Seeking Open Division Equipment Advice

[WESHOOT2]

Just acquired a new Craig-built Caspian hi-cap 38 Super with Schuemann Hybricomp 4-port barrel and Caspian X-Comp.

No optics or mags.

Mags/optics/grips/parts/loads/holsters?
Any thoughts?


PS thank you Caspian

[vetts1911]

I know that alot of the big dawgs use the Safariland 012 it is great cause you can use it for alot of guns. You can even try it like the Ghost.

The other holster everyone else really likes is the Ghost holster. You got to drill a hole in your trigger guard for that one.

They are both real fast I own the 012

[Jeeper]

That 012 has made a big showing recently. Brianenos.com might be a better place to ask this since you will get a ton of real good competitors there.

[eerw]

Mags..
Sometimes you can find them on the USPSA classifieds....think an ad went up a couple of days ago..the tough part will be finding a 27 rounder...back before the ban..you could buy some old rusty shells from Caspian for cheap and weld them together for the 170mm mag...it was cool..Used to have two of them..

Holsters...
safariland 012, the Ghost and Limcat seem to be the most popular..you can find them sometimes used too..I just got hold of a 011 for a few bucks...

Optics..Go with the C-more...nice and light...good track record..the only other I would consider would be the Aimpoint..

Parts...not a lot...EGW, Caspian seem to offer the most..problem is..the thumb safety, grip safety, MSH, mag release and trigger are all specific to the frame...otherwise all the other 1911 parts should work...

Grips..not too many choices either...look through brownells..but Caspian offers a black micarta set that are good..on mine..I had the front strap checkered...felt the best to me..EGW can do a great job there..then I would skateboard tape the sides...


Sounds like a great gun...I will have to dig through my loading manual..used to have loads for a four-port hybricomp with four port comp..might check Jeff Maass's ipsc resource..seems to be the best comprehensive look at 38 super and 40 loads..

[mattjoe]

Tim- I can't see why you'd want parts for that gun right now. Don't go replacing anything. Shoot it the way it is.

of course i'm partial to the CMORE, as i've been shooting it almost faithfully for 4 yrs (with the exception of one season where it broke, but its not really the sights fault, i had some custom work done to it, the on off switch was removed and changed to an entirely different style, still not available, and for some reason, the knob blew off, for the past 3 yrs, it hasnt had a problem)
The Holo Sight base cracked, and i've also seen a number of them just stop working due to damage inside from the heavy recoil of the 38 supers.

Mags- Craig sells them. I wouldnt get a 170 tube. But thats only because i do have one of his from about 5 yrs ago when i was shooting a caspian, and it never fed reliably. I imagine a lot of people have caspians out there they aren't using anymore becuase they switched to higher cap STI/SVI or Para's. stick a want ad on the memebrs page.


Loads- i bounce from 124-125 to 115 grain bullets, and use Vecatan SP2. I usually use the Zero 124 grn bullets, as they seem to be the best for the price.
I'm loading 10.3 grains of the SP2, and pushing out 176pf according to last weeks chrono stage.
more than necessary sure, but i dont feel like chronoing loads all day.
I can probably drop to 9.9 and still be over 165.
SP2 is a lot cheaper than the Vhita Vhouri, is it dirtier? yeah, but i still only clean my gun once a yr, and you know it works from my results.

Grips- you dont much need em. If you need more surface to hold onto, just get the griptape.

holster, i'm probably the only one using the Aluminator anymore. CR speed holster isn't all that expensive compared to some of the other ones.

[mattjoe]

tim- the members guest book has some new posts selling both caspian 38 super mags and mag holders.
the mag prices are very reasonable.

[WESHOOT2]

Thanks, and keep it coming.

Already communicated with both folks on the 'members page', but still exploring.

Checked Brownells, etc, etc, (who's a few like Denny's used to be?), and of course, I have some small connection to Caspian.

Load data all good, but the Vihta powders are in the shop


I have a Gilmore that will hold the gun (I think), looked REAL hard at the 012 and Aluminator, and I figure Glock 21 mag pouches will work (cheap bastard I am).

Glad to confirm the giant-mag woes, but I'm a fairly decent 'tuner' (and I'll use the 19's).
More?




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"all my muzzleblast is too much muzzleblast"

[eerw]

That's too bad on the big sticks..

The two I had were from Caspian tubes..not the EAA tubes converted over..they worked great...but I did a lot of metal prep on them to polish the weld line..then nickeled and tefloned them for slickness.

[WESHOOT2]

I come to the line with one 27-rd stick in the gun, and four more on my (sagging) belt.
Yep, onehunnertthirtysix rds ready for delivery.

Of course, it still wears iron sights..........

[mattjoe]

Tim- what would be even cooler would be a course which required you to deliver those 136 rounds!
The biggest i've ever shot was something like 54 rounds up at the Alburg Championships a year ago.
Imagine how much fun a 136 round course would be.......
Me thinks a new barrel would be in order soon.
and i'd HATE picking up all that brass, but that would be a blast.

V V, i use 8.4 of the n350 with 125 grn jacketed flat point, loaded pretty long they still were at almost 180 pf. Havent loaded this combo since the pf went down, basically because i switched to SP2 and am saving my remaining N350.

[WESHOOT2]

Franky's holding another Alburg Bring-Tons-O-Ammo match August 17 (I have my folks coming from Virginia; don't think I'll be there).

Shot some, he always has at least one 48-rd stage

You pick up brass? Must be young LOL.
(Okay, I admit I do too.)

Lotsa good non-abrasive 38 Stoopid load data out there; fun to see what folks use.

Me, I'm gonna try to really drive the comp.

[mattjoe]

sort of young, yes, still just below 30.
but more importantly, cheap, hence, the SP2.

[WESHOOT2]

Sort of old, yes, but not dead.

But more importantly, insane, therefore my mania to drive that fancy barrel and comp


(note to self: "get more earplugs")

[spd522]

Holsters are a personal preference. I've tried several and found that unless you are unusually shaped or at the very peak of your game, the extra expense for the ability to fine tune their position doesn't make much difference. Just make sure it will hold your gun securely when moving about and not shooting. No one wants to be DQed when their pistol does a triple back flip out of the holster while waiting to shoot.

As for finding mags, the 170mm will be harder and more expensive to find than 140mm. But the 140mm are more reliable and still hold 19 or 20 as I recall. A 38 Super has a rim and by the time you stack 27 rds in a tube, they are getting a little misaligned. This is where most have their problems unless tuned just right. Most of the time, courses are no more than 36 rds and usually are more like 24-30. 20 rds in the gun and 2-3 mags on the belt will cover any stage you would possibly shoot. Plus too many mags on the belt get in the way.

I have a couple of 27 rd big sticks but usually just use my standard length ones and make a reload. Most field courses have enough distance between arrays that a mag change can be made on the run without wasting time.

I usually only carry one more mag than necessary for the stage just in case of a mag malfunction. These guys that have enough mags on their belt to shoot the course 3-4 times are either poor shots, have little confidence in their equipment, or just want attention.

As for optics-C-More. Light, durable, bright, and simple. 5 years for mine and changed a battery once. I have seen numerous other optics (ProPoints, HoloSights)crash at the wrong time but the C-More seems to keep going. Aimpoints are also very good but I don't like having to look through a tube or the extra weight.

I shoot 124gr Star FMJ bullets and used 8.8 of WAP but that was when the PF was 175. I haven't loaded any for the lower PF yet. Plus WAP has been discontinued anyway so when the last of mine is gone, I will be looking for a new powder too.

[WESHOOT2]

Thanks for piping in.

(I'll add here that I'm not new to IPSC, nor Open division, just this gun. FY33102)

Still have furniture made from cases of WAP.

If Sparks made a 1AT for my gun that's where you'd find it.

I reload as slow as I run, and mixing the two means injury.

I wear four mags in 'quickie' pouches, and have taken to wearing one more in a Fobus never-let-go holder to ensure I have at least one emergency mag with me no matter how bad my other holders fail (stretched from running hi-cap 9x19's to Glock M20's).

I'm mainly interested in the 140's, because they'll work better for carry. Gotta get me some.
But a few 170's would spice up competition.

Acquired a dot on a gun but gave it away.
The C-More seems to be calling me (on a Caspian bridge) as the correct choice, but I still may just go 'iron' (carry again).

So Star bullets are good to 1400-1500fps?

HOW do I contact Fred Craig? (he built the gun)

Tip: WAP may be Ramshot Silhouette.............

[mattjoe]

Tim- star bullets are certainly fine to those speeds. I tried the 115s up to close to 1600 fps a couple years ago under the old power factor.
star and zero, i see almost no difference. sometimes one is cheaper than the other.
I think Fred Craig advertises in Front Sight, so he must have contact info in there. If not recently, he used to, so look at some older issues.

[TaxPhd]

Fred Craig sells (at least he used to) 140 and 170mm mag tubes for Caspians. I have both, and they run fine.

Re-weld Caspian big sticks are pretty rare, and about the only time you find them is when someone is selling a complete gun.

As someone else mentioned, rim lock becomes a problem with Super in a big stick. Change over your extractor and shoot 38 Supercomp - problem solved.

[WESHOOT2]

The wealth of info and the willingness to share.......that's truly what makes IPSC great.

Been trying 115g R-P JHP's..............still got some CP's and D&J's.......in 115, 124, 135g's.

Wonder how this will end

[TaxPhd]

I've shot D&J's and Stars, but now I use Montana Gold exclusively. 124 grns. Good bullets, and a good price with delivery included.

I tried 115's, but the muzzle blast got to be too much - even when double plugged. At one indoor match, the RO experienced some sort of "shell shock" after the first round - he just sort of stood there in a daze as I finished the stage. He spent the rest of the night muttering to himself.