From this...to this...my first match

[BigBamBoo]

Well...where do I start?

 A couple of years ago my aging eyes started hindering my limited division pistol shooting. It became very frustrating for me to go from usually finishing in the upper end of the pack and an occasional win, to the low end of the pack.

 I ended up selling my two Brazo's STI HP Edge's....big mistake on my part.

 

Hello PCC! Yes...the dot changed EVRYTHING for me. And I have had a BUNCH of fun shooting in PCC division.

 

But...I have always missed shooting a pistol. So about May I starting really thinking about a new pistol setup.

 

The MAJOR problem for me though (and anyone else trapped in the state of Calif.) is that we here in Calif. have a very limited pool of pistols to choose from. None of the "cool" guns are sold here.

 

My first thought was carry optics using a Glock Gen 3...we can buy those here. But CO just does not excite me much. So I started looking for a STI that I could use to build an open rig with. But like anything where supply and demand sets the prices...even "well used" STI's command top dollar. And everything I was able to find was either more than I was willing to spend for a foundation for an open rig. Or just plain beat to crap.

 

Then...I stumbled on to an old Briley El Presidente at a very fair price. At first glance I was like no way. That old antiquated rig is not for me. But upon further reading on the listing, the owner claimed it had less then 50 rounds through it. Wait...what?

 

 So I reached out to him and he confirmed it had only been shot ONE time and only 20 rounds total through it. Well we arrange to meet up and I told him if it was as he claimed, I would buy it.

 

We met at an FFL halfway between where we lived and as soon as he showed it to me I bought it. Absolutely a "new" pistol.

 

Once I got it home, I contacted Briley and got the history of the pistol. It was built in 2000. Trigger set at 2.5 lbs. Set up for old major PF.

 

So now to give it a make over and bring it up to date. New sight and mount, added a slide racker, all new springs, new magwell, Aftec extractor and tuned to run 38SC, and a "gas peddle".

 

Well...now I need to reload for it. So...hello Dillon. I need a 1050 and a bullet feeder.

 

Ok...but the match is in a few days. Well...one of my buddies who shoots 38SC said I will give you some ammo, just come shoot the match.

 

Hmmm....I have not shot a pistol in a match in over TWO YEARS! I have NEVER shot an open gun. I have never shot THIS gun. I am using borrowed ammo. What could possibly go wrong!?!?!

 

I have to say. When the timer went off on that first stage and I fired those first few rounds...I was a bit leery. But the gun ran like a top! Not a single hiccup the whole match. I need LOTS of practice, but had a GREAT time and so far am digging the dark side.

 And I am SO VERY pleased with this almost 20 year old "new" open gun.

 

Thanks for listing to my rambling. Below are a couple of stages from the match. The first stage was my first stage.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Hi-Power Jack]

Very nice first try …   Wish I taped my first Open shoot - it was a fiasco - forgot to

turn the dot on for one stage (probably the first stage).   Had mag problems.

 

BUT, it was a lot of fun - good luck with your new/old blaster - nice looking gun     

[B_Seehawer]

Super cool old gun!! Sure doesn’t take much to bring em up to date!!

[CaliYeti]

I remember those issues being in Cali.  Looks like you're one of the lucky ones that finds what you're looking for.

 

One thing to look into if you're hooked and want another open is that I think Infinity has a way to get there guns in cali and it's not too much of a hassle to do.  But you'll just have to wait the year and a half or more that they take.

 

Good luck with the new open gun. 

[BigBamBoo]

Thanks folks. It was a fun day. I was just happy the pistol ran and after two years, I can still shoot a pistol...although a bit slow!

[Jfitz427]

Looks like a good gun. But I don’t get why anyone would stay in Cali, NY etc. I left New York 6 years ago. If I was still there I’d start looking for jobs in free states and when I landed one I’d move. NC has basically no gun state gun control laws. All those high capacity death magazines I want. I love it here. And just the lack of regulation in all areas of life. 

[Hi-Power Jack]

1 hour ago, Jfitz427 said:

 NC has no gun control laws.  I love it. And the lack of regulation in all areas of life. 

 

Radical thought  ….    Sounds a lot like   F R E E D O M.     

[BigBamBoo]

I own property in AZ and hope to build a home on it some day.

 

As for upping and leaving...would love to but I have my elderly father who relies on me for much of his daily life choirs. Some adult children here. And my better half is about to start a job that will pay way more than she could land anywhere else.

 I am in far No. Calif. where the cost of living is still reasonable and most of the folks are conservative and our Sheriff is pro 2A.

 

I am lucky that I am self employed and my business is 100% online so when it is time to go, my income will not change.

 

We will be staying in the western states as I do a LOT of coyote hunting and access to public lands is very important to me. Once you get to the Midwest it seems like there is little options beyond hunting leases to hunt.

 

 CA is truly a lost cause. It has been sad to see it decline into a socialist state so rapidly.

[Furrly]

It's only going to get worst.. 

[Jfitz427]

1 hour ago, BigBamBoo said:

I own property in AZ and hope to build a home on it some day.

 

As for upping and leaving...would love to but I have my elderly father who relies on me for much of his daily life choirs. Some adult children here. And my better half is about to start a job that will pay way more than she could land anywhere else.

 I am in far No. Calif. where the cost of living is still reasonable and most of the folks are conservative and our Sheriff is pro 2A.

 

I am lucky that I am self employed and my business is 100% online so when it is time to go, my income will not change.

 

We will be staying in the western states as I do a LOT of coyote hunting and access to public lands is very important to me. Once you get to the Midwest it seems like there is little options beyond hunting leases to hunt.

 

 CA is truly a lost cause. It has been sad to see it decline into a socialist state so rapidly.

Ya, it’s become a Venezuela model. Really rich and really poor, not much in between. It was once a beacon of light for the rest of the cointyy. A middle class paridise. Solidly red state. It’s changed so fast. Now you can smoke weed legally, but get arrested for having a plastic straw.  

 

these polticans in these states do not believe that limiting magazine capacity by a law, to try and stop people who don’t follow the law is going to make anyone safer, and all the other assault weapon crap. What they are doing is being openly hostile to gun owners. They want to make it so hard to get a gun, with so many stupid laws that we all leave their states. They hate is, despise us. 

 

I think this stuff is going to end soon and challenges are going to be accepted by SCOTUS now that we have a solid 5-4 majority. I think they were holding off while Kennedy was still on the court because they weren’t sure how he would vote on more specific laws like mag limits and gun type bans. Justice Thomas and has been begging for these to come before him. And Kavanaugh has already said AWB are unconstitutional. The future looks good. 

 

Have you heard about the plan to break California up into 3? With northern CA being it’s own state. If that is mostly conservative then that would be great for y’all. I just can’t imagine having the money, and not being able to buy any gun I want. Only ones on the “approved” roster. 

[Dranoel]

You didn't mention what you paid for it but it's from Briley. Worth every penny. I been using that barrel and comp in my own .38 Super and love it. 

[BigBamBoo]

Let’s just say I got a good deal on it. The gent had been trying to sell it for since early this year. I think the old sight scared everyone away. I know when I first saw it listed back in May, was that was just an old rig and is probably wore out. I am glad I revisited it when I saw the lower price a few weeks ago.

 

On another note, I am very impressed with the comp. I had mentioned to the gunsmith who did the work on it for me that maybe we should put a new comp on it. He was pretty adamant that the Briley was a good design and to just run it first.  Glad I did. 

 

I have not yet chronoed the ammo, but it was my buddies load and he has two holes in his barrel and it makes 175pf from his rig. One I get my press up and producing ammo I will make sure I am good, but have no plans on changing the load if I don’t have too.

[Jumprun13k]

Nice!!

 

The gun ran nice and flat, you are going to have a ton of fun with that one. 

[Sneexies]

Nice gun! 

 

i love the rts2.

[BigBamBoo]

37 minutes ago, Jumprun13k said:

Nice!!

 

The gun ran nice and flat, you are going to have a ton of fun with that one. 

 

Yes, watching the videos, I was very impressed on how flat it ran. I had thought about swapping out the comp, but the gunsmith who changed the sight bracket said those were good comps and just run it first. Glad I actually listened this time!

 

And I am very excited to be back shooting handguns...I missed it a lot.

 

 

16 minutes ago, Sneexies said:

Nice gun! 

 

i love the rts2.

 

 

Thank you. And yes...so far, I am liking the RTS2.

[Sneexies]

Just now, BigBamBoo said:

 

Yes, watching the videos, I was very impressed on how flat it ran. I had thought about swapping out the comp, but the gunsmith who changed the sight bracket said those were good comps and just run it first. Glad I actually listened this time!

 

And I am very excited to be back shooting handguns...I missed it a lot.

 

 

 

 

Thank you. And yes...so far, I am liking the RTS2.

Its low enough to where I don't want a 90 degree mount for my slide ride, and the glass is big enough for me to not miss the glass size of the slide ride.

[BenAlpha]

what holster is that?

[BigBamBoo]

25 minutes ago, Sneexies said:

Its low enough to where I don't want a 90 degree mount for my slide ride, and the glass is big enough for me to not miss the glass size of the slide ride.

 

Yes, my buddy (who supplied the ammo for my first match) has a C-More slide ride on a 90. He shot my rig and instantly said, "I wish I would not have shot that"....now he wants to do a RTS2.

 

8 minutes ago, BenAlpha said:

what holster is that?

 

 Everglades Ammo MRH. I like it a bit better than the Double Alpha Race Master as it places the holster/gun a bit farther from my body.

[Sneexies]

3 minutes ago, BigBamBoo said:

 

Yes, my buddy (who supplied the ammo for my first match) has a C-More slide ride on a 90. He shot my rig and instantly said, "I wish I would not have shot that"....now he wants to do a RTS2.

 

 

 Everglades Ammo MRH. I like it a bit better than the Double Alpha Race Master as it places the holster/gun a bit farther from my body.

Haha that's why I make it a point not to shoot anyone else's setups. Makes it start to get expensive :-p. 

 

have you had any issues with the battery disconnecting on a shot and shutting off? 

[MemphisMechanic]

I’ve never seen someone get away with a foot fault when they had both feet out of bounds before.

 

Besitiful gun. She’ll serve you well given how little wear everything has seen!

 

Edited December 10, 2018 by MemphisMechanic

[BigBamBoo]

LOL...I caught that as well after watching the video...RO did not catch it though.....Thank you Tom??? (the RO).