The Official Redbrush/WSSC IDPA Thread

[sbcman]

Hmm, were we on the same squad at RB when the guy had 2 mags blow up and both times his brass was pretty much shrapnel? (He quit after 2). My guess was that his gun was firing too far out of battery.
(I hate it that s.o.'s are supposed to stand right where the turds fly on right handed shooters. I understand it but just don't like doing it).

Bulged 45 at the base was a problem for me. Bought one of the super duper dies that the others have mentioned, also it was suggested that I make sure my other dies are adjusted down as low as was physically possible so I did that as well. Am not sure which fixed my problem, but something seemed to.
I've got the size checker thingies (I can't help myself, engineers love gizmos of all shapes and sizes). On 45's some of my reloads flunk the thingie and they go into the practice only bag but so far none of those have caused any problem.

Wow! I'm glad everyone left with extremities in tact!

 

[DustyDawg48]

Hmm, were we on the same squad at RB when the guy had 2 mags blow up and both times his brass was pretty much shrapnel? (He quit after 2). My guess was that his gun was firing too far out of battery.
(I hate it that s.o.'s are supposed to stand right where the turds fly on right handed shooters. I understand it but just don't like doing it).

Bulged 45 at the base was a problem for me. Bought one of the super duper dies that the others have mentioned, also it was suggested that I make sure my other dies are adjusted down as low as was physically possible so I did that as well. Am not sure which fixed my problem, but something seemed to.
I've got the size checker thingies (I can't help myself, engineers love gizmos of all shapes and sizes). On 45's some of my reloads flunk the thingie and they go into the practice only bag but so far none of those have caused any problem.

That may very well be it. I haven't ever had a problem with any of the 45s I own but my 9mm is the culprit. Obviously I've loaded more 45 than 9 but I think I am getting into somebody else's crappy brass.

 

[Kisada]

Sooooooooooo......did we learn anything here The adjustment screw should not be an issue. Have you got it set where you want it and left it there? Not saying you did, but sometimes guys get impatient when the spout cool off and raise the plunger up. When everything gets hot, well, you get a mess.

Speaking of mess, can you not just lift it off and put it back in the pot?

The next time you cast, try leaving the cavities filled a few extra seconds on the first pour. This will help get the mold heated up fast. If you're bullets are having trouble dropping, clean them and smoke them again- thickly. TL molds are pretty forgiving to drop (and big nasty 45 bullets in general). But standard molds require a bit more.

Well, I've had a couple issues. The set screw never really wanted to stay in the groove for more than a turn or two, keeps popping out, and once a good portion of the sprues and stuff melted and the liquid increased, it causes the rod to float up freely when the screw jumps the notch. I've actually seen this happen standing there, so I figure that's what happened again.
The lead seeped under the front edge of the base and a bit around the black posts, so I need to melt enough to get the mass loose.

Flow rate and my technique are probably my other issues. I noticed when I get to about pot half full, my fill rate works pretty awesome...but with a full pot, it flows too fast and I get more splashing on top or in & back out of the cavs.

 

[sbcman]

Well, I've had a couple issues. The set screw never really wanted to stay in the groove for more than a turn or two, keeps popping out, and once a good portion of the sprues and stuff melted and the liquid increased, it causes the rod to float up freely when the screw jumps the notch. I've actually seen this happen standing there, so I figure that's what happened again.
The lead seeped under the front edge of the base and a bit around the black posts, so I need to melt enough to get the mass loose.

Flow rate and my technique are probably my other issues. I noticed when I get to about pot half full, my fill rate works pretty awesome...but with a full pot, it flows too fast and I get more splashing on top or in & back out of the cavs.

That is not right. Sounds like the screw holder is too large for the threads to do their job. You could try a larger screw or just call Lee and have them fix it. This is why your flow rate is jacked up too. It gets better with a half pot because there is less pressure. Hope it all comes together for you!

 

[DustyDawg48]

I ended up going home and chamber checking my 9mm reloads with different barrels. I must have gotten into somebody's batch of who-knows-what-happened brass because I found about 25 or so of the 600 I had reloaded that simply wouldn't even get close. Others would drop in like it was nothing but some, even with different headstamps, were so badly bulged I doubt they would have chambered in a 10mm!

I think the .45 round itself is probably much more forgiving in general. Of the thousands I've loaded for my Glocks, M&Ps and 1911s I think I've had 3 that wouldn't chamber. Some bur must have grabbed on the side of the die because the brass was wrinkled and it wouldn't have chambered in anything this side of a .50BMG.

 

[DustyDawg48]

Well, I've had a couple issues. The set screw never really wanted to stay in the groove for more than a turn or two, keeps popping out, and once a good portion of the sprues and stuff melted and the liquid increased, it causes the rod to float up freely when the screw jumps the notch. I've actually seen this happen standing there, so I figure that's what happened again.
The lead seeped under the front edge of the base and a bit around the black posts, so I need to melt enough to get the mass loose.

Flow rate and my technique are probably my other issues. I noticed when I get to about pot half full, my fill rate works pretty awesome...but with a full pot, it flows too fast and I get more splashing on top or in & back out of the cavs.

I sure hope you get it worked out... so when it's time for me to start casting I can just have you and TJ get me set up to run and I don't have to go through all of this!

 

[Kisada]

I sure hope you get it worked out... so when it's time for me to start casting I can just have you and TJ get me set up to run and I don't have to go through all of this!

Hah! We can do that.
I'm sure my mold problems are just me not letting things get up to temp. Now the leaking and pot issues I've read about before I ever bought mine, so I know I'm not the first, but I'd venture to say the issues are more uncommon than the norm. And I'm fairly patient, so I try not to expect a $60 pot to perform like one that runs $350+ .

 

[DustyDawg48]

Hah! We can do that.
I'm sure my mold problems are just me not letting things get up to temp. Now the leaking and pot issues I've read about before I ever bought mine, so I know I'm not the first, but I'd venture to say the issues are more uncommon than the norm. And I'm fairly patient, so I try not to expect a $60 pot to perform like one that runs $350+ .

I'm sure you'll get it worked out in the end. I've done a ton of Test and Evaluate in my early reloading days that I'm glad somebody else is doing it!

 

[Grelber]

I've done a ton of Test and Evaluate in my early reloading days that I'm glad somebody else is doing it!

Fear and loathing on the bench rest.

Have wondered about range brass and whether I need to think about sorting so I fiddled a bit while I was trying to test a couple or 4 load recipes.

Back ground. At 18 yards on the rest with a known accurate 22 (S&W 41) and good ammo, group size was 1.5", I suspect (guess) that a good bulls eye shooter could get about 0.5" groups with the same stuff so that sort of gives me a bogey on how much is me and how much is the gun.
With my 40 and reloads group size (when I didn't hose a shot) was 2 1/4".
Shot separate groups with Federal, Blazer, Winchester, and PMC.
At my modest level of accuracy I could not tell squat for difference in group size or in point of impact versus point of aim.
A better shooter or maybe just somebody shooting a different set up might find an advantage to sorting brass, for me I can't see that it would make any difference, assuming that there is not some oddball brand of brass out thee that shoots a lot different than everything else.

 

[sbcman]

Fear and loathing on the bench rest.

Have wondered about range brass and whether I need to think about sorting so I fiddled a bit while I was trying to test a couple or 4 load recipes.

Back ground. At 18 yards on the rest with a known accurate 22 (S&W 41) and good ammo, group size was 1.5", I suspect (guess) that a good bulls eye shooter could get about 0.5" groups with the same stuff so that sort of gives me a bogey on how much is me and how much is the gun.
With my 40 and reloads group size (when I didn't hose a shot) was 2 1/4".
Shot separate groups with Federal, Blazer, Winchester, and PMC.
At my modest level of accuracy I could not tell squat for difference in group size or in point of impact versus point of aim.
A better shooter or maybe just somebody shooting a different set up might find an advantage to sorting brass, for me I can't see that it would make any difference, assuming that there is not some oddball brand of brass out thee that shoots a lot different than everything else.

The only time sorting brass becomes important in a handgun is when you are dealing with critical primer seating. Federal brass, for example, has a really deep pocket while Speer is shallow. This matters not to almost all of the handgun world, except we who run revolvers with trigger pulls in the 5-6lb range. Even then, I don't sort, but I will hand seat primers if I don't think the cups are all the way down.

The only brass issue I've found is with Federal. Their brass is thicker than most. It doesn't make any difference to accuracy but if a bullet is a touch oversized it will have problems chambering for me.

Rifle brass is a different story.

 

[joncor2577]

I got out to RB yesterday with some guys to practice. We had some idpa targets and some pasters so we went to the house and setup 3 different courses.. About 15 shots each course and went to town. Great practice and loads of fun. Even used a smartphone app for time keeping a few times to see how we each compared.

I'm getting used to my RIA 1911 too. Had to make an adjustment to the extractor tension but other than that it has run like a champ. Can't wait for the July match. First match since (eek) February!

 

[DustyDawg48]

I got out to RB yesterday with some guys to practice. We had some idpa targets and some pasters so we went to the house and setup 3 different courses.. About 15 shots each course and went to town. Great practice and loads of fun. Even used a smartphone app for time keeping a few times to see how we each compared.

I'm getting used to my RIA 1911 too. Had to make an adjustment to the extractor tension but other than that it has run like a champ. Can't wait for the July match. First match since (eek) February!

Ain't nothing quite like turning gunpowder into noise! More than ready for the next match!

 

[Grelber]

I'm getting used to my RIA 1911 too. Had to make an adjustment to the extractor tension but other than that it has run like a champ.

That is a good thing!! I keep thinking I need a RIA in 45 every time I walk by one.

Totally unrelated random thought (you see these often in this thread).

Talked to a guy who got a reasonably good bleeder from lead bouncing back at this months steels match. At the March match I had a bounce back hit me hard enough that it kind of stung through the jacket and heavy shirt I was wearing. Point being I sure hope everybody respects the need for safety glasses. I know this has been discussed before but the guy said he bled pretty good so I figured I would mention it.

 

[DustyDawg48]

I was just handling a nice RIA myself just yesterday evening. Very good guns. I also had my hands on a very nice Colt and a Bushmaster AR, too....and a GP100...decisions decisions!

 

[DustyDawg48]

How have we gone 2 entire days since somebody last posted here?

 

[sbcman]

How have we gone 2 entire days since somebody last posted here?

I read something about 1911s and just tuned out

 

[DustyDawg48]

I read something about 1911s and just tuned out

I don't blame you there The good news is that a match is a mere 2 weeks away. About time, too.

 

[Grelber]

I read something about 1911s and just tuned out

If wheel guns were issued you could be reading about them in German.

 

[sbcman]

If wheel guns were issued you could be reading about them in German.

I guess it's good for all of us that rifles, tanks and planes were issued as well

 

[DustyDawg48]

I guess it's good for all of us that rifles, tanks and planes were issued as well

HEY-O!!!

Speaking of roundy-round guns...I saw a very nice 3" GP100 that really caught my eye. Don't know if I'm ready to do any SSP just yet but...