alien_pickles

I'm sure it's my water, but it's nice that the sun fixes it! It's also easier to dump them on a towel than try to space them out in the dryer, but you also have to wait for nice weather and have the space. I initially wet tumbled because I lived in a studio apartment, so outside wasn't an option for me.

Oooh, that's cheap

As a note about brass juice... While I love it and won't be switching, it leaves terrible water spots if I use a brass dryer (my water is also not great, fwiw). I know some of the lemishine type things help to prevent this. I just solved the problem by drying them in the sun, which is easier and cheaper anyway.

Awesome, thanks!

Can you do this with coated bullets? I know wet tumbling takes that coating right off

Lololololol. Never. Never even once. If you are that concerned to go to that much trouble.... buy new. Wow. Fudds...

I love my EGW U dies. I honestly couldn't tell if they were different from the Lee dies, but the price was a wash with the difference in shipping, and I know EGW makes a good product and supports the shooting sports. They do make your press harder to work since you're literally making the brass smaller. You will also have to make your bell wider in order to keep your bullets straight. You can't just change one thing on your press and expect not to have to change the other things too. All the parts fit together. The easier brass to process with the U die is either already roll-sized or previously run through a standard sizing die. It's much smoother. I often deprime my brass on a single stage press before I clean it, and this brass is much easier to load. I do also have a bulge buster. I know that ammo that case gauges in my hundo will run in my gun. If a round fails case gauge, I throw it in a box. Once I get around to it, I run all of it through the bulge buster until it either makes case gauge or becomes apparent it won't (tilted bullet, usually). Sometimes you have to run it through more than once to smooth it out if it's really bad. Most of the time, all this ammo usually still goes in my practice bin just in case the brass has gotten too thinned out, because I definitely wouldn't want a case head separation during competition.

I usually like the long loaded Precision Delta 40. It chrono'd 165.8 out of my 5" Schuemann barrel at racegun nationals last year. (Phew, glad it was certified!) However, I got a batch of 45 in 2020 during covid and have had a lot of issues with bad primers in the batch. I have no idea where they source them from, especially during a shortage...

This is 100% not true. You'll get bumped to open. Any issues with your gear gets you bumped to open, not to another division in which it's legal. In terms of 40 SS, it's what I started with so that I could use the same ammo for both it and limited. I have a Trojan that works awesome and will eat any ammo I put in it. However, there's not much left that's stock about it. It's had a lot of work done. I also run it with 10mm Tripp mags, which are the ONLY SS mags to buy, IMO. It definitely runs better with 8+1 than 10+1, even with the special followers. Overall, the special followers that allow you to load to 10+1 don't run as well as the standard ones. Long loaded ammo also tends to be better. It's also easier to reload faster with a magwell, because you don't have to push as hard to get it to seat. I recently bought a 45 just because I prefer the recoil impulse. More of a push than a snap. Some people prefer the other and feel the sights return faster with 40. That depends on your preference. It's also classic, and, even if it's not always a competition gun, it's not a caliber that's going to die. Which... is why I'd hesitate right now to buy a 40 gun. There's more and more talk of eliminating major power factor in competition. There's also, as you're noticing, fewer guns manufactured in 40 as advances in 9mm have given it enough "stopping power" to make it better for carrying while being easier and cheaper to shoot. Brass, etc. is going to get harder to find. I question if it's worth it?

I haven't ever loaded minor before. Do Tanfos run a shorter OAL?

I'm trying to load some minor 40 ammo for an upcoming steel match. I'd rather just change the powder amount to avoid messing with my press, but I can't find a good recipe. The only powder I have is sport pistol, and, with the shortage, it's unlikely that I'll be using anything else. I currently load 4.0 grains sport pistol at 1.175" with 200 grain coated bullets that chrono 175 out of a 5" 2011. I'd like to drop the charge enough to be noticeable but still make the gun run reliably. I only have occasional access to a chrono, and the match is in a few weeks (it won't have chrono... I'd just prefer not to shoot major), so building a ladder isn't really an option.

I've heard very specific complaints about DVCs. Especially in 40. Don't personally know anyone who hasn't had at least one barrel break. Edges seem to be better. I have one. It doesn't excite me, but I also have no complaints so far (knock on wood). It's not a primary gun for me, so it doesn't get quite the round count, but it does alright.

He should buy a lottery ticket

Opf, those are VERY pretty. It might be sacrilege to put one in a kydex holster though...

Sure, you can. However, I'd argue that any worthwhile gunsmith has their own style. Infinity even maybe a little more so since they only use their own parts. Now, I could order something really simple and it'd be pretty style-free. But I'm still paying the Infinity price, and honestly, if I'm buying an Infinity, I want it to look like an Infinity. I'm also sure that even though they only use their own parts that they could design and machine anything that I possibly wanted as long as they thought it'd be reliable, but, unfortunately, that's way beyond the capacity of my budget. Infinity builds race guns. That's what they're good at. I would love a 2011 race gun that looks like a 2011 race gun. For my 1911, even though I plan to use it in USPSA right now, I want something that looks more classic.

lol, smh... that would be a great question for STI. It's a 40

Ugh, I have a curse. I love that gun of Kyle's... If you ever want to sell one of those six, you just let me know... I'd love an infinity, but it's just not the style I think I'm looking for on a 1911. Hopefully a 2011 someday. I'm very excited to hear back from Mark. I think it's going to be a really good route and that he can create something that I'll want to hold onto forever instead of recycle every couple of years. To be fair to several of the other posters, I would buy a Dan Wesson for the right price and still may someday to replace the Trojan as a backup. I just don't want to pay full MSRP for a new one and the right lightly used one hasn't popped up for sale yet.

It depends on how much you want to shoot it. I've known several people who had them for USPSA and all of them broke barrels in them. However, all of these people shot 10-20K rounds a year for multiple years. They did like them otherwise.

Man, I wish I had bought Dawson mags instead of Tripps...

Thanks Joel. I've actually already been in contact and am waiting to hear back on a quote. I'm just super indecisive and was wondering what else was out there. He did some work for me after one of my catastrophes and it's been awesome since.

A. That's part of the reason I'm looking to upgrade. B. I shoot limited more than I shoot SS. My limited gun is significantly nicer than a Trojan.

I feel like this whole LB argument is the problem with buying out of the box. Sometimes it's awesome. Sometimes it's not. If you buy from a real guy and not a company and something happens, you can take it back to him and get your problem resolved. Unless he's a shithead. Which is why you ask for recommendations first

I was going to respond to someone that my local gunsmith uses my slide for a hammer, but I didn't want to call you out in public like that

Do you want to sponsor me? I'll put your face on my shirt

I do hear smith and wessons are shooters. I'm good enough on reloading supplies and won't be buying more until prices come back to normal anyway just on principle. I currently shoot USPSA with an STI Trojan, so I have all the equipment. I'm looking to make that gun my backup and upgrade the primary