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4/12/2009 8:31:43 AM EDT
I was at the range yesterday and I was having some issues with my .45 reloads. Every 20 or so rounds would have one that wouldn't allow the gun to return to full battery. This was in my TRP with 230 gr LRN and 200 LSWCs. The issues were more apparent with the 230 LRNs. Then I shot my new USP tactical and the same thing was happening, this time with 200 gr plated RN, but it didn't happen with the 100 Speer 200 gr RNFPs I had loaded.

I had loaded everything except for the 230 LRN the day before. I am using a 550, so all the settings should have remained the same from the last time I loaded. So what's going on here. Should I save the rounds that don't go into battery and case gauge them? When I pushed the slide forward, the rounds all fired without a problem. I have the same problem with my G20, but I attributed it to the tight chamber that the LWD barrel I have. Last time I went out I shot my stock Glock barrel and had one or two rounds that failed to fully chamber.

Interesting side note: I have only made about 500 rds of 9mm for my G17L, but I am using Dillon dies for 9mm, vs Lee dies for my other calibers. I have had 0 issues with my 9mm reloads, but I have shot 2k+ .45 reloads and this problem just started to become apparent.
4/12/2009 8:41:48 AM EDT
[#1]
Don't jump to the conclusion that FTF issues will always be an ammo problem.

True.....you can easily work on an ammo problem.   And, hopefully you are producing ammo that isn't up to snuff.

Anyway, work on the ammo.

Make sure the ammo can chamber to begin with.  

Have you tested?

And, go ahead and play with COAL and maybe a different bullet design and powder charge weight.

But......consider that not all ammo will feed through every pistol w/o a hitch.  

Sometimes, even factory ammo might have a problem with certain mfn designs of firearms.

You may need to "tune" the pistol.

Aloha, Mark

4/12/2009 11:38:59 AM EDT
[#2]
If you switched brand of bullet, even though it's similar to the last ones, recheck the length for function through the pistol's chamber.  Recheck the seater to make sure it hasn't come loose, too.
4/12/2009 11:46:06 AM EDT
[#3]
Are you shooting lead bullets in  your HK?
4/12/2009 12:15:06 PM EDT
[#4]
Are you taper crimping? and to what diameter? The other question is are your cases bulged at the bullet base and at the case head? A Lee factory crimp die will size them down if you have
a true match chamber but it really shouldn't be needed in the guns mentioned. I would bet your taper crimp is over .470.
4/12/2009 12:51:32 PM EDT
[#5]
I had the same problem when I first started reloading for my springfield loaded.  When the gun was perfectly clean all went well, but once it was dirty (I shoot lead 200 swc) an occasional failure to fully chamber would result.  I bought a case guage and always check each round after reloading.  Upon careful examinatin I found that every so often I would cant the bullet a little as I was seating it.  This caused a slight bulge toward the mouth of the case.  The case guage caught every one of these misfits.  I shoot them first through a clean firearm and have not had the problem since.
4/12/2009 1:00:22 PM EDT
[#6]
Could be the bullets are too big to fit in the chamber throat. If you have a .452" throat, a ,452" bullet won't feed. You'll have to resize your bullets, or ream out your chamber with a standard reamer.
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