for the 2011 platform not only in terms of grip angle, but also safeties, mag release, trigger, magazine changes etc. Also, very importantly, it will give you a better idea of how you'll want your 2011 set up when it comes time to start ordering parts for a custom gun. If you get it in .40 then you can even start figuring out a a Limited .40 load that will translate directly to a 2011 platform. The problem with this last glorious piece of advice, of course, is that 1911's can get pricey in and of themselves: some might even argue that if you choose to go this route, you might as well jump directly into Limited. I'd disagree with that... but then I'm a card-carrying Single Stack guy. An M&P is a much more entry level choice that will allow you to start saving your pennies sooner.

Voodoo Tactical 2-in1 range bag: https://www.voodootactical.com/two-in-one-full-size-range-bag.html. The photos aren't the greatest, but take note of the ones that show the inner bag. Both sides are padded zippered pouches that can store the firearm between stages, and there are mag pouches sewn into the interior bag. I keep the interior bag inside all the time with no issue but I can see how some might consider it too small if they are carrying excessive (my opinion) crap around with them. But of course the interior bag can be removed and carried separately if required. I'm a single stack shooter as well, and this is as close to ideal as I could ask.

Please ask them not to film or photograph anybody without their permission, as quite a few shooters have jobs that may not approve of the hobby. For instance, I'm in education, I know others in the film industry, and have shot alongside some law enforcement who are undercover at work. These folks prefer to keep their "web presence" to a minimum. Photos sometimes make it to the Internet. Other than that, what amokscience said. I'd tell them to drive themselves so they can arrive late and/or leave early, because this really isn't a spectator sport. Also, I generally recommend to new shooters that folks wear baseball caps, as the bills help to protect eyes from fragments coming down at a sharp angle and that can sneak between eyeglass frames and the brow.

Great minds think alike!

It's been awhile so my memory is fuzzy, but I once had a conversation with Dillon asking them if they had a decent shape 450 sitting on a back shelf that they'd be willing to sell to me cheap so that I could turn it into a dedicated .223 brass processing machine. What they told me then is that they scrap-heap 450's whenever they get them because it's essentially no more expensive to purchase a new bottom-of-the-line 550 than it is to take the time to disassemble, clean, and reassemble a 450 while also investing in the upgrade parts and replacing worn out parts... and you've still got an old machine when you're done. They used to sell a do-it-yourself 450 upgrade kit that included a 550 frame (probably necessary for the accessory mounting holes), but I don't see it on the site anymore. Maybe somebody with better search-fu than me can find it if it is still offered. As I recall, their upgrade included a new priming system, updated mounts so you can run a modern powder dispenser, an auto-ejector, and probably a completed round ramp. With a 550 frame you'd also get the quick change head. I know it's the last thing you wanted as a response when asking the question, but I'll be that guy... I just looked it up, and I can get a BL550 (which you might be able to put your priming system, etc., onto) for $310 delivered to my house from Dillon. Remember that you'll have to ship your 450 to Dillon and back in order for them to do the work, and as expensive as shipping something that heavy is likely to be, you could very well lose whatever you're hoping to save by resuscitating the old machine in excessive shipping costs... vs. just buying a new reloader and having it shipped one-way at Dillon's basic rate. If it were me, I've seen full-on RL550's sold for used in the $250 range both locally and here on BEnos. That would take patience to wait for the deal, but it's something to consider.

FWIW I have a Honda pilot all wheel drive which is a poor man’s Acura. I can’t say enough good things about it. When we compared the pilot to the Acura though, the Acura had less interior room in favor of fanciness. My mom has a Lexus and while its very nice, I’d prefer to keep my Honda and tape $20k to the hood

Well, I found a decent deal for a 45 degree Warne on eBay. It's the same angle as a $9.99 Chinese wonder I used once upon a time on a .223. This one should be better quality and line up similarly well.