Any excuse for a new gun

[Nowind0]

I am interested starting NRA AP and am considering purchasing a frame and slide while you still can.

My thinking is to start with metallic sights and then possibly go the open route. Caspian frame and slide in 9x19. That is as far as I have gotten.

Other suggestions are welcomed. Mainly front and rear sights (I was thinking Bomar rear). What about the barrel-mounted front sights? Slide Length (how much of a disadvantage is a 5" over a 6"? I have read that a 5" is better for open and 6" for metallic). Does anyone make a barrel shroud that attaches to a tactical rail? (Seems like a good idea in theory).

Pictures would be helpful also.

Thanks

Mike

"Did I just shoot a 6, or is that a fly on the target"

[gm iprod]

I have 6" for both open and metalic.

A bunch of guys here are rebuilding old 5" iron sighted handguns by putting a 6" barrel in and mounting a block that matches the shape of the slide and hanging the front sight off that. It gives you some extra weight at the end of the gun that does not move with the slide and increases the sight radius. I run a full wide dustcover for extra weight up front.

9x19 or 38Super or anything else that duplicates will work. 9x19 may require some good magazines to work well. If single stack take a look at th enew Springfield magazines or the new Wilsom ETM.

If you use a 6" with the block hanging off the barrel then when you want to go open you just take the sight block off the barrel and replace it with a comp and add all the extras and you are sorted.

Bomar or similar minimum for the rear sight. Bruce Piatt uses and Aristocrat on his and I am looking at going that route as well. The front should be just like a bullseye sight tall and sharp edged. Clean with no flash coloured blobs.

Edited February 7, 2009 by gm iprod

[Nowind0]

Thanks for the information. The block on the end of the barrel sounds like a good idea.

Mike

"Did I just shoot a 6, or is that a fly on my target?"

[Bafaction]

I was reading the rules from 10th Jan 2008 that were down loaded from the web and I am sure it said the following

3.2 Metallic Sight Firearm - Minimum caliber is 9 x 19mm (9mm): a semi-automatic firearm with no more than

a 6 1/4-inch barrel length. The front sight not to extend past the front of the slide and the rear sight not past the

rear of the slide by a 1/4-inch.

But after I had another look on the NRA Website, it just says that for the revise 2009 rules it is in out favour : ( I then found the Hard copy of the 2008 rules and it said the same below. I was telling some ppl that they could not have the sight past the slide so they can not change there setup.)

3.2 Metallic Sight Firearm - Minimum caliber is 9 x 19mm (9mm): a semi-automatic firearm with no more than

a 6 1/4-inch barrel length. The front sight not to extend beyond the muzzle, the maximum sight radius to be no

more than 8.5 inches.

Which means I can get my metallic sight gun modded to allow the block on the front too.

[gm iprod]

Brett,

The magic words are extend and slide. If the front sight is not connected to the slide it can't extend from it, and a great many handguns around the world had the front sight not attached to the slide, but attached to the barrel and they are / were legal for Metallic Sight. That was my interpretation in 2007 when I built my gun, but I was not the first at the Cup with this type of firearm, and seeing as the others were allowed, mine therefore was legal as the rules had not changed from one year to the next.