What did you shoot today?

Mil Spec and the Colt. Not today but last weekend. The colt is an oddball gun I picked up off gunbroker on a whim awhile back, Series 80 Mark IV Govt model. Someone put a 6 inch barrel in it just for extra velocity as far as I can tell, or planning to do something further with it later. No ports or threads on it when it came to me. Looks like it has had a trigger job, but nothing special done to the magazine well. Standard grips, stock hammer. Passed all function checks. It’s like someone started to do some things to it then lost interest.

Did some basic 5 yard drills with 3 bull’s eye targets and a few other things to run through a bunch of new mags I’ve been buying

SA shot as expected of a brand new gun. The Colt shot well the first few times I had it out last year, but I had a bunch of failure to return to battery issues on this outing. Realized I’d never replaced the recoil spring since I picked it up, so I threw one in now and have to get back out soon to make sure it’s back to cycling properly.

Got the Colt on the bottom back
Out for 150 rnds after replacing the recoil spring. My first string of mags went perfectly. Shot my CMC 10 rnd, Meg Car, and factory 9 rnd mags with no problems. Second string, a failure to eject or two out of each mag. Realized first box was 124 grain, second was 115. Then I realized before the last recent couple times I shot that gun it had been awhile, and previously I ran 124 grain +p stuff in it I had access too. Sweet spot seems to be 124 grain or 147 standard pressure. Less than that can cause cycling problems. More seems to beat up standard weight springs.

Now I just have a few boxes of cheap 115 to blow through while practicing malfunction drills.

Kimber Custom 2 2 tone in 9mm. My old Colt Series 80 Mark IV 9 that was my first 1911 that I bought used on a whim has been finicky lately so it is at the gunsmith getting a few things done. I bought this to get a taste of something new in the Govt sized 9mm 1911 configuration and I have to say I'm digging it. Shot through 7 mags, about 120 rounds, re-loading everything once. A couple of CMC 9 and 10 round mags, a MecGar or two, a couple of old Colt mags, and the Kimber.

Nice groups with less effort required than on most of my other pistols, to the point where it could spoil me if I shoot it too much. The Gun is more accurate than me. On the first half of the first break in session one of the Colt mags had a failure to return to battery on nearly every other round. I replaced the springs in these mags recently and they're old so I'm not blaming that on the gun.

Once I reloaded them all on the second half it shot everything from all mags without a single failure including 2 mags of JHP at the end. Now at home clean, lubed, and in the safe waiting for its next break-in range outing. Now have to shoot the Colt when I get it back and decide whether I want to keep it too or let the Kimber take its place and trade it for an AR. If the Kimber performs on the next couple of range trips the way it did on the second half of this first one it will double as a home defense and range gun.

Budget build Rifle had to go back to the gunsmith who built it for me for a gas block tightening. Shot 140 rounds through it this time for a total of about 230 since and seems good to go. Now that it won’t go into single action on me maybe I can finish dialing it in outdoors.

Colt Mark IV just back from gunsmith with new safety, Sear and hammer. Kimber still being broken in. This was the 3rd 100 rounds in the 500 round break in. Colt shoots good. Kimber is a tack driver without me really trying too hard.

Probably gonna leave HD duty to my mil spec, G26 and P320. These 9mm 1911s are fun but can be picky about ammo and mags. Oddly both 9mm 1911s ran like Swiss watches off my two refurbished Colt 1911 mags that are probably 30-plus years old, but had trouble with the newer Kimber, couple of my newer Mec Gars, and my newer Colt mag. Round seems to nose dive easier in some than others depending on follower design.

3-4 malfunctions in 65 rnds for the Colt, about 2 in 100 for the Kimber. Kimber has a ramped barrel, Colt doesn’t.

4 mags through the AR.


8 or 9 mags through the Mil Spec, which came out because it’s a HD gun and it hasn’t had a workout in months. It is my only 45 1911, my Colt and Kimber are 9mm. I was highly disappointed in the way I shot it compared to the other two. I’ve done much better. All over the place at 20-25 yrds. Tells me I need to give my 45 some love more often, let it sit for way too long.

One malfunction out of over 75 rnds, on the last round of one mag out of the two of JHP I cycled through. I have some 185 grain stuff I bought at some point that I think it tolerates as well as can be expected 99.9% of the time but does not like.

I recently had work done on the AR and had no idea where the sights were so I felt like I had to run just a few magazines through it to get in the ballpark, but I’m probably not shooting again until after the election. Even have 100 rounds coming to replace what I shot.

My indoor range goes to 20 so I did the best I could with the tiny target at 20, so I will be reasonably close to start when I can finally hit the 100 yrd range.

These two budget builds. Rough zero on a 20 yrd range just to verify where they are before hitting the 100 yrd range. Both grouped well. The HD AR with the light was consistent bull’s eye within one mag. Ballistic advantage barrel and lower and a mix of other stuff.

The other one is Aeroprecision upper, BCA 223 wylde 16” barrel on an Anderson lower. That started putting groups randomly left and right and refusing to move them where I wanted them no matter how I tweaked it. Gave it up and took it home to find out the four screws securing my cheap optic to its riser backed out and were letting it wiggle with recoil. Got them loctited. Now probably won’t be going out again before the election.

But at least got both to the point where when I drive over an hour with my buddy to the 100 yard range next month we shouldn’t have to waste time diagnosing or re-tightening anything, and should at least be on paper with both to start.

The AR is my range only gun. HD one stated home this time. Anderson Mil Spec Lower, Aero upper with BCA 223 wylde SS 16 inch barrel. I am about at the 500 round mark. Initially thought I might have to go to a gun smith or send this one back to the vendor for feed ramp issues. Frequent failure to feed while hitting bolt release or using charging handle to chamber a round, and also sometimes when firing.

It has gotten better gradually though. I guess something that was rough has started to wear smooth. I was able to consistently chamber today across old and new magazines and different brands using both charging handle and bolt catch without an FTF and only had a few malfunctions while shooting. Probably gonna take it out a couple more times and see how it behaves.

Unfortunately I left the Colt Mark IV 9mm on the counter in its pistol case after looking forward to taking it out all week. So I sighted in the new Cheapie amazon optic on the rifle, which did surprisingly well, then ran a few vest check drills and then called it a day after 120 rounds through the rifle.

On the bright side I guess I can say I saved my 9mm ammo for another day.

First 100 rounds through Foxtrotmike 9mm 16 inch upper on Anderson Milspec multi cal lower, 8 ounce Kak buffer, standard spring, running Endomags. Ran perfectly and passed all function checks on 115 grain Tula and 124 grain Blazer.

Also put a few mags through the old Colt Mark IV 5 inch to test my extractor tune and that also ran flawlessly.

Was a good session. A new build and a pistol that had been problematic were both perfect. Now gotta double check the extractors on my Kimber and Springfield, which both hiccup occassionally.

This rifle again, 16 inch FoxtrotMike FM9 on Anderson multical lower along with my G26 instead of that 1911 from my last trip. Probably more 9 than I should have burned in one trip but I wanted to get the AR9 fully tested out and verify it is GTG.

Now can say it has had 115, 124 and 147 as well as jhp down the pipe with zero malfunctions on the Endomags in the first 300 rounds.

I am a very happy customer. Threw an Mlok hand stop on it after I cleaned it before putting it away.

Mil Spec. Started at 25, then one armed at 15 and 20. Got the stuff I suck at and need to work on out of the way before faster shooting at 7 and 10.

Then I Jinxed myself. Was thinking how happy I was to have zero malfunctions in 130 rounds of 230 gr ball and 180 grn jhp. Then it failed to return to battery by about 1/4 inch on the very last 230 grn fmj round in the very last magazine of the session.

200 rounds through the 16 inch Foxtrot Mike 9 upper to try out the new Macon armory 7.5 ounce buffer, 50 44spl through the 629 because it hasn’t been out in awhile.

The 629 told me I’ve spoiled myself focusing on slick triggered semiautos and need to revisit the basics of trigger control. The FM9 is approaching 1000 rounds of 115, 124, 148, FMJ, hp and flat nose with zero malfunctions. It is so shootable and boringly reliable that even though it was designated strictly as a bare bones plinker it’s probably going to have to get a light and backup sights, and I will set the endomags aside and find a glock mag conversion for it.

As they sit ready to go back into the safe. On top is a 16” 223 Wylde gun, Pro 2a tactical complete upper on PSA lower. Bottom is an FM9 16 inch upper on an Anderson lower running a Sylvan mag block.

Burned about 120 rounds each for function checks. 223 Wylde gun has had annoying FTF problems when loading since I got it in January that I’ve isolated to a weak buffer spring on its lower that was the right length but way too floppy for how few rounds are on it. Maybe some burs in the feed ramps finally wore away too. But she’s just now hitting on all cylinders, thankfully without having to send back or go to a gunsmith for feed ramp work.

The 9 just got its mag block and I wanted to compare to the Endomags I’d been using reliability wise. One feed problem on 120 rounds which was on a Speer Gold dot hollow point. Otherwise no problems across different weights, flat round nose or other hollow points. Pretty satisfied with both now.

16 inch FM9 now on a PSA multi cal lower.

The Sylvan arms Glock mag adapter has gone back into the parts bin and the Endomags have come back out.

So irritated. After it worked fine on the first range trip with a couple Glock mags I had laying around I bought 5 high capacity mags and it has not allowed the rifle to cycle properly since.

After two more range sessions and over 400 more rounds, swapping buffers, springs, whole lowers, and using a variety of mag brands it is narrowed down to this FM9 upper just will not cycle with this mag block. To save my sanity and not waste more ammo gonna run converted Pmags til I can buy a foxtrotmike lower. I Broke them back out after another long string of failures with Glock mags on the last trip. Went back to running every bullet profile 100%. Something with how the sylvan arms adaptor presents the magazine to the bolt
or maybe the position of the ejector is off and I’m not sure what it is or how to fix.

Thought this combo would be good because I saw at least one youtube personality run an FM9 upper with the Sylvan arms block. But for me, just one failure to eject after another.

Should have bought the Stern defense Block from the start. Ran like a top and the built in feed ramp cycled my aggressively profiled IMI 9mm like it was nothing.

230 rounds through the
AR9, 75 or so through the Kimber Custom
2 9mm. Kimber was as usual… finicky depending on mag and ammo but more accurate than me or any other pistol I own when she got her rhythm. Good hits at 25 yards all day long.

AR is an FM9 16 inch upper on PSA lower with a stern defense mag block that has taken me awhile to get running reliably on Glock mags. Started on Endomags, then broke a Sylvan arms mag block ejector, then replaced it with a Stern Mag Ad 9.

This trip went well til the last 33 round OEM Glock mag out of 7 mags of assorted brands. Then after running through Promags (YES PROMAGS), Pmags and other OEM glock mags I started repeatedly getting FTe with a round and an empty case trapped in the chamber on this one magazine. Snatched up 100 more rounds of 115 grain from the front desk that ran through it without failure so I think based on checking my garbage bin at home some slower 147 grain not hot enough to cycle the bolt made it into that one Glock mag.

Overall I’m taking the W and consider myself to now have a reliable Glock fed Franken AR9 off a multi cal lower that I can repurpose for any other need and which also can run on any other lower in my safe.

FoxtrotMike Ar9 upper on Psa lower multi cal lower with Stern Mag Ad9 conversion block. Got a little over 200 rounds through it this time. First range session with zero malfunctions since I converted from Endomags to glock setup. I was getting at least a couple times per session of old case trapped before making it out of the port next to new round trying to chamber.

Traced it down to the fancified 45 dollar 7.5 ounce moving weight buffer the interwebs told me I had to replace my Solid 8 oz kak with to avoid a kaboom. That tiny bit of weight loss seem to make the difference that allowed some loads to move the bolt forward fast enough to trap an empty case trying to fly out in the action next to the new round trying to chamber.

Put the “dangerous” solid 8 ounce kak back in and she is back to swiss watch consistency with all loads.

P365xl was superb as always. It is my carry gun but with ergonomics and trigger it shoots so well so easily I actually don’t take it or my P320 out often because they’d spoil me. One of those guns where you feel like you really don’t have to try that hard.

Forgot pics

New range beater. PSA classic freedom upper with drop in MOE handguard and Magpul folding rear sight on a Ballistic Advantage lower I already had. Also an old cheap PA optic I had in my bin. Got a rough zero on the irons and optic and then put some rounds through it at the 25 yard range. Lots of problems the first mag or 2 then once I figured out while zero-ing the gun doesn’t like to be rested on the magazine it ran like a scalded dog.

Took out my trouble prone 223 wylde gun that just got back from warranty feed ramp work and got a bolt rebuild by me and ran my first 200 trouble free rounds ever through it.

I’d take breaks from shooting that to cool the barrel and put 100 .38 through my S&w 360 mostly at 20 yards to work on trigger and sight fundamentals. Old range officer came over and gave me a fascinating revolver tip. Instead of trying for the first finger pad and making trigger finesse happen via sheer will wrap the finger all the way around so as you’re coming back the tip of the finger touches the support side of the gun. Once that makes contact squeeze back with the rest of the finger and you can’t jerk it.

Worked incredibly well keeping me center mass at 20 yards with that tiny barrel all afternoon. Very glad I listened and didn’t go “no thanks, I know what I’m doing.”