9x19mm 124gr +P Gold Dot Replica Load

Reloading Disclaimer, Read First

Speer Gold Dot 124gr., plated hollow point bullet
7.8 grains Alliant Blue Dot, seems to be a compressed load
1.12" OAL (factory spec)
any brass
Federal Small Pistol Primer, or Wolf Small Pistol Primer
This load will get you just a shade under 1200fps from a Glock 17, which is really close to the Speer factory load, and Georgia Arms Sheer Power Plus load.
I don't get any noticeable primer flattening. Federal primers flattened a bit (they always do), but Wolf primers come out looking like factory ammo. The Blue Dot gives off a pretty descent fireball, and is pretty loud.

Minor Loads for Competition

Reloading Disclaimer, Read First

9mm Luger
124gr. Zero FMJ, 125gr. Zero JHP, or 124gr. Precision Delta FMJ
4.2 grains Hogdon TiteGroup
1.125-1.145" OAL
Federal Small Pistol Primer, Wolf Small Pistol Primer, or Winchester Small Pistol Primer
Any brass
Gets me about 130PF+ from a Glock 17
Book load goes up to 4.4 grains, so it's pretty safe. I've shot a lot of 115gr bullets, but loading them to minor gets you closer to the max load with TiteGroup.

.45ACP
230gr Remington MC bullet (looks like FMJ to me)
4.3 grains Hogdon TiteGroup
1.165" OAL
Winchester Large Pistol Primer
I have used Remington and Federal brass
Gets me about 132PF+ from a Glock 21
Book load goes up to 5 grains, so you've got a lot of wiggle room.

Desantis Nemesis Pocket Holster Review

I used one of these with the Kel Tec P-3AT that I had for a while. The outside of the holster is rubbery, so the holster stays in place, and stays in the pocket when the pistol is drawn. They are really good holsters for the price.

The Nemesis is a better holster than the Uncle Mike's Pocket holster, but I had a few Uncle Mike's on hand, so I use one of those modified so that it doesn't fold up for my Kahr PM9. Click here for details on the modified Uncle Mike's pocket holster.

There is a new and improved version available now, called the Super Fly, which has polymer inserts to keep it from folding. The Super Fly costs almost twice what the Nemesis does, though.

Scope Adjustment Program for TI Graphing Calculators

I wrote this program for use on a TI-83. I'm not sure if it will work as written on newer models. You input the range, the click values for your scope, and how many inches you need to move the impacts, and it spits out the number of clicks. Works good with high quality scopes, but the click values for cheaper scopes don't always turn out to be exactly what the manufacturer says they are.

Notes are in italics, you do not need to program the notes, and you probably couldn't if you tried. "clrhome" commands are optional, but I think it makes a cleaner running program. If you can manage to add to the program so that it rounds the click adjustment number (B, in this program) to a whole number, I'd like to know how you did it.

clrhome
disp "ENTER RANGE"
disp "IN YARDS"
prompt R
clrhome
disp "CLICK VALUE" These lines determine scope adjustments
disp "4 FOR 1/4" Typical hunting/plinking scopes have 1/4 MOA adjustments
disp "8 FOR 1/8" Target scopes have 1/8 MOA adjustments
prompt C
clrhome
disp "ENTER ADJUSTMENT" If you are off to the left (or right, up or down) by three inches, type "3" then "enter"
disp "IN INCHES"
prompt A
clrhome
(100/R)*C*A->B Push "STO" button next to the "1" button to get "->" arrow
disp B
disp "clicks to adjust"
disp A
disp "inches at"
disp R
disp "yards"

Tasco PDP2 Red Dot Scope

My first experience with a red dot sight was a BSA that I bought for around $30. It really wouldn’t hold a zero, and the dot completely washed out in bright sun. It was okay for indoor pistol ranges, if you could co-witness it with iron sights. Outdoors, or without iron sights, it was a headache.

Although I’ve had a few bad experiences with Tasco/BSA optics, I bought a PDP2 for Ruger Mk.II based on a handful of good reviews. That one worked out well, so I bought two more.

The one that I’ve used the most is mounted on a Glock 17 race gun. Despite being pelted with brass enough that some of the finish has worn off the bottom, is still holds a zero pretty well, as long as the mount and ring screws are kept torqued.

The dot is medium sized at 5MOA. Reasonably good for accuracy, and for speed. A bigger dot would be better for action shooting, but it’s still faster than trying to line up the front sight, rear sight, and target. An 8MOA dot would be better for action shooting.

Brightness settings are good on this scope. I’ve used it in dark indoor pistol ranges, and outside in bright sunlight, without any problems. I had a little trouble with the dot fading away at random times. I accidentally pulled the spring out of the battery compartment cap trying to stretch it out. It still works, and I haven’t had the dot disappear since.

The sight uses 2 357-type batteries, commonly used in lasers and digital calipers. The batteries are available in Wal-Mart stores in 3-packs at a reasonable price, as well as in most drug stores. Although I haven’t kept track of battery life, they will last a dozen or so hours, at least.

With the included sunshade screwed in, the scope can be mounted with a single wide ring, like an Aimpoint. As an added benefit, the sunshade helps keep powder fouling, thrown up and back, off of the objective lens, when mounted on a compensated or ported pistol.

I don't carry a gun. . .

From Syd of the Front Sight Press

I don't carry a gun to kill people. I carry a gun to keep from being killed.

I don’t carry a gun to scare people. I carry a gun because sometimes this world can be a scary place.

I don’t carry a gun because I’m paranoid. I carry a gun because there are real threats in the world.

I don’t carry a gun because I’m evil. I carry a gun because I have lived long enough to see the evil in the world.

I don’t carry a gun because I hate the government. I carry a gun because I understand the limitations of government.

I don’t carry a gun because I’m angry. I carry a gun so that I don’t have to spend the rest of my life hating myself for failing to be prepared.

I don’t carry a gun because my sex organs are too small. I carry a gun because I want to continue to use those sex organs for the purpose for which they were intended for a good long time to come.

I don’t carry a gun because I want to shoot someone. I carry a gun because I want to die at a ripe old age in my bed, and not on a sidewalk somewhere tomorrow afternoon.

I don’t carry a gun because I’m a cowboy. I carry a gun because, when I die and go to heaven, I want to be a cowboy.

I don’t carry a gun to make me feel like a man. I carry a gun because men know how to take care of themselves and the ones they love.

I don’t carry a gun because I feel inadequate. I carry a gun because unarmed and facing three armed thugs, I am inadequate.

I don’t carry a gun because I love it. I carry a gun because I love life and the people who make it meaningful to me.

Link to the article at Front Sight Press. Check out the rest of the site while you're there. There's some good stuff.

Spice Girls Greatest Hits?

Just saw a commercial for the Spice Girls Greatest Hits album. Need I say more?

Advantage Arms Glock Full-Size .22lr Conversion Review

Call me crazy, but I like shooting Glocks, especially with one of these conversions.

Item reviewed is the L.E. conversion for Glock full-size 9mm/40SW/357SIG/45GAP frames.

How Does It Work?
With the conversion slide installed, the pistol works just like a factory Glock pistol. Unlike some conversions, the slide will lock back after the last round is fired, quite important if you are using the kit to practice reloading, or you are using the pistol in action matches. The conversion slide has a firing pin safety, similar to the Glock firing pin safety, so you still have all 3 safety devices working.

The only thing that bugs me is the magazines not dropping free, which I plan to remedy with a weight screwed to the floorplate. Weighted floorplates for Glock magazines will not work because the AA floorplates are smaller.

As it came, the tang on the firing pin was too long, resulting in a long creepy trigger pull. Rather than sending it back, I opted to measure and stone, and measure and stone, until it matched the Glock firing pin tang protrusion. After that, the trigger pull matched up with the stock Glock slide really well.

Sighting
I’m not a huge fan of the sights, but that’s more Glock’s fault than AA’s. The front sight is too wide for much precision. The sights can be adjusted to match point of impact to point of aim, but I’m not sure that the rear sight will hold a zero, since the insert is held above the body of the sight. A frame mounted red dot scope is great, and I’m thinking about getting the adjustable sight set from Custom Glock Racing for when I’m not using the scope. I’ve not had any problems with the Carver Hunter scope mount with the AA conversion kit that I could directly attribute to the scope mount.

Recoil
There is recoil, but it’s just a small fraction of what you get with even a light-loaded 9mm. It’s not too hard to shoot as fast as you can pull the trigger, and still keep all your shots on an index card at 7 yards. The pistol just shakes a bit, and then the sights settle back down on the target.

Reliability
Things were a little rough at first, even with the MiniMags recommended, but I think it’s broken in now. I’ve gone a few hundred rounds of MiniMag solidpoints without any issues. I’ve only run a hundred Super-X high velocity 40gr. solids through it, but I didn’t have any stoppages. The cheap Federal bulk ammo works, to a point; I’m getting stovepipe jams and duds, but it makes for really cheap practice.

A (Vanek) competition trigger kit doesn’t seem to make any difference in reliability. I did have light strikes using a reduced power striker spring, using MiniMags. I am experimenting with cut down Wolff factory power striker springs.

Accuracy
I’m not a great bullseye shooter, I’d rather plink steel targets or bowling pins. I was hitting the 6x8” plates at 50 yards most of the time from the bench with the Glock adjustable sights and a smooth 5 pound trigger pull.

With the 5MOA dot scope mounted, and the Vanek trigger, I managed to shoot a 1” group at 25 yards with MiniMags. Like I said, I’m not a great bullseye shooter, so this truly shocked me. I even had a guy looking to become a member at the range looking over my shoulder at the time.

I’m very happy with the kit. My Ruger Mk.II has not run as reliably as the AA upper since the grip frame started to come off the receiver. The converted Glock is faster to reload, and there are mag funnels available. A converted Glock would be about perfect for a rimfire action pistol match, since many other conversion uppers don’t lock open when empty, and many dedicated rimfire pistols are slow to reload, and there aren’t many racing parts available for rimfire pistols.

I carry and compete with Glocks, so the inexpensive trigger time is greatly appreciated. I can easily tuck the conversion slide and a couple magazines into my range bag, but stuffing in another full size pistol is not always an option.

JP Enterprises Glock Magazine Funnel Review

It's really more like a bowl with the flat bottom cut out than it is a funnel. It is light, it looks pretty good (matte black), it feels pretty good on the grip, and it fits in the IDPA box. Dawson makes a lightweight funnel that's IDPA ESP class legal too. The lightweight Dawson ICE mag funnel is the better product. I think that even slug plugs work better for getting the mag into the pistol quickly.

Uncle Mike's Belt Holster with Thumb-Snap Review

I'm going to keep this one short, because I've already done a review of the UM paddle holster, and this one is mostly the same.

I ordered this one for large frame Glocks (20, 21, 21SF). It fits all Glocks pretty well, and the Marui Airsoft G17, which is slightly oversized. The G17 and G26 wiggle back and forth a bit in the holster, but it still works.

The thumb-snap is adjustable to a degree, but basically it sucks. The paddle that you'd flip off with your thumb is too small, and hard to hit consistently on the first try. The snap strap is entirely removable. I'm going to work on modifying it to work, or I might just start from scratch with some leather and kydex.

The belt loop itself will fit a 1.75" wide belt. There are slots in the loop for a 1.5" belt. It works well with either size belt. I think it may even work with the really wide military pistol belts, but I haven't tried it yet. The belt loop is pretty wide, and leaves the holster hanging pretty far out from your body. The holster with the belt loop is not really suitable for concealed carry, and will probably not pass as a legal IDPA holster at many ranges.

Some Gun Porn

My second G17. Has these Heinie sights, Seattle Slug Plug, and a polished trigger bar. This is my fall/winter/spring carry pistol, test mule, and iron-sight competition pistol. I used this for the Lone Wolf connector review, and in the last DCFS match. I bought it used for $399.99. It is scratched and has a good bit of holster wear.

My pocket gun, a Kahr PM9. I've been carrying this pretty much all the time. It works well as long as I keep my thumbs clear of that huge slide release lever.

This one is for sale. Dad's Taurus .41Mag. It's a nice revolver, but I like Glocks, in case you didn't notice. Stainless, 2 1/2" barrel, 3 ports on either side of front sight, 5-Shot cylinder, origional box and papers, both keys for built-in lock. I have some .41Mag ammo that I'll sell with it if you buy face-to-face. I have a leather pancake holster for this one somewhere. This pistol is not a bear to shoot, the ports tame some of the muzzle flip, and the rubber "ribber" grips soak up some of the kick. This one is practially new.

Remington Custom Shop 40-XRBR. It is based on a heavy Remington 700 action. I'm not sure what's on it in the pic, but the rifle now has a Sightron 36x mounted on it. The barrel tuner was not on it for the picture for some reason. I can usually shoot 249s or better on a USBR target at 25 yards, 230-243 at 50 yards.

My tack drivin' 10/22. KIDD barrel and trigger. Glass bedded Bell & Carlson stock with bicycle seat post stock extensions. This one shoots just about as well as the bolt action above. Scope is a Simmons 8-32x, made in Japan. I had Kid set the trigger at 6 oz.

My tack drivin' 10/22, and my beater 10/22. The beater is a black 10/22 with the stainless barrel that came with the tack driver. The trigger group in the beater is the one that used to be in the tack driver - Volquartsen trigger with overtravel stop, JB weld mod, Volquartsen Hammer. The trigger pull is pretty crisp and around 3.25 pounds. The beater will get a red dot mounted some day. Magazine is a Butler Creek Hot Lips 25 rounder, and it works really well. I call it the beater, because pretty much all I do with it is run through the 25 round mags as fast as I can while still keeping the shots on target at 7 or 10 yards.

My Glock 17 racegun. I used to have a Tasco PDP2 mounted on top, but no amount of tuning would completely keep brass from bouncing off the scope and back into the ejection port. So now it's got a Burris FastFire, which I can mount far enough forward that it doesn't interfere with ejection. The FastFire is mounted on a plate that I cut from a piece of aluminum, to fit the Carver Hunter Scope Mount. It has a Vanek Production trigger kit, Lone Wolf extended mag catch, KKM drop-in barrel with the leade cut longer for 9mm major loads, SJC 9mm Major Comp, and JP mag funnel. I think the stainless captured guide rod is a Lightning Strike model, but I don't really remember. The slide racker, hanging off the rear of the slide is a Mako unit, which I've taken off, because I don't need it anymore with the FastFire sight.

I swapped the 9mm ejector for a .40S&W ejector, back when I had the Tasco on it. It helped kick out the brass better. I could switch back to the 9mm ejector now, but it's working fine as is, so I'm not going to mess with it.

Someday, I will replace the JP mag funnel with a Dawson ICE funnel. The JP funnel kinda sucks. The barrel will be reamed for longer 9mm Major rounds shorty. Besides cutting the scope mounting plate down flush with the mount, ICE funnel, and maybe a GlockWorx adjustable trigger, it's about finished.

Crossbreed Super-Tuck Part 2

My Super-Tuck IWB holster (brief review of it here) cracked, so I sent it back a couple weeks ago. Today I received a brand new holster with the new SnapLok belt clips, a little bit more of a front sight channel, and Tee-Nuts rather than the aluminum Chicago screw posts. I'll keep you posted on the new version as I get to use it a bit more.

I had been using a horsehide Galco Ultimate Second Amendment (see a brief review here) holster while the Super-Tuck was back at the shop. It wasn't quite as comfortable, but it did work pretty decently.

UPDATE, 9/12/2010:  New one cracked a couple months ago. The crack doesn't seem to be spreading, so I haven't done anything with it yet. I'll make my own with thicker Kydex someday.

UPDATE, 8/18/2012:  The kydex holster body finally broke in two on Monday.
Crossbreed Super-Tuck Part 4

NEW - Reviews Now Listed on the Right

I've added a list of my reviews to the blog. You will find the list on the right side of the page under the purpose statement. I imagine that's what gets people here, and I figured that I should make them easier to find.

Some day I will probably have enough that I'll need to break them down into categories.

I've also made the text in the Streamlight review a legible size.

Last Action Pistol Match of '07 at DCFS

Just shot the last action pistol match of the year at Delaware County Field & Stream. I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out, considering that I was using iron sights and a 5 pound trigger. Took me 10 shots to take down the stupid bowling pins, no surprise there. Shot mostly A's on the IPSC targets, 2 C's and a Mike on either the swinger or the one half covered by the hostage. I think I might make the top 5.

The MPearcex mag pouches and Uncle Mike's kydex belt holster worked well enough. I need to make a couple more belt keepers though.

I've got vacation days to burn, so I'll probably be hitting the steel and IDPA matches at Classic Pistol through the end of the year.

EDIT: Didn't do nearly as well as I thought. I came in around 10th. I think I need to work on shooting faster and okay, over sorta fast and good. . . and practice shooting pins.

Streamlight TLR-1 Weapons Light Review

I wrote this for the Midway site a few months ago. I've shot a few hundred more rounds of 9mm, and a few hundred 22s, with it on the G17. The thumbscrew mounting makes it more cumbersome to remove and put back on if your home defense pistol is also a concealed carry pistol. Somebody posted that powder fouling had stained the lens of their TLR, but I don't have that problem with mine.

I'm not totally thrilled with the rotating switch. It's a little hard to remember which way to turn the switch for momentary-on and constant-on, expecially since up is constant-on on one side, and momentary-on on the other side. The switch does feel pretty sturdy though.

-------------------------
Fits nicely on my Glock 21, and snaps onto a Picatinny rail on my AR-15 without an adapter or changing anything. I have fired a few hundred rounds of .45 with the light mounted, including a 50 round box of HOT Federal HST +P. The light is not as quick to mount/dismount as some lights, but if you tighten the screw with a coin, it will be on there for the long haul. With the screw finger tight, the light got loose after a box or two of ammo, but did not fall off. I have not tried driving nails with it, or anything crazy like that, but it seems like a very durable light. The LED is similar in brightness to my incandescent Surefire E2E, but the bright white TLR spot makes the Surefire spot look yellow in comparison.

Steven King's "The Mist"

I just saw a clip of "The Mist," an upcoming Steven King movie. It looks lame, and it's pretty much gonna have the same plot as the "The Fog," . . . and the new "The Fog." King should have stopped letting people make movies of his books a long time ago.

New Toys from Midway

I just got my latest order from Midway a few days ago. A Lasermax Uni-Max rail mount laser, Scherer slug plugs, some 10 lb. recoil springs for my race gun, an Uncle Mike's Kydex belt holster with thumb snap for my G21, and airsoft G17, and a can of Durabake paint.

Stay tuned for reviews.

Lone Wolf 3.5 Pound Glock Connector Review

About a month ago, JR of Lone Wolf Distributors offered to send out free Lone Wolf 3.5 connectors to the first 1000 people to order and use a promotional code. I squeaked in near the end of the last day of the offer.

The raw data:
Stock 5 lb. connector (slightly worn) – 4 lb. 13 oz.
Stock 5 lb. connector with NY-1 leaf spring (no coil spring) – 6 ½ lb.
LW 3.5 connector (brand spankin’ new) – 3.5 lb. Really!
LW connector with NY-1 leaf spring (no coil spring) – 4 lb. 10 oz.
Scherer 3.5 connector (new) – 4 lb.
Scherer with NY-1 leaf spring (no coil spring) – 5 lb.

My trigger pull weights will likely be lighter than what you might get with a new, unaltered pistol. I stoned the rough contact areas on the trigger bar smooth, and then mirror polished everywhere on the bar that may contact something else. IIRC, this stoning and polishing cut about a half pound off the pull weight initially, and it seems to have dropped a few ounces after a few hundred rounds and some dry firing.

Related Link: 25¢ Trigger Job

Trigger feel with LW connector
If you ride the reset, you get a really nice, crisp break. If you release the trigger all the way, there’s a short amount of pre-travel, some mushy creep, and then the break. It’s not too hard to “prep” the trigger, pulling through the creep as you fine tune the sight picture.

The distance to reset feels like at least twice the distance it takes to “break” the trigger, obviously, there’s still some overtravel. The reset may be a little weaker than the OEM 5 lb. connector, but probably not by much.

Compared to the LW connector, the Scherer seems to have a lot more creep, I’ll say 20-30% maybe. The take-up with the Scherer feels noticeably lighter than the creep. With the trigger completely released, the pull feels better to me, compared to the LW connector. When riding the reset however, the LW feels better than the Scherer.

Then, I did some testing with a NY-1 trigger spring with the coil spring removed. Why remove the coil spring? An 8 pound trigger, for me, is too much. But anyway, with the olive NY leaf spring, the difference between the two 3.5 connectors wasn’t as noticeable. The LW connector gave a slightly lighter pull, but both 3.5 connectors pretty much felt the same. The 5 pound Glock connector gave a crisper pull, with about half the creep, but resulted in a fairly heavy six and a half pound trigger pull. I’m putting the NY-1 spring back in it’s bag, and sticking with the stock five pound configuration.

As I have reported before, the LW connector I ordered about a year ago didn’t really function with a NY-1 leaf spring (Click Here For Article). There didn’t seem to be enough trigger travel to release the firing pin instantly. There were no such troubles with the freebie connector. The pistol functioned normally with the new connector and the leaf spring.

Slide Drag?
I tried to detect some of the slide drag that is mentioned by some. If there is any with the connector that I received, in the G17 I tested it in, it’s really not enough for me to notice.

After Live Fire Testing:
I shot about 150 rounds with the LW connector installed. No problems, I just don’t like the mushy creep. To be fair, I never liked the feel of an OEM 3.5 connector or Scherer connector without substantial gunsmithing either, and the trigger feel with the LW connector is still better than the triggers of many DAO and Glock knock-off type pistols. If you shoot from reset all the time, it’s really sweet, but I don’t always do that myself.

Installing the connector
I tried doing it without removing the locking block pin, and trigger pin. It works, but there’s a lot of wrestling required. Maybe it’s easier with a 40 caliber ejector, I dunno.

I’d rather remove all the pins, lift the locking block a quarter inch or so, and remove the trigger and trigger housing as a unit. The trigger spring is a weak point in the Glock design, and I’d rather not mangle it any more than absolutely necessary. It takes me maybe a couple minutes to change out a connector this way, and I don’t see how there’s much room to mess it up. There’s only two springs to deal with. The trigger spring is hooked to the trigger bar at one end, and the trigger housing at the other end, and you don’t have to unhook it to change the connector. Just insert the pins and slide release lever in the order specified in the twenty-five cent trigger job instructions, and all should be well.

Why All The Fuss About Plastic Pistols?

I'm sure some of you don't understand my obsession with these plastic pistols.

I've just stumbled upon this article from Guns & Ammo's Handguns magazine. It is a polymer pistol shootout article. It may explain a bit.

Some notes on Glocks from myself:
It's not hard to get hold of a barely used Glock for about $400. Magazines can be had for under $20. Pretty much every company that makes holsters and mag pouches makes some for Glocks. My Glock 17s and even my 26 will do better than 3" groups at 25 yards; my 17 with KKM barrel will do 1.5". The M&P got a better score than the Glock for trigger control? I'd like to know how they drew that conclusion. All the sights offered by Glock are quite horrible, and this is probably some of the reason for the average accuracy. Reloading speed can be increased quite a bit by installing a $5 Scherer slug plug, as it keeps the top-rear of the magazine from getting caught on the web at the rear of the magazine well.

Some Random Concealment Holster Reviews

IWB carry in general
With a good holster [for you] IWB carry is quite comfortable with a size larger pants, or maybe with the button undone, and just the belt holding your pants on. With any significant pistol, a belt is pretty much necessary for comfort, and to keep both sides of your waistline at the same height. Without a belt, a pistol with any heft to it will sag the waistband.

Uncle Mike's Nylon Clip-On IWB
Little to no retention. I stopped carrying with it before any of my pistols hit the floor/ground, but I think it would have happened eventually. I also caught the clip bent out beyond where it would catch the belt. If the gun doesn't come out of the holster, the holster+pistol may squirt out of your pants. There are variations on these holsters, some from other companies.
I would steer clear of this type of holster. Some people carry with clip-on holsters all the time, but I'm using belt loops from now on.

Uncle Mike’s Kydex Paddle Holster
Click Here For Review

Fobus Roto-paddle (GL2 Model)
Click Here For Review
It held onto my Glock real tight, to the point that I could rip the holster out with the gun, despite a tight belt. I found the holster to be uncomfortable, and nearly impossible to conceal with because it sticks out quite far. I haven't used it in years. I can see how the rivets might fail to hold it together.
I think I'm going to cut it apart and use the Roto bit for a DIY competition holster.

Sidearmor IWB
I think mine is a Generation II. It's a very fast holster, but quite uncomfortable. It seems to pinch me if I don't have a shirt tucked in behind it. The shirt tucker adapter adds two thicknesses of 0.09" Kydex between the pistol and belt, which makes it hard to conceal. I tried sticking felt to the holster, but it's still uncomfortable. Some people love them. Someday I will get around to selling it.

Fist leather IWB #19A
More comfortable than the Sidearmor, but it's thicker, so it's still not very comfortable. Really holds onto the gun tight, but would likely loosen up if I really worked at it. It really rides too high to conceal even the small Kahr I bought it for. It wasn't cheap.
I’m going to fix this holster as soon as I get the Kydex and hardware in.
UPDATE 8/1/2010:  I did fix it, but haven't really used the holster.  If I'm going to IWB carry, I carry the Glock 26.

Gould and Goodrich Leather Belt Holster
It looks very nice, resembling a duty holster, and doesn't conceal well. Like the Fobus, I'm constantly hitting it with my forearm, and smacking it into things. Might make a decent range/IPSC holster, but an open-front Kydex holster would be faster.

Glock "Sport/Combat" Holster
Basically it's like a pancake holster made of a plastic that feels a bit like vinyl. Conceals well, but the material is rubbery and holds onto the gun a bit too much to be fast. I like the holster, but have not used it since I bought the next one on the list. I still use the matching Glock-made mag pouches all the time.

Crossbreed Super-Tuck IWB
Man, I love this thing! Comfort is similar to the Glock-made "Sport/Combat" holster, and it's a bit faster. It will conceal my Glock 26 under a t-shirt, as long as the shirt is long and big enough. I've had one of the belt loops break, but didn't notice until I went to take it off. The holster is pretty ugly, expecially if you trim the leather away from the grip. I can reholster with one hand, which is pretty essential to me. If I had bought the regular Crossbreed IWB, I would probably have not broken the belt loop, and I've never tucked it in anyway.
Crossbreed Super-Tuck, Part 2
Crossbreed Super-Tuck, Part 3

Uncle Mike's Nylon Pocket Holster
I carry my Kahr PM9 in this most of the summer, and occasionally for family outings. It was pretty floppy, so I epoxied a plastic card to the bottom. Like the Crossbreed, it ain't pretty, but it works. It's the only thing I feel really comfortable carrying during the summer. . . all the time.
UPDATE 8/1/2010:  The old Blue Cross card on the UM holster broke into several pieces eventually.  I made my own custom Kydex pocket holster for the Kahr.

Galco Ultimate Second Amendment Holster
This is a tuckable IWB made of horsehide. I inherited this one. It rides low, which makes concealment easier, but trying to get the stubby G26 out of it is a bit difficult, requiring scooping it out of your waistband a bit before you can really get a grip on it. The belt hook would seem to be made for 1.25” belts, but works with 1.5” belts, and holds onto the 1.5” belt really well. This may be the trick to getting J-clips to work; order for a belt the next smallest size. There are a couple strips of leather sewn into the holster to serve as a sight track, but nothing to hold the holster open after the pistol is drawn. Reholstering requires two hands and some delicacy when the pistol is loaded. I use this holster sometimes when I want to slip on something more comforting than my PM9 at home.

Uncle Mike's Kydex Paddle Holster Review

I would never buy another paddle holster, unless I needed it for some special situation, but I got this one as a freebie.

I don’t like paddle holsters, because they usually fall into one of two categories:
- The paddle doesn’t hold on well enough. Sooner or later, and probably at the worst possible moment, you’ll go to draw the pistol, and the holster will come out with it.
- The paddle holds on so well, that you practically need to take your pants off to remove the holster. This defeats the purpose of a clip-on holster.
The Uncle Mike’s kydex paddle holster falls into the latter category.

First Impressions:

- The holster is rather bulky. I’m told that the Uncle Mike’s Kydex paddle holsters usually pass IDPA tech inspection, but the holster still hangs out a bit from the waistband. As they come out of the box, I would not say that they are particularly well suited as a concealment holster.
- With the tension screws set a bit loose, the pistol will still be fairly secure, and will practically jump out on the draw. This is a fast holster.
- This is a seriously sturdy holster. I have a Sidearmor holster made from 0.09” kydex stock. I have a Fobus injection molded holster that is about 0.1” thick. The Uncle Mike’s molded holster is 0.11” thick or more, depending on where you measure.
- The box said the holster was made for a G26, but the holster also fits my model 17 just fine.
- I've heard that they don't have enough of a sight channel for tall sights, but my G17 had Heinie sights with a tall front sight, and I haven't noticed the front sight dragging on the holster. (EDIT: after some more use, I can see scratches in the sight channel)

At first, I really wasn’t sure what to do with it. I’ve got a good IWB holster for concealed carry, and therefore IDPA. It didn’t seem to be a good USPSA holster, until I had a EUREKA moment. Holsters that ride low, like a western quick-draw rig, are all the rage in IPSC/USPSA. However, usually when you are drawing from a holster in that discipline, you’re starting with your hands over your head, as if in surrender. With a holster up higher, like this holster, you don’t have to reach down as far, or come back up as far to engage the target. Although a belt slot attachment would make it easier to get on and off, the Uncle Mike’s holster works really damn well for this type of competition. If you are shooting IDPA as a “gamer,” the paddle holster is a great for that too, if you can get it by the inspector(s), and most of the time you probably will.

How much ammo is too much?

I'm not sure whether to call this humor or words of wisdom.

Somebody asked whether 15 rounds in a magazine was too much on the PA Firearm Owners Association forum and MarkS posts:

"The only time you can have too much ammo is when you're drowning or on fire."

That's a real gem right there!

Good, Inexpensive Kydex Mag Pouches

tacticalkydex@bellsouth.net

He doesn't have a website, or any classified ads running right now. I'm sure if you ask, he will send you pics. The pouches are pretty simple in design, made of a single piece of 0.06" thick Kydex with a tension adjustment. Pouches are IDPA legal.

Available for many popular pistols. I’ve got 4 pairs of these now, 2 pair for my G17s and 2 pair for my G21. They're great for competition and range use. They are a little bulky, but if you heat up the loops with a heat gun a bit and flatten them some, they'll work for concealment.

EDIT: I've started to use one of these for concealed carry. The pouches don't stick out any farther than my cell phone.

Kel-Tec P-3AT Pistol Review

I bought a P3AT shortly after they started selling hard chrome models. My experience was a bit of a disaster.

The Good:
The little Kel-Tecs are very easy to conceal, with very little weight or bulk. They are also very inexpensive.

The Bad and Ugly:
On the 2nd or 3rd round fired, the little bracket that the guide rod slides through fell out and disappeared. I’m told that Kel-Tec now makes slides without this piece, the bracket is a part of the slide, rather than a separate part.

I called Kel-Tec and explained the failure, and they sent me 3 of the brackets. The response I got was, “that doesn’t happen too often.” I superglued one of them into the niche on the slide, and it never happened again.

Within 250 rounds, I had two failures to feed. It’s been a while now, I don’t remember exactly what happened, but it wasn’t simply a matter of pushing the rear of the slide a bit.

When it was working, it was rather unpleasant to shoot. The trigger pull is long and heavy. The recoil of even the relatively mild .380 ammunition in a pistol so small and light is similar to shooting .357Mag ammo from a lightweight snubnose revolver. About the best accuracy I was able to get out of it was 5 or 6” groups at 7 yards, while I can shoot 3" offhand groups with a Glock 26 all day at 10 yards shooting controlled pairs.

At around the 250 round mark, the mainspring broke. This was the straw that broke the camel's back. The mainspring is made of very thin wire, and is constantly under tension. I felt that this was the Achilles heel of the pistol, and I’m not sure that there is any way to fix it without a major redesign.

I replaced the spring, and fired maybe 20 more rounds through it to make sure I had reassembled it properly (cough), and then I sold it to a moderator at the KTOG forums.

Besides all this, the metal frame inside the grip was getting peened at the assembly pin holes, and where the recoil spring guide rod seated. The barrel was peened where the assembly pin passed through it. I never even fired any +P ammunition through the pistol.

I put the little bit that I got from selling the Kel-Tec toward a Kahr PM9. Although some report having reliability problems with the PM9 and PM40s, I got a “good one.” The trigger pull is much better. It’s not hard to get 3” groups out at 10 yards and beyond. When stoked with 147 grain Winchester Ranger ammunition, it is quite potent, while still being very controllable. It is larger than the small Kel-Tec pistols, but I still pocket carry the PM9 all the time, and I trust the Kahr.

Stuff for Sale

Pistols:
Star PD - Officer-sized 1911, aluminum frame, blued finish, 2 mags, origional box and all the paperwork and cleaning kit, spare recoil buffers, spare recoil springs and I think a couple magazine springs too. This pistol in about 95% condition. I'll throw in a Gould & Goodrich belt holster.
Tarus .41Mag Revolver, stainless, 2 1/2" barrel, 3 ports on either side of front sight, 5-Shot cylinder, origional box and papers, both keys for built-in lock. I have some .41Mag ammo that I'll sell with it if you buy face-to-face. I have a leather pancake holster for this one somewhere. This pistol is not a bear to shoot, the ports tame some of the muzzle flip, and the rubber "ribber" grips soak up some of the kick. This one is practially new.

Holsters:
Sidearmor IWB for G26 x 2 - I have a shirt tucker attachment for one, both currently fitted for 1.5" belt, but I think I have a 1 3/4" belt slot, and a 1 1/4" belt slot for them. One I used a little, the other was Dad's and I'm not sure if it ever got used.
Sidearmor IWB for G19 - Never used. 1.5" belt slot

Wanted for trade:
Glock 19, 3rd gen, LCI extractor
Glock 34

Miwall 115gr 9mm Luger Reloaded Ammunition Review

Pros:
Reusable ammo can
All 1000 rounds functioned perfectly

Cons:
Poor accuracy - 5" groups at 25 yards from a pistol easily capable of 2.5" at 25 yards, 1.5" on a good day.

I had 1 of 500 rounds of Miwall .45ACP jam in the chamber of my Glock 21, so I chamber checked all 1000 of this can of 9mm. I didn't have any loaded rounds jam, even in a KKM match barrel, although some had a bit of a bulge near the rim and fit tight. All 1000 rounds went bang and ejected properly.

The only downside to the low price, is less than great accuracy. If you were using it for a concealed carry class or rapid fire practice, it would probably not be a problem.

Some Glock Trigger Pull Weights

All pull weights were measured with a stoned and polished trigger bar in a Glock 17.

Stock parts with 5 lb. connector – right around 5 lb.

Stock trigger and firing pin spring, Lone Wolf Connector, trigger spring tab bent to 90 degrees, overtravel stop – around 3 lb., 11 oz.

8 lb. connector, stock firing pin spring, olive leaf spring without coil spring – 8 ¼ lb.

5 lb. connector, stock firing pin spring, olive leaf spring without coil spring – 6 ½ lb.

Scherer 3.5 lb. connector, stock firing pin spring, olive leaf spring without coil spring – 5 lb.

I tried the above with a Lone Wolf connector, but the firing pin didn’t release until allll the way at the end of the trigger travel. I couldn’t get a consistant pull weight.

Handgun Drills - This is Cool!

PDF file of handgun drills

Check this out! I downloaded it a few weeks ago, and just now got around to looking at it.

The drills are made up by many different people. Some of them you may know; Ken Hackathorn, Bill Wilson, Ron Leatham, Clint Smith, Sgt. Dennis Tueller, Lt. Dave Spaulding, Chuck Taylor, and Ernie Langdon, to name a few. These guys I've mentioned are pretty much the who's who of combat shooting.

I'm going to do what I can get away with at the indoor pistol range, and as many as I can at home with the airsoft pistol.

Australian Pink Floyd

I've been watching the Australian Pink Floyd concert on PBS. I gotta tell ya, it's just not the same. The guitarist seems to be struggling a bit now and then, he's no David Gilmour. "Money" wasn't bad, but I barely recognized "Shine On You Crazy Diamond."

To those who say Australian Pink Floyd sounds just like Pink Floyd if you close your eyes, I say, "Rubbish!"

Edit: The guitarist with the ponytail is pretty damn good. It's the bald guitarist that's not that great.

The Inspirations of this Blog

Randy Mays' Website - Old School Blog, check out "First Impressions" pages
Archangel's Blog
Texican Tattler - A lot of computer geek pop culture, with a side of gun nut stuff

Stoppage with ISMI captured guide rod in G17

I had a piece of brass get caught lengthwise between the breechface and the barrel hood. I've never seen that happen before, and I've never had a malfunction with the stock plastic guide rod.

In case anyone is wondering, the ammo was Remington UMC and the spring was an almost new ISMI 17 pound spring. There is no other aftermarket stuff in this G17.

I've run several thousand rounds through my other G17 with a Lightning Strike captured guide rod with no problems. That one came with a washer to keep the spring from crawling past the screw. The ISMI rod in question didn't have a washer. I don't know if that has anything to do with it or not.

I've put the stock rod and spring back in.

Smith & Wesson M&P Review

Okay, I finally got around to trying out a Smith and Wesson M&P at Targetmaster. I brought along my Glock 17 for a side-by-side comparison.

The M&P was a 9mm with the 4” barrel, I’m not sure if the 5” model is available yet. I polished up the trigger bar of my G17, plastic guide rod replaced with stainless steel, and I put on a set of Heinie Straight Eight sights with the race cut from Custom Glock Racing.

I’ll start with what I though stood out the most, that being the trigger. I think, maybe, the M&P had a trigger that was a little lighter than the polished, but stock, trigger in my G17. Don’t get too excited yet though, I found the M&P trigger to be really vague. The M&P trigger pull is a little like a double action revolver trigger pull, but lighter. By comparison, the Glock triggers have two distinct stages; there’s the slack, and then the trigger bar hits the connector, and the pull weight increases noticeably. The second stage of a Glock trigger, even with the 3.5 pound connector is quite short. I couldn’t really make out any stages with the M&P, it was just one long mushy stage. To make things worse, the trigger reset on the M&P was very indistinct, which will wreak havoc with anyone used to “riding the reset.”

While messing with the trigger, I came to the realization that I shouldn’t buy any pistols with magazine disconnects, if only because you need to have a magazine inserted to dry-fire, which makes me nervous. It’s not so bad with a Glock and the yellow plastic dry-fire barrel from Blade-Tech, but without a plastic barrel, I’d be constantly checking the magazine and chamber.

I had a hard time shooting groups with the M&P, although, to be fair, I’m intimately firmiliar with the Glock trigger, and the M&P was a rental gun that has been rode hard and put away wet, and might have been really dirty when I started the test.

I have heard from some that the grip of the M&P feels far better than that of the Glocks. This was not my experience. Although I think that Glock would sell more pistols if they started making frame with interchangeable backstraps, the G17 fits me about perfectly. I did not feel that the M&P grip was better, it’s just different. The big beavertail at the back of the gripframe, by the way, seems to be mostly superfluous. I’ve seen a couple pictures of M&Ps with the beavertail trimmed, and that’s what I’d do too.

I have also heard that the M&P transmits less felt recoil than Glocks. Again, I have to disagree. I loaded up both pistols to full capacity, and fired 5 shot strings, switching back and forth until both pistols were empty. I couldn’t really detect any difference in felt recoil or muzzle flip between the two.

M&P Pros:
Looks a little less menacing than the ugly black Glocks. . . unless you’re looking down the end that the bullets come out.
It will probably fit more shooters due to interchangeable backstraps.
Less aftermarket parts, trigger kits, etc., which means there’s less chance of junk making your defense pistol not work properly.
The stock sight set has a better sight picture than Glock plastic sights, and the front sight is probably not gonna get knocked off as easy as the plastic Glock front sight. I’d probably be happy with a tritium front sight and the dots on the rear sight blacked out.
Stock recoil spring guide is metal, not plastic. Although it’s rare, the Glock plastic guide rods can break.
If your experimentation with grip stippling goes bad, you can just chuck the grip insert and order another.
Ambi controls are a good thing, usually.

Cons:
The vague trigger pull.
The indistinct and slightly longer trigger reset.
Less aftermarket parts, trigger kits, etc.
The grip may be a little too slippery when shooting hot 40 caliber loads, although the same is true of the Glock frame.
The magazines aren’t real cheap.

Well, that’s my story. Comparing a rental gun to my sort-of-racy and clean pistol may not be totally fair, but it’s the best I can do. Ultimately, there’s no way I’m gonna buy one until I can try one that’s had a trigger job, and even then, I’d have to be getting a deal. I’d probably be more likely to buy a Springfield XD.

EDIT: I ended up buying a M&P 9 Pro. The trigger was a lot better, although still not quite up there with a Glock that's had a trigger job.

Mechanical Engineering

Okay, I've posted quite a bit for the readers now, it's time for a little self-serving.

The plant I've been working for is closing sometime next year. I've decided that I'm pretty sick of working 46+ hour weeks, and still not making enough money. I'm thinking of going back to school for a Mechanical Engineering degree.

If you know of a good ME program in a state with mild winters, where I can carry, please post a comment.

Tokyo Marui Airsoft Blow-Back Glock 17 Review

My Review at AirsoftForum

My Review at Arnies Airsoft Forum

I've been trying to make the time to shoot a few magazines worth through it each week. True to form, it continues to chug along without problems.

Some Pet Loads

Reloading Disclaimer, Read First

9mm Luger
Basic Practice Load
Bullet - 115 grain Zero jacketed*
Primer - Winchester, Wolf, or Federal Small Primers. Doesn't make much difference which. The Federals flatten more because they're softer, which makes judging pressure harder.
OAL - 1.11"
Powder - Hogdon TiteGroup. 4.4 grains is the charge I usually use. Federal primers start to flatten at 4.5 grains. I didn't see any signs of dangerous pressures when I loaded some to 4.6 grains.
Comments - The load should make minor with 4.5 or 4.6 grains, but I rarely need to make minor even. With my Glocks, the load shoots pretty much point of aim out to 40 yards.

EDIT: I think the load above worked fine in the Glock 17, but then I went and started loading longer to 1.15". This seems to have reduced pressures to the point that I got some stovepipe jams. I'm starting to load 4.6 grains of powder, with the bullets seated to the 1.15" length, and I'll see how that works. The Winchester primers still look round, with no signs of flattening at the longer length.  The load seems to run well in everything.

EDIT, 2/27/16:  Bought myself a Magnetospeed Chronograph a little while ago.
Glock 17, KKM Stainless threaded barrel.
115gr Zero FMJ, 4.6gr TiteGroup
10 round string
Min 1167fps
Max 1186fps
Avg 1176
Standard Deviation 6.4fps
ES 19fps
Power Factor 135.24
The Standard Deviation and Extreme Spread are quite low.  I did not go to any great lengths with handloading this batch.  I just grabbed a random box out of my 9mm ammo can.


.45ACP
NOTE: I don't shoot much .45 anymore, I've been sticking to 9mm and rimfire pistols.
Hardball Replica
Bullet - 230 grain Remington MC
Primer - Winchester Large Pistol Primers.
OAL - 1.165"
Powder - Hogdon TiteGroup, 5 grains should get you normal Hardball velocities.

I'm working on 124 grain FMJ loads, and a 9mm 124 grain +P Gold Dot load to replicate the Speer factory load. I'll post data for them later when I get the skyscreens for my Pact timer.

* - Remington bullets are good too, but harder to find cheap. Although Precision Delta bullets are cheaper, I couldn't exactly get what you'd call accuracy out of them. The same data will work for Berry's plated bullets, in my experience, with less than fantastic acucracy.

XD40 Service Model Review

Here's a review I wrote a couple years ago I guess. I've bought a couple G17s and a G21, but still not an XD.

EDIT, 11/27/09: Added a G19 to the mix, and an M&P, but still no XD.

I've owned a Glock 26 for a couple years now, fired over 2,000 rounds though it, and I'm very satisfied, but I like to try new guns. I have also rented most other Glock pistols at least once. I've been reading a lot of good things about these Springfield XD pistols, but until recently I've not been able to actually shoot one.

EDIT, 11/27/09: Over 7000 rounds between the G17s, over 4000 through the G26, and almost 1500 through the G19.

I tried out the XD40 service model at Targetmaster as soon as I could. I suppose I may be spoiling the review by saying this so early, but I'm not horribly impressed, and will be sticking to Glocks.

Trigger
The trigger face does seem to be slightly closer to the backstrap. I have pretty large hands, but was able to make do, not a serious issue. The trigger pull is not noticably smoother or crisper than a standard Glock trigger. The pull weight is, however, heavier than the standard 5.5 pound Glock trigger. About half way though a box of UMC .40 S&W, I noticed that the trigger was heavy enough to cause some discomfort. I hear from others that they find XD triggers lighter than Glock triggers, but that was not my experience.

The Grip Safety
I've heard some moaning from Glockers about the grip safety. It didn't bother me at all. The spring is light; I didn't find it uncomfortable, and it slid into the grip as soon as I wrapped a hand around it. I do, however, find it somewhat unnecessary, and I suppose it could make the pistol useless should it become jammed or broken somehow.

Loaded Chamber/Cocked Indicators
The XD has a loaded chamber indicator that sticks up from just behind the barrel hood on the top of the slide, whereas the Glocks extractor serves as a loaded chamber indicator. The XDs have a little button that sticks out of the rear end of the slide when the pistol is ready to fire, or dry fire. What does all this mean? Not much. If you want to dry fire, you had better make sure the magazine is removed and/or a dummy magazine is in place, and that the chamber is definately empty. The XDs loaded chamber indicator is somewhat more convenient to check, big friggin' whoop.

I have read one report of a broken cocked pistol indicator, so you can't even trust that feature wholeheartidly.

Recoil
I didn't notice much of an increase in recoil over a Glock, but then I didn't have a G23 at hand to do a side-to-side comparison. I'm not very recoil sensitive anyway. Unless I stagger 115 gr. and 124 gr. +P ammo in the same magazine, I don't notice any difference in recoil.

Controls
Controls and placements are very similar to those on a Glock. I had no problem wiping the slide stop lever. The mag release on the XD is ambidextrous, and no more difficult to push than the Glock button: one bonus point to the XD design.

What Would I buy
4"+ barrel autopistol - Glock 17/22/31, Glock 21/20, or a Practical/Tactical Glock. I actually have 2 G17s, a G21, and I'd buy a 34 if I could justify it.
4" barrel autopistol - G19, G23, or G32. I prefer the lighter trigger, and more modularity. Some G19s have feeding problems with certain followers and Klinton mags in general, but a call to a Glock service tech will solve almost all of these problems.
3.5" barrel autopistol - I'm definately keeping my G26, for the same reasons.

Overall I feel that the XD is not a bad pistol, it's just not a stellar one.

Fobus Roto Paddle Holster Review

The holster at Midway, since Fobus website isn't working right now

When I first took it out of the bag, I was disappointed to find that it was so bulky, something like 3" thick in total. A concealment holster, it ain't, not even under a heavy winter coat. However, the grip is held out a good distance from your body, so it makes a quick and easy open carry/range holster. I'm glad I didn't order a shoulder harness with it.

The GL-2 model (look under the barrel end of the holster, between the rivets), is the one I am using. According to the packaging, it works with every Glock chambered for 9mm, .40 S&W, .380, and .357 Sig that is currently available from sub-compact to Practical/Tactical. There seems to be a lot of extra room in the slide area, and an odd little insert just forward of the ejection port which I can't figure out. (EDIT: this is an old review, the holes are for a retention strap)

The holster is held together with rivets, and the cant adjustments can be made with a Phillips screwdriver. According to the bag it came it, some may be adjusted with an included Allen wrench.

Retention is very good. In fact, too good. It takes a hard tug to get the pistol out. Luckily, the cut of the holster allows you to get a proper grip on the pistol. The low-cut front doesn't really serve any purpose, since the draw will probably leave the muzzle much higher anyway. "Speed Rock" shooting may be slightly slowed, but there's not much difference in speed for eye-level shooting, if any. I really wish it was adjustable. I am debating whether to drill out the rivets under the barrel, and replace them with screws and nuts. (EDIT: I did it, doesn't really help all that much)

It may hold the pistol pretty tight, but if you are worried about someone else pulling YOUR gun, it really should have a thumbsnap. I've seen an ad for a new Fobus holster with a push button release, but haven't tried it.

How does the paddle work? Like the retention, it actually works too good. It locks on so well, its actually a little harder to remove than some belt holsters. It also tends to slide along the belt as you draw, though I don't know how any other paddle holster would excel in this case. If you are going to have the holster in front of the hip, you'll probably want to trim the paddle, but otherwise it's quite comfortable. (EDIT: Further practice with the Fobus resulted in the holster coming out with the pistol. The Uncle Mike's kydex paddle stays on better, but is even harder to remove.)

Is the novel sounding adjustable cant a great feature? Well, I would probably be just as happy with a thinner stanard Fobus or Uncle Mike's holster, but the Roto does have a use, however limited.

So, in conclusion, it's okay if you want an open carry holster, or to try various different cants before you choose a concealment holster. If you NEED the holster to stay in one place, a concealable holster, or want adjustable retention out of the box (bag, in this case), keep looking. I have used mine only a little bit, I don't have much use for it anymore.

I have an Uncle Mike's injection molded paddle holster that I like much better, but I haven't written a review yet.

Carver Hunter Mount Review

I bought one of the Carver Hunter mounts for a 30mm tube scope about a year ago for my Model 17. With the proper recoil spring and some threadlocker on the screw that replaces the trigger pivot pin, the mount works great.

With the factory recoil spring, the brass was going straight up, bouncing off the scope, and sometimes getting stuck between the breechface and barrel resulting in what looks like a stovepipe failure. I found that a Wolff 14 pound recoil spring on an aftermarket guide rod solved this problem. With an SJ Custom 9mm Major compensator, a 10 lb ISMI spring for a 1911 (only use with reduced power firing pin spring), coupled with a Glock factory ejector for a .40 S&W pistol worked (EDIT: worked fairly well, not quite 100% reliable). These spring and ejector changes result in the ejected brass going out under the scope, without any jams (EDIT: not quite). My slide is not modified, no enlarged ejection port.

Without using threadlocker on the screw that replaces the trigger pivot pin, the point of impact slides to the right as the screw loosens under recoil.

Although not really a functional modification, I've found that the Mako slide racker, that replaces the slide cover plate, makes using the pistol a lot easier, and probably helps keep me from knocking the scope as I unload the pistol. The other screws seem to stay put.

Now that I've got the springs and threadlocker thing figured out, I don't have any problems with the mount, even without the ejection port modification. With the red dot scope, I'm shooting much faster and more accurately that I can shoot the same pistol with iron sights.

Carver Web Site

. . . and so it begins.

Thanks to MarkS and LorDiego01 of the Pennsylvania Firearms Owners Association Forum for the tip on where to start the Blog.

I'll be posting thing as I find them, or write them.