jmac2112

I have an AR-15 that I built myself using a barrel with a .223 Wylde chamber (in case that's relevant). I checked it using Forster gauges (5.56 Min and Max), and everything checked out. I've loaded and shot about 300 rounds, and there have been no problems at all. I should probably just relax and enjoy my rifle, but something is bothering me.... I have a Dillon case gauge that I used to set up my Dillon sizing die (in a Lee single stage press with a Lee shell holder). After I size a case and put it in the gauge, it appears to the naked eye that the top of the case head is flush with the cut-out portion of the gauge (I'm sure that's not the proper terminology). However, I recently decided to use a small straight-edge to see if the case heads were indeed flush with the gauge, and they are not. They're proud of the gauge by just the tiniest bit, maybe no more than .001". I have tried screwing in the die a little more, but it doesn't make any difference. This is as much as the die is going to size the cases unless I start modifying things. So, my question is, what should I do? I could take .001" off the top of the shell holder and try again. That seems like the obvious solution, but is there a better way? Is there a way to determine the best length for my chamber? I've read that you can use a comparator to check the case-head to shoulder distance of a casing fired in your gun and then size to .003"-.004" shorter than that. I've also heard that that only works for bolt guns, not autoloaders. Or should I just stop worrying and go shoot my gun? Thanks in advance for any advice! John

With my steel guns I do silicon carbide on just the left (support hand) grip panel, and with my P-10F I put silicon carbide on the left side of the backstrap. I've always hesitated to put SC on the P-10 grip, since there's no going back, so I use grip tape instead. I like the fact that the VP9 gives you the option to put SC on the side pieces without committing to it forever. My aging eyes don't get along with iron sights very well, but it's always good to have choices! The fact that the Shadow 2 and X-Five Legion are so popular right now means that most other guns are a bit behind in the aftermarket department, or at least that's the way it seems.

Thanks for the reply! I have CHPWS plates on my guns and I like them a lot, so it's good know they offer one for the VP9. As for Blue Bullets, I like the fact that the coating is very tough. I have heard of problems shooting coated bullets through polygonal barrels, but maybe that only happens with thinner coatings. How do you like the trigger? Is it good enough as is, or is it worth upgrading?

I've been shooting a Shadow 2 in CO for the past year, but over the winter I've been toying with the idea of switching to my P-10F. The thing that's really holding me back is the main thing I don't like about most polymer guns, namely the fact that you can't play around with grip panels to make them fit your hands. I really like the idea of the VP-9 grip system, but seems like there aren't any gun stores where I live that stock them regularly, so trying one out is going to be a challenge. I have medium-large hands, so it's not like most grips are "too large" or "too small" per se, it's just that having some width to the grip makes it easier to maintain contact with my palm. My grip question: Has anyone else been on the same quest, and is the VP-9 the answer to your prayers? My division question: If anyone is shooting a VP-9 in CO, I'd love to know which version, as well as other details of your setup (mag extensions, optic plates/optic, etc.). A third question: I've been shooting Blue Bullets in my CZs and I really like them. Has anyone had any trouble shooting Blue Bullets (or other coated bullets) through the VP-9 polygonal barrel? Thanks! John

Thanks, TRUBL! I like what I see/read about your new air cushion recoil system, and I'm still deciding between your ULW barrel and the 13/16 barrel. All of this is moot at the moment, of course, because they are all out of stock. Any idea when any or all of those items will be back?

TRUBL: Just to clarify, are you saying that your ULW barrel will jump more in recoil than the 10/16 or 13/16, but that with a good buffer system and enough practice, you can split just as fast with one as with the other? I've been shooting pistol for several years now, and I know that at 7 yards I can easily keep shots in the A zone with .20 splits just by practicing and knowing the recoil characteristics of the pistol. With a rifle, it seems like it would feel like cheating! I feel spoiled for choice with the offerings on your website alone, not to mention all the other barrels out there. I've got about five of your items (not just barrels) set up for notification when they come back in stock!

I'd like to hear about that as well. The 10/16 sounds like a winner, but with my AR-15 I'm used to putting my hand far out on the handguard with my thumb on top. That could be a painful mistake if I forgot! I understand that you can use a heat shield along the bottom and sides, so I would just have to remember to keep my thumb (and other fingers) below the edge of the shield. The 13/16 would allow for a grip close to the one I already use. In either case, I would want to come up with a load tailored to the barrel. The 10/16 is 19 oz., vs. 15 oz. for the ULW. 4 oz. plus 6" of comp would surely make a noticeable difference. The 13/16 is 24 oz. with 3" of comp. I assume you would have to be a pretty experienced PCC shooter to decide which one is right for you and your sport. For someone in my situation (51 years old, three kids, very little spare time, 0% chance of shooting PCC Nationals) it makes no real difference at all. AND YET.... I can't stop myself from obsessing about optimizing my new toy! My mind is a weird place....

Taking this in a different direction, would it be fair to say that the buffer system and overall balance of the gun have a much greater effect on follow-up shots than any muzzle device? In any case, how would you rank those three in order of importance?

So many choices.... Thanks for all the feedback, though!

Thanks to both of you! The only concern I have about the XLW is that a really light barrel would make follow up shots harder (though it would be ideal for Steel Challenge). Have you found that to be an issue at all?

I need another gun like I need a hole in the head, but.... I like to build and tinker, so I've bought an Aero EPC upper/lower and I'm working outward from there. I might want to shoot it in USPSA someday, but in the meantime I've got 12 year old who likes rifle better than pistol, so he'll be the primary user. This will be a rifle, not an AR pistol, and within reason I'd like to keep it pretty light. I already load 9mm for Carry Optics (Blue Bullets 125 gr. TC, loaded to 135 PF), and I'd like to use the same load in the rifle. Big question I have is which barrel to get. I've seen lots of recommendations for Taccom. I'm drawn toward the Superfeed 16" ULW (basically a 5.25" barrel with a long shroud): https://taccom3g.com/product/taccom-ar15-ulw-9mm-pcc-ramped-barrel/ Anyone have experience with this barrel? Any real difference between the ULW and the XLW besides the fact that the XLW is only 11 oz? Does the porting in the ULW shroud actually do anything or is it just for looks? On the other hand, I could go with a 16" Macon Armory barrel. They get good reviews, but I imagine I would have to alter my load for that barrel, and it would be heavier (which is both good and bad). If you've got any advice, lay it on me! Thanks, John

P.S. I also used MEK and a pipe cleaner to remove all traces of the Vibratite from the holes first. I don't know what you've been using as a threadlocker, but acetone doesn't work very well on Vibratite.

After even more frustration, I ended up getting longer screws to hold the plate to the slide (8mm instead of 6mm). That plus blue Loctite has been working for a few thousand rounds so far. You could probably go as long as 10mm with those screws. Maybe try that first before enlarging anything.

I've been struggling with elbow pain (mostly on the outside) ever since I got back into shooting about three years ago. I've tried the exercises promoted by Chad Reilly, which helped quite a bit, and I've done a lot of stretching and self-massage, but lately the pain is keeping me from training more than once or twice a week (dry fire, live fire, whatever). There's a relatively new treatment available called Tenex that uses ultrasound to remove scar tissue (not to be confused with the blood pressure medication of the same name). If you google "tenex tendinopathy" or "tenex tendonitis" you'll come up with info on it. It's not technically surgery, although it does involve sticking some sort of needle/probe into your body. Just wondering if anyone here has tried it, and if so, how it worked out for you. I don't think I've ever going to get out of B class until I get this under control so I can train more. Thanks, John

P.S. The gunsmith recommended a maximum torque of 10 in./lb. on those little M3 screws. He said I could go as high as 18 in./lb. with the 6-32 screws, but I'm trying 15 to see how that works.

Ended up taking the slide to a local gunsmith. Fortunately, it was an easy fix. I probably could have saved some money sending it to CZC, but I really wanted to get this gun back in action as soon as possible.

Mine were black. BTW, I was referring to the plate being aluminum, not the screws. I'm not sure if you were thinking that the screws were aluminum.

Interesting! Thanks for passing that along; I might end up going that route. I'm not a metallurgist, but I do know that aluminum expands at about twice the rate of steel when heated. Guns get hot when you shoot them, so maybe those tiny little screw heads just can't take it anymore after being stretched by dozens of heat cycles.

Well, now I've gone and done it. I broke the head off one of the tiny screws that hold the CZC optic mounting plate to the slide (M3 x 6mm). I used VibraTite V3 and torqued to 15 in/lbs., which didn't seem crazy at the time, but in retrospect it was clearly not a good idea. The weird thing is that the head didn't break off when I was installing it. When I went to remove it today, it was already broken, so it must have happened at some point when I was shooting the gun. Anyway, now I've got a screw that's broken off slightly below the surface of the slide. My only thought at this point (aside from taking it to a gunsmith) is to use a left-hand drill on it. I could use a regular bit, but a) I don't have a screw extractor that tiny and b) the screw that broke off is on the side that's partially blocked from below, so I don't want to drive it any deeper into the slide. I have no problem taking it to a gunsmith, but I thought I would check here first. Any ideas appreciated! Thanks, John

Thanks, belus! I've looked at the Scales before, and they do seem to have the approximate shape I'm looking for. The thing that has always put me off from trying them is the "open" design, since it reduces the contact area. Do you find that to be a problem, or is there something about the design that makes up for that?

Interesting! I was not even aware of those--thanks!

Pertinent info: I have "almost large" hands (e.g. large gloves are generally a little too big on me, but medium are too small). I've tried a number of grips on my Shadow 2, and right now I'm using the LOK palm swell grips. They're the right size for my hands, and I really like them for the most part, but one thing about them bugs me. As my grip technique has evolved, I've started using a "nutcracker" grip in which I squeeze the edges of my palms together slightly and my support hand palm is locked in place along the back edge of the grip panel. I have started to think it would be great if I had some grips that were essentially flat on the sides, but with a sort of angled "ledge" on the back to allow maximum contact in that area. The problem I have with the palm swells is that they curve inward at the bottom, making it harder to keep my palm in contact. These two grips look promising and are offered in different thicknesses: https://usa-shop.armanov.com/products/pistol-grips-maxxxgrip-technology-cz-shadow-2-sp01 https://www.m-arms.eu/products/monarch-1-long/ Does anyone have any experience with these grips or with any others that might be suitable? Thanks! John

MikeyScuba: The primers being offered by Zinc Point Manufacturing are Argentinian. Is this the company you're talking about?

Placed an order for 1000 125gr CN with Black Bullets on 5/17, received the bullets on 5/20. I've never bought from them before, but I'm definitely impressed with the shipping speed (and the fact that they had the bullets in stock). I've got a larger order with another outfit that I've been waiting on for about two months now....

Thanks, edison! Looks very interesting.