Moe

I am just trying to think out of the box. Are the hulls you are using designed for steel or are they common WW AA or Rem STS? I would assume that you are using a recipe for the particular hull you are using. Does the shot fill the case? And if it does, do the wad pedals extend all the way to where the crimp starts just underneath the crimp fold? I was thinking that maybe a bulkier powder(slower)that takes up more hull space might work. But if your crimps are good and not concave, I just don't know what to do. A catch 22 is a great description. You may have to go to a 7/8 ounce load.

I am sorry, you said pistol, not handgun. I would chose a Glock 22 40 S&W. Simple, easy to use, lightweight and 15rounds of ammo in the magazine.

Wow! I had never seen the steel wads side by side with a lead one. Now, I really understand your problem. It's almost like you need to use a 3" rammer tube. Is that possible?

Mine would be a Smith and Wesson 686 Combat Master with adjustable front sights. Good power for both defence and hunting, revolver reliability, accurate and has the ability to shoot .38 special ammo.

+1 on the Hogue grip sleeve. I really like them on my Glocks, even the g22.

I have never reloaded steel but I can comment on the 8567n MEC's. The new primer systems on the new MEC progressive's are much better than the old chain operated system and also hold 200 primers, compared to 100 for the old set up. Once set up, the primer system is pretty good. Still, sometimes a primer will fail to feed and drop. I am so used to this that I look the primer all the way to the seating die. I have a Dewalt battery vacuum handy just in case I miss the primer not falling. The rammer tube is a different story. I use Claybuster wads in all 4 gauges and use almost zero wad pressure. I really don't know if MEC has anything to solve your problem. Maybe you should call MEC, explain the problems you are having and maybe they have a solution. Does the steel shot wads require a different wad guide? Do they have to be seated farther down than a wad designed for lead ? It might be better to find out if your steel problems can be solved before you spend $350+ on a new press.

Steve, That's what I thought. I have 2 guesses on why Smith didn't do it. 1. The time involved probably exceeded the shipping and the waiting period and or demand. 2. Maybe some kind of data base of recovered fired bullets prevent re-issue of another gun with the old serial number.

I would bet that Brownells has them and they are very helpful over the phone. I think the difference in magazines is if you have the 1911 angle grip or the standard grip. It's easy to tell if you put the HS next to a 1911 and check the grip angle.

Would it be Armscor?

Just got the word today from S&W. They are replacing my 442. Should be here in a couple of days, then another 10day wait for a background check.

Try Wild Hare sport clothing. My summer vests are made by them and they are a really quality products. They do make shooting jackets for cold weather. They are a little pricey, but they are a quality product.

Glad to hear +p ammo can be used. My first thought was in a blowback design IN A HANDGUN, the recoil spring and bolt would be much lighter than in a open bolt machine pistol or machine gun due to size limitations. A heavy slide and spring gets the job done in a small package. Great deal!

Good combo! Now, go have some fun. What scope did you use?

I know that everyone has their favorite stuff they use for rust prevention on their firearms. 1. I use LPS#2 95% of the time, LPS#3 for long term storage. 2. Sometimes I use Rem oil in the field because it comes in a small 4oz can. 3. On my Remington 1100, I use Breakfree CLP both inside and out. CLP keeps it running the longest with less residue.

The one thing I actually liked about the Ruger M77 was the external Mauser type extractor. It doesn't get any more positive than that. I just didn't like how the bolt head didn't totally enclose the case head. On my production 700 varmit rifles, I had a friend of mine who built benchrest rifles take the bolts apart and actually true the bolt face. He removed so little material that it did not change the headspace to an excessive amount but really helped the accuracy.

Any series 70? Even one that has been highly modified like your series 80? What is the cost to John Q. public for his mods such as what you had done to your 80 and what was envolved in the "overhaul"? Did he remove the drop safety and fit a new trigger?

Never had a bolt handle or extractor fail after thousands of rounds. I also like the totally enclosed bolt head that some bolt actions don't have.

limp wristing gets blamed for a lot of mishaps. In the Glock forums its the number one cause of FTE. I don't believe that at all. It's usually a mechanical problem with either the gun or the ammo. I have tried to get my Glock 22 to fail by limp wristing it and failed to do so. My guess is that the ammo has big swings in pressure and or the recoil spring needs replacement or alteration. Just a guess on my part.

I don't know what the actual record is, but I would guess it's pretty high. I have witnessed some serious practice that my friends son goes through who is trying to make the Olympic Skeet team. He is 15yrs old and I have seen him go through 3 flats of shells in a single practice session. These are not wimpy skeet loads either. I think they are 24gram, 1350fps shells. He uses a highly modified(by Briley) Perazzi. This kid is a great joy to be around and he will make the team. It really helps when your dad is a world class shooter himself. His name is Brandon Belanger. Watching this kid mature into the shooter he is a pure joy. Getting back to your original question, I would guess that the actual number of targets is very high. 5-6k would be my guess.

If it is a blowback design, I would be carefull with the ammo. I would stay away from some of the +p stuff that's out there. I don't know what the owners manual says, but I would guess they don't recommend +p because of the blowback design.

I did shoot a Marvel .22 conversion on a series 70 Colt and was truly impressed. It was more accurate than my model 41 S&W and almost as good as my High Standard. Something about the feel of a 1911 that I can't explain. You know what I mean. In my old Bullseye days, I used a S&W model 52 that was fantastic. Not quite a 1911, but close. It was probably the MOST accurate pistol I had ever owned. Unfortunantly, It was stolen out of my truck along with my K-22 and a series 70 Goldcup after a match. I never got around to replacing them. I recently bought a used 52-2 and havn't tried it out yet. Skeet keeps getting in the way. This weekend, my BIL and I are going to the range so I can teach him how to shoot his .45. It's a Springfield 1911 that he bought about 15yrs ago and has never fired. I will compare his Springfield to my S&W 1911. The sights on my Smith are much better but at 7 & 15yds it shouldn't make much difference. You are probably right and hopefully it works out. I still like the older Colt 1911's. The series 80, IMHO, was a boat anchor.

Remington 700's. The only centerfire rifles I own are Remington 700's and 1 600. They are all older models so I can't say much about the new stuff. Both my Custom Shop 700's are extremly accurate. One is a safari grade 8mm mag, and the other is a 7mm STW. Sub MOA groups are the norm with both these guns. My standard BDL 8mm mag is very accurate also. Not quite as pretty as the other 2, but groups just as good. My 2 varmit rifles in .22-.250 and .223 are heavy barrel 700's. These are from the middle to late eighties. Good all around rifles with the right loads. My oddball and my most favorite Remington is my 600 carbine in .350 Remington Mag. I think people now refer to this gun as a "guide gun". Shoots great, looks kind of weird with the raised vent rib and the tiger laminate stock and the 18" barrel, but boy it's sure easy to carry.

A few years ago, if you wanted to make major power( bullet weight x velocity ) it had to equal 175,000. It has since been lowered. I don't recall the new major number. The .38 super can meet or exceed major power. @ 175,000, it was a chore. Some serious blowups occured trying to meet MP back in the eighties. Better brass, powders and bullets have pretty much eliminated kabooms. The .38 super now is the "perfect" combination of magazine capacity, power, recoil and accuracy. The 9mm can't match the .38 super in the power department without some serious pressure problems.

If I wanted a target 1911 .45 or .38 super for competition, I would pick up the phone and order a Les Baer if price was no object. Wilson would be a close second. Now, if the price was under $1500, different story. I would try and find a good used series 70 Colt Goldcup and start from there.

Hoppes will work fine. You might want to try Breakfree CLP in an aerosol can. Works very good also, and a little easier to use. Some of the Brakleen products I would try to avoid. CLP will clean and protect without worry of any polymer interaction. You can buy Breakfree CLP in a 12oz spray can at Walmart pretty cheap. The last can I bought at WM was under the Winchester label, and was much cheaper than most gunshops.