Problem chambering 45 ACP

[John Hill]

I purchased a new Springfield Armory Range Officer 45 ACP 5" and began loading up some test rounds to see what it preferred. All were loaded with Bullseye pushing 230 gr LRN boolits. I checked all for SAAMI specs. I loaded 10 rounds of 4.2 gr BE and then 10 of 4.3gr BE and same for each 1/10 gr up to 5 gr BE. I went to the range to try the new pistol out and started with the 10 rounds of 4.2 gr BE. I found that if I loaded 5 rounds at a time in the magazine and inserted the magazine in the pistol with the slide locked back, when I released the slide, it chambered the first round perfectly. When I fired that 1st round, the slide ejected the spent case just fine but failed to remove the next round all the way from the magazine and I had to hand push the slide forward to close and fire the second round. When it fired the same thing happened for the rest of the first group of 10 rounds. I then moved to the 10 rounds of 4.3 gr BE and exactly the same thing happened. I then jumped up to the 10 rounds of 5.0 gr BE and exactly the same happened. Note that if the magazine was inserted while the slide was locked back and the release was moved down to close the slide, it always picked up the first round and properly chambered it. I tried both magazines and the same happened with each.
Has anyone else ever experienced this?
Could the spring be too strong or too weak to get the slide all the way back? I felt that with the charges that I tried, that they all should have worked. By the way, all grouped great when they actually fired.
Tomorrow I will try 10 rounds of some factory ammo that I can get from a friend to see if it is my reloads or the pistol.
John

[sdcitizen]

Sounds like overall length could be an issue. All of those loads should cycle. What is your overall length? I find that with 230lrn, 1.24-1.26 seems to work pretty well, though the important factor is to keep the front driving band of the boolit very near to flush with the case mouth so it isn't too long to fit in the throat

[John Hill]

Sounds like overall length could be an issue. All of those loads should cycle. What is your overall length? I find that with 230lrn, 1.24-1.26 seems to work pretty well, though the important factor is to keep the front driving band of the boolit very near to flush with the case mouth so it isn't too long to fit in the throat

Mine are all set at 1.2660" OAL right in between the SAAMI max 1.275" and the min of 1.190". All of my cases are under the .898" max length.
John

[Jim..47]

I would shorten them another 5-6 Thou. and add another 1/2 to 3/4 gr. bullseye. Ot try about 9 Gn.s of BlueDot which is what I am using now. I just started with the BD but I'm pretty sure its more accurate too.

[John Hill]

I would shorten them another 5-6 Thou. and add another 1/2 to 3/4 gr. bullseye. Ot try about 9 Gn.s of BlueDot which is what I am using now. I just started with the BD but I'm pretty sure its more accurate too.

You say to add 1/2 to 3/4 gr BE. What final load would you recommend?
Also, can I seat the rounds that I have already done deeper even though I have used the Lee Factory carbide crimping die?
John

[Yodogsandman]

Have you tried a "plunk test" where you drop each round into the chamber of the removed barrel and make sure the base is flush with the back of the chamber. This will show if the length is right.

Are you taper crimping the case mouth to between 465"-470", depending on what will feed reliably?

[jcren]

Yes, you can nudge the loaded rounds back a little. Also, measure the crimp right at the case mouth. I find .472" is about perfect and reliable even in picky guns.

[Jim..47]

You say to add 1/2 to 3/4 gr BE. What final load would you recommend?
Also, can I seat the rounds that I have already done deeper even though I have used the Lee Factory carbide crimping die?
John

5.3 Gn.s BE is max. I have loaded them at that but work up to that safely. As far as setting back the depth after a Lee FCD, give it a try, what do you have to lose? If it doesn't work you will have to throw out the bullet and start over.

[old benn]

We are waiting to see how factory works for you. will they be Hard Ball or Target loads (factory)?

old benn

Have you tried a less than full magazine? ALSO: count the coils on the recoil spring. You know they come in different strengths.

[Plate plinker]

Try factory first, then if they do not work try a good magazine Wilson or McCormick.

If if not those probably shorten oal next. If that don't work you may need to tune the gun. Extractor? Throat and polish?

[NavyVet1959]

I've had a similar problem while trying to get a 9mm load that would work in multiple handguns. Instead of RN, they were SWC, but the same principle applies. The various handguns had their leade cut differently so that the bullet was touching before the slide was fully forward. Take one of the rounds that you load via releasing the slide and examine it under a high power magnifying glass to see if you can see where it is engaging the rifling of the barrel. This is probably easier to see with Ballard type rifling than with polygonal.

Remove the barrel from the firearm and gently drop a loaded round in the chamber. If the base of the cartridge does not fit flush with the back of the barrel, then you probably have the bullet loaded too long for that particular barrel's leade.

Another thing to try is to just put an empty piece of brass in the chamber to see if it will fit flush with the back of the barrel. If it does not, then either your brass it too long or the chamber is cut too short. I suspect that it would be pretty rare for a chamber to be cut too short, but it's an easy check and worth knowing.

I would check these things before looking at spring weight, the extractor, and such...

[OS OK]

I see that they are LRN…are they Powder Coated also?…if so…The radius is too fat further out on the radius heading for the nose. PC will add .003-.005" to the outside diameter all around. They are lodging in the rifling before it goes into battery and that is why you have to whack the rear of the slide to make it go on into battery. That first round gets full force of the slide from the extreme rear, perhaps thats why the first one doesn't need an assist.
Pull a live round out after you have forced it into battery like that and look carefully for the land marks on it. If they are there you can shorten the COAL some…not too far though because your pressure increases as you reduce case volume behind the slug.

[old benn]

Hey Guys ! Remember . . . the man says the 1st round chambers.

[kentuckyshooter]

My first thought is if the gun is new then it might just be that the gun isnt shot in yet. New stiff springs could cause the slide to short stroke. Second every time i have had this issue and it could be traced back to my reloads it was an inproper flare and crimp issue. Finaly try haveing some one else try the gun. I hate to sugest opperator error but it being a new gun it could early be a grip problem. This particular gun might like a little firmer grip than the ones you are used to shooting.

[John Hill]

I checked my taper crimp just back of the throat (per SAAMI) and have between .468" and .472". SAAMI allows up to .4732"
I did repeated "plunk tests" with many rounds and all are flush or a very thin hair short. None were above flush.
I loaded each magazine with 5 rounds instead of filling it.
I removed the spring and counted 32 coils.
My boolits are Lee TL452-230-2R and are not powder coated.
Later today, I will shoot some factory rounds and see what happens and report back to you.
Thanks for all of the feed back.
John

[John Hill]

My first thought is if the gun is new then it might just be that the gun isnt shot in yet. New stiff springs could cause the slide to short stroke. Second every time i have had this issue and it could be traced back to my reloads it was an inproper flare and crimp issue. Finaly try haveing some one else try the gun. I hate to sugest opperator error but it being a new gun it could early be a grip problem. This particular gun might like a little firmer grip than the ones you are used to shooting.

Once chambered, all rounds fire and eject perfectly. They just don't bring up the next round and I have to move it forward to lock up by hand.
John

[randyrat]

You have a new gun and a new spring. These new guns in this age are coming out of factory really tight and my .02 is the spring is a 20 lb stock spring and is not broke in yet. You could put a 16 lb in it until it is broke in or shoot hard ball velocity rounds for a while to break it in. 850 or so Ft/ Sec. Puzzles me that 5 grains of BE didn't work

I am amazed at the new 1911s and how good and tight they are compared to the old rattle traps I have shot

OR you have a bad Magazine

[NavyVet1959]

Oil it up and cycle the slide 500 times manually?

[John Hill]

Oil it up and cycle the slide 500 times manually?

Allright,,,I oiled and cycled it 500 times which is a lot harder than it sounds. Whew! Now I have a blister on my left palm.
I'll see how the factory ammo does this afternoon.
John

[NavyVet1959]

Allright,,,I oiled and cycled it 500 times which is a lot harder than it sounds. Whew! Now I have a blister on my left palm.

Yeah, it gets old pretty quick. Still, it's cheaper than shooting 500 rounds which many manufacturers say to use for a break-in period. I usually do it while watching TV. Do 100 or so during commercials and by the time the show is over, I've done the 500.