Which comp?

[35WLN]

Recently my comp broke off in a match, quite a surprise. Anyway now I am looking at all of my options and trying to decide which one to go with. The old one was a marvel comp which I thought did a pretty good job. I have been looking at the Brazos thundercomp 2 and the Dawson Awesome (both of them), but am open to suggestions. The gun is a 5" STI in 9 major. I shoot 124's with autocomp at 172 pf. I am hoping with black thursday I might be able to pick one up on sale. So what say you?

[lcs]

Recently my comp broke off in a match, quite a surprise. Anyway now I am looking at all of my options and trying to decide which one to go with. The old one was a marvel comp which I thought did a pretty good job. I have been looking at the Brazos thundercomp 2 and the Dawson Awesome (both of them), but am open to suggestions. The gun is a 5" STI in 9 major. I shoot 124's with autocomp at 172 pf. I am hoping with black thursday I might be able to pick one up on sale. So what say you?

I would rule out Thundercomp 2. Autocomp did not work the Thundercomp 2 very well in my testing. No info on the Dawson.

[Rye]

How about Bedell progressive comp. They have it at shootersconnection

[CocoBolo]

I've got 2 9 majors with the Dawson DP2 comp (cone 5"), and a 3rd in the shop being rebarreled and re-comped Dawson and Maj 9. (bull 5.4")

I guess that expresses my prefernce. I also have both ThunderComp II Brazos as well as ThunderComp III which is 6 port Vs the 5 of the II, and a Bedell Ti. The best of the lot is the Dawson. If you want it soft and flat then its the Dawson.

Works great with 124gr and 7.0 Autocomp, and even better with 7.5gr Silhouette.

[35WLN]

CocoBolo,

Is that the TJ one or the standard? Any other suggestions are appreciated.

[818-DVC]

GANS will make you a comp. It's what he does best. Personally a lot of us are using 3, 5, and 7 port Ti comps like bedell, MC custom, or the Dawson. Sometimes less is more.

[jjanglin]

EGW EDM five port comp works really well with 9mm major.

Jimn/Pa

Sailors

[CocoBolo]

CocoBolo,

Is that the TJ one or the standard? Any other suggestions are appreciated.

The TJ has two extra holes, according to lore, aka myth etc these were added to keep the gun from going down after being fired. I have one of each and I can't tell the difference, so pick the look you like and go with it either the DP2 or Awesome (aka Todd Jarrett).

[SLM]

I've had a Bedell titanium, Brazos Thundercomp 2 and a Dawson Precision 2. I shoot 115's over Silhouette in 9 Major right around 173 PF and the best of that lot is the Dawson, hands down. I screwed up and traded that gun. What I was thinking I really don't know other than it wasn't as pretty as my other guns. I still kick myself and have tried to buy it back a few times. The owner flatly will not sell it. I had the slide milled to 9.53 ounces bare and it it's just a phenomenal gun to shoot. Second is my current set up, the Brazos Thundercomp 2. It's pretty darn flat and I really like it but it's truly not in the league the Dawson is. Third is the Bedell titanium. Back in January I had the barrel that it was on decide the bottom lugs were optional and to be honest I do not miss it. I thought I would but boy was I wrong.

I do have to agree with my friend and first Open mentor FullRace that the Brazos comp and Autocomp powder is a totally horrid combination. Even with 115's there is no where near enough gas produced by the small charges of Autocomp to work the Brazos comp at a PF I'd be comfortable with for any period of time, unless you're all good with launching the lightweight 11'5 at over 1650 FPS. Then Autocomp finally starts to work the Brazos. If you're set on the 124's and Autocomp, I'd easily agree with CocoBolo and say get the steel Dawson in either variant.

[Sean Gaines]

I think any of the trubor type designs would be good. Bedell is too light up in the front, and seemed real harsh.

[lcs]

I do have to agree with my friend and first Open mentor FullRace that the Brazos comp and Autocomp powder is a totally horrid combination. Even with 115's there is no where near enough gas produced by the small charges of Autocomp to work the Brazos comp at a PF I'd be comfortable with for any period of time, unless you're all good with launching the lightweight 11'5 at over 1650 FPS. Then Autocomp finally starts to work the Brazos. If you're set on the 124's and Autocomp, I'd easily agree with CocoBolo and say get the steel Dawson in either variant.

Wait till you see what I did with your old Competitior, not to mention shoot it.

[lcs]

I think any of the trubor type designs would be good. Bedell is too light up in the front, and seemed real harsh.

In 9 Major I agree the Trubor works real good, but there are better comps. Bedell's steel comp works pretty good with a few mods, but a lot of open shooters do not like the added weight on the end of the gun.

[SLM]

I do have to agree with my friend and first Open mentor FullRace that the Brazos comp and Autocomp powder is a totally horrid combination. Even with 115's there is no where near enough gas produced by the small charges of Autocomp to work the Brazos comp at a PF I'd be comfortable with for any period of time, unless you're all good with launching the lightweight 11'5 at over 1650 FPS. Then Autocomp finally starts to work the Brazos. If you're set on the 124's and Autocomp, I'd easily agree with CocoBolo and say get the steel Dawson in either variant.

Wait till you see what I did with your old Competitior, not to mention shoot it.

Oh my! Looking forward to it!

[818-DVC]

Thundercomps work great. With 4756 3N37 and N-105. Ask the manufactures of the various comps and they will give you load data. Call or email brazos, EGW,Dawson, bedell, MC, and you will get at least 5 different answers. You don't just magically cone on a comp and run what your set on powder wise, and get the comp to just run. Nor do you start chopping and drilling up the comp! You work the load. It's much easier and cheaper. Ask the smith who designed the comp what to do.

JL

[al503]

CocoBolo,

Is that the TJ one or the standard? Any other suggestions are appreciated.

The TJ has two extra holes, according to lore, aka myth etc these were added to keep the gun from going down after being fired. I have one of each and I can't tell the difference, so pick the look you like and go with it either the DP2 or Awesome (aka Todd Jarrett).

I'm fairly certain that the side ports were added to the TJ model to address dot tracking issues, not because it was pushing the bbl down.

I think the extra weight of the Dawson helps with the feel. However it also hurts transitions. I had a Dawson ministroker and it felt very nose heavy in comparison to a Brazos shorty with the thundercomp.

[jpl]

Adam, you will need to replace it with an integrated cone/comp due to the length of the barrel. Your other options are to replace the barrel, too, or turn it into a shorty. But I don't think the lightening cuts in the slide will allow you to shorten it.

Get a hold of Keith T. and see if he will sell you the comp off his gun. We are making it a shorty and using a new barrel and comp.

Hope that helps.

-JPL

[CocoBolo]

Thundercomps work great. With 4756 3N37 and N-105. Ask the manufactures of the various comps and they will give you load data. Call or email brazos, EGW,Dawson, bedell, MC, and you will get at least 5 different answers. You don't just magically cone on a comp and run what your set on powder wise, and get the comp to just run. Nor do you start chopping and drilling up the comp! You work the load. It's much easier and cheaper. Ask the smith who designed the comp what to do.

JL

Since we are on a 9 Major Gun here, move to strike 4756 and N-105 as powers you would run in a 9 major gun. On a full size 9 Major gun and let me qualify that by saying 5" or longer Silhouette, HS6, AutoComp, AA#7 w/124gr perform well. 3N37 also seems to perform well but had a bit more straight back recoil than I like. All of these with the Brazos SX II with no holes. In my Brazos SX II comped shorty I never did get to that blissful plateau called soft and flat, I did get to soft but no matter what it had a bit of muzzle flip albiet very trackable and shootable with AA#7 (10gr), HS6, and Silhouette, however Autocomp induced a very unpredictable bouncey dot movement that made the gun difficult to shoot until I moved to a 11# recoil spring. I have that slide at the smith getting it swiss cheesed to be as light as possible with the intent of making it a minor gun for steel. I started my testing of 9 Major with the Shorty and although I never got it as flat as one of my full size 38SC guns I decided to covert to 9 Major, and I am very happy with the performance of the DP comped full size guns.

I have heard of running N-105 in 9 major just have not actually tried it or seen anyone shooting it in this area. I used 4756 in 38SC and it was hard to load and keep it in the case in 38SC.

Now as for the weight comments. The Brazos is the lightest comp around with the exception of the TI comps. The Dawson DP2 and Awesome weight in at about 4.5 oz making them one of the lighter steel comps. But to the point yes the Dawson can seem to put a little weight out front if you had previously had a TI comp or even a Brazos Comp, I know I did exaclty that. This slight nose heavyness can be eliminated easily with a Briley Aluminum guide rod. A Bull Barrel gun will have a bit more weight out forward of the balance axis.

[818-DVC]

I forget about all you 9majors. I was talking SA or SC. I personally will never run 9x19 in minor or major except for carry guns. It's too messy to load and I don't have the powder choices I do with the longer cartridge. It is NEVER as smooth as Super. I leave 9x19 for the Nazi's and Mel Gibson. 2 of a kind!

anyone who sacrifices their brass at major matches, or lazy people who don't care to pick up after themselves at the club level and try to justify 9x19 as "free" are fooling themselves. It's like a 90• mount solves your ejection issues, but you still have a bumpier ride, and get about a tenth of the reloads you do with super or SC. I know it's the fad right now, like so many others, but I find no benefit to 9major. I use the 90• mount with SC and it helps me aquire the the dot much faster, and is just another benefit to ejection. Lost brass matches, I use my 5-10x loaded brass.

[BBoyle]

I use to have an EGW 4 port comp. That was the best comp I ever had or shot. I will probably get another one when it is time for a new barrel.

[lynn jones]

i use dan bedell's ti comps on both of my open pistols.

[shooterbenedetto]

FOr Dawson comp, since we are running 9 major, it makes more sense

to get the Dawson 1 with no port holes so you get more gas.

If running 38super then yes it makes more sense to get the Dawson 2(aka Todd Jarret)

to make the comp be more effective. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

[donnyglock]

I built an open gun useing the Dawson awesome comp. Works great.

[Triple]

Seven Ports is The Best, Point Very Flat and stable, I have 5 years shooting 9M.

[CocoBolo]

Seven Ports is The Best, Point Very Flat and stable, I have 5 years shooting 9M.

7 ports is an ambigious statement.

[Aircooled6racer]

Hello: I think load developement and comp tuning are very important. I have a couple of comps here to try next year for my 9mm open pistol. I am just waiting on the barrel. The plan is to use HS-6, Silhouette and 3N37 powders in the 5" bull barrel setup. I will also be using the same barrel and slide to compare them all. Bullets will be 115 grain JHP's. Thanks, Eric