oldguysrule649

Just wanted to acknowledge some of the additional feedback above: Regarding cartridge dimensions and recoil spring weakness: certainly valid considerations. However now out of scope for me since I have decided to move on to other cartridge alternatives. I have ruled out the X-Rite adapter as the root cause. In both test sessions, the failures occurred both with and without the use of the adapter. I have ruled out the barrel/feed ramp itself as the root cause. In both test sessions, the failures occurred both with both the G19 and G26. (Btw, made doubly sure I did not limp-wrist last evening.) I have just placed an order with MidwayUSA for some Lehigh Defense Xtreme Defense 90gr ammunition. (Similar in concept to the Norma NXD suggested above.) Am looking forward to testing them in a few weeks time. Will update everyone. (And yes, this ammo testing endeavor is sure getting expensive....lol)

Thank you all for your interest and feedback. I just got back from the range after doing another round of testing. Same two firearms, the Glock 19 and Glock 26. This time I used two brand new OEM Glock 19 Gen4 10 round mags I purchased about six years ago. I numbered them "#7" and "#8" respectively. In the G26, I used the X-Rite adapter as before. This evening I shot a total of 96 rounds (Hornady Critical Defense 115 gr FTX #90250). Shot 48 rounds thru each gun with an equal amount of new CD brass cased and older stock CD nickel plated, thru each of the two mags. Loaded each mag with only three rounds at a time to maximize the number of "last rounds" I would be shooting. Ie 32 mag insertions each containing three rounds. Experienced a total of three failures to feed, all on the last round, all brass cased, all with mag #7. Frankly, I don't think the case material matters. Nor do I think the mag really mattered given both were new. I took much better pictures this time. Various pics attached below. In all three failures the round appears to be getting hung up on the bottom of the feed ramp. The bottomline for me is that it is time to cut my losses and select/evaluate an alternative non-hollowpoint expanding cartridge. Given the approx 4% failure rate I encountered across these two rounds of tests, I not confident at all in the reliability of CD in my two intended carry firearms. The thought of encountering a malfunction at a critical moment in a self defense situation is terrifying. So some personal lessons I have learned: - Do test your carry ammunition in your carry firearms. Don't assume they will be reliable just because your firearms have been flawless with FMJ range ammo. - Use new(ish) magazines in your carry firearms. - Do practice malfunction clearing drills. Your life will depend on it. - Do carry a second magazine. Not just for more rounds but also in the case you need to replace your primary mag in the event of a malfunction. I will let everyone know what alternative brand/type of ammo I select and test. (Corbon Powrball (sp?) comes to mind.). Suggestions welcome.

Thanks for the response. Unfortunately I was so disgusted with my original that I threw it out once I installed the new one. In hindsight I wish I had saved it for comparison sake. I can only assume that yours is a newer better designed VFG. Mine was absolute junk.

HE, Thank you for the feedback. Am heading to Florida tomorrow but will try out your suggestions when I get back. Regards

Was not thrilled about the expense. I still have 100 rounds of CD left over that I will not be using. With that said, of course our lives are worth far more.

-The guns and magazines were clean. - These specific mags have fed fine with regular range ammo. In fact they were the ones I used to recently qualify for my PTC. - Never had an issue with the X-Rite with my G26. (Note that two of the five FTFs were with my Glock 19. No adapter in use.) - Did not notice a difference in felt recoil. Regarding how they were positioned. Most if not all were as shown in the attached pic of my Glock 19. Ie it appears the front of the cartridge got hung up instead chambering. (The picture is not great but it was the best I could do at the time.) I believe the slide partially moved forward before getting hung up by the rear of the cartridge. This was the nastiest of the five failures. Had trouble clearing it. Almost called over the RSO for assistance. Ended up holding the slide back, used a wooden dowel to push the round down, and then was able to release the slide. Only then was I able to drop the slide and clear the round. Thank you

It has been often recommended that you test your firearms with the ammunition you plan to carry. As such I did so this morning using my Glock 26 and Glock 19 with Hornady Critical Defense(#90250, 115 grain). Wanted to share my findings. Bear in mind that this is MY experience with MY specific firearms and magazines. So YMMV. The key take away is how truly important it is for you to test your carry ammo first before you rely on it. (Fwiw, my PTC application has been submitted and is in process.) The short version is: I have concluded that Critical Defense is unreliable in my Glock 19 and Glock 26 for self-defense use. Experienced five Failure to Feeds out of a total of 114 rounds. Am disappointed to have to say that, since I had hoped it would have been flawless. In the coming weeks, I intend to evaluate alternatives starting with Critical Duty, some of which I already have on hand. The longer version for those interested: Prior to today the total round counts for my Glock 26 Gen 4 and Glock 19 Gen 4 were approx 1,500 and 3,000 respectively. The vast majority of that was with various brands of 115gr FMJ range ammo. To my knowledge, the Glock 26 had previously experienced only two failures to feed ever and the Glock 19 one failure to feed ever. Both firearms are as they came from the factory. No modifications. This morning I used two G19 magazines. When used in the G26, I use an X-Rite adapter to fill the gap. (I normally shoot the G26 this way for comfort sake due to arthritis.) Half of the rounds thru each firearm were older stock CD with the nickel plated cases, and the other half were recently purchased CD with brass cases. I took notes during the session. The five Failure to Feeds spanned both firearms, both magazines, and both CD case types. The one point of commonality was that every FTF that occurred was the last cartridge in the mag. Also, the resulting jams were rather nasty. The mags would not eject and it took multiple attempts to manipulate the slide to get the jammed rounds to fall out. The thought of this happening during a real self-defense situation was quite alarming. Thoughts and suggestions are welcomed.

Again welcome. If you are referring to your Introduction post dated Feb 25, it appears to be still here with all the replies you received. I see it when i view your profile and scroll down through your posts. Hope this helps. (And yes, it is pork roll, lol).

I am finally getting around to asking this question. Am curious about the VFG that came on my Troy A4. I purchased the firearm in March 2020. The VFG that came on it was a lightweight plastic/polymer VFG that came loose the first time I shot it. I was unsuccessful in trying to tighten it back onto the rail. After examining it more closely, I concluded it was an absolute piece of crap. I ended up ordering a "Modular Combat Grip" VFG made of hardened aircraft aluminum (https://worldoftroy.com/grip-modular-combat-blksgri-trg-a0bt-00.html) and discarded the original VFG. The new one has been rock solid. Am curious what type of VFG came on yours and your experience with it.

This is a follow-up to my Feb 6th post regarding the Pistol Storage Device. Please refer to it first. The information below is intended to complete my writeup of my experience with this device. Do with this what you will. YMMV & IANAL. The three pics below show the PSD mounted on my Troy A4. - No modification at all was done to the Troy, other than sliding off it's SBA3 brace. I did the following modifications to the PSD: 1) Using a Dremel tool and cutting wheel, I removed 3/4" of material from the front of the PSD "Buffer Cover". (I wrapped bright colored 3/4" electrical tape around it and then cut along the edge of the tape. The material melts as you cut though it but is easily removed.) This enabled me to mount the PSD close to the castle nut and have the buffer tube extend approx 1/4" inch beyond the rear edge of it. Thus not extending LOP nor providing surface with which to shoulder it. 2) I Dremeled off some material from the lower front edge of the PSD wings so that it does not dig into my hand behind my thumb. 3) With regards to PSD "Part B" (see the instructions), I cut off the back cap, sanded the sides of the straight portion to enable the buffer cover(Part A) to clamp tightly and securely, and enlarged two of its(Part B's) holes for the screws that pass through it. This was required since its holes do not line up perfectly with those of the Buffer Cover. (I.e. because these are rifle, not pistol, buffer tubes.) 4) Put blue Loctite on all screws/nuts. A few days ago I took it to the range and shot 40 rounds. My impressions are: - Aestheticaly, it looks much better than a bare buffer tube. - It stayed secure and did not loosen up or crack. - Am right handed, so I held and shot the firearm with my left hand holding the VFG with my arm fully extended. My right hand holding the grip and the PSD/magazine resting lightly against the side of my right forearm. Used the Romeo5 red dot as my optic. - While in a normal world I would prefer shouldering a brace, it was reasonably comfortable and steady to shoot the firearm in this configuration. I was also pleased with the accuracy and consistency of my shots. The recoil impulse was fine even with my now 70 year old hands. (Geeze, 70. How the heck did that happen, lol.) - One other downside of removing the brace is that you lose the rear sling attachment point. With the above now completed, I plan to reattach my brace while monitoring the progress of the Brace Rule legal challenges that are underway. Anyway, hope you found this informative and helpful.

Yes, you can wake up one day a felon and not even know it. Btw, I have a Troy A4 also and love it. In addition to NJGUNFORUMS(which is an excellent source of quality info), I recommend you also join ANJRPC and the New Jersey Firearms Syndicate Facebook group, as well as listen to the GUNFORHIRE and Gun Lawyer podcasts. If you do so, you will be fully be in the know going forward as far as NJ law is concerned..

I just ordered and received an order of six boxes of 9mm Critical Defense from MidwayUSA. After I qualify next week, I plan to run 50 rounds each thru my G19 and G26 carry guns to validate proper function and reliability. (Btw, placed the order on 2/03, received it yesterday 2/07. Great service.)

Very good point and I completely agree. I think at this point I have too far gone down a mental rabbit hole on this whole topic. Time for me to detach and go medal detecting on the beach, lol.

We are in a precarious position. As if threading the needle legally was not enough of a challenge when we originally purchased our Others, we now have the complex criteria and complications of the Brace Rule to navigate. In today's edition of AMMOLAND (https://www.ammoland.com/2023/02/citizens-rights-group-seeks-emergency-restraining-order-against-weapon-ban/?ct=t(RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN)) there is an article on SAF's new lawsuit against Connecticut. From the article: "ATF’s new rule suddenly reclassifies certain “other” firearms (firearms that are neither rifles, shotguns, nor pistols) as being “rifles.” This technical change pushes “others” within the definition of “assault weapon” under Connecticut’s ban." This is concerning and does not bode well for us. It seems the SAF's legal team has concluded that the Brace rule has in fact reclassified our "Others" as "Rifles". I think the bottomline legal question in NJ is whether our "Others" are still "Others" if you just remove the Brace. If yes- then we are fine. If no- I fear we are screwed. Then perhaps extending the barrel or swapping the upper to make it a normal non-SBR rifle would be the only remedy. Even then, does the fact my receiver is engraved with "Other" and was sold/transferred that way matter at all. (Btw, when I refer to removing the brace I really mean removing the brace and then discarding/destroying/storing it offsite to avoid constructive possession.)

All, for your information, moments ago I just made a long post including pics of my assessment of the Pistol Storage Device. Refer to the "ATF finalizes rules for Stabilizing Braces" thread in the National Gun Law Discussion section.

As promised in my earlier post I am sharing my observations regarding the Pistol Storage Device sold by Pistol Mounted Solutions (pistolmountedsolutions.com). A few disclaimers/caveats up front: - IANAL, I repeat IANAL. - I am not trying to promote this product. Just sharing information for your awareness. Do your own due diligence. The "2A Edu" Youtube channel did a review of it about one year ago. That is where I first learned of it. - I purchased it out of curiosity and wanted to assess whether it could be adapted for use on our Others. - Aesthetically it is better than just living with a bare buffer tube. Plus, it does offer some practical benefits. Installation instructions and their 2016 ATF letter are available on their website. So, ASSUMING the Brace Rule withstands the many legal challenges in progress and ASSUMING removal of the brace is ultimately legally viable for NJ owners of Others; then for me this is the option I will go with at least for short to medium term. I have included three pictures: The first with a 10 round PMAG inserted. The second with the Troy 10 round long mag (which came with the firearm) inserted. The third shows how out it extends past the buffer tube by approx 1/2 inch. I have had several email exchanges with their representative. The bottomline is they are of the opinion that they have their 2016 letter from the ATF, their product is not a brace, and therefore this rule does not affect the use of their product. The last paragrah of their 2016 ATF letter: "Based on FTISB's examination of you device, FTISB finds that your device is designed to be attached to a pistol and hold an additional magazine. Providing the modifications are made as described above, the PMSD would not be designed to support an AR-15 pistol from the shoulder of a shooter during firing. Consequently, the attachment of your PMSD would not change a pistol's classification to a "SBR.'' Nevertheless, it is now 2023 and I am uncomfortable using the PSD as is given the criteria in the ATF Brace Rule having to do with extending LOP and providing rear surface area with which to shoulder the firearm. To mitigate my concern, I suppose a potential modification would be to cut 1/2 inch off the front of the PSD so that the buffer tube protrudes out the back a small amount. Note that doing so may necessitate also removing some material from the bottom front corner of the wings so they do not dig into your hand. - Installation was easy. You can see in the pics where I chose to insert the screws through the wings. - Holds the magazines securely in place. I have not yet applied Loctite nor fired the firearm with it mounted. - Given the Troy "rifle style" buffer tube has the ridge running along its bottom, I had to omit the "Part B- Buffer Spacer". OK to do so per the instructions. - Especially with the longer mag, the ability to rest/press the mag against your forearm does provide another contact point with which to steady the firearm. - And of course, it holds an extra mag. Lastly, the manufacturer's instructions state "Please don't be an idiot with our product by doing idiot things with our product". I don't think anything I stated above constitutes being an idiot.

Pistol Storage Device from pistolmountedsolutions.com. More to follow....stay tuned.

SAF has filed for a TRO in Connecticut challenging the Brace Rules impact on Ct owners of AOWs and Others. See below. Am left wondering if the need a NJ specific lawsuit like this. SAF FILES FOR EMERGENCY TRO IN CHALLENGE OF CONN. GUN LAW The Second Amendment Foundation and its partners in a lawsuit challenging a Connecticut gun control law have filed an emergency motion for a temporary restraining order because a new rule published by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives on firearms designation places thousands of Constitution State citizens in serious legal jeopardy. SAF is joined by the Connecticut Citizens Defense League and three private citizens, Jennifer Hamilton, Michael Stiefel and Eddie Grant, Jr. They are represented by Connecticut attorneys Doug Dubitsky of North Windham, Craig C. Fishbein of Wallingford and Cameron L. Atkinson of Harwinton. “When ATF published its new rule, redesignating a class of firearms known as ‘any other firearm’ or simply ‘others’ as either ‘rifles’ or ‘short barreled rifles’ depending on the barrel length, all of those guns suddenly fell within the state’s definition of an assault weapon,” noted SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb. “This immediately put thousands of owners of previously-classified ‘other’ firearms in harm’s way legally because now their possession is a felony.”

Facepalm? Ok, I will rephrase that. "I will use an appropriate tool to remove 0.5 inch of material from the front of the PSD enabling it to not extend beyond the rear of the buffer tube; thus not extending LOP nor providing surface area with which to shoulder the firearm".. Better?

I agree. The immediate issue I see is that is it longer than the Troy buffer tube(which btw I have come to learn is a “carbine length” buffer tube). Even with the PSD positioned all the way forward against the back of the castle nut, it still extends about half an inch past the rear of the buffer tube. Thus could be construed as a device that increases LOP and provides surface area which is not essential to the operation of the firearm. Am writing to the company to get their perspective before I take a hacksaw to it.

I definitely will. I anticipate posting early next week. Stay tuned.

Just a heads up for those that may be interested in the PSD device. Out of curiosity, I "took one for the team", spent the $80 plus shipping and purchased one. I am in the process of assessing it and mounting it to my existing Troy buffer tube. I do have an inquiry for the company. When I hear back from them, will update you here with additional info.

I would not hold my breath. If the various lawsuits are not successful, I anticipate we will have received some true legal guidance from ANRPC, CNJFO, Evan Nappen, et al by the deadline.

Thank you, was just curious since you then disappeared for three years. Fwiw, I plan to shoot my qualification at GFH. Last weekend I practiced the GFH course of fire on my own. Scored 46/50 with my Glock 19 and 48/50 with my Glock 26(using a G19 mag and XGRIP spacer). The first 38 shots are at 7yds and 10yds. I was 38/38 both times. So needed a minimum of two hits on the Q target out of the remaining 12 shots (6 at 15yds and 6 at 25yds). p.s. For context, I am almost 70. I may try to qualify at a later date using my Glock 43. However its single stack slim design is really painful due to arthritis in my hand.

@Frank Thomas In an earlier 2019 post when you first joined these forums, you stated that your were going to submit your carry permit application to Middlesex on 7/22/2019. Care to share the results of that experience?