Esquire

I'd say your bullets need to be a thousandth or two larger in diameter.

Hey guys, I'm taking an AR I built a couple of years ago, tweaking it, and repurposing it as a 3-gun rifle. It has an 18" Wilson Combat stainless barrel on it. Because of budget constraints at the time, I didn't do a free-float handguard then and I'm looking to switch to one now. I thought the Rune 15.5" handguard looked like it would be a good option, but didn't know if you all had any thoughts on whether I ought to get something else a little longer that would cover more of the barrel? Going to add a Miculek comp, as well. Thoughts?

I had the worst time with leading in my Sig 320 X5 until I found out what somebody mentioned earlier...the case swaging the bullets down when I loaded them. Bought a Lee expander die and put a NOE plug in it (don't remember the diameter right off the top of my head) and the leading stopped instantly. For the longest time I didn't think I was getting the coating process right with Hi-tek but then I learned about the swaging. It also helped that I started sizing bullets to .358 after I had coated them. Previously, I had tried molds that were throwing bullets at .355-.356 and the case was swaging them down to .354 sometimes. See if that expander die and plug doesn't fix it for you.

When I was younger, my right eye was unquestionably my dominant eye and I could and did shoot both eyes open regardless of what I was shooting, bow, rifle, shotgun, pistol. I had no problems seeing the sights and a good sight picture with my right eye even though my left was open, too. It seems as I've gotten a little older, my right eye isn't as dominant as it used to be and now is only slightly more dominant than my left. I only bring this up because it is giving me some problems with trying to really be front-sight focused and trying to watch the front sight lift as a shot breaks. If I focus the front sight that hard, it does strange things to my total sight picture. Has anyone else experienced that? Oddly enough, I've noticed that if I'm looking at an object to the left of center of my body, that as long as it's not so far left that it's obstructed by the bridge of my nose, I'll see it mainly with my right eye. If I then look at something to the right of the centerline of my body, I'll see it mainly with my left eye. Am I weird or does anybody else experience this, as well?

I know these two are apples to oranges, but does anybody have any experience with either or both for the 320 X5? Specific likes or dislikes? I like the price on the RHT much more, but there are currently none of the ready to ship holsters in stock. Can't decide if it's worth spending the extra money to get the Ghost right now.

I bought the two-tone X5 last week and I am really impressed with it. One minor complaint though...does the trigger return feel a little sluggish to anyone else or is it that I’m used to shooting revolvers with heavier returns?

I assumed they weren’t selling the tungsten grip modules individually in order to get folks to make another buy to get the legion. Handy piece of info there and that made the decision easy. Thank you.

It's not really that the $200 hurts that much. It's more that I'm undecided as to whether it will help me that much. The regular X5 is a really good-looking two-tone gun (maybe a distributor exclusive?) and that's where my heart is at.

Never have been much of a Sig guy (nothing against them, just shot Glocks because I shoot them well and revolvers because I'm weird like that) but a P320 X5 that I saw at a local retailer last week caught my eye and I made the mistake of having them get it out of the case and letting me hold it. Well, it just fit my hand perfectly. Got me jonesing for one. Fast forward to today, and I go to local gun store and they have the X5 Legion. I like the extra weight, but not entirely sure I like it $200 more. Predominant use will be USPSA and a little 3-gun eventually. What are y'alls thoughts on the weight difference and how much of a difference it makes in shooting and whether it's worthwhile?

One that I experienced recently was when reloading heavy-for-caliber bullets in 9mm. Was loading 160+ grain cast bullets and had issues specifically with CBC (magtech) brass. Case walls are thicker on that brand of brass apparently and the bullet would cause a bulge that would prevent the round from going into a Lyman case gauge. So watch out for that when you're using mixed range brass. Wall thickness definitely varies and will cause problems. My case gauge is ever-so-slightly tighter than my chambers so I will gauge all my reloads that I anticipate using for competition. If they fit the gauge they will fit the chambers on my guns then they are good to go. Depending on how chamfered your cylinders are, make sure and crimp enough but not too much. As a newb reloader I made the mistake of not using enough of a roll crimp on .38 loads, for instance, and it was a frustrating day at the steel match trying to get that poorly crimped ammo that I had moon-clipped to drop in the chamber. Speaking of crimp, and others will have varying opinions on this, I don't think you need much crimp on .38 and 9mm stuff if you're holding the gun properly and putting some thought into your powder/bullet selection to minimize recoil. On magnum rounds, sure. .38 and 9mm? Nah. But, I do get more consistent velocities with a little more crimp, so there's that. And if I'm being honest I still occasionally get distracted by something and forget to seat a primer and the case makes it all the way around and even gets a bullet seated and then I see the powder after the round falls in the tray. That's certainly nothing unique to reloading for revolvers. It's aggravating as hell, though.

Oh is that what you were doing? Since I didn't in any way, form, or fashion suggest that because Jerry does it that way that it's the best way, I just thought you were typing things for the pleasure of reading your own response. I understand now, though. You're the self-proclaimed "'go-to' guy for revolver advice, tips and tricks." Sorry I didn't do a thread about how you load moons.

Can you point out where I insinuated that pliers are the best way or that because Jerry does it that way it's the best way? I don't find that it takes an inordinate amount of time to clip them with the pliers. It's certainly no slower than the TK style of loader. And I already had the pliers. So I saved a nice little chunk of money. Thought others might want the same opportunity.

That may well have been where I saw him doing it.

I am doing the same thing. My old man even made me one of the tube type unloaders. He had some aluminum tube that was just a hair bigger inside dia. than a .38 spl and he notched it and put it in a red plastic handle of some sort he had bought several of at Home Depot. He’s one of the most resourceful and ingenious people I’ve ever known.

It is I’m sure but I’ll be danged if I could go back and find which one it is out of all the clips I’ve watched of Miculek.

Saw a video recently with Miculek and he was mooning some ammo while talking about whatever it was he was talking about....he was using needle nose pliers. Don't know if that's always how he does it (I wouldn't be surprised) but I just thought it was interesting. I gave it a shot and it's actually pretty quick and there was no marring of the brass or the moon clips to speak of. So I probably won't be buying a tool and definitely am carrying needle nose pliers in the range bag now.

I just started shooting steel challenge this year and bought an M&P R8 (basically the same gun as the TRR8) for Steel Challenge after I shot my first match. Shooting it iron sights so far and I like it. Very accurate. I've experienced the same issues with the finish scratches/wear as earlier posters mentioned with a kydex Speed Beez holster. Love the gun, though. Thinking about putting a red dot on it but haven't decided for sure yet. Miculek shoots or did shoot one for Steel Challenge that was chambered in .38 Super, if I recall correctly.

I'm still new to competitive shooting. Really new. But I'm shooting revolvers. I think I do it because in my mind it's harder to shoot revolvers well than just about any other handgun. Why do you guys shoot wheelguns in competition?

Hey guys, just getting into the competitive game. I have a Smith M&P R8 that I'm shooting Steel Challenge with right now in .38 Spl. I anticipate doing some USPSA, and ICORE mostly with the R8 but occasionally with a Glock 34. When I shoot USPSA and ICORE with the R8, I plan on shooting .38 Short Colt. I've been hoping to find a bullet mold that might pull double duty for 9mm and .38 SC. The throats on the R8 slug at ~.357" all the way around, the barrel at .355" Thinking that either the Saeco 928 or the Lyman 356637 will throw a bullet that can be used in the R8 without sizing and in a 9mm after sizing, depending on how it throws. The Lyman concerns me a little because of the flat point and reloading with moon clips in a revolver but I may be getting lost in the weeds. I'd probably go with the Lyman if you all think it would work just because the 4 cavity Lyman is substantially cheaper than the 4 cavity Saeco. Y'all got any thoughts?