Buzzdraw

As others in this post mention you need to base your PF off your LIGHTEST bullet in the batch and the LOWEST velocity. I'd suggest from a group of at least 10 rounds. For 125 PF under that premise I don't run lower than 129. For 165 PF around 170. For 105 around 113. If your current load is all over the place as far as extreme spread goes, I say work up one that has a low SD and ES. Temperature and elevation as well as relative humidity affect PF. To keep that to a minimum i select powders that are relatively insensitive to these. I've run the chrono at major matches where guys tried sneaking by. Some make it and some do not. It stinks for them.

Back before we could open carry in my long-time conceal carry state a number of us wanted some BBQ after the IDPA match. We left the gear on along with loaded guns and mags. We topped it with our vests. No BBQ sauce was spilled in the writing of this reply or at the BBQ joint that day.

Still looking for that replacement for 7625. Tried Alliant E3; takes 4.0 gr to make 130PF with a 125 gr HiTek coated in a Glock 19 with Lone Wolf barrel. Tried WST; takes 4.5 gr to make similar PF with same 125 gr bullet. Both are clean burning and reasonably cool. Neither are as accurate as 7625.

700X is a pretty dismally dirty replacement. Not as accurate either.

Anyone know a near direct replacement for the recently discontinued SR 7625 powder? Pulling another powder off the burn rate chart isn't necessarily the fix as I am looking for a low burn temperature characteristic too, as 7625 has. My application is 9mm Luger with coated bullet. Other potential replacements, such as TiteGroup and Universal burn too hot; hot enough to melt through the bullet coating on its base.

This problem is not limited to IDPA. Most all range lawyer issues are resolved by simply referring to the CURRENT Rulebook. Too often range lawyers are remembering an older book. Sometimes they are trying to mix in rules from another discipline. Just go look it up in the current Rulebook. A 30 min. delay on a match stage due to range lawyering is intolerable. The MD can resolve issues like this, with the complainants only, off to the side while the match continues.

Rule 4.11.4 says NT's may be painted or marked on the targets or may be clipped or stapled to the target.

Is that "yes" to normal wear? Surely that's a typo on their part.Their answer is that it is normal wear. I sent them the same pictures as in the first post on this thread. Perhaps the Tech didn't see what you were trying to show. I'd suggest taking more pictures of both barrel and slide but tight on the problem area. I'd then suggest you try to go up the responsibility chain at S&W, maybe asking for a supervisor to review the images. What I am seeing certainly is not normal wear.

Is that "yes" to normal wear? Surely that's a typo on their part.

That's pretty ugly in the images. If S&W deems the problem warrantable you may end up with a new top end. If they think too much of the gun is toast they may replace it with a whole new gun. S&W's policy for a new replacement gun is to send it to a FFL regardless of your state's laws on factory replacement of guns. If S&W is going to go the whole new gun route be sure to ask for your customer parts back quickly before the old gun is destroyed. S&W will enter a replacement gun as a factory order as ship it to your FFL when it's turn in the production list comes.

My Dillon brand sizing die gives me that desired coke bottle shape. There likely are other resizing dies out there that offer the same results. The important thing is to search for and maintain dies that produce this effect.

I am not advocating too much neck tension; I am strongly encouraging just enough. The textbook method of determining correct TC for most cartridges is to measure the actual case wall diameter X 2 + actual bullet diameter then subtract .001". In 9mm (9x19) I subtract a bit more (perhaps as much as .002") to allow for the relative sharp taper of the case. When using mixed brass, choose the thinnest wall brand of cases for the diameter. It is essential to do the "bullet nose push in test" with loaded rounds, those of the thinnest sidewall in the lot of brass being reloaded.

Several would disagree with your comments. I will promise you that it is necessary to adequately hold the bullet in place during the feeding cycle to prevent telescoping back into the case. That is while not deforming the diameter of the bullet more than essential. One additional means I use to avoid telescoping is a fairly tight spec'd resizing die. That die reduces case resize diameter to the point that the base of the loaded bullet is visible in the cartridge. Some would call it the "Coke bottle" shape.

Be very careful running 9mm Luger with too little crimp. The bullet can telescope back into the case upon feeding into chamber. When fired this produces a high pressure condition. I prefer to run a taper crimp nearer .376" for safety. You can test for adequate TC with a particular bullet and case brand lot by pushing a loaded round against a surface with moderate single hand pressure. If the round OAL shortens that's bad. .375" or tighter will produce an accuracy decrease because bullet diameter is being swaged smaller.

I am not experiencing any bad results with coated vs plain lead. I observe much less lead "smoke" with coated upon firing. Did not have good luck with TiteGroup powder. It burns really hot, hotter than most anything else I use, and seems to melt lead off the back of both coated and plain bullets. Other powders do not have this effect on coated. Has anyone tried Winchester AA Lite with coated lead in 9mm? Any data to share for a 125 gr?

Has anyone tried Alliant Extra-Lite powder in 9mm with a 125 gr coated lead bullet? I am look for results and data, if that exists. Its a fine powder that should meter well in measures.

BTW check your Nationals Points as reported back to you by HQ. They had mine wrong as well as at least a couple others in my local area. Clerical misadventure I suppose.

A gable roof will have much less blown in moisture up into the roof rafters and purlins than will a shed style roof, I imagine.

Eastern Oklahoma. Not as windy as Western, but still plenty windy. As far as insulation, we're considering adding spray-on to the underside of the metal IF there is later discovered a problem beyond what normal ear protection will handle. We really only expected to get 90 mph trusses, as that is the required spec. We're getting 120 mph ones for the same cost, probably having to do with only spanning 16 ft. I also asked for trusses with a minimum bird nest locations. Truss designer came up with 2 x 6's. A neighboring county requires hurricane clips; we will probably add that to the spec. The cost will be minor.

Range faces North. Most really bad weather comes from Southwest, but occasional 100 MPH gusts fronts come the North or Northwest. The pricing I'm getting shows gable as only slightly more expensive. That's using 120 MPH pre-engineered 2 x 6 treated wood trusses. Truss cleats will be either SS or G155. One of our primary reasons for considering gable is to lessen wind effects. A flat shed roof acts as an airplane wing, thus accelerating winds underneath in the bench area. Tough to keep gear on the bench at times. This same lift effect seems to make a flat shed roof more susceptible to getting ripped off in high gust wind events. As far as insulation underneath, any specific product suggestions that will take getting wet from heavy blown-in rain and won't be attractive to bird nesting activity? The insulation materials we've considered have not been suitable. We know that noise is a trade off with comfort, this in relation to height specifically. Will 9 or 10 ft vs. 8 ft height be that much quieter to someone wearing proper ear protection.

Our club's rifle range cover was destroyed in a tornado and we are getting ready to replace it. Lots of opinions have been given, but after researching the cost we are going to have to go back with treated wood. The covered area is about 350 feet long and 10 feet wide. Our previous cover was a 12' flat shed, at 12-14 feet high (low clearance). The higher part was the downrange side and then it sloped lower behind the benches. We have partially lost our slope roof tin from it a couple of times in straight winds over the years. Some have said a gable roof would hold up better to the wind. Others have said it will be louder underneath it. There are those that say the type of roof will not make any difference in a really big wind. Any one have any experience on roof designs? Currently we are considering 8 foot minimal height, in both gable and sloped shed roof lines. Either would be 16 feet wide to better cover the shooting benches below.

Nowlin used to have the technology to permit a subcontractor make coil springs to Nowlin spec's from high quality chrome silicon wire. They should not have to buy them from another spring maker. Nowlin also used to have the fixtures to produce their sear spring, starting from raw steel stock. At one time, that part was in use in a number of other makers products.

If you want to get scientific about it, you can count the number of coils and measure the wire diameter. Label your package for used springs with this info (with the initial poundage and manufacturer) so you can return them to it. Don't mix new and used springs in the same container.

We run local matches and a major (Badlands Regional) under the IDPA Rulebook standard, all with no problems. Some of us like to practice draw, take sight pictures, do dry reloads (empty mags) before we start shooting for the day. Personally I prefer to use the vehicle as a place only to holster up, not for any of the aforementioned. If a ND occurs at a vehicle, people/property can get hurt. If a ND occurs in a proper Safe Area, neither is hazarded. That said, we've never (in 25+ years on the facility) had a ND in a Safe Area. A table surface is a good idea, so that shooters who need to make gun adjustments have a place to work. The Safe Area needs to be in a publicly visible area, thus individuals are unlikely to bend the rules of handling ammo, etc. I've been on ranges where the competitor was not allowed to make adjustments to his own gun; didn't like that. I've also been on ranges where placing the gun in/out of holster had to be done in a Safe Area (or on the line); guess someone ND's in their park lot in the past. Local clubs can make their own rules, as necessary to their particular situation, but they must inform competitors of their rules (if different from the rulebook) before they enforce them.

Chrome silicon springs will generally outlast music wire springs (recoil or main) in a 1911. If a batch of springs is made out of improper quality wire or is not properly stress releaved after forming, they will perform badly and often will take a short set quickly. A recoil spring in a 5" gun may last 1,000 or 10,000 rounds depending on the ammo. A main spring is good for several 10,000's rounds. Neither is costly to replace. Replace the recoil spring when it is 2 full coils shorter than the same weight/maker new spring.