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Thread: well..I'm consistent...

  1. #1
    Boolit Buddy
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    well..I'm consistent...

    I'm having the same issue in both cals. In 380acp I'm shooting both jacketed and cast round nose style bullets. They have very similar weights and profiles. However, the jacketed are shooting ok, and the cast is hanging up just out of battery. I've checked mouth size, looked for bulges and made sure that single shots lock the slide back. I "plunk" test them by dropping them in the bbl and making sure they chamber, I hand cycle them and they cycle fine, but as soon as it's live shooting, I'm getting constant failure to feeds, a good smack on the slide seats most of them. On ejection, I'm getting damage around the back edge of the bullet where it looks like it's contacting the rifling. Worst part is, the EXACT same issue is happening in 45acp. I'm thinking maybe the bullet is yanking forward on chambering and ramming into the lands? But other than that, I can't for the life of me figure out why they would only do this on firing and not on hand working the action. I tried seating them deeper but got to some pretty silly depths with the same issue. Maybe my bullet is a bit too fat (.356 in the 380) and the leading edge is catching the end of the chamber? But I would think hand cycling would show that.. Any ideas cause I'm at a loss.

  2. #2
    Boolit Master
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    What bullet mold are you using? Alloy again? Cartridge OAL as determined by dowel method or just keep seating deeper and crimping til it plunks? Clean and lightly oiled? .356" should not be a problem in the .380 but what kind is it?

  3. #3
    Boolit Buddy
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    It's the lee 100 ish grain round nose in the 380, I've worked OAL all the way from .980 down to .900 which started to scare me and is way too short for that to be the issue. It's passing the "plunk" test. It's bumble lubed in LLA so not cleaned. The 45acp is the lee 255grn flat tip round nose. I've also tried the flat tip round nose lee 95grn bullet in the 380, same results.

  4. #4
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    Are you belling the case mouths before seating the cast bullets? If so, are you taper crimping them after seating?
    I had a problem like this with my wife's LCP and did the same with OAL. Then I tried taper crimping just a bit more and it corrected my problem.

  5. #5
    Boolit Buddy
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    I am belling the case just enough and I'm using the combo seat/crimp die to just take out the bell.

  6. #6
    Boolit Buddy
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    You might try the LEE carbide factory crimp die and see if that helps.

  7. #7
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    Minerat's Avatar
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    I have had the same issues with 40 S&W. I found that seating then taper crimping solved the problem. When I was doing it in one step I fought the feeding problem. I use the progressive to load then remove the seating die and adjust to crimp on the rock chucker. Extra step but it works.
    Steve,

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  8. #8
    Boolit Master


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    Try Taper Crimp.
    I load all Semi-Auto pistol cartridges that way. From .32ACP to .45ACP, all function fine. pass the "plunk" test too.
    I HATE auto-correct

    Happiness is a Warm GUN & more ammo to shoot in it.

    My Experience and My Opinion, are just that, Mine.

    SASS #375 Life

  9. #9
    Boolit Buddy
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    Quote Originally Posted by Walks View Post
    Try Taper Crimp.
    I load all Semi-Auto pistol cartridges that way. From .32ACP to .45ACP, all function fine. pass the "plunk" test too.
    I pass the "plunk" test, just not the will it chamber from mag while shooting test. So does seating and crimping in two steps make a difference, and is a factory crimp die needed/the thing?

  10. #10
    Boolit Master


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    Have you checked the ramps for smoothness. Something is causing the hang up. Does it happen with all magazines. I number all magazines, so I can easily tell if one is causing problems. Weird as it is there might actually be one mag for each pistol that is screwing up.
    When you pull back the slide manually it gets a bit more force going forward then you do when the pistol feeds "itself" during operation.
    I don't care for the Lee factory crimp die. It will size down the diameter of a bullet when used.
    I HATE auto-correct

    Happiness is a Warm GUN & more ammo to shoot in it.

    My Experience and My Opinion, are just that, Mine.

    SASS #375 Life

  11. #11
    Boolit Buddy
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    For the 380, I can get 3 out of the 4 guns to shoot well with a seating depth change, but I had a Kahr CW380 that just gives me fits, so much so that I've decided to trade it in for a ruger LCP2. My MP shield, browning 1911 and keltec P3AT all had a sweet spot I could find, it was the Kahr that was an issue, the 45, we only have the Sig, but as I was having the same problem, I thought maybe it was something I was doing wrong for both guns. The fact that the edges get chewed up on the chambered rounds makes me wonder if my crimp is weak and the rounds are pulling forward, but I would think they would be seated back by the feeding ramp...so I'm again confused.

  12. #12
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by wolfdog View Post
    I pass the "plunk" test, just not the will it chamber from mag while shooting test. So does seating and crimping in two steps make a difference, and is a factory crimp die needed/the thing?
    The plunk test normally does it but you could have a enough case thickness and length variation that seating and crimping in two steps might fix it.

  13. #13
    Boolit Master
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    Seating and crimping in separate steps is usually the rule. I bought a separate RCBS taper crimp die for 38 special because that set of dies is Lee. The dillon dies in 380 and 9mm seat and crimp separately. Much easier to adjust the crimp only and not have to adjust the seating depth stem at the same time.

  14. #14
    Boolit Grand Master
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    Use a micrometer to check the diameter at the case mouth of you factory loads and reloads.

    Also, when you get a FTF check the diameter and see how it compares to those rounds that are feeding fine. BTW, I use a separate die to crimp. The standard factory crimp die should be all you need if adjusted properly.
    Don Verna


  15. #15
    Boolit Buddy
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    Ok, I will try the seat/crimp in two steps, rather than mess with moving the die up and down and the seating stem, I may just buy a second seater die, set one to seat the bullet and the second to crimp only. It's a bit of extra cost, but I bet it's more consistent than moving the die and bullet seater every time I load.

  16. #16
    Boolit Grand Master In Remembrance
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    Hey, wolfdog

    You say "On ejection, I'm getting damage around the back edge of the bullet where it looks like it's contacting the rifling.", I'm not sure what you mean there, as the bullet should be way downrange by ejection time Do you mean that the case mouth is contacting the rifling, or ???

  17. #17
    Boolit Master
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    I have never had a bullet in an auto move forward when chambering . This should not be a problem if you are using a proper die set .
    When you are doing your plunk test , your barrel out of your gun . When you drop your loaded cartridge in the barrel you should be able to press the cartridge down in the barrel hard with you thumb and it still drop out when you point the barrel up or with a minor shake . If the ogive is not a match for your chamber and the thumb pressure forces the bullet into the rifling you have 3 options .
    1 , seat deeper and adjust your powder charge for this.
    2 , find a bullet that will chamber at the OAL you are trying.
    3 , have your barrel modified to accept that bullet at that OAL.
    When doing your plunk test the cartridge should make a sound just like a factory load does when plunking it

  18. #18
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Quote Originally Posted by wolfdog View Post
    I am belling the case just enough and I'm using the combo seat/crimp die to just take out the bell.
    Try adding more crimp .
    Life is easier with truncated cone designed boolits . RN and RF can give you problems ...most new guns have little or no no throat and the TC design can give less grief.
    Keep working them ... sometimes it takes a while for everything to get worked out . You can always have the barrel throated to give you more room to work with ... contact member DougGuy for this .
    Gary
    Certified Cajun
    Proud Member of The Basket of Deplorables
    " Let's Go Brandon !"

  19. #19
    Boolit Master Thumbcocker's Avatar
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    I agree. Try more crimp.
    Paper targets aren't your friends. They won't lie for you and they don't care if your feelings get hurt.

  20. #20
    Boolit Master

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    I don't see what firearm you are loading for. I can tell you this....certain firearms do not like longer narrower bullet noses and will hang up badly. A shorter bullet nose feeds easily. So, my questions to you are what firearm and what is the bullet ogive, 1 r or 2 r?

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check