molson

Good news! As I and everybody else suspected, replacing the front spring fixed the problem. Ran flawlessly as usual today. i will be changing this set of springs on a regular basis going forward. Thinking 4,000 rounds or so. Will add in the recoil spring to this as well. Springs are cheap insurance. Molson

This is one of those things I will add to my new obsession, called "open". Thinking 4,000 on the Aftec springs might be a good number. They are cheap insurance. Probably will add the recoil spring as well.. I guess I was more surprised than anything with the spring being broken. My limited 40 major had 20,000 rounds before the springs gave up. Open has much more maintenance. I knew that though thanks to this forum. Still want to see how Saturday goes though. molson

Good evening all, Saturday during a match, I experienced a first time ever issue with my CKarms 9major pistol. Mind you this is more than 7,000 rd's mostly trouble free. Here is what happened. Fire the shot, and the gun does not totally eject the case. Rack the slide and it ejects a loaded round and of course pushes the empty out. All is well. Saturday evening I checked the grip screws, that front spacer with screws, and the ejector. All where tight and no obvious issues. Wiped the gun down and did not see a strike on the bottom of the horizontal scope mount. Let's try it on Sunday. Sunday match, the same thing again, twice. Humm, What can it be? Magazine? Pulled the offending mag on the second occurrence and went about the rest of the day without issue. Maybe a mag I was thinking. Also thought Aftec spring or springs, and maybe even the recoil spring. The fact it did not happen the rest of the day led me to believe it was a mag. Cleaned the gun tonight. Pulled out the extractor and the front spring fell right out. Busted in half. About 4,000 rounds on the front spring. Moved rear spring to front and replaced the rear spring with new. I guess we will see what happens Saturday. Anybody seen something like this before? I bet somebody has, but thought I would share. I will let you know how it goes. molson

Also, the gun is not loaded by the definition of a loaded gun in the definitions section of the rule book until a round is chambered, assuming there was not one before inserting the loaded mag of course. Look at the definition. Poor form for make ready perhaps, but very common practice.

8.7.1 permits a sight picture. There is no wording stating a mag in the gun nor a loaded sight picture is not allowed at make ready. Therefore I cannot DQ the shooter and would allow it. Now if they racked the slide and then pulled the trigger AND the gun goes bang, they are done with an unsafe gun handling DQ. I see where 10.5.9 might be confusing. it will be interesting to hear other opinions as this practice is so common in USPSA that this is the first time I have ever heard it questioned as not being legal . Molson

I will second the question about being on their email list. I absolutely get an email everyday from them. They rotate through the entire product line. 5%, 10%, free shipping, I have had them all in the last month. Almost seems spammy until you want something they have. Wait for an acceptable sale / offer and pull the trigger. Pun intended 8) molson

Same here, the only mags that I have ever used in my CK open gun. By chance, you do not have anybody at your club with a CK Arms gun. If you did, perhaps try the mags in their gun. Just a thought anyway. Molson

Biglou, i have been using the U die for years and never had a problem with the pin walking out. I really crank the heck out of it to hold it in though. My opinion is if you think it is tight enough, give it a little more. I have broken the pin in cases with the 2 primer holes, but never the ones with single holes. Just have a spare nearby. They are cheap on Amazon. Molson

Not sure where you live in Wisconsin, but there is at least 1 USPSA match (often 2) every weekend from March to October. Now I will grant an exception to this statement if there is a blizzard to prevent the crews from setting up or people getting to it safely. Go to wisconsinshooters.com and look at the calendar. You will be surprised with what you find. Molson

8.3gr HS6, PD 124gr JHP, 1.165 COL, CCI small pistol primers. CKArms 9mm Thunder open. Around 172 pf. No real sign of over pressure worth noting. Plunk test is important, as I have read this may be long for some with the same gun. Molson

Thank you Chuck! I had no idea you could see that windage adjustment screw from the bottom. I have not removed the scope, but certainly will give this a try. The other documents are also very interesting. I will add these to my collection. molson

Hello all, I have a new problem that has recently just shown up with my 9mm major open gun. My windage adjustment screw just will not hold it's adjustment. It moves ever so slightly during each stage of a match. I should mention that it is mounted horizontal. So I have read the many posts here and I am reading that you do not want to over tighten the lock screw on this adjustment. With that being said, I have tightened it as tight as I feel comfortable doing. Still moves. I have checked closely, and the sight is not cracked. I have read that I should consider using vibratight on the screw(s). I have a tube of this available. Here is the worlds stupidest questions. Do I take the windage screw out and use the vibratight on the screw or would it work to just take the lock screw out and put it on that? Would it work to perhaps put blue thread locker or even the vibratight on the left hand side of the cmore where the windage screw can be seen and not need to actually take the screw out? Looking for some ideas and suggestions. Thanks for your assistance. Mjolson

5,000 + 9 major thru my 140's and 170's without issue since January as well. So many problems could be easily solved talking to the vendor instead of the negativity. This vendor "Adrian" from MBX, will make it right. You just need to talk to him and give him a chance. Molson

What brand crimp die are you using? Some dies seat and crimp which may lead to this. Molson

I just went to Ace and bought a shorter one. Molson

Seemed pretty good, but I want to see if 8.2 is even better. Seemed to just hit the top or just a fuzz outside the top. I am using the horizontal mounted slideride cmore. As others have noted, it is dirty stuff. But I clean the gun after every time I shoot it, so I can live with it. Molson

So far, Mine run great as well. Indoor and out. I have the newer ones in 9/38, both 140 and 170. I have talked via email with Adrian and found him very responsive to questions and I have no doubt if you contact him, he will make his product right. I suggest you at least give him a chance. Molson

Jack, I fired 3 strings of 10 and none was below 165pf. Too bad I cannot up load the spreadsheet so you can get a good feel for the actual data. I am not what you would call a "Great" group shooter, but of the 30 I shot, it ripped one big hole in the target. Needless to say, accuracy at 11 feet is not an indicator of accuracy. I did shoot another 40 shots free style at a target out at 15 yards and all of them were within the A zone. I will need to do some accuracy testing the next time I get out. S&W, Any luck, and I might be able to get out this next weekend and get the new data on the 8.2gr of HS6. If I do, I will get it up here. Molson

Good afternoon all, I thought I would share the chrono results for an CK Arms Thunder open using MG 124GR JHP and HS6 powder. The specifics always seem to be missing so I will include everything that I can, Gun is a CK Arms 9MM major Thunder Open. This has gun is their standard offering and has 3 popple holes. 9MM Major (mixed brass, no military or that stepped stuff that is out there) 124GR MG JHP CCI small pistol #200 primers HS6 8.0GR 1.160 Loaded Overall Length Temp was 48 Degrees and all shots across a CED M2 Chrono with the front sensor @ 10' This load produced a 169 average power factor, without any noticeable primer flattening. I have included a spreadsheet with all the specifics. Take a look. I will probably move this load up to 8.2 and re-run the chrono, but not a single velocity was below the 165 floor and I would be comfortable taking this load to a big match. But I feel I need to do more work as this is the first run at it in open and I would not be able to tell you if this is that flat or if going up to 8.2gr's will make it even flatter. Molson Edit: Spreadsheet did not upload. PM if you want it.

Second time I've seen in writing that somebody needed tools to take base pads off their MBX mags. Not true. Push the pin down and slide off. At least that is the way mine work and is supported on their website as well. I have had "0" problems with mine and stock springs and followers. 9mm do not require spacers is a bonus. I know others have had problems with earlier springs and followers, but I simply have not experienced this myself. I recommend them. Molson

Just curious as to what everyone thinks. Situation is as follows: NOT during or after make ready, outside of course of fire, (They are not under supervision of a match RO as they are not the competitor at the line) competitors unloaded gun is dislodged from the holster and is trapped before hitting the ground. Competitor calls RO to assist with retrieving gun. Competitor does not attempt to recover gun on their own. What is the call? I am thinking that rule 10.5.14 should apply and this is not a match DQ: 10.5.14 Retrieving a dropped handgun: A dropped gun must always be retrieved by a Range Officer who will ensure it is unloaded and properly secured in the competitor's holster or a suitable container. The Range Officer may, at his discretion, secure the gun himself or return it to the competitor who will secure it under supervision of the Range Officer. Dropping an unloaded handgun or causing it to fall outside of a course of fire is not an infraction; however, a competitor who retrieves a dropped handgun will receive a match disqualification. Specifically the second paragraph stating that a dropped gun is not an infraction unless they try to retrieve it. Just for reference, the glossary states this as the definition of a dropped gun: Dropped Gun ...................(during the course of fire) A condition in which a competitor loses control of their handgun. Loss of control does not require the handgun to land on the ground or other range surface or prop. It occurs anytime the handgun is no longer in control of either hand, even if it is trapped against part of the body or caught in midair So I am going with a scolding the competitor for dropping the gun, clearing the area in front of the dropped gun, pick up and clear the gun, assist in holstering the gun (all assuming I am an official RO at the match of coarse), and go back to running competitors. No DQ for unsafe gun handling is clearly the call in my read of the rule book. Let me have it if I am wrong. Or help support my call of rule 10.5.14 being correct and no match DQ for unsafe gun handling. Thanks in advanced for any comments. I am just trying to make sure I get it right in the future if it should ever occur while I am at a match whether I am an RO or competitor. Mike

Try this. Found it somewhere and it has done the trick for me. I also use a bearing with a single race on top. Looks like I cannot upload a pdf. PM me and I will provide the PDF with the Special bend in the ejector wire.

Open17, Depending on the temperature when you chronoed, I would say you are in the ball park, just believe what you are seeing across the chrono. At the Wisconsin section this year I had the following: XDm 5.25 9mm 147 gr zero fmj 4.43 gr Solo 1000 "Lot number 2227" (Average of 100 throws after the initial 20 after filling the powder hopper) 1.148 loaded overall length (average of 10 random measurements) Federal standard small pistol primer (same results with CCI and Winchester for what it's worth) temp 60 degrees or so 138 PF The temp swings that people are reporting I am simply not seeing. I have chroned this load from 25 to 100 degrees and I have not seen a swing of more than 8 PF either direction. And in case you did not notice, I like to get a REAL GOOD average. Not the piddly 3 or 5 average. That is just me. Just my .02. Good luck, Molson

Here you go... http://www.uspsa.org/uspsa-display-match-results-detail.php?indx=9403 Also, Combine results for all stages and division can be found here... http://wisconsinshooters.com/joomla16/index.php/uspsa/section-championship Mike

Here you go... http://www.uspsa.org/uspsa-display-match-results-detail.php?indx=9403