Outlaw 3-Gun Match 01/20/2019

Unfortunately, I accidentally left my competition belt with my holster and mag pouches at home for this 3-Gun match, and ended up having to compete with my concealed carry holster and used my back pockets for all my extra magazines. My shotgun shell caddies were in my range bag, so I was able to use those.  The first stage definitely had us all breathing hard by the end as there was a bit of a hike while shooting at shotgun targets and finally making our way to the rifle at the top of a small plateau.  All the other stages weren't too bad, but not having all my stuff in the right spots on my belt definitely got me flustered during each stage.  I feel like every 3-Gun match I go to, I get just a tiny bit better at using the rifle and the shotgun.  Hopefully I will continue to improve.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-vJsRWt0zY

Nomad Defense Glock 19 Handgun Build

Along with my recent CZ-USA P-07 build, I also built another custom Glock 19 handgun. This one utilizes the Gen4 MOS slide that I acquired, which I sent off to Maple Leaf Firearms to have front cocking serrations and a top window milled into it and refinished with black Nitride.  I really like the factory front serrations on my Gen4 G19 FS, so I think this slide looks great with these features.

I used the Nomad Defense Nomad 9 aftermarket Gen4 Glock 19 frame for this build, because I really liked all of the features and ergonomics that they put into it. I have to admit that when I first started handling the Nomad 9 frame, I wasn't sure I was going to like it. I really would've liked the grip texture to continue onto the front strap instead of having horizontal serrations, and the grip just felt a little too short in my big gorilla hands for some reason. So... like any other person that is not 100% satisfied with a product, I modified it! 😜 I stippled and blended the front strap with a similar texture to the factory texture, sacrificed the small backstrap to cut up and fuse together with the medium backstrap, re-located the hole for the retaining pin, and then re-stippled it to create a longer one-off custom backstrap that gives the grip a similar feel and look as the grip of my beloved CZ P-07s. I also purchased another Primary Machine compensator for this Glock 19 to match the comp I put on the Gen1 CZ P-07. 😁

I will be using this new Glock 19 and the Gen1 CZ P-07 for concealed carry and at shooting matches over the next couple of months to see how they perform. Both guns utilize the same holster that I made to index on the Streamlight TLR-1. 

CZ USA Gen1 P-07 Handgun Build

I recently built another CZ-USA P-07 handgun using an old used Gen1 DUTY frame that I picked up dirt cheap. I paired the frame with my optic-ready Gen1 slide with a Burris Fastfire3 optic. I also added a Primary Machine Stealth Comp to the gun to bring it to an extreme "tacti-cool" level. I spent quite a bit of time refining the Gen1 DUTY frame by rounding off all the sharp edges and doing a 360-degree stipple job on it since it doesn't have interchangeable backstraps. I tried out a new stippling technique that worked really well for me. It has a medium aggressive texture which is perfect for concealed carry, and I think it looks and feels good too. I liked the new stippling texture so much that I re-stippled my P-09 that I use for 3-Gun with the same technique.

One of the downsides to using a Gen1 DUTY frame is that the mags don't drop free when you press the mag release button (apparently its a European thing). I was able to get this frame to freely drop mags with a LOT of sanding and polishing inside the magwell. It was a lot of work, but well worth the effort as it was messing me up at shooting matches when the mags wouldn't drop out of the gun during slide-lock reloads.

I didn't want to use red Loctite on the barrel threads along with the supplied set screws to secure the compensator to the barrel per the instructions, as I didn't like the idea of not being able to easily remove the comp for cleaning or whatever.  So, I used an over-sized rubber o-ring (5/8" OD x 7/16" ID x 3/32") and shaved it down to a specific outside diameter to allow the comp to thread on to it's tightest point against the o-ring and be correctly lined up with the slide. I'm not able to get the comp as close to the slide as I would prefer with this method, but the comp has not moved at all while shooting and I can remove the comp as easily as a thread protector. The comp definitely helps reduce muzzle flip when shooting the gun, but there is no reduction of perceived recoil in the hand.  I still haven't decided if the added length is worth the effort/discomfort to carry it, but I love using the Streamlight TLR-1 HL light (800 lumens version), so the extra length of the comp is kind of a wash.

Despite the longer length of the gun with the comp and the TLR-1 light, I've been able to conceal carry this gun for 14 hours a day for the last couple of weeks using a custom kydex holster that I made that indexes on the light rather than the gun.  Yes, it's a little more uncomfortable compared to my other compact guns, but it's definitely doable.

  

Outlaw 3-Gun Match 01/05/2019

My first shooting match for 2019!  I thought I would be rusty since I haven't been shooting for a little while, but I actually did really well at this Outlaw 3-Gun match.  I won every stage and came in 1st place Overall. I shot my rifle prone for the first time at this match, and was able to do my shotgun reloads fairly decently. 😛  I recently built an older used Gen1 CZ P-07 Duty to use with a dedicated compensator (more on that in a later post), so I decided to use that gun for 4 out of the 5 stages to see if I could tell any difference when compared to my non-compensated full-size P-09.  I had some trigger reset issues with the new P-07, so I wasn't able to shoot it as fast as I would've liked, but I could definitely tell that there was less muzzle flip with the comp. 👍

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arJ-ll9ccFg

New Holster for Multiple Guns

I recently made a new holster that indexes on a Streamlight TLR-1 light rather than the gun itself so that it works with multiple guns. The holster is an open muzzle design, so it will also accommodate comps or full-size guns. I love how quickly and easily I can move the TLR-1 from gun to gun without tools and still use the same holster. The additional length of the TLR-1 is a little uncomfortable AIWB, but I'm getting used to it.

I also acquired new optic-ready top ends for my basic CZ P-07 and my Gen4 Glock 19 FS with Burris Fastfire 3 red dot sights, and green fiber optic front sights (my usual competition setup). The top end for the P-07 was one that I previously sold but ended up getting back.  The top-end for the Glock 19 is a factory Gen 4 MOS complete upper. I really like that I can easily convert these two guns back to stock configuration with iron sights if I ever need to. Now I'm up to 6 polymer framed carry guns with red dot sights! 😜

DIY Titanium Anodizing

While I don't post much of my knife addiction on this blog, I thought I would share some of the cool stuff I've been doing lately with anodizing titanium at home for several of my favorite pocket knives.  After watching what seemed like millions of YouTube videos on the subject, I finally decided to give it a go.  I'm pretty happy with the results! 😎

IDPA Action Pistol Match 10/24/2018

I reached a new milestone as I shot every stage of tonight's indoor IDPA action pistol match clean using my carry gun and off the shelf ammo (T-shirt concealment from AIWB). To my surprise, I also took 1st place Overall as well. I can't wipe this stupid grin off my face! 😁

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDjX-MVAXbs