Dave Shooter

Don't shoot em in a compensated gun, the little bit of melting lead will clog up the comp eventually.

Rumor has it that Ruger found out you couldn't just take someone from the P-90 assembly line and have them put together 1911s without significant training. So they have a very limited number of staff working on SR1911s, hence a shortage.

To the OP, Precision Delta sells 124 grain jacketed bullets for $79/k delivered to your door. If you're getting lead bullets for $55/k that is $24/k difference (leaving powder costs the same as that's too much public math for me). Sooo, you have to shoot 7k rounds to pay for each $175 barrel. You said you don't mind the extra clean up time. On the other hand having two barrels per gun is that much more versatile and some folks really like the "handloading" aspect of finding the right combination of hardness of bullet and load. BTW, I've run plated 147s through a Glock 9mm and they worked fine, actually more accurate than the one brand of jacketed 147s I tried. Good Luck!

Lester, I load both rifle (223) and pistol on an RL 1050. I can also prep military 308 cases after modifying a case feed apaptor. The RL stroke is too short to seat bullets in 308 but the Super 1050 will. I don't know about Nirvanna since I haven't tried a Camdex yet, but it is extremely nice for volume loading of one caliber. The primer swage and the fact that primers are seated mechanically on the downstroke (seating depth not dependant on how hard you push) are to me what really sets it apart from 650. Yes, when properly adjusted the swage eliminates most primer pocket problems. Mixed brass usually isn't a problem; the press runs a little less smooth because of different amounts of force required. Same can be said of sizing.

Yes, since the brass varies in length (no one I know bothers to trim 9mm brass) you get some inconsistentcy as on some cases the bullet will still be finishing seating as the crimp is applied and others not. With a modest taper crimp I don't think it will be a big deal; with a heavy roll crimp like you'd use on magnums it can make a difference. This is one of the reasons Dillon recommends seating and crimping as separate stations. Personally I powder check by eyeballing the case as I put the bullet on it; I have to look at it anyways so might as well look for the right powder level. I do this with both 550 and 1050.

What do you get for those higher end guns? Top quality parts hopefully assembled with great skill to give you a reliable gun that will last a long time. I've never owned an Ed Brown so can't speak to them personally. But I've had a high cap 1911 (not built in the US) that I'd call "medium quality" that in the first 1000 rounds: broke it's bushing had the extractor lose tension broke it's firing pin stop slide stop pin became noticably bent screw on the adjustable rear sight fell out front sight became loose in it's dovetail On the other hand I have a built to order higher end high cap 1911 that has over 40,000 rounds through it, zero parts fail (including extractor), and locks up as tight as when I got it. Don't get me wrong, many of the "lower end" 1911s are tremendous bargains, but some manufacturers still cut corners in places that can affect reliablity.

If you're going with a 550 then you don't need a single stage press to size the cases; you install the sizing die in the first station, powder drop/expander in the second station, bullet seater in the third and crimp die (if you'll be using one) in the fourth. BTW, Dillon owners manuals are outstanding, they give very good instruction on how to set up press. You'll need a set of 9mm 7/8x14 dies. All brands work, the Dillon ones work very nicely, they are designed for progressive loading. You MUST get a powder scale of some kind to weigh powder. Without this you'll have no idea how much powder your measure is throwing. You don't have to weigh every charge, but you do need to set the measure. I recently picked up a Hornady electronic scale the size of a pocket calculator for about $25. Highly recommend a dial micrometer to check over all length and other cartridge dimesions. Highly recommend you get some reloading manuals. Speer, Hodgon, Nosler, Sierra, Lyman, etc. They have a wealth of information on how to assemble safe ammunition. The only online source of load data I'd trust is from the powder manufacturers. If you're ordering direct from Dillon on the phone tell them you're just getting started and they'll be quite helpful. Good Luck!

I have managed to shoot 3" groups at 10 yds with my LCP, BUT that was shooting from a rest just to see if could be done. You have to concentrate on having a very consistent grip as well as those miniscule sights. It really is a bad breathe distance gun.

Almost any press will work for 9mm. A good single stage is the simplest to learn on and entirely adequate if you're not going to load much more than a box of shells at a time. If you're going to want to crank out a couple hundred rounds at a time then turret, or better yet, a progressive press come into play. Progressives are a bit more complicated and you tend to get what you pay for. If you want to add other calibers at some time then I'd suggest a Dillon 550; they are very simple to swap calibers and very simple to operate, yet with good production. BTW, I have a new in the box Hornady Lock-N-Load single stage that I'd be more than willing to sell; PM me if interested. Merry Christmas!

Starting with loading just straight walled pistol will simplify things and allow you to learn while producing usable ammo in usable amounts without some of the complications of loading rifle. If you find you like it and want to take on loading 223 you'll have most of the equipment you need and just need a few more items and procedures. Note that you don't have to trim every 223 case. You do HAVE to ensure every 223 case is short enough; overly long cases will either not chamber or jam into the throat and pin the bullet, retarding it from moving forward on firing and jacking pressures up. Setting 223 dies to give proper headspace is the other significant complication with loading it. If using a single stage press you just follow the die makers instructions. If using a progressive then some type of gauge is in order. Like porriage, you can have too much or too little, you want the just right range of sizing. Good Luck!

I have left handed gear for 1911 you're more than welcome to borrow, and gun/ammo too if needed.

The first rounds downrange are an opportunity to gauge yourself. What can I do on demand with a cold bore and a cold brain? I usually start and finish range time with an offhand accuracy drill; reinforce the fundamentals before going about other stuff.

Remington 185 JHP plain green box Winchester 230 JHP plain white box Reliability! If you won't shoot enough rounds to ensure a particular flavor works in you gun (200+ IMHO) then I'd recommend a bullet that is profiled like (or is) FMJ. A lot of the manufacturers have taken this route and self defense ammo is now much more reliable feeding than not that many years ago.

You can cheat a bit and start with a short block. One example is: 1911 AUTO PRE-FIT SLIDE/FRAME/BARREL KIT - Brownells

Unless it is one of the early guns with bored through charge holes (no headspace ledge) it will chamber and fire .45 ACP ammo without using clips. I've done just that with a Colt 1917 and newer Smith 625. You have to pick out the empties with finger nail, another cartridge rim or similar but it's not a big deal. If you PM me your address I'll mail you a couple full moon clips.

Hey Bob, I've used Lee dies with my Dillons (not 650). Only issue I've had is that the threads on the die may not be long enough; that is when it's screwed into the toolhead for proper headspace/sizing there might be just enough thread for the lock ring to work.

Yes, .224 is what you're looking for. It is the standard diameter bullet for .223 Rem/5.56 NATO and for almost all 22 centerfires.

I'll trade 9mm for it, volume for volume.

I don't think you can fit enough Fffg under a ball and compress it with the loading lever to harm the gun. We used to use around 20 grains FFfg (by volume) and an equal volume of filler to get nice accurate loads with minimal jump to the rifling.

My Seecamp 32 has been 100% reliable with WW Silvertip and me shooting. It had one stovepipe when virtually new and my wife was shooting it; I believe she limp wristed it. LWS 32 is really cool but a sightless 32 ACP does not inspire a lot of confidence in the sole carry mode. I've heard of drilling and tapping for a shotgun bead as a front sight but it'll always be a close, last-ditch weapon. As the owners manual states, "you shove it up their nose and pull the trigger".

You can: -wait till they're done -shoot at 25 also -ask if they'd like to shoot at 15 or mind if you do

Ah, the etiquette of brass picking. It is practical to pick up assuming that the range allows it. I have no experience with OK Corral; I have seen some commercial ranges with "if it hits the ground it's ours" policies. Best to simply ask beforehand. A blanket or better yet a large mesh panel with weighted edges can be used to make retrieval easier; just be considerate of other shooters. Some folks mark their ammo with a permanent marker so they only pick up their brass since they don't know what others' loads are or condition of guns it was fired in. Good Luck!

I have the AR version of the 597 and it has been 100% reliable with high velocity ammo and the zinc mags, ~1k rounds. American Rifleman did a writeup on these type rifles and Remington came out on top accuracy wise IIRC.

I have seen them have a usable life ~10 years. Depends on how much tritium was in them to start and what is usable to your eyes. The longer they sat on a shelf the less usable life they'll have for you the end user.

When tritium night sights go dim it means that a significant amount of the radioactive material has decayed. You can't "recharge" tritium. You can replace the whole sight or send to company and have vials replaced.