jamming

[mdgyro]

I am shooting an xd 45acp
mixed casings sized with lee carbide die
casting wheel weights
sizing with lee sizer to .452 (confirmed with micrometer)
length 1.200


Problem is that some bullets won't go all the way into the chamber or don't want to come back out if you do get them in. The only difference I see is a little bit of bulge in the cases that don't go in. What is causing this bulge or case swelling. Do I need to go to a .451 sizer?

[Bret4207]

Is all your brass the same length and is the crimp consistent among the cases?

[mdgyro]

all brass is the same diameter,length and wall thickness. It seems that I am having more problems with Blazer brass than any other Remington seems to be the best so far

[R.C. Hatter]

Have you checked your chamber for fouling, dirt, lead build up, or a bit of rust or roughness ? Is your case sizing die reducing the case diameter sufficient to allow
proper chambering of the round ? Does the boolit you are using have a shoulder on it
that extends beyond the case mouth ? Are you using a taper crimp die ? Remember
to check cases for length, as overlength cases can cause this problem, as the .45 ACP headspaces on the mouth of the case. Mixed brass, especially range pickups, that may have been fired in several different guns, can exacerbate your problem. Lastly, check
one of the non-chambering rounds dimensions against a factory round.

[softpoint]

Is the bulge from the bullet being seated or is the bulge toward the case head? I am not familiar with the XD, but I do know that Glocks, especially in .40 cal had chambers so generous at the casehead area that often the brass would bulge upon firing, some reloading dies wouldn't iron enough of the bulge out for reliable chambering again.And if they did , and the reload happened to be indexed the same in the chamber, it could set some exciting events in motion.
I don't know if XD chambers are cut that generous, however, just something to check:-D

[danski26]

How are you crimping? 45 ACP may not funtion with a full roll crimp.

[Ricochet]

This isn't a musical thread?

[mooman76]

You might be crimping to much. A heavy crimp sometimes will cause a case bulge enought to keep the round from inteing the chamber or causing it to stick in. Might want to try .351 or use the Lee factory crimp die, it usually takes care of this.

[MtGun44]

I think we need a sticky on jams with .45 ACP.

I have had this as a perrenial problem with newbies to reloading or to the
caliber at my IPSC club since 1980. This is very common with std dies that
do not include a taper crimp die.

Taper crimp so that half the brass thickness (by eye) is pushed into the
lead of the boolit is 80-90% of the solution. Keeping the full diameter portion of
the boolit no more than .025" out of the case is the second big one. After this
boolit nose shape and feed ramp issues, sometimes extractor tension and
a few other esoteric things. The first two get almost all of them

The way to test your loads is to dissassemble your pistol, remove the barrel
and holding the barrel ONLY muzzle down, you drop loaded rounds into the
CLEAN chamber. Loaded rounds should go flush with the rear portion of the
barrel that the breech face hits (hood on 1911s) with no more than 1 lb
of finger force and dropping freely is preferred. Increase taper crimp and seat
boolit deeper in .010" incriments until you get this. Record LOA and stick
to it, do not fiddle with taper crimp die after you set it correctly.

Chamber drop 100% for important matches.

Bill

[mdgyro]

Hatter
fresh clean gun, only about 150 rounds fired in gun cases are sized the same diameter but shorter than factory rounds except for the bulge. I am using a trunacated cone no shoulder on boolit. I am using a crimp.

softpoint
bulge is from seating no bulge at head

danski26
I have varied the crimp and find no difference in this gun. Right nw I am using a very minimal crimp.

MtGun44
the rounds with the bulge will not drop or easily push in but the ones without it will I think you may be correct in that too much crimp may be collapsing the cheaper Blazer brass

[mdgyro]

I don't think the die I have is a taper crimp die. I have ordered a factory taper crimp die . I think this will fix my problem. I'll let you guys know.

[AzShooter]

Get rid of all that Blazer brass.

I know many people pick up range brass because it's cheap but if you want reliability just buy 1000 rounds of new brass and use it forever.

.45 ACP brass shot from the same gun will shoot with no problems. With range brass you don't know what it came from. It may have a bulge in the bottom from the unsupported ramp of many autos.

I buy Federal primed brass and never mix old brass with the new. Even in the 625 revolver it's best to fire bras that has not been contaminated from other guns. The extractor marks on cases can also cause a problem as well as the head's expanding.

Get a case guage or use the barrel like MtGun suggested. If the heads have expanded and you are cheap you can file them round again and get more use from them but it's not worth it.

[Larry Gibson]

It's the #2 reason as 44MtnGun stated.

The bullets are not seated deep enough. The edge of the TC is hitting the leade/rifling. You do not want that as that is the problem. What you do want is the case mouth to butt up against the chamber shoulder. Use your barrel as a cartridge gauge. Disassemble the gun and take the barrel out. Drop a loaded round in the camber. If the case head does not go in even with the hood of the barrel seat the bullets deeper until the round chambers all the way in so the case head is flush with the hood.

Seat the bullets deeper!

Larry Gibson

[Echo]

Or. I lean to the crimp causing a case bulge immediately behind the case mouth. You mentioned case bulges. Where is the bulge? If at the boolit base, then maybe they are being started and seated cocked.
And I always load my .45ACP with about .050-.060 of the shoulder protruding from the case mouth, so it will contact the rifling. Been through this discussion before... Even if the boolits are made out of lino/mono, they will engrave and chamber as the result of the momentum of the slide/barrel combo going into battery. Lots of mechanical advantage there...
Of course, I'm loading for 1911's - your XD may be different.

[mdgyro]

I got a taper die and worked in the depth as was stated in this post and the boolits work flawlessly now. I went thru 50 yesterday and they were smooth as glass. Thanks guys for all the help. I am going to build a bullet trap to capture the lead so I can reuse it. No need to go thru all the trouble to get it and then throw it away, right.

[tonyb]

My guitar be "jamming" sometimes. :drinks:

[TAWILDCATT]

I had this happen with a lot of new loaders.you do crimp whether it is roll or taper. me I roll on the theory that the case does not catch on edge of chamber.
but you cannot crimp so heavy that case bulges at that point.many dont crimp enuf and the flare drags.
Easy ed is right on leaving SWC out so forcing the base against the slide.
the jacket bullets are not crimped friction is greater but lead should not be squeezed so much.:coffee:[smilie=1: