[Franco2shoot]

I'm a little confused with measurements/weights listed on the outside of ammunition boxes. How do I tell how hot/heavy the load is from the outside of the box? A friend gave me some "Lawman" practice ammunition that was ball 260 grain. I've always used Eagle brand, that also says it's 260 grain, and I thought that measurement was relative to the load. But, this weekend I was set straight when the gunstore guy said the 260 grain was the weight of the bullet. OK so if that's the same, how come the Lawman ammunition stovepipes on almost every other round, and the Eagle brand is smooth as silk with never a jam. Is one hotter than the other? And, if so how do I tell from the outside of the box?

KKKKFL

[MikePGS]

The way to tell if its "hot" or not is that it'll say +P on it which indicates that it has extra powder. If its messing up it might have more to do with the particular ammo than anything else.

[Baphomet]

While +P ammo is definitely "hotter" than non +P ammo, the +P (I believe) stands for additional pressure, not powder.

You can't always tell from the box how "hot" a particular load is going to be. SOME ammo manufacturers put additional loading data right on the box - Cor Bon comes to mind - but most do not. Cor Bon lists the average velocity and muzzle energy the load generates right on the end-flap to help you decide just how much punishment you want to buy.

Why did Brand X function in your pistol while Brand Y did not... Could be a lot of things. Sometimes auto's simply don't like a particular bullet shape, or the overall length of the poorly performing ammo could have been different or even out of spec for that particular caliber. Shooting more of the ammo that failed you might clear up the problem, but it may not. Some pistols simply do not shoot some brand/types of ammo as well as others. Personally, I would have a hard time with that.

My pistols do not get to "choose" what ammo they shoot reliably and what ammo they do not. Assuming the ammo is correct for the pistol, and "in-spec", I expect the pistol to shoot it without malfunctioning. Anything less is not acceptable.

[MikePGS]

actually i meant to put extra power, not powder, lol.

[Franco2shoot]

Both boxes were ball ammunition. One however was labeled "Practice ammo" I don't know what Practice denotes, but it sure wouldn't cycle.. I believe that Lawman practice ammo must be lightly loaded, whereas the Eagle brand that always functions has a standard amount of powder. I have used other brands and not had a problem. It sure would be nice if Manf.s would put something more than the weight of the bullet on the jacket end. Since I only shop in three places, and all three carry Eagle, I'm not too worried about it. Just wondered from a newbie perspective if there was a marking I was overlooking.


KKKKFL