Eric802

And I think those are probably the CMMG-specific Mean Arms inserts, right? The regular ones have the ejector built into the mag, and I recall an issue using those with the CMMG bolts; people had to trim the ejector tab off the mag insert. The ejector set up is probably the only are where you're really going to run into compatibility issues.

Placed an order for some 145gr RN from Acme last night...got a shipping notification from them this morning, followed by a UPS email showing 4/6 for delivery.

I've been reloading .223 for a while; I'm not a fanatic about getting my brass wet-tumbled clean and shiny, but I wouldn't trust that the vendor got it all right unless you've had experience with them before. I'd clean the brass, cull out any with messed up necks like that one picture, and run it through a sizing die. You may not need to trim it, but you won't know unless you run them through a case gauge or check them with calipers. The dies for .223 don't really "expand" the mouth of the case like a 9mm belling die does; it resizes the neck to proper dimension so you get good neck tension and it's nice and round. I get plenty of neck tension so I don't crimp my blasting ammo. The H335 is a great powder, meters well and it's fine for 55-62 grain bullets. Not ideal for heavier stuff. Your 1/7 barrel will shoot pretty much any weight of bullet fine, although I'd stay away from the really light, thin-jacketed varmint bullets. 55, 62, 69, 75, 77, etc should all be good. If you can find them, you can't beat the Hornady 55gr SP bullets for general plinking/blasting/vermin, they're very accurate.

I thought 1/2-36 was more standard for 9mm, and 1/2-28 for .223/5.56. As noted, 1/2-28 is how AR barrels are normally threaded. My FM9 is 1/2-36.

The worst was going to a range with bad drainage in the target pits. Nothing like standing there watching for bullet impacts on the berm while swatting away swarms of mosquitos.

I've always felt that corn cob was dustier than walnut; I get the crushed walnut that's made for lizard tanks and it doesn't seem too overly dusty. I used to mix it with corn cob but I believe the cob is more for polishing. As far as actually just getting brass clean, walnut alone does fine. Wet tumbling is a whole different level of clean, though. I tumble my brass when I get home and don't decap until after it's clean, so for me I never saw the point of wet tumbling. Walnut gets it clean enough that you can inspect the brass and to prevent your dies from getting messed up, and that's good enough for me.

This. I recently shot with some folks I’d been trying to squad with for a couple months because I figured it’d be a good learning experience. It was, but it kind of sucked being (no exaggeration) the only person heading down range to paste and reset at times. Great shooting with some M’s and GM’s...as long as they remember to pick up some pasters occasionally.

5.2.4.1 addresses nothing other than "apparel pockets". So I, in Production, could have my make-ready mag in my front pocket. Doesn't say anything about magnets.

Allowing lights on pistols might attract a few new shooters, but the reality is that their pistols were already probably fine for Production if they just took the light off. I can't imagine there will be a mass of new competitors out there who were really, really just hating the idea of taking that light off for a match. If they wanted to compete, they could've been doing it already.

I think it's beneficial to have mags with dummy rounds. There's a notable difference in the feel of loading an empty mag vs. one that has "normal" weight.

That'd be some pretty boring stages if all you ever got was four targets/four targets/four targets. 15 rounds isn't as good as 18 or 20, but it's still fewer reloads and (IMO) it fits into the spirit of "production guns". Use your "production mags" the way they're meant to be used.

Sticking with Production for XMG this weekend?

Veering off-topic here, but SS109 and M855 are the same. SS109 was, IIRC, the NATO designation for the projectile that, when it was adopted by the US, became M855. The round was designed to more reliably penetrate Soviet helmets at longer distances (600+ yards) out of belt-fed MG's. M855 will penetrate a radiator just fine. It's not armor piercing, and at short distances regular M193 will actually penetrate better because of its higher MV.

Especially true with PSA...I love the company and the balance they’ve hit in quality and price, but some of their offerings have been known to have problems in the first gen.

A couple weeks after my first match, I was re-reading the rules and discovered that I’d worn my mags in an illegal position (shooting Production, had them in front of my hip bones). No one at the match said a word, and I wish someone had. Didn’t make a bit of difference, I sucked and would have no matter where I wore the mags. If you’re shooting a USPSA match, you should follow USPSA rules; what’s more, you should WANT to follow them, and want to be corrected if you screw it up. Leading up up to that first match I’d read the rules, but had been more focused on which of my pistols would work in which division. Where I could wear my mags didn’t even register.

That's the range in Bells, right? If that's in your area, try the Collin County UPSPA matches at the Mission 160 range.

My first match was in October. Finished 56/63 overall, 13/13 in Production. Managed a 6.506 HF on the classifier; the other stages were in the high 2's, low 3's. Based on that and the classifier from my second match in November, I'm trending in the low-C area for a classification.

$350 for the "upgraded" model with threaded barrel, RMR cut, and suppressor-height sights. Dang.

While I (unlike Scooter) kind of like the endomags, it is damn near impossible to seat a full mag with the bolt forward. I have a Foxtrot Mike upper and bolt, and in my brief experimenting I found that I had to download to 15 rounds to seat it with what I'd consider "normal" force. I don't want to screw around with a brace, I see no point in a 16"+ 9mm barrel, and my SBR'd lower is 5.56, so the endomags are a solution for me. I can see why they wouldn't be particularly suitable for PCC competition, though. Might still try it sometime.

Golf clap.

I asked on another board because that headstamp is a new one to me; apparently it's Latvian. Got this link in response to my question: https://forum.cartridgecollectors.org/t/headstamp-info-wanted-of-new-latvian-company-vairog/27643

Speculation on another site is that the upper isn't modified at all, but the barrel extension is - something that protrudes farther than normal into the upper and hits that nub above the boltface.

That's what I do. Grab a couple used dryer sheets, tear them into strips, and drop in it. They come out pretty dark, so they're clearly grabbing a lot of dirt and dust.

Is it just the bolt, or does it require a proprietary upper? Nothing on the MEAN website yet, I assume this is a SHOT show release.

For 9mm I have a good stash of factory boxes to store reloads. I just put a tape label on the box so I know what's in it. Boxes go into an ammo can for storage. .223 plinking/general purpose ammo goes straight into a .30 Cal ammo can. ETA: I doubt there are too many other FOB fans here, glad I'm not totally alone.