Well, it looks like I'm going to be without my Ruger Mark IV for a little bit because of the recall. My gun doesn't show the effect of not putting on the safety all the way. I guess people that don't understand simple safety rules and need lawyers to make their guns function correctly.

In the interim I'll be shooting my S&W 617 for Steel Challenge Matches. I've had a lot of work done to it, tuning and setting it up with an Apex Hammer for a lighter trigger pull. It now sits at just over 7 lbs. I also had the chambers reamed so that ammo doesn't get stuck when reloading. When Apex starts accepting revolver work I'll send it to them for their magic. Glad that they are now only a few miles away.

I know, lots of people can shoot any ammo with their tuned guns but mine required more testing to find the perfect ammo for MY gun.

My trigger is smooth but I've had a difficult time finding ammo that would be 100% reliable. Things that work perfect in my Mark IV only give me about 90 % reliability in the 617 so the hunt of testing ammo went on.



Fortunately I've now found two brands of ammo that work. They have 100 % ignition and are clean enough that I don't have to scrub the cylinders between each stage. Federal Gold Match HV and Federal AutoMatch fit the bill. I have lots of CCI Mini Mags that are great in the Ruger but don't all fire in the Smith. Wish they would have forked out. I have a case of them.

Sounds like you have already answered your own question. If it works, why switch?

Exactly why I live with a somewhat heavier trigger pull that reliably fires all the ammo without fuss. Considering the modest accuracy demands of steel challenge I fail to see the need for tricking out guns for it. Some people like to tinker and trick stuff out and if that is your cup of tea god bless. I have found in every type of competitive shooting I have done in the last about 40 years you can easily predict the guns with the most modifications are the most finicky and malfunction prone.