[Two guns blown up in five weeks...suggestions?]

Adhering to a rigid process goes a long way toward eliminating errors. We run 3 1050's pretty much 4-6 hours a day, 3-4 days per week and here are the 12 golden strict rules we adhere to.

One: not only an individual adjustable bright light clamped to the machine and pointed down on the left hand side AND turned on but a bright room and free uncluttered area around each machine. Clean up powder spills around the machine and on the tool head WHEN THEY HAPPEN not later.

Two: No distractions, no head phones, no music, no texting at the station, no cell phone use at all at the station. if you need to make a call, STOP and walk away, more on that below.

Three: On a machine with auto drive, if the machine is stopped for any reason, upon start up verify visually that the next few cases coming off the powder drop are being filled properly. On a machine with auto drive constantly listen and know the sounds of your machine, constantly scan and be familiar with all the moving parts. If you are operating the machine manually your eyes need to always be on the powder and bullet drop sations, no where else unless you are stopped.

Four: If you need to stop the machine for any reason you must always stop it with the tool head in the full down position unless clearing a jam prevents it. Get into this habit all the time so there is no guessing which way to go with the tool head upon startup.

Five: NEVER let the powder bin get less than 1/2 full, even with a low powder alarm on the bin.

Six: Very important, SLOW DOWN and be very deliberate in all your interactions with the process. Do not race the machines.

Seven: Do not leave the machine with an empty or low primer magazine. If it is empty OR low and you need to walk away for any reason, make sure the tool head is in the full down position, pull out the the primer feed rod and lay it across the tool head and flip up the alarm acuating lever so you know at a glance that the machine should not be started up until the primer magazine is checked and full.

Eight: The machine is always tagged with a securely attached note indicating the bullet type, powder type, charge weight, OAL and date it was set up.

Nine: The powder bin has a seperate note in big letters indicating the current powder type in the bin.

Ten, Do not load powder and primers on the fly with an auto drive unit. STOP the machine with the tool head down, load what you need to and then start back up as indicated above.

Eleven: No lot is to be greater than 1000 - 1300 rounds. When you reach that amount stop, tag the bin with a note that stays with that lot for the rest off the process through cleaning, polishing, guaging boxing and labeling. The note must have on it machine#, year, month, day, projectile weight and type, powder type and charge weight. NO BINS LAYING AROUND WITH PRODUCT IN THEM AND NO TAG!

Twelve: NO open or unlabeled containers of powder anywhere near the machine unless you are in the process of loading the powder bin. The jug is always kept sealed and placed under the table. No container is to have more than 5-8 Lbs of powder in it at any one time.

The other comon sense things are, take the bathroom break and don't stand there twitching your leg up and down while you "just get these last 50 rounds done". Don't work when hungry. Safety glasses ALL THE TIME, no excuses.

One job, one focus, if your mind is drifting off to other thoughts STOP and take a break.

Clean the machines regularly by taking off the tool head, indexing plate, case and primer shuttle cocks, inspecting and reassembling. If we keep the tool head clean and free of powder spills as they happen we only need to do this about once a week to each machine.

While the above rules are particular to us and the 1050's they can be adapted to your personal situation. I encourage you to print out something similar poster style and place it close to the machine. Read it often, don't get complacent. Any activity involving energetic compositions demands your full attention and respect. It's not IF an accident will happen but WHEN it happens....... be prepared.

I like this work/safety procedure.

A lot of thought and experience has obviously gone into it.

Even Dillon couldn't do a better one......if their lawyers even let them try.

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[Sights on SG barrel...do they stay put?]

Tried Williams Fire Sight screw/clamp on sights for my Benelli vent rib barrel. They worked very well for slugs once zeroed and I like how the sighting plane is just a bit higher off the vent rib than the original front bead.

But as expected, after about 100 rounds of slugs and shot, the sights came loose.

Can anyone out there vouch for these sights staying put after a couple thousand rounds, assuming a perfect install process of degreasing the threads and loctite?

Even the Nordic tube clamp likes to walk a little after many rounds, and the screws are still tight.

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[Tavor in 3 Gun?]

Put a comp on the Tavor and it would be just the ticket for the local shoothouse matches that have tight walls and wide transitions.

Then again with your face closer to the comp than with the AR, would there be unpleasant shockwaves?

If geissele ever puts out a decent trigger pack for the Tavor, I will probably get one just for the fun of it.

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[California]

Lets say a job offer is accepted in Calif.

And i have ar15s with many 30 round mags, 3gun ready Benelli, Ak variants, open div pistols (threaded barrels) with 30 round mags, and perhaps 10 semi auto glocks with dozens of full capaicty mags.

As best i can determine, none of this hardware could accomany me should i move to this state.

Have i got this right?

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[Open 40 cost?]

I dont get it?

Why stick with 40 in open div?

Kinda like putting oversized mud/swamp tires on a Ferrari.

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[major 9mm for sale?]

Universal ammo is another source.

I have not tried their 9 major product, but I would bet its top quality stuff.

http://www.universalammo.com/

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[Finally - The Perfect Open Gun Optic]

until i see pics, this thead is just a bunch of crap/.

OP initiated this thread then pulled pics???

Sounds like a sasquach sighting to me.

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[Breechface erosion STI Trubor]

Seems I break all the rules and suggestions here.......brass gets used over and over, federal primers, win primers, sr win, with 9major, using hs6, autocomp and VV.

But I have a perfect looking break face on my STI.

There is a process call plasma spray that greatly enhances the base metal's resistance to flame cutting.......seems STI could afford this equipment.

FWIW my glock 34 production unit has significant breach face errosion and I feed it a diet of about 90,000 rounds of factory CCI blazer.........back in the day i could pick up that stuff for $3/box at academy, so I shot the snot out of it.

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[Minor 9mm load using Autocomp and 124 JHP MG's]

Anyone got a good minor (chrono-ed) load for STEEL using a comped 2011 with 5 inch barrel?

All I have right now is 124 jhp MG's and Autocomp powder.

My best guess is 5.0 Autocomp, 124 MG bullet, 1.1650 length.......should put me at about 135 PF?

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[AR Price Tracking]

Its lack of ammo at reasonable prices thats keeping me from getting a JP15.

I would like to put many 1000's of rounds downrange with it.

But as it is now, ammo is ridiculous.

Wait see what next year brings.

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[magazine tuning ?]

I've heard good things about the DP tuning kit. It sounds like it's worth it.

I have one......money well spent.

Mag tuning is something most everyone in open or limited could do after watching the DP dvd on subject and using the tools provided.

Also get a gauge to verify length esp if running +1 basepads.......before the chronoman beats you to it.

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[Concerned about lead exposure]

Knew two shooters that did a LOT of indoor range activity.....like once a week. One of them smoked often at the range too.

Both came down with serious lead complications.

Personaly, I just dont use indoor ranges and never will based on what these individuals had to deal with.

How do you know the ventilation is ok? As in one year later you still feel fine?

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[Excellent Long Range Shooting video tutorial]

Wonder if those are BLM pulic lands he's shooting on, and those dirt roads he sends bullet over are traveled by others unaware of his sniper practice in progress.

But if its private land he's on no problemo.

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[Favorite C-More dot size]

I have a 6 and 8...prefer 8 now.

The older eyes become the brighter and bigger dots are preffered.

USPSA is mostly wicked fast with open....not a lot of precision shots IMO......so big bold dots with fresh battery and clean diode works for me.

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[FYI Regarding JP Rifle / Upper Builds]

Perhaps in six months time, once its clear no big changes are going to happen, folks might get cold feet and cancel orders?

What has happened is the marginal buyer has panicked and rushed in.

Previous to the incedent, a JP rifle was just an idea floating around in buyer's head that they might or might not act upon.

Once the old reality returns - rifles can still be purchased - then there is no reason to rush into a JP for the marginal buyer.

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[Potential Mag Ban Effect?]

Where would I buy 10 round magazines for an STI open gun?

I dont think some sort of removeable plug thingy would acceptable should this restiction come to pass.

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[I know why my gun was jamming Sunday]

Barrels toast obviously.

I'd grind out the crack as be I could then weld it up, then finish grind and polish for fit.

Of course it wouldnt anywhere near as good as new and fitted, but might last 4000 rounds or 400 till it cracks again......sort of a temp emergency fix thing.

But I recognize that most folks lack a welder in their garage, which pretty much negates this option.

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[124 MG JHP's versus 125 JHP Zeros]

I can get the Montana's.........not so for Zeros.

I'm thinking for my 9mm major load using Autocomp that the 124 MG's will perform very much like the 125 Zeros I just ran out of?

(1.1650 OAL; 6.8 autocomp, but a big st. deviation of 27fps) - I was surprised it made major at 171 PF.

Anyone out there with experience with both bullets?

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[200 Baggage thefts/day at JFK]

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2012/03/26/exclusive-the-stunning-jfk-airport-baggage-scandal-200-thefts-per-day/

This is why I will only drive to a match with any pistol that costs more than 1000$.

Guess that limits me to production div. only for those fly-to destinations.

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[Bulletproof Salesman]

Bulletproof Salesman..... movie documentary on netflix watch instantly.

I liked it, and there are plenty of gun configurations shown that are common over there. Real stuff footage, not some Hollywood re-creation.

From the storyline.......

Within days of the coalition forces entering Baghdad, Fidelis Cloer has arrived as well. He sells armored cars. Over the next few years, he sells more than 200 in Iraq. We watch him examine the wreckage of destroyed vehicles, gathering information on how to improve his product. He talks about his competition. We visit a testing center in Bavaria where Cloer's researchers blow up vehicles. Talking to the camera, Cloer gives advice on safety and blending in. Near the end of the film, he's in Kabul, repeating his pattern of research and sales. He's philosophical, confident he'll always have work.

[The birth of pistol craft?]

Its interesting to speculate what equipment would be out there and available to us IF say USPSA had always been as popular and well funded as say baseball?

If sv and sti annual sales were in the billion of dollars instead of what they are now? Just think of the R&D budgets they would have.

And I suspect Open division would have an optic far far more advanced and improved over the old cmore I put up with.

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[USPSA BOD Meeting]

"viable for typical carry-suitable guns"

We cant just carry guns around anywhere, they have to be concealed and a CH license to boot.

How about a cover garment requirement to supplement the new trigger standards. :roflol:

Then of course there are issues of cover while shooting, reloads with retention, etc that really should be looked into........................ :sick: :blush:

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[Moving Zero]

check your grip screws.. I fought traveling zero for a week till I found my grip screw were loose. Blue lock tight and now it holds zero.

I believe Mat has the answer for you -

I had the exact same problem, and this problem has

been discussed on this forum just a few days ago

(a week?).

My 9mm major STI TruBor wouldn't hold a zero for

an entire match.

Turns out the grip screws were loose, just as

Mat mentioned three days ago...

Soon as I tightened the screws (I loc-tited them)

the problem disappeared, and that's two years ago:))

Good luck.

Jack

I am having the same drifting C-more issues, and ( to my surprise) my grips screws are loose.

Can someone explain how my loose grip screws cause the zero point to drift (3in at 17 yds) over the course of say 150 rounds?

The mount is securely attached to the frame and the cmore is tight on the mount......that critical geometry is fixed rigid and is not loose.

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[Open - what caliber]

Of course powder, bullet, OAL, etc matter a lot.........but doesn't some of the Corbon self defense 9mm stuff make like 164PF?

Thats factory ammo getting very close to major.

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[Reloading Kaboom Yesterday - Please Learn From This]

WOW!

Another theory: Perhaps a bit of primer compound, stuck in pin hole of mag tube, somehow was ignited by the pinching force of pulling the pin out, which than caused a cascading ignition of primers in mag tube???

Primer compound is quite stable and much harder to ignite with a static spark, than say gasoline.

Clearly a freak accident though.

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