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Got a nice call from my gunsmith


Foxbat

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The new 9mm shorty is pretty much done, shooting, and going to the plater. I might get it next week! Can't wait! Pretty good turnaround given the fact I ordered it just one month ago!

Some interesting things he said. One - this one will make the other two of this gun, than I already own, look like old junk... hmmmmm... I swear those would be close to the last guns I would ever get rid of... :) Barring my Glock 21, of course. Just how much better can things get???

Also - as I investigated the new gun build, some makers talked about the ubiquitous "9mm ejection problems". Some strongly recommended staying with just one brand of brass, or else - switch to the 90 degree mount, which I dislike strongly.

So I asked the smith... his response - use any junk brass you can find, it will work with any brass you give it. Nice...

Got the money for the final payment ready... got my camera charged... :)

Edited by Foxbat
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The word "junk" was his, and he has both many years of building fine guns under his belt, as well as GM classification. I am sure he doesn't mean real junk, but just assorted range pickups.

To tell you the truth, I have used thousands of rounds of random 9mm brass in 9 Major without any issues. So the concern was not as much the blowouts, but the ejection reliability. He only uses the conventional scope mounts, while many people claim you can't get perfect results with assorted brass unless you have the 90 degree mount.

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Junk brass? In a 9mm open? Really?

I would use some good brass, just my .02

Best of luck with the new blaster!

Jan

I use any brass off the range I pickup, key word brass, that steel stuff washed in brass is actually steel. I run it all thru a CasePro for perfect feeding. I think the key to success in 9 major is to shoot it once and let it go, if you are going to attempt to load it major more than once well then you need to be very particualar about the brass.

Back to the original thread, be sure to post pictures and range report after you get the gun, and a video of you shooting it would be good as well, we want to see how flat and soft it shoots!

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I didn't mean any disrespect...nor do I want to turn this into a reloading thread. I have only reloaded a few thousand rounds of 38SC and started with new brass and try to pick up as much as I can. If you scoop up range brass to reuse, how can you tell it's condition besides obvious cracks/bulges?

Thanks

Jan

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Not a problem at all, no disrespect was perceived! In reality picking up random say, 9mm brass, is no different from buying mixed brass from someone else - it comes from the same source, unless it is specifically stated to be once-fired single stamp brass, for instance from a LO range where reloads are not used.

My experience with mixed lots has been without any issues. In addition, I have used some of it 2-3 times without problems. Conservative people like CocoBolo lose it after one use, but in reality that brass then gets sold to us again as mixed lot... :(

So your choices are either to stick with new/once fired single stamp brass, and pay slight premium, or go with whatever you can get. I usually use mixed brass for practice and local club matches, and use Winchester once-fired for bigger matches.

That's with 9mm. When I shoot 38 SC in a match, I always use nickel-plated brass. It is easier to see in the grass, and also, at least at the matches I go to, no one else seems too use such brass, so I am assured I pick up only mine.

Edited by Foxbat
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Hello: If the pistol cannot use a convensional upright mount then the ejector needs tuning and maybe the extractor. A open pistol needs to work perfectly and it does not matter if it is 9mm or 38super/38 super comp. Once fired 9mm brass is not a problem, it is when you try to reload it more than 5 times that I am seeing a problem :surprise: Let see the pics now. Thanks, Eric

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Hello: If the pistol cannot use a convensional upright mount then the ejector needs tuning and maybe the extractor. A open pistol needs to work perfectly and it does not matter if it is 9mm or 38super/38 super comp. Once fired 9mm brass is not a problem, it is when you try to reload it more than 5 times that I am seeing a problem :surprise: Let see the pics now. Thanks, Eric

I understand how the ejector is modified to spit out the brass lower, but how is the extractor typically tuned for upright mounts?

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Ha ha yeah, that would at least give us some hint as to what the desired pistol will look like ........ Throw us a bone man! B)

I honestly have no idea, I can only guess at this point, as I simply asked him to do the best he knows how, to me the suspense is part of this fun, but I know it will be fantastic.

I realize now I might have pulled the trigger too early, I am getting superstitious, let's wait for it to show up first!

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I think there is no reason a good smith could not build a gun in 2 days, provided he had all the parts. Back when I was stock car racing I had a body shop and I had one of the fastest and best body men in the state, even if he couldn't read nor write, so he fixes a car in 3 days, and the customer complains, we charge to much, after a while I tell Benny when you get a car tear it down and let it sit in the back lot for at least two weeks, after that no more complaints.

My smith took 3 weeks after I dropped off the parts, but he was working on other guns during that time, too bad it was his last gun before he retired.

Edited by CocoBolo
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  • 3 weeks later...

Finally it is here... enclosing the pictures.

Just one request - the smith asked me not to mention his name, so I am obligated to follow his wishes. I realize that some of you will recognize the style - please respect his request and don't mention it either.

I took the gun to the range yesterday, and at first it felt incredibly tight, however after the first 100 rounds it already showed some signs of loosening up, and after 250 it became almost pleasant to shoot!

In that 250 rounds there was one stove pipe, and no missfeeds, so you can say it worked great for the first round. The trigger is incredible... I own two more of his gun, and one has a 15oz trigger, the other one is under 1.5lb... this trigger is already at 1 3/4", so I expect it to drop below 1.5lb. Already it is crisp and smooth.

The ammo was made using all sorts of assorted junk brass, no selection.

It is too early to say how flat the gun shoots, the smith promises much better behavior than in my older guns, which is hard to believe. The loads I was using were developed for the 9mm guns with no holes, so naturally they fell somewhat short - they clocked at around 162, so a bit more powder is required. 115gr MG JHP with 7.6gr of Autocomp gave me 1410 fps. 8.9gr of HS-6 was about the same.

Nonetheless, it is quite flat already, and I expect it to become even more so with more powder.

One thing is obvious - after this few rounds the blast shield is already showing plenty of erosion - the pictures were taken before shooting. So it will be a consumable item, or else I can make my own with a stainless steel plate.

The whole process took just under 7 weeks, as there were some delays in shipments to and from the plater.

post-21305-042269200 1302271453_thumb.jp

post-21305-023249900 1302271459_thumb.jp

post-21305-094031600 1302271466_thumb.jp

post-21305-032944700 1302271476_thumb.jp

post-21305-042607800 1302271485_thumb.jp

Edited by Foxbat
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HS-6 is already one of the loads I have been using in my 9mm guns, I generally like the way it shoots, but hate the smell and dirt... :(

The comp is not Bedell, this smith makes it from scratch.

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200 more rounds today and the gun runs without any issues, on the same junk brass.

One thing about it - it is LOUD!!! I mean - LOUD loud. Shooting indoors, this was the first time ever I felt the need for ear plugs under the muffs... I don't envy the RO's.

Other than that, it is quickly becoming more comfortable.

Accuracy is superb, as you would normally expect from Schueman barrels in well built guns. 3/4" or less from sandbags at 15 yards - and I am not exactly a sharpshooter.

At this point - another few hundred rounds and then serious load development.

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