StealthyBlagga

Happy New Year! Here are the practical long-gun events we have scheduled this month at Rio Salado (Mesa, AZ): Black Rifle Match: Saturday January 5th @ 9am This is an action rifle match with targets from 1 yard to 400 yards. NEW FOR 2019: We will be running this match under the same IMA-rules we use for our multigun matches (same divisions etc.), so Heavy Metal (.30 caliber) rifles are allowed, and magazine capacity limits are eliminated for most divisions. Any semi-auto military-type rifle should work well - most of us run an AR15 of some type. You do not need to bring a handgun or shotgun. Registration and squadding on the preceding Monday at 6pm via the PractiScore website (sorry, no walk-up entries on the day). Tactical .22 Rifle Match: Tuesday January 8th and 22nd @ 4pm Registration opens at 4pm, with first shots shortly thereafter. Location is the Smallbore Range right behind the Activity Center. The rules are simple: Targets are reactive steel - shoot them per the stage briefing, fastest combined time (+penalties for misses) wins. Pretty much any .22 rimfire rifle is OK - the most popular guns are AR15-clones and Ruger10/22s. We have two divisions: iron sight and optical sight. Now that .22 ammo is more available, this is a match you won't want to miss. Scoring is done on paper so pre-registration is NOT required. Multigun (2-Gun/3-Gun) Match: Saturday January 12th @ 7:30am There will be four action shooting stages requiring rifle, pistol and/or shotgun, with targets anywhere from 1 yard to 550 yards. We offer 3-Gun (rifle/pistol/shotgun) and 2-Gun (rifle/pistol) divisions. Those in the 3-Gun divisions should bring 150 rounds of rifle ammo, 50 shotgun birdshot (#6 or smaller) plus some slugs, and 50 rounds of pistol ammo. Those in the 2-Gun divisions should bring 150 rounds of rifle ammo and 150 rounds of pistol ammo. Registration and squadding on the preceding Monday at 6pm via the PractiScore website (sorry, no walk-up entries on the day). After registering, the competitor will be able select from squads in one of two time slots: 7:30am-10:30am or 10:30am-1:30pm. New shooters should sign up for a 10:30am-1:30pm squad and come in time to attend the new shooter orientation at 10:00am before they shoot. Tactical Shotgun and Pistol Caliber Carbine Match: Thursday January 17th @ 4pm Registration opens at 4pm, with a new shooter orientation shortly thereafter. The match format is four practical scenario-based stages similar to what you would encounter at a 3-Gun match, except that you only need to bring one gun - you choose either shotgun or pistol caliber carbine. There will be separate divisions for shotgun (Open, Limited and Pump) and pistol caliber carbine (Optic and Iron). Any tactical shotgun will work well in this match, or you can shoot a pistol caliber carbine (minimum caliber = 9mm, maximum velocity = 1600fps). Scoring is done on paper so pre-registration is NOT required. Red Mountain Action Rifle Match: Sunday January 20th @ 10am This is a rifle-only match comprising four action shooting stages. All targets are at CQB distances, maximum 60 yards. The equipment divisions accommodate iron and optical sights, centerfire rifle and pistol caliber carbine. Bring 150 rounds of ammo. Registration and squadding on the preceding Monday at 6pm via the PractiScore website.

There's not a lot in there, and the parts are cheap. You could get one of everything - springs, trigger bar, striker assembly, sear block assembly, extractor, pins etc. and still not break the bank. The tools to put them in would probably cost more. With this said, I have multiple M&Ps for competition, home defense and carry - some have a LOT of mileage on them - and yet I have experienced almost no breakages. As I recall one early Apex DCAEK trigger return spring (made before they added the fiber dampener) and one trigger bar (broke at the loop). I replace recoil springs annually as they are cheap and are the hardest working part in the gun. That's it. With the above being said, and not knowing your personal situation, my advice would be to buy another gun so you can dedicate one for match use and the other one for carry. I would not want to put a lot of mileage on any device that I might have to bet my life on. My many match guns get "ridden hard and put away wet", but my carry guns are low-mileage, vetted-for-reliability and kept spotlessly clean. With a separate carry gun, you could bring it along to every match (leave it in your car) and should your match gun break you simply switch it out for the carry gun (with RM permission of course). Much easier than changing parts. JMHO, and what I do.

Historic moment - that was the last time Rob Leatham wore long pants

Adding: September 27-29: AZ State PCC Championship, Rio Salado Sportsman's Club, Mesa, AZ

Just a week to go and both Last Blast matches are getting close to full... don't leave it too late if you want in.

REMINDER: Registration for the Last Blast matches opens tonight at 6pm. Set an alarm on your phone... these matches will fill up fast.

A friend and fellow Resurgence Alumnus gave me this recently

15" is what I use. Stuff an un-cut spring on there and see if it solves the problem. Springs are cheaper than new guns.

My D60 has been flawless with 55gr FMJ ammo.

OP: Just install a new magazine spring and you should be back up and running. A $5 fix.

Nobody is forcing anyone to shoot any particular gun... this change just clarifies how to handle striker fired guns with safeties that has outpaced the old rules. Sounds like an improvement to me. We fixed the same issue in IMA 3-Gun rules this year.

UPDATE: The "Last Blast" matches on the last weekend of the year will be as follows: Saturday December 29th: 2-Gun (Rifle/Pistol) Match REGISTRATION LINK Sunday December 30th: Pistol Caliber Carbine Match REGISTRATION LINK Registration for both matches opens on PractiScore at 6pm on Monday December 17th. Also, the December 16th RMAR match is cancelled due to a conflicting USPSA event at the range.

Here are the practical long-gun events we have scheduled this month at Rio Salado (Mesa, AZ): Multigun (2-Gun/3-Gun) Match: Saturday December 8th @ 7:30am There will be four run-n-gun courses of fire requiring rifle, pistol and/or shotgun, with targets anywhere from 1 yard to 550 yards. We offer 3-Gun (rifle/pistol/shotgun) and 2-Gun (rifle/pistol) divisions. Those in the 3-Gun divisions should bring 150 rounds of rifle ammo, 50 shotgun birdshot (#6 or smaller) plus some slugs, and 50 rounds of pistol ammo. Those in the 2-Gun divisions should bring 150 rounds of rifle ammo and 150 rounds of pistol ammo. Registration and squadding is open already at PractiScore (sorry, no walk-up entries on the day). After registering, the competitor will be able select from squads in one of two time slots: 7:30am-10:30am or 10:30am-1:30pm. New shooters should sign up for a 10:30am-1:30pm squad and come in time to attend the new shooter orientation at 10:00am before they shoot. We are fortunate to have four very generous sponsors for our monthly match: VLTOR donates two of their excellent AR15 rifle stock kits. LUTH-AR send us one of their fine MBA-series rifle stocks. KE Arms provides two gift certificates. Timney provides a trigger of the winner's choice. All prizes are distributed by random draw from the list of competitor who finish the match. With typical attendance around 75-100 shooters, your odds of winning something nice are pretty good. Tactical .22 Rifle Match: Tuesday December 11th @ 4pm Registration opens at 4pm, with first shots shortly thereafter. Location is the Smallbore Range right behind the Activity Center. The rules are simple: Targets are reactive steel - shoot them per the stage briefing, fastest combined time (+penalties for misses) wins. Pretty much any .22 rimfire rifle is OK - the most popular guns are AR15-clones and Ruger10/22s. We have two divisions: iron sight and optical sight. Now that .22 ammo is more available, this is a match you won't want to miss. Scoring is done on paper, so pre-registration is NOT required. Red Mountain Action Rifle Match: Sunday December 16th @ 10am This is a rifle-only match comprising four run-n-gun stages. All targets are at CQB distances, maximum 60 yards. The equipment divisions accommodate iron and optical sights, rimfire rifle, centerfire rifle and pistol caliber carbine. Bring 150 rounds of ammo. Pre-registration and squadding opens at 6pm on the preceding Monday on PractiScore. Tactical Shotgun and Pistol Caliber Carbine Match: Thursday December 20th @ 4pm Registration opens at 4pm, with a new shooter orientation shortly thereafter. The match format is four practical scenario-based stages similar to what you would encounter at a 3-Gun match, except that you only need to bring one gun - you choose either shotgun or pistol caliber carbine. There will be separate divisions for shotgun (Open, Limited and Pump) and pistol caliber carbine (Optic and Iron). Any tactical shotgun will work well in this match, or you can shoot a pistol caliber carbine (minimum caliber = 9mm, maximum velocity = 1600fps). Scoring is done on paper, so pre-registration is NOT required. Last Blast Matches: Saturday December 29th & Sunday December 30th @ 7am Each year we run these matches to give everyone a chance to see the year out with a bang. Format is still TBD... for now just clear your calendar

The Aimpoint is fine out to 600 yards on a Metric-size target - just make sure you have a good dope chart. A 2MOA dot is better than a 4MOA, and turn the brightness down to the lowest setting you can get away with to keep the dot crisp. If you have astigmatism, wear CLEAR corrective glasses (clear = more light = smaller pupil = less dot distortion). The biggest challenge comes from Match Directors who don't like/can't be bothered to place contrasting backers behind long-range targets. I shot Limited for many years with an Aimpoint 2MOA dot and it worked great. No eyebox issues (which do exists with a scope, even at 1x), super fast and forgiving. I still love to rock the dot whenever I get an opportunity. Embrace it and have fun.

We run dedicated PCC matches under outlaw rules instead of USPSA rules for a variety of reasons, including this issue and the associated prohibition on suppressors. The relevant rule in our case is: Sound suppressors (silencers) are permitted in all divisions. However, if the shot timer fails to pick up the last shot, an Event Official may have to tap the timer in order to get a recordable time. Any timing error so caused will not be grounds for a reshoot. Yeah, yeah, I know "competitive equity blahblahblah"... a guy can dream, can't he

Here are the practical long-gun events we have scheduled this month at Rio Salado (Mesa, AZ): Tactical .22 Rifle Match: Tuesday November 13th & 27th @ 4pm Registration opens at 4pm, with first shots shortly thereafter. Location is the Smallbore Range right behind the Activity Center. The rules are simple: Targets are reactive steel - shoot them per the stage briefing, fastest combined time (+penalties for misses) wins. Pretty much any .22 rimfire rifle is OK - the most popular guns are AR15-clones and Ruger10/22s. We have two divisions: iron sight and optical sight. Now that .22 ammo is more available, this is a match you won't want to miss. Scoring is done on paper, so pre-registration is NOT required. Tactical Shotgun and Pistol Caliber Carbine Match: Thursday November 15th @ 4pm Registration opens at 4pm, with a new shooter orientation shortly thereafter. The match format is four practical scenario-based stages similar to what you would encounter at a 3-Gun match, except that you only need to bring one gun - you choose either shotgun or pistol caliber carbine. There will be separate divisions for shotgun (Open, Limited and Pump) and pistol caliber carbine (Optic and Iron). Any tactical shotgun will work well in this match, or you can shoot a pistol caliber carbine (minimum caliber = 9mm, maximum velocity = 1600fps). Scoring is done on paper, so pre-registration is NOT required. Red Mountain Action Rifle Match: Sunday November 18th @ 10am This is a rifle-only match comprising four run-n-gun stages. All targets are at CQB distances, maximum 60 yards. The equipment divisions accommodate iron and optical sights, rimfire rifle, centerfire rifle and pistol caliber carbine. Bring 150 rounds of ammo. Pre-registration and squadding opens at 6pm on the preceding Monday on PractiScore. Unfortunately, Rio Black Rifle and Multigun (2-Gun/3-Gun) are cancelled this month due to the USPSA Area 2/Desert Classic match. Regular service will resume in December.

Prison Guard Ready

Get an M&P 2.0 Compact w/ 4" barrel. The grip is still plenty long enough, and you are only putting 10 rounds in the mags anyway. Mine is my carry gun, but I also run it in IDPA on the rare occasion I shoot that discipline. BONUS: Available in black

Like Kurt, I ran 55gr Ballistic Tips for many years (Limited Division, but with a red dot - I am younger than him). However, in the last 2 years I have switched to Sierra 77gr TMK. It took some work to find a load that shoots with acceptable accuracy out of my lightweight 18" barrel while maintaining maximum velocity. BC is excellent; these bullets shoot flat and resist the wind very well. What I really like about the heavier bullets for our game is how they hit harder; there is nothing more frustrating than when you can see your hit on steel through your scope but the RO does not call the hit because they can't see the target indicating sufficiently... targets move with authority when hit with 77 grains of hate

I run springs as light as 11lb on some (compensated) M&Ps. The guns still run 100% reliably, but check that yours closes fully and fires after a slide-lock reload.

If your primary game is 3-Gun (as is mine), optimize for that. I have the following modifications: - Apex FSS trigger kit. This is a must-have upgrade IMHO. - Fiber optic front sight . If on a budget, you can just black out the dots on the factory rear sight. - Magazine extensions. Most rules allow 140mm. I like the TTI brand. - Magazine well. I use SSS, but the newer versions have to be hogged out and refinished to work with TTI mag extensions. - Extended mag release, if you have average-to-smaller hands - ISMI CS 15lb recoil spring. You can unscrew the retaining cap from your factory recoil rod and change the spring. I tried the SSS 5" tungsten guide rod, but didn't like the extra weight... with a 9mm it is not really worthwhile IMHO. However, others may feel differently. Note that the magazine well is not legal for Production. Again, if your primary use is 3-Gun, skip USPSA Production and just shoot USPSA Limited Minor for the practice. I have another M&P 5" in .40S&W for the few occasions when I want to shoot Limited seriously with Major PF.

Easier to just remove the existing Nordic tube section and buy a new "+8" Nordic tube section, which should get you a total of 12+1 rounds capacity. You can re-use the nut and cap.

With all the blurring of the lines around holster retention features, I'd prefer they delete this rule entirely. Maybe nobody at HQ can figure out how to renumber all the other rules when they delete one

You can also try one of the other M&P trigger bar variants - they are distinguished by the alphabetic letter stamped on them (e.g. "H"). I can't tell you why there are different variants, nor how they are different, but I have noted a different profile where it engages the striker block. These are cheap parts and might be worth a look.

You can also try bending the trigger bar loop down just a tad so the trigger bar moves back just a little further before releasing the sear. It would let you keep the USB if that is important to you.