.401 cast boolit issue

[doane]

A buddy of mine gave me some .40 brass and 100 ea 180 grain cast TC bullets. I hadn't had a chance to load any until yesterday morning. Fortunately I only loaded ten of them. Once I had them loaded I decided to make sure they would chamber in my G22. The first one in jammed it up tight. I'm pretty sure the cast bullet jammed into the rifling and it took some swearing and I was finally able to get it out. I tried that same bullet in the factory barrel as well as an Alpha Wolf barrel and it stuck in both.

OAL was 1.10" per Lyman load data for that bullet. I also shortened the load by a few thousandths and it still stuck.

Is it possible that those barrels aren't suited for that profile lead bullet? Or is there potentially some other issue I've not thought of?

btw, I just started reloading a couple of months ago (have been loading blue bullets and a few plated.) Those cast bullets are the first I've tried loading.

[mozeppa]

try this......took a while to find the goldielocks for my .40.....but i did.
profile O.A.L. and powder used and how much was huge in finding the zone!

[DougGuy]

It's also likely your barrel(s) don't have any freebore, rifling running right down to the headspace ledge is very common despite SAAMI specs calling for freebore, manufacturers couldn't be bothered to throat the barrels as long as it will cycle with factory jacketed ammo they consider it good to go.

For shooting cast most autoloaders need throating, this is what a barrel looks like when properly throated for cast boolits:

https://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/DougGuy/Cylinder%20Services/20190815_201721_zpscdfcrsve.jpg (https://s1202.photobucket.com/user/DougGuy/media/Cylinder%20Services/20190815_201721_zpscdfcrsve.jpg.html)

[gwpercle]

A buddy of mine gave me some .40 brass and 100 ea 180 grain cast TC bullets. I hadn't had a chance to load any until yesterday morning. Fortunately I only loaded ten of them. Once I had them loaded I decided to make sure they would chamber in my G22. The first one in jammed it up tight. I'm pretty sure the cast bullet jammed into the rifling and it took some swearing and I was finally able to get it out. I tried that same bullet in the factory barrel as well as an Alpha Wolf barrel and it stuck in both.

OAL was 1.10" per Lyman load data for that bullet. I also shortened the load by a few thousandths and it still stuck.

Is it possible that those barrels aren't suited for that profile lead bullet? Or is there potentially some other issue I've not thought of?

btw, I just started reloading a couple of months ago (have been loading blue bullets and a few plated.) Those cast bullets are the first I've tried loading.

Check and see if your barrel has any throat (freebore) very few modern semi-auto's do .
You can work with your existing barrel , seating depth and boolit size or check with DougGuy about correcting the "lackathroat" problem . He's been know to fix that malady .
Gary

[Ed_Shot]

I have to guess that the TC boolit you are using is the Lyman 401638. Is that correct? My 401638 boolits are .605" long. I have a G22 with LW barrel and the 401638 is perfect at an OAL of 1.10". Sounds like you have the boolits sized to .401". What is the diameter of your loaded round at the case mouth?

[doane]

I have to guess that the TC boolit you are using is the Lyman 401638. Is that correct? My 401638 boolits are .605" long. I have a G22 with LW barrel and the 401638 is perfect at an OAL of 1.10". Sounds like you have the boolits sized to .401". What is the diameter of your loaded round at the case mouth?

I didn't write down the measurement but seems like it was .422.

I googled that Lyman mold you mentioned and that does appear to be the boolit I was given.

[RydForLyf]

Are the bullets sized? What is their measured diameter?

Either the round is too long and jamming into the bore/rifling, or the bullet is just too fat.

[doane]

Are the bullets sized? What is their measured diameter?


Sized to .401.

[RydForLyf]

Sized to .401.

Sounds like they are not be seated deep enough. Take the barrel out of the gun and see how far they will go without forcing. Pull case out and look for marks in the lead. You’ll see what is hitting.

[AaronL]

I'm pretty sure the cast bullet jammed into the rifling and it took some swearing and I was finally able to get it out. I tried that same bullet in the factory barrel as well as an Alpha Wolf barrel and it stuck in both.

Are you positive they are jamming in the rifling? Semi-auto rounds are sensitive to the crimp applied to them. If you do not get a proper crimp, it can cause rounds to jam in the chamber.

[doane]

Are you positive they are jamming in the rifling? Semi-auto rounds are sensitive to the crimp applied to them. If you do not get a proper crimp, it can cause rounds to jam in the chamber.

I'm not so sure after trying to remedy the problem.
I reduced the OAL by a few thousandths but still had an issue. Then I tightened down the factory crimp die and that didn't seem to help matters either.
I don't think either barrel that I tried has any freebore as mentioned above...

[onelight]

You can usually see a mark on the bullet when they are sticking in the rifling . If it still acted the same after running it in the carbide factory crimp die it is probably the bullet in the rifling.
You really have only 3 choices , deep seat and work up a load for the shorter OAL , have DougGuy fix your barrel or find a bullet with a different ogive shape that will plunk test.

[doane]

This evening I cranked down the factory crimp die more than I ever had and those bullets feed just fine (racking the slide to cycle from the magazine.)

thanks for the responses!