RichP

The Wilson jig is specific for their beavertails. One thing I'd look out for; do not file down to the jig itself. They claim that it is slightly oversized to allow for final fitting, but I have found (unfortunately) that you will get a better fit if you leave it proud a few thousandths and hand fit it from there.

From a reliability standpoint, the OEM steel guide rod assembly for a Gen 4 will be the most reliable and longest lasting of everything that you have mentioned. For a self-defense gun, there is absolutely ZERO reason to go with anything else. As mentioned above, pick-up a spare and replace every few thousand rounds. As a matter of fact, it's a good idea to replace all springs/pins on an SD gun every year or two. Luckily, on a Glock, it doesn't cost much to do.

Magazines, even though they may be very high quality from a good manufacturer, can work well in some 1911's and not so good in others. I have seen some guns choke-up with 10-rounders, so I tend to stay away from them in general. Consistently, I have seen the best results with Wilson ETM 8 rounders. Cobra/Tripp 8's are also very good.

http://www.crossbreedholsters.com has a 2 week trial period, and some of the very best holsters out there. I have a mini-tuck for my Shield and would never use anything else, easily the most comfortable and concealable holster I have ever owned - IMHO.

For hunting, the Model 70. For marksmanship, the Model 700.

M&P doesn't need much oil. You could get away with using a Q-tip with some oil on it, dabbing the 7 points. Many folks also like to use tiny dabs of grease on the frame rails instead of oil (stays put better). Personally, I use a spot of T25 grease on frame rails and am very happy with it. For now, just rack the slide a bunch of times (empty gun) and wipe-off the excess that seeps out.

Grip safety is a non-issue. Shooting weak-hand accurately/effectively is a product of your practice in shooting with your weak-hand, and not by the design of the gun's safety. I have not used a paddle style mag release myself, but several people that I know said it was fairly intuitive and only took a short while to get used to.

You can ship it yourself, either FedEx or UPS will do it. It will need to go priority overnight, and be shipped from a UPS or FedEx Service Center; not from a local UPS Store, Mailboxes Etc.. FedEx will only ship a firearm to a business (at least that was what I was told a few days ago), but UPS did ship to a gunsmith with a residential address. Both are expensive (~ $40 - $90). As mentioned above, a FFL can ship using USPS and the cost savings can be justified against their service fees. Shipping back can be direct to your home. Admittedly, It does feel kinda weird to have the FedEx guy give you a box with a gun in it.

12 gauge, 2 3/4 No. 4 buckshot. Do not mistake #4 birdshot for #4 buckshot, 2 different animals (pun intended). For HD purposes, any of the quality brands will work equally well.

I have a Kimber Team Match and have never had any issues with it whatsoever. As with any 1911, you have to keep it very clean, very lubed and find magazines that work in your gun. If you happen to have one that runs when dirty, dry and with any magazine; then you have a sloppy fitted gun

Of course it will. There are plenty of non-sponsored shooters out there that swear by synthetic motor oil or transmission fluid. For internal workings, I think that you'd be hard pressed to notice any difference between a motor oil and the very best, brilliantly marketed wonder lube. As for a lube's ability to keep a gun clean - the primer/powder choice has 100x more to do with your guns fouling than a lube possibly can. I usually grab whatever is closest to me when the gun is ready for reassembly, although I will smear some grease on the rails of my semi's.

9mm - Hornady Custom 124gr. XTP 45 ACP - Hornady Custom 200gr XTP 40 S&W - Hornady Custom 180gr XTP

I think its the mags. I had similar headaches with Wilson 10 rounders, and finally got rid of all of them. Went with Dawson and McCormick and my problems went away. The Dawson 10 rounders have a little divot on the follower, which helps the round lift into the chamber. The McCormick 10 rounder has a channel and lip stamped into the front of the mag body to help it along the same way. Also, make sure that there is a spacer in the mag. That's the price you have to pay for a tapered round in a single stack. Polishing the feed ramp always makes the gun run smoother. A little Flitz and a Dremel will work wonders.

Will you be using this strictly at the range, or will you want it to be able to work as a photo and/or hunting tripod? I picked-up a Sirui N-1204X Carbon tripod for hunting season recently, and am very impressed by its weight and stability. I use it for photography, hunting as well as the range. It is able to extend high enough for standing, and still compact enough to stow easily on a backpack.

Don't need winter clothes, but a good rain kit is recommended. It'll be on the warm side, so something that is breathable is a must, but will be more expensive. As for hiking, make sure that your boots are very well broken-in, and done so on terrain that mimics what you might encounter. SE Alaska is notorious for extremely steep and thick bush. Not to question your ability, but 5-7 miles of hiking would do-in most people from the East Coast. Also, I ALWAYS recommend that anybody that decides to head out into the AK wilderness, even for just a day hike, carry a handgun and an emergency locator (SPOT, Sat. Phone, etc.). On the bright side, you'd be hard pressed to run out of drinking water anywhere in AK

Match was canceled last minute, actually it was about 6:30PM day of. Lots of angry shooters. Not sure it can be lost revenue, but maybe increased costs? The range closes at 6PM on Sundays, and USPSA started after 6.

Hmmm. I looked at their website under "Competitive Shooting", and it says that they host both USPSA and IDPA matches every month. The links to IDPA and USPSA websites seem to have been disabled. Oh well. Was nice while it lasted.

After tumbling, and sifting out all of the SS media, brass goes back in the sifter and shaken really well. Then into a towel for 2-3 minutes of agitation. Then into a shallow cardboard box with a couple of sheets of paper towel on the bottom (keeps cardboard from getting too soggy). I lay them in front of a heating vent overnight and have clean, shiny brass in the morning. I have noticed that anything that produces too much heat like a toaster oven, wood stove, etc. will oxidize the brass, making it darker and not as slick thru the dies. PS - I also do the final rinse with hot water, and a few drops of Jet-Dry. This seems to keep any spotting to a minimum.

Anybody know if RTSP will have a match in March? Trying to plan my weekends...

And possibly even retroactively...

Good advice above about swapping out some minor parts . I have a G23, and while it is a very good compromise between size, capacity and power; it is too snappy for me to play the role of a target or range gun.

Hornady Custom 124 grain XTP (standard load) for the 9mm Hornady Custom 180 grain XTP for the 40S&W And, here's the reasoning. Accuracy - There aren't any more accurate defensive bullets than the XTP. Quality - Hornady makes very good ammo, using good components, brass, etc. No fluff - They don't rely on marketing fluff, just solid bullet design and execution. Very little muzzle flash. Tapered nose feeds reliably in every handgun that I've used it in. The "flying ashtray" profile worries me in some handguns. I have used the same bullet design while hunting for many years without a single issue in performance.

Depends on the particular holster. With some models that are shaped for a G17, you might not be able to drop in a G34. But if you buy a holster for a G34, it should fit a G17 easily. Make sense?

I have both the Hornady progressive and single stage presses, and absolutely love the Lock-n-Load bushings. If I were in the market for a new single stage, it would definitely be the new Hornady Iron Press, which just came out. I can't give a review of it, but it seems to be at least comparable to a Forster. I will say that Hornady's customer service is the best that I've ever experienced.

Good looking rifle. As far as Clinton range goes, I'd love to see F&W monitor the range and penalize those that leave their garbage on the range. Something on the order of a dumping fine + loss of hunting privilege for the year might help keep it clean. I've mentioned to guys to take their boxes/targets down when they were packing-up, and by their reaction, you'd think that I insulted their children. BTW - I do realize that F&W has more to do than babysit slobs.