BillGarlandJr

I’m running a Springer Precision full length guide rod for the P320 with a 15# Commander length recoil spring. This has run well for me, but I’m noticing a little muzzle dip when the goes back into battery, so I’m going to get a 14 and a 13# spring and give those a try. The thing is so soft shooting its taking me a while to get used to it.

I was thinking that might be a solution. I will give that a try. Thank you.

That’s exactly what happened

Interesting thing happened at a match yesterday....I installed a FS trigger on my Rival S a couple days before the match. I had taken it to the range and put a couple hundred rounds through it and everything worked perfectly. I was confident it would be safe and work just fine going forward. Fast forward to yesterday and during the final stage of the match I was shooting and about 10 rounds into the stage the trigger wouldn't reset, meaning it wouldn't release forward after a shot. I messed with it a little and it still didn't want to reset completely. Not wanting to continue with a gun that might not be safe, I stopped myself. I was able to unload and show clear, but the trigger press to drop the striker didn't feel right. I took the pistol to the safe area and upon taking a closer look, it appeared the trigger safety had somehow wedged itself inside the open area beneath the trigger. I assisted it forward, checked things for function and could not re-create the issue. Honestly, I couldn't even see how the issue came about in the first place. When the match was over I went to a public range nearby and put about 50 rounds through the gun without issue. Any of the rest of you bump into, or heard about a similar problem?

I was just a kid when my dad first taught me how to reload a pistol and because of the size of my hands at the time I had to shift the pistol in my grip to hit the mag release. Fast forward 40 years….I now have XXL hands and I still shift the pistol in my hand to hit the mag release. Not a big deal as the gun is re-gripped in my strong hand before the fresh mag gets to the magwell.

Agreed. If I end up sticking with the FS trigger in the end the reason is going to the be short pre travel compared to stock.

I just installed a Pro on my RIval. At first the FS trigger alone. It actually made the trigger pull heavier, though the characteristics of the pull (take up, crispness) were improved, subjectively. Next I installed the Sprinco trigger return spring. I didn’t put the scale to it, but my tip of finger impression is the trigger pull lightened a little bit. Finally I went ahead and installed the Sprinco striker spring, and firing pin safety plunger spring. This put the trigger weight in the same range as the stock, but it’s a crisper trigger and the short take up is really nice. At this point it’s hard to say if I’ll stick with the FS or go back to stock. I really like the short take up of the FS trigger, but I like the “roll” like let off of the stock trigger. If I stick with the FS, one modification I’ll make is to trim the trigger safety a little. One thing I noticed shooting it yesterday is if my trigger finger gets too low on the face of the trigger the safety won’t get depressed enough. Easily remedied by placing my finger towards the center of the trigger face, but I’ve developed a habit of placing my finger more towards the end of the trigger having shot other striker fired pistols over the years.

Got out to shoot my S some more today. As per recommendations, I installed a Wolff guide with a 15# recoil spring. This set up performed really well. The little bit of muzzle dip I was perceiving during my previous session went away. I have a tungsten guide rod for it, but don’t know if I’ll try it in this pistol. As it is, the weight is an asset, and it transitions nicely. The doggone thing is just fun to shoot. Looking forward to doing more work with it.

Canik Rival S shoots pretty flat with 135pf ammo and a 15# recoil spring. I’m fairly new to the pistol and only have about 300 rounds through it, but so far I’m very pleased with how it shoots.

targetsportsusa.com

FYI....I just received an RHT holster I ordered for a polymer frame Rival and all I had to do to get it to fit the Rival S was loosen the tension screws a bit. Fits great, and draws smooth.

I finally made it out to the range to put some rounds through the Rival S. About 200 or so. I like it. But then I have always liked heavier pistols, and have done things to polymer framed pistols to make them heavier. At any rate, the load I was shooting consisted of The Blue Bullets 135gr over 3.6gr of Prima V at an OAL of 1.115". I've used this load before in my P320s and GLOCKS. The S shot very soft and flat. I haven't put a dot on it yet, but the front sight tracked beautifully. As far as transitions and gun handling, I thought the S does those well, and for me the extra weight is an advantage as I tend to transition more precisely with a heavier gun. I had a polymer Rival with an SRO on it with me, and towards the end of the session I shot Wilson's 5x5 Drill with it and the S (with irons) just to compare. My score with the S was about 5% better, and what it came down to was splits. It was easier to pull quicker splits, a couple hundredths faster, with the S. I need to shoot some more drills involving more gun handling and transitions to further compare, but first impression from shooting the S is it's a hell of a pistol with a lot of potential. That, and I really enjoy shooting it....and all of my Caniks for that matter. It's going to be fun to work with the S some more see what it can do.

Have any of you guys who were leaning more towards your polymer Rivals had a chance to shoot your steel Rivals more? Any change of heart, or other observations? I’ve got both now (poly and steel). I really like the poly. I haven’t shot the steel yet (just got it today), but I really dig the weight and the way it feels in hand. All I’ve been able to do is some dry fire to this point, and it moves and handles pretty good for me. Of course, live fire may render different results.

TP9 sfx The Blue Bullets 135gr TC over 3.6gr Prima V OAL 1.115” Canik 18rd magazines with Henning +4 basepads and Grams spring and follower kit. I was running into a similar issue to that of the OP, except I was getting a failure to feed on the next to last round in all four of my mags set up with the Henning basepads. This was with the factory recoil spring assembly. Ended up switching to a Wolff guiderod for the Glock along with a 15lb recoil spring (as per InGodWeTrust’s recommendation in his thread), and that seemed to solve the issue. More testing to do before I can say this is for sure the fix.

Midway has a bunch of 18 and 20 rounders in stock. Seems they’re not limiting folks to just two.

If you're shooting a polymer framed pistol you can feel the difference in weight distribution when there is a light on the gun vs. no light on the gun. That said, I do most of my shooting with, and carry a gun with a light on it. I like the way it feels with a light on it probably because I'm just used to it, so once they started to allow them, I put a light on the gun/s I shoot for competition. Any benefit I've found has nothing to do with recoil recovery. Its not much of an issue for me. Where I have found some benefit is on transitions. Before lights in USPSA I would occasionally overswing on transitions, at least during the first couple stages, because of the weight difference between my work gun with light, and my match gun without. Now the weights between the two are closer and I find I don't have that problem any longer. So, I'm pro light. There certainly are other things you can spend money one and get more bang for your buck, but if you happen to have a light hanging around it can't hurt to throw it on and and run some drills to see if there is any difference.

If you can live with taking the hit for shooting minor, shoot Limited with the VP9 Match. I've got one I enjoy shooting so much that I just find the division the gun fits in, which is Limited, and run with it. It's pretty competitive. The only thing I'd like to change are the sights, but I haven't found a set with a black rear and fiber front that fits. That said, anyone know of such a thing?

Thank you for the heads up! They still had some in stock and I was able to pick up a couple.

Moderators, I just wanted to make you aware if someone types Limited Mnr (with Minor actually spelled out) it turns into the quote in the title. Funny, but kind of a pain too. Thanks.

So, I finally got a holster for my VP9 Match, got a little dry fire in, and decided to shoot it in a USPSA match. It is stock as far as sights, and internals go. I have added some Talon grip tape, and I was running an X300 on the rail. With that set up I shot L minor. It did not disappoint, and I was actually surprised with how well I shot it. It is snappy in recoil, but came right back down on target, so quick doubles out to 20-ish yards was super do-able. I also thought it might reload a bit slow due to the smaller opening to the magwell, but it really wasn’t an issue. I don’t think I’ll be setting personal bests for reload times with it, but it loads fine. As I said before, I’m not sure where it fits in the USPSA realm. It isn’t production approved, but if you’re into shooting some L minor, its great for that. My one little beef with HK is making the 20 round mags so there was no possibility for them to fit in the gauge. Oh well. I have some 17 rounders I have some Springer base pads on the way for. At any rate, the thing is a ton of fun to shoot.

You’re welcome. I actually went and shot some today so I was going to add a little bit. The one thing I was going to add was regarding the grip. Even though it is textured some, its still kind of slick. I shot some factory 147 ammo through it and it wanted to squirm around in my hand a little. Some Pro Grip proved to be a good remedy, but I think the grip would benefit from a silicone carbide treatment, or maybe some grip tape. That said, I ordered some Talon Grip and I’ll see how that works. I actually like the trigger out of the box, and think its workable for practical shooting purposes. There is more potential in the pistol though, and some trigger work might be the thing to help wring it out. I don’t know if it matters to you, but one thing I do hope for is some after market options for iron sights. The front sight isn’t a problem, but the rear sight options aren’t great just the moment.

I wouldn’t say the VP9 has been the answer to my prayers, but the ability to adjust the grip size to the extent you are able to is very nice. My hands are on the larger side and I have been able to configure the grip so it is comfortably sized for me. I have a VP9L I’m thinking about setting up for CO, but I haven’t started down that path yet, so I can’t really provide much in the way of info. When I do wander down that path I’ll run either an SRO or maybe a 6 moa DPP on top of a CHPWS plate, and Springer Precision extended base pads. Blue Bullets 135s shoot great out of my VP9L. No issues.

Aww shucks. Thanks, Mike.

Hand Extensor Bands - I got the from Rogue Fitness

45-60 minutes of dry fire is a good chunk! If you're gripping the pistol hard, as you should, you should feel a bit of fatigue in your hands and forearms. To clarify what I was talking about before as far as gripping hard with both hands, I've been able to do that to good effect. What I meant by saying my hands are stupid too is that when I'm shooting I can't tell at what percentage I'm gripping the pistol with either hand. I just grip it hard with both hands. I'm still able to work the trigger well, and the front sight tracks consistently, which is what I'm concerned about.