FTF problems with SWC in .45 1911

josquin

josquin

CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Uber Super GunNutz
Rating - 100%
22   0   0
Location
Mission, B.C.
Harrumph.... I've been out at the range with my Springfield Armory 1911A1 recently and am having failures to feed using 200 gr. SWC. I usually get 1 or 2 of these per magazine. I've tried both mags - SA and a CMC Shooting Star. Using Frontier CMJ bullets or Hornady XTR the gun feeds fine. With the SWC the rounds hang up as they are just about to enter the chamber, at about a 15 deg. angle.

These SWC (from Bullet Barn) are sized 0.452". I do notice a very slight bulge in the case (not visible in the pic below) even after running through a Lee Crimp Die, where there is a little resistance as it enters the die. I've been careful to de-burr the cases before loading, and the feed ramp of the 1911 is well polished. I have also checked the cartridge seating by removing the barrel and dropping one into the chamber. The rim is flush with the edge of the hood and the cartridge drops out easily. The load is 5.3gr of 231.

45 ACP SWC.JPG


The two remedies that come to mind are: a) size the bullets to .451 (a pain, as I don't have a lubrisizer) or b) switch to a RNFP bullet.

Any other ideas out there?

:) Stuart
 
Last edited:
FTF means failure to fire your experiencing jams? I use the same design bullet in my guns and never have any issues my bullets arent seated as deep...Seat the bullets a bit longer and its should clear up any issues.

P1010158-3.jpg
 
I have a Springer Loaded 1911 and have had no feeding issues.

I am using Sierra bullets 200g SWC 0.452" with 5.3 - 5.7gr of W231 also. I am using Wolff mags as well as the stock Metalform.

I always size using the barrel as well and am using 1.220 OAL.

These bullets leave quite a bit of shoulder compared to others I have seen including the one in your picture. I think that may help.
 
Last edited:
msg.drew said:
FTF means failure to fire..
Click to expand...


Oops... I meant "failure to feed"! (Post corrected now.)

Hmmm.. I'll try seating them out further but as I recall I did do that and found the base was proud of the barrel hood. Time for a little more fine tuning, I guess.

:) Stuart
 
Last edited:
josquin said:
Oops... I meant "failure to feed"! (Post corrected now.)

Hmmm.. I'll try seating them out further but as I recall I did do that and found the base was proud of the barrel hood. Time for a little more fine tuning, I guess.

:) Stuart
Click to expand...



FTF does mean failure to feed, but it also means failure to fire. It depends on context. I read the book and I will read the book. ;)

http://acronyms.thefreedictionary.com/FTF

Both my Springfield and norc prefer an OAL of 1.260 try 10 at differing lengths to see what yours likes.
 
I was having the same problem with 200gr semi's as well. What was happening was the case mouth would catch ever so slightly on the top of the chamber, and jam with the slide back about 10 or so millimeters one time or so every mag. I'd slap the mag, and it would pop into battery. I talked to the local shooting guru, he looked at my loads, and said there wasn't enough crimp. If you ran your thumb down you would feel the shoulder of the SWC, then the edge of the case, and that is where it had just enough grab on the chamber to not let it go into battery.

I did not use a FCD, I only had my Hornady dies that taper crimps, but will roll crimp if you adjust them down too far. I adjusted the die to :eek: slightly roll :eek: the case mouth into the lead just enough to make it a smoother transition from mouth to lead. All subsequent rounds fed flawlessly.

Now, some people say never to roll crimp, but it was so slight, I still consider it a taper :)
 
Going with a longer OAL may help but check out the shoulder on these that are seated at 1.220"

swc1220-1.jpg


I have no problems with these and I used my barrel as a guide.
 
jackenape said:
I was having the same problem with 200gr semi's as well. What was happening was the case mouth would catch ever so slightly on the top of the chamber, and jam with the slide back about 10 or so millimeters one time or so every mag....
Click to expand...

That sounds like the same problem I'm having. That is why I chamfered the case mouths (with the Lee Chamfer tool, although I don't care for it much. I think I'm going to get the one from Forster and the bench mount handle.) I did use the Lee FCD - gently - but perhaps I could use a little more crimp. I thought the case mouths were free of any sharp egdes. I am certainly going to chamfer even new brass as it all seems rough. Maybe I'll buy Starline the next time. (I'm using R-P and Federal at the moment.)

I'm a bit confused by the FCD. I got the 4-die set but in their literature they say that all the recent pistol dies already do a slight taper crimp. Roll crimps are supposed to be a no-no (as you evidently realize!) as the cartridge headspaces on the case mouth but probably a very slight roll- as you did - may solve the problem. When you're not crimping into a lube groove or cannelure it's hard to see if anything's happening.

I'll load up some more at different OALs and make sure the case mouth is not protruding in any way.

It looks like loading these is going to require a lot of care as the margin for error with cast bullets in this gun is very small.

Griffoneur said:
Did you polish your feed ramp?
Click to expand...

Yup- I went over the feed ramp and the area under the hood with chromium dioxide polish on a felt bob. Everything in there is mirror-smooth.

pdubois64:

That's a lot of exposed lead for such a short OAL! I'll seat mine out as far as I can, although I ended up setting them back to 1.238" (using the barrel as a guide) as I thought they were beginning to touch the rifling and sit proud of the end of the hood. As usual, every gun is different.

:) Stuart
 
josquin said:
pdubois64:

That's a lot of exposed lead for such a short OAL! I'll seat mine out as far as I can, although I ended up setting them back to 1.238" (using the barrel as a guide) as I thought they were beginning to touch the rifling and sit proud of the end of the hood. As usual, every gun is different.

:) Stuart
Click to expand...

These are the only ones I have ever used and was quite surprised how they looked compared to other pictures of SWC that I have seen. I guess I will stick with them as they work and are priced good.

BTW what model SA 1911 do you have?
 
I did not chamfer my brass. If you look closely at my cartridges, you couldn't tell they were rolled. All you see is a shiny ring at the very edge of the case mouth, and don't feel much of a transition from lead to brass. Maybe that's a true taper crimp? I've never used a taper only die, so I wouldn't know.
 
jackenape said:
I did not chamfer my brass. If you look closely at my cartridges, you couldn't tell they were rolled. All you see is a shiny ring at the very edge of the case mouth, and don't feel much of a transition from lead to brass. Maybe that's a true taper crimp? I've never used a taper only die, so I wouldn't know.
Click to expand...

I'll put a little Prussian Blue or black marker on the last 1/4" of the case when I crimp them and see exactly what is happening. I suspect that the transition from brass to lead is the critical point and the proper crimp should take care of that. I also wonder if some cases had shaved a little lead during bullet seating (because I don't think I chamfered the insides last time) that could also create a little shoulder which could catch when the round is being slammed home.

I did some experimenting with a new case and SWC (the one in the pic above) and it looks like 1.144" is absolute max. in my gun, and even then I think the shoulder of the bullet is touching the lands, which would worry me a bit as I suspect that will raise the pressure. (Or so I've been told for rifle cartridges.)

:) Stuart
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom