MidwestPX

You and I have very different definitions of cheap I'm rolling 155gr .308 AMAX for $350/K and balking at that even though it's a little over $1/rd to buy it.

Maybe I'm crazy but I hate the idea of proprietary anything but particularly ammo. A firearm is useless without ammunition and a firearm that costs over $2/rd isn't going to get shot a whole lot. Anyone who bought a 338LM without looking at ammo prices will attest to this.

Why? The MKA1919 works with an AR15 frame (cheaper than the large frame) and doesn't need proprietary ammo.

Based on just what I've seen online in some more professional circles, you would be money ahead by buying a factory Glock, paying for a grip reduction and stippling then shooting the hell out of it.

I saw this and said, "Where is your tacticool god now?!" I bought a small bottle of FC because certain instructors who shall not be named were pimping it like the best thing since sliced bread. After running it some, I didn't think it was anything special. I didn't notice parts being easier to clean either. However, I did throw it on some semi-auto handguns that I don't shoot as much and noticed the actions were slightly gummed up. I had applied FC and stored the guns for a few months before shooting them. My full-auto guns get either Slip, Weaponshield, or Sprinco's machine gunners lube. The latter has shown to keep my beltfeds running longer between applications. I like Slip as an on-the-range lubricant but not as much for storage since it's super high viscosity causes it to run off parts when rifles are stored vertically. Weaponshield and MGL do the same if applied heavily. I will say that I have found a new favorite cleaning solvent and that is Slip's carbon killer. I've successfully removed tarnishing from NIB BCGs with that stuff. I throw the parts in to soak, wipe them down then if they need any further cleaning, hit them with 725 and call it good. Anything still on the part after that deserves to be there.

You can use an earlier mag in the Gen4 guns however the ambi release won't function with them as they weren't cut for them. IIRC, the exception to this is the 20/21/29/30 which had a SF variants with ambi mag release so the mags that came with it should work normally in a Gen4.

NFNF.

Yep but for how much it would cost to make them case-activated, I'd be money-ahead by buying a Quick Measure which is guaranteed to be +/-.1gr

I always have the current copy of the Hornady book because I use a lot of Hornady bullets. I also have the current Speer manual because I load a fair number of Gold Dots in 9mm, 10mm ,and .45ACP. I also look at powder manufacturer data that is usually available online. If I had to choose one though, it would be the Hornady book without hesitation.

I'm going to try 8208 after I exhaust my supply of H4895. The kernels are shorter and should meter more accurately. I'm still on the fence with the Uniquetek micrometer. I asked this same question elsewhere and a guy I know to really be on top of loading with a 1050 (he does it commercially), said the Uniquetek won't do anything for me and if I really want a more consistent throw, I need to change powders. He also suggested a metronome to help me maintain a consistent pull of the handle.

Peltor also makes a nice set of plugs. I keep five sets of Peltors and five of each size Surefire plugs in my range bag in case I'm taking newbies to the range who need some.

Probably not necessary but my stance is, why risk it? Yes, they can cut in and out depending on how loud the other shooters are.

I used to use them and they were great. I switched to Sordins because the HLs can't keep up with machine guns. Regardless, I wear Surefire inserts under electronic ear pro. Hearing damage is permanent so I do everything I can to prevent it.

I considered the Uniquetek but I thought that the benefit was quicker/easier adjustments, not necessarily improving consistency? I grounded my machine.

One of the biggest challenges I have noticed loading on my 1050 with a short extruded powder such as H4895 is charge consistency. I've already polished and slicked up the moving components of my powder measure as well as the metallic base of the measure. I threw 100 charges and measured each one (left side) then I added a small aquarium air pump to the base of the measure to give it constant vibration then threw another 100 charges (right side). So while the consistency (SD) improved, the extreme spread is still pretty ugly (though also improved slightly). I'm not surprised that the charges got heavier after attaching the pump since the vibration should compact the powder charge slightly. Looking at the counts, 58 of the charges were within +/-.1gr of the target prior to adding the pump. It looks like the vibration added about .1gr so if we look at 24.8 as the target, 73% of the charges were within +/-.1gr. So definite improvement however the extreme still concerns me and I'm not sure how to tackle that short of changing out for a different measure such as a Quick Measure or changing to a ball powder (and in turn gain temperature sensitivity). Does anyone have any ideas?

When I need deeper concealment than my standard G19/VG2, the Shield comes out in an Alessi APX. The APX isn't cheap and the lead time is long but it's a fantastic holster for the platform. I would recommend using it with a belt however I know people who run them without. My sister carries her Shield in an APX when she's wearing a skirt and has no problem drawing without a belt due to the aggressive hook/claw that the APX uses.

At a leisurely pace, if I have primer tubes already loaded (I generally have 2k of each size loaded up), I can produce 600 rounds per hour of .308. About 450 of .223 when placing bullets by hand and about double that with the bullet feeder running. Tolerances seem to be +/- .003" which has produced some pretty decently consistent ammo. As for the powder measure, it's +/- .1gr with ball powder and +/- .2gr with short extruded H4895. I did polish all the metal surfaces to make it slide a little more consistently. Some of my results for the ammo that's come off this setup: 150gr FMJ .308 plinking N: 200 Avg: 2,511 fps ES: 77 fps SD: 18.8 fps CV: 0.75% 75gr BTHP 5.56 match N: 25 Avg: 2,845 fps ES: 90 fps SD: 22.0 fps CV: 0.77% I'm perfectly happy with those results when I look at the speed of production relative to performance.

Yep. Beltfeds, especially ones that get used in a rental capacity, rip through ammo at a stunning rate. I received 48lbs of H4895 in June. I had less than 10lbs remaining on Thursday when I received another 24 pounds. Reloading is worthwhile if you shoot a lot. Will I set up a toolhead for 6.5C? Absolutely not. I have a Rockchucker for that so just buying dies and bushings make the most sense.

4-5 o'clock and you're wandering a little into short stroking territory. Take one weight out of your buffer and see what happens.

Need more info on your ejection pattern. Is the brass flying a few feet away or just dribbling out? My guess would be PMC being underpowered but generating enough pressure to cycle but not enough to push the BCG back far enough on the last round. In essence, short stroking. You could address this by running a lighter buffer or action spring. Or avoiding PMC

Don't try to catch a falling knife.

Every credit card processing agreement I've read also states that items purchased must be shipped within 30 days. There have been a couple agreements where the number of days can be adjusted but credit card processors aren't too happy about vendors being slow to ship orders either. This is why I don't take cards for NFA items since I can't guarantee a Form 3 will clear in 30 days or less.

Rosch Works? I've got one of their front sights with a three cell Fury in it on my .308 after it ate the HSP Thorntail.

Best bang for your buck trigger upgrade, IMO. I prefer the ACT to the QMS due to the crisper break.