flycaster

Switched the cylinder release latch right after I got my 67. Big difference. Chuck

Mr. Sweeney- in one of your "Book of the 1911" series you said you couldn't get any accuracy out of lead + Bullseye, and did much better with a slower burning powder. Has that changed? Chuck

The grip- that's it. exactly. The combination of grip and stance will get the front sight back in the notch. I read an article in one of the gun mags a year or two ago by Duane Thomas that showed how to get that result. "Guns & Ammo Handguns", I think. Chuck

I gave away a few boxes of PMC's. Can't tolerate 2-3 FTF's per 100 rounds. I posted about this on another forum, and got repeatedly skewered for blaming the primers instead of my reloading ability. I like you folks better! Chuck

I use 5.1gr. of PP behind a 124 gr. Berry's plated (9mm). Very good load. I've read that 6gr. behind a 124/125gr. jacketed bullet is an outstanding target load. Chuck

The longest commercial 9mm I've measured is about 1.165". I run mine at 1.350 in my XD, but lots of folks go longer. Just not 1.180. Chuck

Do that- but why not shoot it a bunch first to see how it "fits" you? I wouldn't put a lot of money into a pistol unless it was right for me. Plus, it might just be a lot of fun right away! Chuck

Good point about availability. I used Winchester 231 for a while, but have found it nearly impossible to locate any in my vicinity- HP-38, either. I use Power Pistol now. If you want to try it, I know that 6.0 gr. of PP behind a 124/125gr. FMJ is darn accurate. YMMV, of course, especially in shooting! Good luck in your search. Chuck

O.K., now I'm curious. I know MMMV, but did you develop a load for 9mm XD's? If so, can you give some specifics (perhaps as a starting point for us, not necessarily an end point)? Chuck

"The OAL can be the same. I always loaded my 9mm at 1.14. They were being shot out of an STI Trojan and a Glock 19. 1.04 seems quite short." Butch I load FMJ's to 1.135", but some lead round nose bullets, like the Missouri Bullet lrn's I use, have a much rounder nose (ogive), and would jam if loaded to the same length. I use a COAL of 1.065" for them, with excellent results. Chuck

Ranger- I'd load up 50 and try them at the range. I don't have a problem with lead RN out of my XD9, but I've heard that some XD45 users can't get LSWC's to load reliably. Chuck

The FAQ's area of the Berry's website says to start with low FMJ loads, and work up slowly if necessary. BTW- the OP asked specifically about Bullseye. Any help there? Unfortunately, the Alliant Powder site isn't much help. Chuck

124gr. Berry's plated over 5.7gr. of Power Pistol is my most accurate load out of my XD9. I'm using round nose, not HP, oal of 1.135". Power Factor isn't important in my competition, so, as they say, YMMV! Chuck

Not good, Foxbat. My failures always went "bang" with a second strike. Obviously yours is a totally unacceptable issue. Chuck

So you're the guy who bought it all! Chuck

My XD9 had a few issues at first with the PMC's, but the original striker spring had an awful lot of thousands of rounds through it. Since I changed to an extra power striker spring, all seems fine for now. Chuck

Hi, Jason. Try hard to find primers and/or powder locally. Otherwise the separate Hazmat fees will kill you. That is, unless you order in large quantities. But you asked about costs... what caliber(s) will you be loading? Can you be happy with lead? Most who are not at a very high skill level yet do fine with lead, and it's a lot cheaper. For lead, try Missouri Bullets, and Precision Delta for fmj- both on-line. Once you find your components, and can scavenge range brass, the cost of reloaded rounds can be way less than factory loads. For example, my 9mm cost me about $5 to $6 per 50. Best of luck, and shoot safe. Chuck

Thanks to all who've been kind enough to help. I'm probably going with a CZ. But- a buddy is going to be out of the country for a couple of months, and wants me to shoot his Wilson Combat tricked-out Springer. Well, someone has to do it! I'm going to wait until I have to give it back, then make a final decision. Chuck

Yeah, I got a case of the stupids when I sold the 1911. I also sold my extra eight Wilson mags. I have holsters for either pistol, so that's not an issue. I can reload for either caliber, so the difference in ammo cost isn't great. And, I'm pretty sure the 1911 trigger will be a fair amount better than the CZ's, at least initially. But I want to think long-term. If I get the CZ, down the road I'd probably send it to Angus Hobdell, or another fine CZ place, for a trigger job- but not right away. Thanks for the input. Chuck

Hi there. I'm trying to make a decision on my next gun. It's between a CZ85 and a 1911. The 1911 would be in .45 acp. The more "basic" new 1911's around here start around $750 for a S.A. Loaded, or lower level Kimber. A CZ85 combat is about $200 less. BTW, I would want the 85 over the 75 because I need the ambi thumb safety, free-dropping mags and, possibly, adjustable sight. I had a Loaded until last year, but after it broke, and S.A. replaced the barrel and bushing, it was never 100% again (but much more accurate than stock). My current pistol for shorter range competition is an XD9 Service, and it's fine for that, but I can easily outshoot it with my friend's Kimber at maximum indoor range distances. My main requirement is accuracy, out to 25 yards. Not bullseye, but other competition. I'm not going to drop bucks on "upgrades", so I want accuracy out of the box. Without an unlimited bankroll, will I lose much- or anything- with the CZ as opposed to a stock 1911? I hope I made myself clear here. Any input would be welcome. Thanks in advance. Chuck

Call- don't e-mail- S.A., and ask for a manual. They'll send one out, n/c, right away. Chuck

O.K.- I know this sounds like a dumb question, but it needs to be asked up front: you have been under the care of an orthopedist, haven't you? Chuck

Many of you fine folk offered excellent opinions in an earlier post of mine about occasional FTF's with Magtech primers. Being the analytical type, I wanted to throw out another possibility. I use a Lee Turret press. The primers are seated past flush. But sometimes the decapping pin doesn't pop the old primer out. This happens only with CBC brass. I try to be vigilant, but once in a while I feel the new primer not seating in the pocket- clearly I didn't notice that the old primer didn't fall. The new primer would then be pushed up against the old one still in the brass. I then remove the case- still in the shell holder- and pop out the old primer with a thin punch, then reseat the new primer that's still in the primer cup. Now I wonder if a few primers got mashed up against the spent primer that was still in the case. Could this cause a primer to fail? Chuck

Well, thanks to all of you good folks, I believe I have some direction now. Great group here! Chuck

That is correct, a few thousand's below flush. I always box my ammo and inspect every primer. Anything that doesn't look perfect goes in the practice box. What kind of press are you loading with? News to me, but important. I'm loading on a Lee Turret. I push the lever quite firmly to seat the primer. I've never had a problem with .45's, so maybe I need a new "seater"(?). Chuck