Mustang1

I once played with 220 Gr. lead bullets. Even shot them at the Limited Nationals, once. This was in my 10MM bottom feeder. Load was 3.4 of Clays (green container) in 10MM cases with OAL of 1.245.

I zero at 30-35 yards. You're well within the A-Zone at any shorter distance and there's no significant drop at 50 yards - even with large, slow Limited bullets. Then, of course you go to the match in Altus, Oklahoma and find yourself trying to put 6 rounds in a 75 yard target in 5 seconds. They didn't need any tape for my target but I thought I should get extra credit for the four holes I put in the supporting 1x2 just below the target (I gues my sights are a little left at 75 yards - I'll work on it).

BerKim, I've shot with a "left-handed" mag release for quite awhile, i.e. activating with my trigger finger (I'm right handed) due to small hands. Awright guys, no jokes about "small hands, small feet, small ---. If you go that route I have found it a good idea to let the R.O. know about it. It'll save you from getting called or stopped during a stage for "Finger on the trigger" during a reload because that's what it looks like. Geek, "1911's don't allow it". Not strictly true. STI & SV sell grips with off-side mag releases and I've got an S & A ambidextrous mag release on a Para I own. Don't know if S & A makes one for single stacks but I would bet they do. I've seen at least one other custom pistol smith who produces a similar set up.

Merlin Orr, Just plain Clays. They all have different colored labels. Carlos, You're right about the cost of brass. When it first came out .40 was worth it's weight in gold. These days you can't hardly give it away. You can go to just about any outdoor range and pick just about as many as you want up off the ground. 10MM is expensive but with my relatively mild load it lasts forever. As an aside, my Mech-Tech carbine with a P.O. grip in 10MM is a laser beam out to 150 yards with factory equivalent loads usin 180 JHP's. Do you really leave once-fired brass on the ground?

Stuck N C, Good one and I pretty much agree. I've had the misfortune to be running the timer at two separate matches when a .40 blew up (Both Glocks and, fortunately, no injuries). I'm really surprised that I seem to be the only one around who has the best of both worlds, capacity and non-grenade ammo. Can we say 10MM? Same capacity as the .40. You have to load the 10MM DOWN to make major. With a load that might be "questionable" in a .40 the 10MM isn't even breathing hard. My own load is 4.5 of Clays (green container) behind a 200 gr. JFP. OAL 1.245". 172 PF and very soft shooting. No pressure signs. From the experienceof one of my buddies I would definitely NOT recommend this in a .40. He didn't blow the gun up but the brass was UGLY. And yes, if you saw it, I'm the guy who wrote the article "Why Not The 10MM?" in Front Sight magazine a few years back. 10MM, try it, you'll like it.

epidemic, Where are your hands in relation to your body when you reload? If you pull them in up against your belly button you're asking to break the 180. You have a place in front of your body where your hands naturally go to accomplish certain tasks - put a key in a lock, catch a piece of brass somebody tosses to you, etc. You don't pull your water bottle on the range up against your belt buckle before bringing it up to your mouth to drink so why reload there (If that is what is happening). Find that natural place (probably 10-12inches out and sternum high to start) and that is where the reload should take place. Doing this will greatly reduce the chances of a 180 violation. Oh yeah, and watch what you're doing. If you're reloading you can't shoot so you might as well monitor what your hands and gun are doing. Trust me, all the big boys do the same thing. There are no "blind" reloads (IMHO).

If you're bending/breaking safety's you're doing it wrong. Remember that your grip should be 30% strong hand and 70% weak hand. The strong hand thumb should just rest on top of the safety as part of a proper grip. Another reason for this configuration - I've seen a lot of people with their thumb positioned under the safety inadvertantly put the safety on during a course of fire (Of course, in my younger days I NEVER did anything like that - you believe me, don't you?)

Hard Chrome is nice and shiny but you guys are missing a bet if you don't try ROBAR's NP3 finish. It's an electriless nickle finish the color of pewter. It wears better than any other finish I've ever seen (I've got a 70 series .45 I had done about 15 years ago that I shoot in L-10 and the new single stack division that shows NO sign of wear). The finish is also slicker than snot on a doorknob - you can clean your gun with a paper towel. I just got around to cleaning my NP3'd 10MM limited gun after around 1000 no-burp rounds. Cost is comparable to hard chrome also. Try it, you'll like it.

Same here, should just spell out Bar-Sto. achard Irv Stone built me a carry/limited .38 Super on an SV frame and slide 7 or 8 years ago that is accurate, shoots like a dream, is aethetically pleasing, and hasn't burped once.