Saturday, November 7, 2015

CZ-USA CZ P-09 Handgun

I have been wanting to acquire a CZ-USA P-09, but I have a weird thing about having to have a "reason" to buy a new gun  even if the reason isn't all that legitimate. Unfortunately, I could not come up with a good enough reason (by my standards) to get one since I already have too many competition guns. Then I started reading discussion threads about the new USPSA Carry Optics division on some of the gun forums that I visit frequently.  There were several posts with pictures of P-09s with optical red dot sights mounted to them and I immediately realized I had a reason to get one. 😛  I purchased a Burris Fastfire III red dot sight and mounted it using a Springer Precision CZ-75 rear sight dovetail mount adapter. I also installed a factory threaded barrel for the cool factor. I've been dry-fire practicing with the gun quite a bit, but I'm not sure if having a red dot sight is any quicker for me versus regular competition sights.  Regardless, it's still a bad ass looking gun with the optic and threaded barrel. 😎


Saturday, October 17, 2015

USPSA Action Pistol Match 10/17/2015

This was the last USPSA action pistol match to be held at the Amarillo Rifle and Pistol Club, as these matches will be moving to a larger range in January. I've been shooting in the Production division for a little while this year, but decided to shoot one of my Limited division guns at this match. This was the first time I was shooting my home loaded .40 S&W ammo (major power factor), and it was definitely better than off the shelf ammo as far as recoil goes.  I didn't have any gun/ammo malfunctions, but I did have a brain fart on Stage 5 (a brain fart at a USPSA match??? Yep!).  There were two Grand Master shooters at this match, so I wouldn't have won anyway. 😛 Still had a lot of fun though.


EAA/Tanfoglio Witness Elite Match

Wednesday, October 14, 2015

IDPA Indoor Action Pistol Match 10/14/2015

Another indoor IDPA action pistol match at Texas Panhandle Pistol Club. I missed a head shot on the first stage, which took a few seconds to realize and make up the shot, but otherwise I had a really good run (placed 1st out of 8 total). I blazed through the 4th stage, which was a strong-hand/weak-hand standard that I've been practicing a lot for during my dry fire practice sessions.


EAA/Tanfoglio Witness Elite Limited Pro

Monday, October 5, 2015

2015 IDPA Panhandle Classic Action Pistol Match

This month is significant for me, because I started competing in action pistol sports 2 years ago this month, and because I finally attended my first "big" IDPA match (8 stages) this weekend and got 1st place overall! I had been practicing a lot prior to this match (both dry and live fire), and it definitely paid off at this match. It had rained heavily the night before and was raining all day during the match, so 4 of the 8 stages were muddy as hell.  Not the best environment for action pistol sports, but it created an interesting challenge that you don't usually have to deal with. 😊



CZ-USA CZ 75 SP-01

Sunday, September 27, 2015

CZ-USA CZ 75 P-01 Handgun

After carrying my CZ 75B Stainless Steel Limited Edition for a while, I realized that it is just too big for my preference as a concealed carry gun.  I found myself not wanting to carrying it very often, so I decided to convert it to a dedicated competition gun by replacing the CZ Custom tritium night sights with a set of CZ Custom competition sights with a fiber optic front.  The SS LE already has all of the trigger improvements done to it (the double action trigger pull actually feels smoother than my CZ 75 SP-01 for some reason), so the sights were the only thing that needed to be changed. It should make a great backup competition gun to my SP-01.



To replace the SS LE as a carry gun, I picked up a CZ 75 P-01, which is a compact alloy frame version of my SP-01 competition gun.  The P-01 also has a hammer decocker, so that the hammer can be safely lowered like my CZ P-07.  I installed all of the same trigger improvement components from Cajun Gun Works and CZ Custom Shop that I installed in my SP-01 and SS LE and installed the CZ Custom tritium night sights that I removed from the SS LE. I also had the frame Cerakoted in Stainless (H-152Q) like I did with my SP-01.  I have to say... I believe the P-01 is the best carry gun that I currently own.  It is slightly lighter and thinner than my polymer framed CZ P-07, has twice the capacity of my two Sig Sauer compact 1911s, and I think it looks really awesome! 😎

Sunday, September 20, 2015

Motorcycle Track Day - 09/12/2015 @ COTA

It's been a year since we were at Circuit of the Americas for a motorcycle track day with Ridesmart Motorcycle School.  The last time, I had a little bit of an "off" that ended my day early, so I was a little nervous about coming back. I took it really easy most of the day, but finally started running at my normal pace by the last two sessions. The weather was perfect for Austin in September, and we had a lot of fun. :-)




Wednesday, September 9, 2015

IDPA Indoor Action Pistol Match 09/09/2015

Another indoor IDPA action pistol match at Texas Panhandle Pistol Club. On the second stage, I accidentally turned on the safety while moving to the next shooting position, and then hit a "no shoot" target at the end of the stage. Mistakes, mistakes, mistakes... I gotta stop making mistakes! :-)  This was my first match using my home loaded ammo, and it is definitely helping my speed.


CZ-USA CZ 75 SP-01

Saturday, August 15, 2015

USPSA Action Pistol Match 08/15/2015

It's always a humbling experience when you _think_ you are getting faster, but then realize that you are still slow (placed 5th out of 34 total). :-P  The match winner at this USPSA action pistol match was about 3 to 5 seconds faster than me on each and every stage. Granted... the match winner is a Grand Master that is currently ranked 11th in the country in Limited Division, but it looks like I will need to keep practicing. :-)


CZ-USA CZ 75 SP-01

Wednesday, August 12, 2015

IDPA Indoor Action Pistol Match 08/12/2015

I was able to get video of me from a different perspective at this indoor IDPA action pistol match at Texas Panhandle Pistol Club.  I was shooting my CZ-USA CZ P-07, which is one of my regular concealed carry guns with 3-dot tritium night sights.  I recently installed a factory competition hammer and also purchased a Blade-Tech OWB kydex holster for it, so I was curious to see how well it would work for me at a match.  I had one miss during a weak-hand shot on the 4th stage (shot was barely in the black painted area on the target), but otherwise I felt like I did pretty good with the gun (2nd place out of 9 total).

In case you're wondering, we don't use the required cover garment at these indoor IDPA matches during the summer because it's so hot inside the range.


CZ-USA CZ P-07

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Time to start reloading my own ammo!

I recently acquired a used Dillon 550B progressive reloading press, and I just finished building my gunsmithing/reloading workbench. I'm still waiting on a few parts to come in for the Dillon, but I should be "rollin' my own" soon. :-)  I don't think this will save me any money because I plan on doing a lot of live fire practice now (previously my only live fire practice was at actual matches), but I'll be able to reduce the power level so that my shooting will hopefully be faster shot to shot.  I plan to start out with 9mm, and then will eventually load my own .40 S&W and .45 ACP once I get the hang of it. Let the fun begin! :-)


Update 08/28/2015: The reloading is going very well. I've already loaded 700 rounds of 9mm and have shot 200 of those rounds. The reduced recoil is definitely a nice advantage. I've already ordered the .40 S&W dies so that I can start reloading for USPSA's Limited Division.



Sunday, August 9, 2015

IDPA Action Pistol Match 08/09/2015

So... I won this IDPA action pistol match at Amarillo Rifle and Pistol Club (out of 14 total), but... I don't really know how (I'm sure everyone else was wondering the same thing).  I thought my performance was decent, but not worthy of a win. I guess the regular top shooters just made more mistakes than I did.  There was a timing discrepancy on stage 5 (it was called out as 8:34, but it was actually 15:34), but I pointed it out and got it corrected before the results were published.  I'll take the win, regardless. :-)


CZ-USA CZ 75 SP-01

Thursday, August 6, 2015

CZ P-07 - Cerakoted Slide

I was so happy with the stainless Cerakoted frame of my SP-01 that I had the slide of my P-07 done in Midnight Bronze (a mix of Burnt Bronze and Armor Black). Everybody knows that all black guns are more dangerous, so this makes it much safer too. :-P


Saturday, August 1, 2015

CZ 75 SP-01 - Cerakoted Frame

I really don't like all black guns (they're too dangerous that way, right? :-P), so I've been contemplating changing the appearance of my CZ 75 SP-01 by either having the frame and slide hard chromed, or having just the frame Cerakoted in Stainless (H-152Q) to give it the appearance of a factory SP-01 Shadow Dual Tone.  While hard chrome would've been an awesome look (and a very tough finish), I went with the less expensive Cerakote option since I was able to find a local certified applicator and because I really like two-tone guns.  I also installed the ambidextrous safety from an SP-01 Shadow to complete the look. I am extremely happy with the way the gun looks now! :-)


Sunday, July 19, 2015

USPSA Action Pistol Match 07/19/2015

Another back to back weekend of shooting USPSA matches.  Today's match was at the Shooter Ready Action Pistol Sports outdoor range near Canyon, TX. I was shooting my EAA/Tanfoglio Witness Elite Match in .40 S&W and decided to shoot the remaining 75 rounds of high power self defense ammo from a carry gun that I no longer own. While this ammo resulted in more felt recoil than I am normally used to, I'm happy to report that I didn't have any malfunctions other than me not inserting a mag all the way in the gun during a reload (the mag dropped out while firing). I believe this was due to me loading one too many rounds in the mag. We had six stages with two classifier style short courses, and I sucked at both of those two stages. :-P I still managed to place 2nd out of our small group of 8 entries, so it was a good day for me.


EAA/Tanfoglio Witness Elite Match

Saturday, July 18, 2015

USPSA Action Pistol Match 07/18/2015

I don't know if it was the heat or if I was just tired (maybe a combination of both), but I had several misses and no-shoot hits at today's USPSA action pistol match at Patriot Outdoors in Clovis, NM.  I ran my CZ 75 SP-01 in two divisions again (Production and Limited), but struggled with putting together good runs in either division.  I placed 4th and 5th out of 21 total.  At the start of the second stage, we had to throw a knife at a target before grabbing the gun off a barrel.  There was a prize up for grabs for the best throw, and I ended up winning a new HK folding knife. It's not a first place win, but I'll take it! :-)


CZ-USA CZ 75 SP-01


Monday, July 13, 2015

Motorcycle Track Day - 07/12/2015 @ ECR

After what seemed like several years since we've been on the track (it's only been 9 months), we finally got back to Eagles Canyon Raceway near Decatur, TX for our first track day weekend of 2015.  The first day kicked our asses, but by the second day we were finally getting back in the groove.  On Saturday, Monica was riding her 2008 Ducati 1098, and I was riding her usual track bike which is a 2008 Honda CBR 600RR. On Sunday, we switched bikes and gave it another go.  Monica has decided that the 600RR is a much better bike for the track, and I agree 100%.  The Ducati 1098 is a handful to manage on the track. It's heavier and has a very sensitive throttle (not a good thing with that much power on tap).  I was finally getting the hang of it by the end of the day, but I was too hot and too tired to keep going.  We had a great time, and it was nice break from my action pistol shooting. :-)



Wednesday, July 8, 2015

IDPA Indoor Action Pistol Match 07/08/2015

I decided to go back to my Springfield Armory 1911 Trophy Match gun for tonight's IDPA indoor match at Texas Panhandle Pistol Club.  The Trophy Match was my first competition gun, but I eventually migrated away from it due to the higher recoil of .45 ACP (I don't reload my own ammo... yet), and the lower capacity of the single stack 1911.  I feel that a double stack 9mm pistol gives me a little better advantage in competition (see my revelation blog post here), but I recently picked up some re-manufactured ammo from Atlanta Arms that is downloaded to competition specs (170 PF), so the recoil isn't quite as bad as off-the-shelf factory ammo. Even though my performance was decent, I had one hit on a non-threat target, so I ended up in 3rd place out of 8 total.


Springfield Armory 1911 Trophy Match

Saturday, June 27, 2015

USPSA Action Pistol Match 06/27/2015

I had some really good runs at today's USPSA action pistol match at Amarillo Rifle and Pistol Club.  My performance was pretty good (for me), and my CZ 75 SP-01 ran flawlessly.  I signed up for both Production division and Limited division, but ran the gun in Production format in both divisions.  I loved the extra practice, but it was a hot day for double entries.  I ended up in 1st place overall with my Production entry and 2nd place overall with my Limited entry (out of 10 total).  The video below is from my Production runs, which were my fastest runs of the match.


CZ-USA CZ 75 SP-01

Saturday, June 20, 2015

USPSA Action Pistol Match 06/20/2015

Another great USPSA action pistol match at Patriot Outdoors in Clovis, NM. I was shooting my CZ 75 SP-01 in the Production Division for the first time, and the gun continues to impress me. There were several go fast stages that were just fun as hell to run.  My performance on a couple of stages were not as good as I would've hoped for (placed 8th out of 28 total), but I had a great time! :-)


CZ-USA CZ 75 SP-01

Sunday, June 14, 2015

IDPA Action Pistol Match 06/14/2015

I was back to my usual brain fart shenanigans at today's IDPA action pistol match at Amarillo Rifle and Pistol Club. I did really good on the first two stages and the last two stages (I actually won each of those four stages), but then totally tanked the third stage with a procedural penalty and a miss.  The deficit from  my disaster on the third stage cost me the win by only two seconds (placed 2nd out of 12 total). :-(


EAA/Tanfoglio Witness Elite Limited Pro