want2race

Thanks. My O-rings are the same ones that HK uses on their pistols. Figured they already did the R&D on materials.

Only need two mag pouches. All that's allowed actually. I shoot in what ever the weather dictates. Shot a match today. Used my zip up (unzipped) fleece for concealment. If it's warm, I have some short sleeve, button up shirts I got at Walmart. They are a like thin canvas. Faded Glory is the brand. They were $7 so I bought 8 in various colors. I wear them all the time, therefore that's what I shoot with. I'm anti-vest.

Round count update. Shot our local IDPA match with it today, and the classifier after the match. Another 200-225 rounds down range. With non-puff ammo (major PF) it is perfect. Slide locks back, not a single jam or issue. I tried to shoot some of my moly loads (when I used to shoot a Glock) and it's too weak for the recoil spring I have in it. It would cycle but not lock the slide back on empty. The throat is a little tight for the molys too, but I could fix that if I really wanted to. I don't. I will shoot jacketed through it and leave it as is. I even loaded up a 20 round Limited mag and it cycled and fed that too. I'm still not a "Hack-Master" in ESP as I missed it by about 3 seconds. Operator error. The match results should be good though. Barrel O-ring still looks like new (once I wiped off the dirty oil and carbon).

I have a brand new Wilson front sight you can have. It is a standard black sight. You could fit it, shoot it (adjust height as needed), remove it and send it to get an insert installed.

I too have an officers model and feel you anger about the lack of [good] sights available.

I didn't have the .45 cal pilot so I just held it by hand and turned slow. Just enough to break the edge. http://www.brownells.com/aspx/ns/store/Pro...HAMFER%20CUTTER I just cut a black SVI 140mm mag down to fit flush. Cutting it was easy, reshaping the lips to hold the base plate took a little while. Had to pull the Dremel cut off wheel out for that one. I pulled out my officers sized, McGyvered, reverse plug and swapped it out for my EGW one that came in yesterday. The spring tunnel was cut short (only .5") so I could custom taylor it for my application. Then cut it to proper length (.975") and it's darn near perfect. Thank You EGW!. Also swapped out the FLGR for a GI spec one. It's hollow and MUCH lighter.

I put a Schuemann in my 5" single stack and it's the most accurate pistol I've shot. Velocity is "normal". For my 6" I used an STI. It takes a bit more to fit but I was on a budget. Turned out to be accurate enough for my needs. I too thought that you couldn't (shouldn't) shoot lead through an AET otherwise I would have saved up for it. I shot lead at the time so that was a deal breaker.

Got my A status in SS. If I make master with it do I get voting status? LOL

My STREET doesn't even have 3 phase.

Best is 1.88 so far.

2.97 first try. My worst one was the stupid parallelogram.

"The force is strong in this one."

That's funny! I McGyver just about everything. I won't even put on a kydex holster until after I've hit it with the heat gun. Flex: No problem. I used a piece of aluminum rod (actually a solid .50 BMG cleaning rod), wrapped in 1.5 turns of masking tape to get a good bite in the lands. I drilled a hole in one end, slid a 1911 MSH pin in the hole (sticks out both sides of rod). Insert rod into chamber, all the way to the MSH pin. The pin locks up against the hood. This is what ensures the barrel turns with the chuck. There isn't that much load on it and the aluminum rod will give out long before the hood moves. Insert the rod into the chuck all the way until the barrel it's the chuck (adjust alum. rod accordingly). This holds the barrel vertically in the drill press. It's not perfect, but it worked. Oh yeah, I used a piece of masking tape to keep the pin from flying out of the aluminum rod when I turned on the drill press.

I sure does make it easier. Range report. 200 rounds. Indoor. Just fine. Best group was with my JHP load that makes 170 power factor out of a 5 inch gun. 5 shots in .880 inch CTC. Distance was limited to 15 yards though. The lights at 20 were very dim and trying to use green dots didn't work out so well. The larger group is 1.323" and centered as I made sight adjustments. I then blasted away at the little silhouette with reloads and 50 rounds of Blazer Brass. Distance of 10 yards, one shot per second as per the range rules (can't fire any faster). This was mainly to get it as hot as possible given the circumstance (available ammo and range restrictions). Never failed, o-ring is still there and just fine.

Maybe adding a slight flare/bevel to the front of the bushing would prolong the o-rings life? Just a thought. -ld Did that right off the bat. Made a slight flare to the front of the slide. There is no bushing groove (inside the slide) since I cut off that part of the slide. The O-ring is the same as the MK23 O-ring (thank you Knobb Creek gun show) and they are tested to 30k. Not that they last that long, but if it does dissapear it will still function but at reduced accuracy. The groove in the barrel allows the o-ring to sit about 60% in the groove. Not enough of it is exposed for the slide to catch it. Will report on accuracy tonight. I don't expect "metal to metal contact" type of accuracy, but it should be consistant. On the plus side, I can swap out the ring every 1k rounds to keep it fresh. Thanks!

I'm headed to an indoor place to bench rest it tonight. I'm not expecting bullseye accurate since the barrel was originally fit at STI, but as long as it's 2 inches or less at 20m I'll consider that acceptable considering it's intended use. The fit is very good using the Oring. Same O-ring as seen on USP and MK23 pistols. MK23's are 1.5-2" capable at 20. I looked at the slide stop pin. It's bent. Who ever fit the barrel originally must have done that. It's bowed downward in the center. I tried to slip in a new one but I'll have to recut the lugs to get it to fit. This is a good thing. If I need to tighten up the barrel fit later I can. I want to shoot it as is first.

It's not quite finished, but it shoots. Ran some rounds through it on Saturday, accuracy tests this evening. I am going to scallop cut the front of the slide, blast and manganese park soon. Waiting for some actual machine shop time. Wide body Commander with near Officers length grip. I wanted to do as much as possible with "basic" tools that are available at Lowe's or Brownells. Well, basically because my machine shop access dried up for now and I was impatient. Shortened the grip (and main spring housing), slide, barrel and frame. The slide took 3 hacksaw blades...LOL! For the barrel I used an aluminum rod through the barrel to be able to chuck it into the drill press. Then used the hacksaw as a sort of poor mans lathe. I also used this set up for the O-ring groove but used screw head files to make the groove. I cut the frame back to a short dust cover length. Since the original barrel was fitted to a 5 inch slide, it was a tad loose in a 4.150 inch slide. Thus the reason for the O-ring. They are cheap, durable, high temp and work well in other pistols. The front sight dove tail was fun. 60* checkering file (has one safe edge) and a dovetail file (2 safe sides). Of course that was only after the initial cut was made to depth (.060"). Lot's of patience and it turned out great for a file job. The goal was a Commander length top end, Officers length bottom end, High Capacity .40. .40 because I have 21 round mags in .40. The mag shown is a 126mm fitted with the 140mm basepad (minimizes the gap). I still need to buy a 120mm which will fit close to flush. Other tweaks. I undercut the trigger guard because I have a LARGE flip off knuckle. I also removed the checkering on the front of the trigger guard. My Surefire would not lock in the groove, now it does.

Uh...wow. Copy...and...... Pasted for future reference.

Not all production guns can shoot 2" groups at 25. As mentioned earlier, have the gun looked at.

Head-ON. Head-On. Try Head-On. Head-On. Just try Head-on. Those drive me nuts. They even have a warning at the beginning warning of excessive repetition.

Dale, I think I know of a picture you could post here? (I can't copy/paste from your site as they are "invisible")

I wet the bore with Butch's Bore Shine. Couple of passes with newish brush. Then wrap a large patch around a worn brush and scrub back and forth inside bore. That gets it pretty darn clean. Finish with a dry patch on a jag.

Thanks. Great pics of the gun in action! Posted by: 'Tan is the new Black'.

Single Stack. 3.68 and 39 points. I'm happy with it. 82%.

I carry a G23 nearly everyday. It's not too big. Untucked T-shirt conceals the Milt Sparks Watch Six. For church or other "tucked shirt" affairs (Steel1212's wedding) I may carry the wifes Colt .380 Government. Soon to be replaced by a compact STI wide body since I don't like shooting a Glock.