BayouSlide

Nah, only 105 percent in May...remember, it's in North Louisiana See y'all there. Curtis

If you plan on shooting USPSA Production, the G17L isn't Production-legal...but neither is a G35 with a caliber-changing barrel. The G34 is definitely your best bet for Production. Curtis

If it makes any difference, the orange basepads I get from Lone Wolf are actually OEM Glock, intended to identify training mags. Curtis

Nordic, here. Not sure how it compares with the others but it was lighter IIRC than the DMW and doesn't adversely affect cycling. Style points besides 'cause it matches my Nordic extension Curtis

9.5.1 Unless otherwise specified in the written stage briefing, scoring paper targets must be shot with a minimum of one round each, with the best two hits to score. Scoring metal targets must be shot with a minimum of one round each and must fall to score. Otherwise, the appropriate penalties per 9.4 apply, including miss penalties worth twice a scoring hit. You pays your money and makes your choice. Curtis Edited: to clarify a point.

Add me to the long list of people who really like Tipton carbon fiber rods for rifles. Curtis

You raise an excellent point, but I don't feel comfortable in a situation where the the 1st DQ doesn't count. I would prefer warning the newbie ahead of time as soon as I see a holster that raises a potential problem so that they are squared away with the rule before it becomes an issue. And I have done so with newcomers using IWB holsters in the past. Curtis

I don't find that to be true. The benefit of a lighter spring is that much of the recoil we experience, and concomitant muzzle flip, is caused by the rearward rocketing slide overcoming and compressing the recoil spring. Lessen the amount of force necessary to accomplish that, you lessen perceived recoil and muzzle flip. Also when the slide returns forward, if it does so excesssively hard the muzzle has a tendency to bounce up and down like a tuning fork. I call this subsidiary muzzle bounce or SMB. Because with a lighter recoil spring the slide is not slamming into battery nearly as hard, not only do you get less perceived recoil and muzzle flip, you get less SMB, as well. Yes, even with factory ammo. Duane, that is an interesting explanation that makes sense. Perception, after all, is the basis of our reality, especially vis-a-vis practical shooting. I do like the feel of heavy 9mm bullets, a mid 130s PF and the lighter springs in my 9mm Glocks: more recoil push, less recoil flip, easier sight acquisition for aging, less than optimal eyes. Now in my 10mms, I go just the opposite direction, i.e. heavier springs with loads that are heavier than the lower velocity 10mm loads that are usually available. FWIW, the stock Glock springs in that case seem to take quite a battering from stout loads. Heavier springs seem to control the slide velocity a little better and feel better to me. Curtis Edited: 'cause I hate typos!

I also shoot a G34 and the benefit of lighter springs is to tune to lighter than factory ammo. For factory ammo just stick with the stock spring. In regards to weight, with your set up, any standard length stainless guide rod should be GTG, tungsten becomes iffy, the extended tungsten will definitely put you over limit. Curtis

Congrats! Curtis

Search is your friend, for sure, but here's something to get you started. Zero 147 gr JHP and just under 3.3 grains of Titegroup for a PF of around 135-8 out of my G34. COL varies depending on the brass, but my set up goal is for 1.111 - 1.113 with Winchester brass. Heavier bullets offer more of a "push" recoil than a "snap", making it easier for me to regain the sight picture faster. Some people like the opposite approach. I actually try to set up for a 10-powder-throw average of 3.27-8 grains before starting loading for real on my 550B, so I try to load for just a tad under 3.3 grains. I've found this load chronos very consistently at matches, whether hot and humid or cold and dry, FWIW, and works the gun very well with an ISMI 13# spring. If I go much lighter than this on powder, I find the gun a little sluggish and may risk an occasional stovepipe from a lighter powder drop, so I stick with this. As always, YMMV, but this works very well for me. Curtis

My sincerest condolences to you and your family on your loss. Sometimes it's not much consolation that our lives have their beginning and they must have an end—but may we all be as fortunate as she was to have our loved ones around us at that passage. It's easier to find consolation from our beloved ones now being free of their pain—and the realization that they will always remain close to us, because they are inextricably intertwined with the spirit of the person they have helped us become. Peace. Curtis

The USPSA shotgun rules don't specifically address having a shell on the lifter, referring throughout merely to magazine capacity. In applying the rules, I would have to judge that if you have a eight round magazine tube, you technically only have a 9 round gun—unless you specifically choose to make the effort required to start with one on the lifter, which would then put you in violation of the division requirements...and thus into Open. ["Appendix D 2. Limited/Tactical Division. 9. Ammunition capacity restrictions. Maximum of 9 rounds loaded, Max. of 8 in the case of Rule 8.1.1.2."] Ghost loading is a nice trick, but takes a little setup. It's handy in non-USPSA matches that have no restrictions on starting number of rounds, but certainly nothing I'd ever want to try to do on the clock during a stage. Curtis

I think such emphasis on seeing the muzzle or not seeing the muzzle is misplaced. It's the "90 degree from the backstop and/or angled up range" that is the deciding factor, and that's what I look for. I aim to maintain a viewpoint of the competitor that can best judge that angle...and don't ever want to place myself in a situation where I am looking at a muzzle. Curtis

I find my EOTech 512 equipped 16" barrel AR ideal for these sort of matches where most of the targets are in the 50-100 yard range or closer: faster and precise enough for the occasional stage out to 125 yards, if need be, with my eyes. Very quick to acquire the sights under any conceivable position, especially weak shoulder and other awkward positions. I like EOTechs, especially considering the initial cost, but like any electronic gizmo they can go belly up. As has been noted, if your vision problems include astigmatism, you will be seeing a very blurry dot. Where the matches include lots of stages with shots beyond 100 yards, it's definitely time for my Meopta-equipped 1-4X 20" AR. Both setups work well...but for your sort of matches, I'd prefer the EOTech. Curtis

Get a lead cast bullet of the same caliber and drive it into the barrel from the chamber side with a brass rod. It will push the jacket out like a piece of tubing in front of it. This trick worked for me when I posted the same question here a year or so back when I had this problem in my Glock. I soaked the barrel in solvent ahead of time to lubricate it a little, FWIW. Good luck! Curtis

For our game, I'd doubt it would be worth it. My well-worn G34 (over 50K rounds) can generally keep five shots all in the upper A zone from slow fire at 25 yds when I do my part. I reload 3.3 grains of Titegroup with a Zero 147 gr. JHP. Spend the money on ammo for more practice Curtis

Thanks for sharing your insights. My goal is to improve my level of performance from C to B class in 2010. You've emphasized some areas for attention that many of us can benefit from. Curtis

Here from the ranks of the apparently self-employed forever, I salute you...and color me green with envy. Best wishes for the next stage of your life and making the most of it. Curtis

What Eric said. The stock Glock 3.5# is rather mushy in comparison. And if you have the NY spring assemblage, just pull it and replace with a standard Glock OEM spring. You can get the LW connector and the stock spring from Lone Wolf, with cheap postal shipping rates on small parts Curtis

With a Zero 147 gr. JHP, I shoot for an overall length of approx. 1.11 - 1.13 in. FWIW, Atlanta Arms loads a similar load as short at 1.105. Plenty of accuracy in both their and my loads, with perfect feeding. I don't see the need for rounds over 1.17 in. or so, personally. YMMV. Curtis

Excellent idea! Curtis

As if it's necessary, here's another vote of approval for the Firebird coupler. Great piece of gear. Curtis

That would appear to be the way to do it—in effect, compelling movement/position change of some sort to acquire that target. Curtis

With the exception of last year, it has normally been finalized rather late in the game compared with the other area championships. Curtis