Ken6PPC

Yeah, the ESP's ARE pricey! That is why I haven't already got a set! I do have a set of these: https://www.walkersgameear.com/silencer-in-the-ear-pair/ They certainly don't do much for amplification, and they are a little uncomfortable. Much better than muffs in the heat though.... Sound quality isn't nearly on par with hearing aids, but again, not too bad...

I wear hearing aids, but they won't work for hearing protection. There is a version of hearing aid that does both functions. I haven't tried these yet, but I plan to get a pair. https://www.espamerica.com/

I am very happy with the slide that Primary Machine milled for me. Looks and works great!

Try a welding gas supplier...

Here is a SAAMI video of smokless powder burning in a simulated house fire. https://saami.org/publications-advisories/smokeless-powder-and-the-fire-service/

Loaded ammo isn't much of a hazard in a fire. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SlOXowwC4c Like you already stated, when a loaded firearm is in a fire, it can be just as dangerous as when it is fired normally. Primers aren't much of an issue unless they are stored in bulk. The shipping containers help to prevent them from simultaneously detonating. Keep them in their boxes! Smokless powder is worse than loaded ammo, because it burns at an accelerated rate and it burns hot.

Uh, I think your math is missing a decimal point.... $9 for 3000 is a $0.003, or 3 tenths of a cent per bullet.

An adjustable gas block would probably solve your overgas issues the best...

I have damaged cases that look like that when I size without an expander button, and then used a 22 neck turning mandrel in a die to expand the case. The expansion die was adjusted down too far, and it pushed the neck back down into the case, thereby bulging the shoulder of the case. A sizing die CANNOT do that, and I can't imagine how you could drop rounds hard enough to do that either. Perhaps a mis-adjusted crimping die could do that... In any case, I'd just try to pull and salvage the bullets, and possibly the powder. I wouldn't trust primers after they were removed from being previously loaded, and the cases like the one in the first picture have been SEVERELY damaged. The cases are certainly not worth the trouble and risk. After all, free is only good if it doesn't cost you in some other way!

There is a load listed for VV N330 for 135 gr. XTreme Bullets. This should be a pretty good starting point, but start low:

Guess I was lucky. Mine went a lot easier than I expected. Tapped it out with little effort, and slid the new one into the slide. It lined up perfectly, and I reinstalled the sight and roll pin. Done!

I slugged one brand-new 9mm "match" barrel (supposedly a "match" barrel) that REALLY surprised me. I expected 0.355" or so, but it slugged at 0.3566"! If I hadn't found out the true bore diameter of that barrel, I would have never known why it didn't shoot as I expected.

The recoil spring has little to nothing to do with extraction and ejection. If it is TOO STRONG, it can impede feeding, because the magazine won't have enough time to lift the next cartridge. If it is TOO LIGHT, it can fail to cycle the slide enough to feed.

There you go! Nothing better anywhere! (Not that Steve in Allentown PA needs any endorsement from my humble self!)

Yes, that is a slightly extended ejector, and common on recent 45 ACP 1911's. Some are much longer than that, but I know that the original ejector was short, and is usually good enough. Extended ejectors help mask the problem of improperly tuned extractors.

I find it is easier to do this test with the slide off of the frame. If you leave it on the frame, and pull the slide far enough rearward, the ejector can interfere and make it harder to determine if the extractor is holding the case enough or not.

That ejector is usually used for a 9mm. This one is in a 45, and the original ejectors for 45's are pretty short. Here is a picture of an original 1911 45 ACP ejector: I'm not saying that extended ejectors are not used in 45's. I am saying they aren't usually required....

Sounds like you need to increase your extractor tension. It is kinda hard to tell from the picture, but it looks like the hook is touching the beveled part of the case, where I put a blue arrow. If so, reduce the hook until only the case rim touches the flat on the extractor. Then, put the extractor part way into the hole in the hole in the slide, and bend it to increase tension. You may have to remove metal from the pressure pad just rearward from the hook. I'm not talking about the bump that is right beside your finger in your picture. I mean the one about a 1/4" behind the tip of the hook. See the red arrow. You want the extractor to grip the case tightly enough that it takes a little shaking to dislodge it from the slide. It is possible to take off too much metal, so go slow, and test often. The ejector does seem a little short, but the original ejectors for 45 ACP 1911 were short. When the extractor tension is correct, I bet your ejection problems will be gone. If they don't, then think about replacing the ejector, but work on the extractor first. 90% of all feeding and ejection issues in a 1911 are either magazine or extractor related.

I respectfully disagree. If you look at the video frame by frame, the case is starting to eject when the front of the slide is barely even with the front of the dust cover. I would ensure the extractor shape and tension are both correct first, and then check the ejection. If it is still showing signs of bouncing off the front of the ejection port, THEN I would take a look at the ejector shape and length. I would actually suspect ejector SHAPE may be more of an issue than its length, but in any case, the extractor has to be tuned properly before the ejector can do it's job properly.

Here is what your extractor should look like when a case is inserted: Notice that the hook does not touch the rim, nor the bottom of the extraction groove of the case. Only the flat part of the extractor is touching the cartridge rim. After this shape is correct, adjust extractor tension so a loaded round neither falls out on it's own, nor is held so tightly that shaking the slide won't dislodge it. It should dislodge with a gentle shaking of the slide. As noted in the picture, kudos to Jerry Keefer for the picture of "perfect" extractor fitting!

I can't give you a percentage, but I have been seeing more 9mm range brass with crimped primer pockets than I used to see.

People exceed the maximum charges listed in the manufacturers loading data all the time. Most of the time, they get away with it. Sometimes, they get a KABOOM, and a broken firearm, or worse. If I wanted a higher velocity, unless there was a REALLY good reason why I couldn't, I would just use a slower powder to get there. YMMV...

Brownell's has the parts required to eliminate the Series 80 safety. Here are firing pins: https://www.brownells.com/handgun-parts/action-parts/firing-pin-parts/firing-pins/index.htm?avs|Make_3=1911 This is what you need to eliminate the lever beside the sear in a Colt Series 80: https://www.brownells.com/handgun-parts/frame-parts/frame-hardware/fillers/frame-slot-filler-060-sku876000007-13121-114446.aspx

This may be a stupid question, but are you certain you have a 6.5 CREEDMOOR die? There are lots of other 6.5's...

Link to article in this "online newspaper"?