What Gun?

[mike_pinto]

Derringer 22mag..

[BSeevers]

Get Serious Mike

.22 short

[Scout454]

Lee,

Since you like your Delta Elite so much, have you considered having a second barrel fit in 40S&W? I set a Kimber up that way. 40 for USPSA and IDPA and 10MM for the woods. Same magazines, same bullets, just change the brass.

[Lee Bell]

Lee,

Since you like your Delta Elite so much, have you considered having a second barrel fit in 40S&W? I set a Kimber up that way. 40 for USPSA and IDPA and 10MM for the woods. Same magazines, same bullets, just change the brass.

I asked about that in my last post. Glad to see I'm not alone in my thinking.

I wondered if I'd be able to use the same mags. The woods is exactly what I want to retain the 10mm for. Any thoughts on how to proceed?

Lee

[Scout454]

I use Chip McCormick 10mm 9 rounders and Tripp 10 MM 10 rounders for both .40 and 10MM. In 40, they'll run long loads (1.200) and factory (1.135) without any problem. It started life as a .40 and I had a Nowlin 10MM bushing barrel fit to it. 11 pound spring with the 40 and an 18 with the 10MM. Same bushing for both.

Mike

If you fit the 40 barrel you can play L10 and SS in USPSA and ESP in IDPA and get a taste for both. Then if you like it and want to go Limited get a decent S_I built.

[Lee Bell]

I use Chip McCormick 10mm 9 rounders and Tripp 10 MM 10 rounders for both .40 and 10MM. In 40, they'll run long loads (1.200) and factory (1.135) without any problem. It started life as a .40 and I had a Nowlin 10MM bushing barrel fit to it. 11 pound spring with the 40 and an 18 with the 10MM. Same bushing for both.

I'm glad you added information on spring weight. That's an issue that came up lately. In order to install buffers in the 10mm, I had to replace the guide rod. To do that, I had to preplace the recoil spring. I chose, until I had a better idea what rounds I would be shooting, to go with the stock spring weight, 23 lbs according to Wolff. Let me tell you, racking the slide against a 23 lb spring is not easy to do.

What weight 10mm bullet and velocity are you shooting with that 18lb spring and how far does the pistol toss the spent brass?

I will definitely go with a lighter powder charge and a correspondingly lighter recoil spring for competition and range use. Since I'll probably load 10mm rounds to the same velocities as .40 rounds, just a hair over major, the same spring should work for both. I'll reserve the heavy spring for when I'm carrying full power loads.

Lee

[Justsomeguy]

Like Scout454 said and you yourself surmised, a 40SW barrel addition seems to be in order. You will shoot the same course of fire if you shoot Limited 10 as you would Limited or Open, just the guns are different and you will only be scored for what division you are shooting in. In fact, in local matches at least, the next guy/gal up to the line could be shooting almost anything but still shooting the same targets as you are, so you will get to see a wide variety of pistol types and over the span of a year or so make a more informed decision about what you might want to spend your money on next.

Since you reload and can acquire 40SW cases cheaply or for nothing, you would be well advised to get that barrel change as soon as possible as you would only have to "lose" a couple hundred 10mm cases to make up the difference in cost of the new (even a premium) barrel and a smith to install it if you could not do it yourself. I have not seen any 40cal extended 10rnd magazines for sale, but the 10rnd 45cal ones can easily be modified to shoot 40 with adjustments to the feed lips and possibly a different follower, though I don't think even that is necessary.

You might also consider loading down some 200grn semi-wadcutter bullets to just make major power factor with your 45 bullseye gun and shoot in single stack or limited 10 with some new magazines. The idea is to shoot a gun you can practice with... a lot! Speed shooting burns a lot of ammo and the cost of components, especially bullets and brass is a big factor. Thus, the 40, being much more economical to shoot than a 45 is a winner in that department. If you already have a couple thousand 45 brass laying around you could use that to get started while the Delta Elite is out for a new barrel and shoot in the same class with it when it comes back. If you want to get into Limited division later, with the higher magazine capacity, you would have gained some valuable shooting experience and keep shooting with either gun until your new "build" is ready to go in Limited. The reason the STI guns are so popular with the Limited crowd is that the gun is rugged, reliable, and the polymer frame is not much bigger than the grip on a standard 1911 with a set of Pachmayr or Hogue grips on it. There are also "frame kits" for high cap guns like those from STI, Caspian, and others which will accept "uppers" of various makes that can make a fine pistol at a somewhat reduced cost. However, it you don't blanch at the $2000 cost of a custom gun then that may not need to be an option for you as you can buy a new STI Edge for somewhat less than that.

I hope you can get involved and become a champion.

[Lee Bell]

Since you reload and can acquire 40SW cases cheaply or for nothing, you would be well advised to get that barrel change as soon as possible as you would only have to "lose" a couple hundred 10mm cases to make up the difference in cost of the new (even a premium) barrel and a smith to install it if you could not do it yourself. I have not seen any 40cal extended 10rnd magazines for sale, but the 10rnd 45cal ones can easily be modified to shoot 40 with adjustments to the feed lips and possibly a different follower, though I don't think even that is necessary.

I'm sure there's some what to get 10 rounds of .40 or 10mm into a magazine that will fit in a 1911. My Chip McCormick .45 magazines are indistinguishable from my Colt 10mm magazines. I've put 10mm in them and racked the slide to chamber one. So far, so good. I have not fired the 10mm with them. If 10mms will work in a .45 magazine, something I've not yet conformed for sure, a .40 should too. If not, I'm sure somebody makes a 10 round .40 magazine or soon will.

You might also consider loading down some 200grn semi-wadcutter bullets to just make major power factor with your 45 bullseye gun and shoot in single stack or limited 10 with some new magazines.

My bullseye gun won't stand a major capable .45 load, is equipped with slide mounted red dot and no longer has iron sights. My Gold Cup, on the other hand, is set up for combat type shooting. When it gets back from the smith, to fix what Colt failed to do right the first time or fix during the month and a half they had it back, I will, in fact, use it while the 10mm is fitted with a .40 barrel . . . or have the Gold Cup fitted with one. I have options. If all else fails, I can always shoot my Glock 23, H&K UPS compact .45, or one of my Beretta 92s.

If you already have a couple thousand 45 brass laying around . . .

I suspect I have at least 3,000 .45 cases and I know I have more than 1,000 loaded to 230 grain factory ball specs. I have 4,000 lead SWC .45s on order, but only 3 or 400 loaded and ready to go. I probably have 5,000 .40 cases, but alas, no bullets to put in them at all. I have 4,000 180 grain .40 JHPs on order too. I load jacketed .40 rather than lead to keep my stock Glock's polygonal rifling happy. I have a somewhere around 1,000 180 grain .40 JHPs loaded and ready to go.

If you want to get into Limited division later, with the higher magazine capacity, you would have gained some valuable shooting experience and keep shooting with either gun until your new "build" is ready to go in Limited. The reason the STI guns are so popular with the Limited crowd is that the gun is rugged, reliable, and the polymer frame is not much bigger than the grip on a standard 1911 with a set of Pachmayr or Hogue grips on it.

Excellent information. One of my friends has a .45 Bullseye gun built on a STI frame. As I recall, his has spacers to make it fit a single stack magazine better. I've shot that gun a few times to chrono the bullets he reloads for it. I don't recall it felt different from my single stack 1911. I'll talk him into letting me look it over more closely and shooting a few more times.

There are also "frame kits" for high cap guns like those from STI, Caspian, and others which will accept "uppers" of various makes that can make a fine pistol at a somewhat reduced cost. However, it you don't blanch at the $2000 cost of a custom gun then that may not need to be an option for you as you can buy a new STI Edge for somewhat less than that.

I'll look at the edge too. Thanks.

I hope you can get involved and become a champion.

Get involved, sure. Become a champion, not likely. I'm coming up on 59. I don't move or see as well as I once did. In any sport where both are a factor, I'll be happy just to be competitive. If I can even get to the point where I make the good shooters a bit nervous, I'll be quite satisficed.

Lee

[HSMITH]

The 40 on the 45 slide won't work. Ejector might, but at the least you are looking at a slide and a barrel and small parts. Probably a $600 plus proposition to have it done right. You can probably get out of the shop in the $300 range just fitting a 40 barrel to the 10mm gun.

You carry the Glock? If so you have a holster and a belt. Mag pouches are pretty cheap if you don't have them, one purchase later you are ready to go!!! Carry holster will be just fine for a while, get out there!!!