Measuring and weighing factory defensive ammo before rotating into ccw service

Well for such as Glocks, it's no biggie, but measuring OAL, checking to make sure they have primers seated all the way in, and check to make sure no damaged cases or bullets is a wise idea for all defensive ammo. Fortunately for revolvers you can also insert every round in the chambers to check for out of spec ammo and spin the cylinder to check for high primers with no damage to the ammo.

Best you can do with the semi-auto is disassemble the gun and with the barrel insert each bullet into the chamber. No way to check feed or extraction (except by firing), but you can also see if they fit in the mags...

Deaf

I have carried duty weapons for over 20 years and have been issued thousands of defensive rounds from at least 3 different manufacturers. Never had a problem.

I think it is overkill, but it certainly can't hurt and may help. Good visual check makes sense.

Depending on the powder the manufacturer used, charges could very well be so light that variation in brass and bullet weights could easily make it almost impossible to see enough variation to suggest a problem may exist. And since factory ammunition manufacturers use proprietary powders, often times they use blends and types that only require light charges to produce the desired and necessary pressures to achieve desired velocity and function. So when attempting to identify a charged case that only has a 3 -5 gr. charge in the first place, brass and bullet weight variations alone could very easily mask the presence of, or the lack of powder.

What's more, powder charge variations on factory ammo I've pulled down has been pretty darn inconsistent. This is due in part to the fact that the manufacturer doesn't always use the same powder, but instead may use more than one powder for the same branded cartridges. If they can use up the remainder of a batch of powder that will still get them the target velocities and pressures by safely altering the charge, they'll do so to avoid having to waste the remaining powder from that previous run for another application. So it's entirely possible to have a box of cartridges with two different types of powder, with two different charge weights.

If I used factory ammunition, which I don't, I might check fit by removing the barrel and performing the plunk test, but weighing would be unreliable at best, IMO.

GS

Just to muddy the waters I had a box of 44 spl several years back that locked up two revolvers due to the fact that two cases out of 50 didn't have flashholes!!!

Weighing will not tell you much in such a situation

Its amazing what people do with excessive time on their hands. Looks good feels good solution. What ever makes you happy applies.

It comes up every so often about weight and sorting .22LR ammo for accuracy. The end of it always ends up it is not worth it and you have no ideas where the weight variance is, whether it is the case, bullet, primer or primer.

In many rounds you can shake it and listen to the powder moving. That does not mean it is enough or correct type.

Then again is doesn't guarantee the flash hole or prime anvil is there.

In a defensive situation I would take a FTF over a squib in the barrel.

One thing I do though, is never chamber the same round repeatedly. Multiple chambering will set a bullet back in the case and create a dangerous situation.

Click to expand...

Offhanded checking by me reveals that in my Kahr, each chambering shoves the bullet in about 0.002". More or less. Kinda sorta. YMMV

And remember that a heavy-recoiling revolver can pull the bullets out a bit with each shot. Never checked that myself, though.


The only reason I weigh complete bullets is if I forget what bullet weight I have in the gun.

Actual example, I had a half tray of nines (no outer box) stashed in with a 9 handgun in a case and couldn't remember what bullet weight they were.

Weighed three of the unknowns, was 34.9 grams total. Weighed three known 115 gr cartridges, was 35.7 grams. Weighed three known 124 grain cartridges, was 37.1 grams.

Converting to grains, the unknowns were each about 7 grains lighter than the 124 grain cartridges. Therefore, even considering variation in case weight and powder charge, they must have been 115 grain bullets in the pistol case. For more precision, I would have compared more.

Yeah, I know, the mistake was in not using the outer box for IDing them in the pistol case, but these things happen. It had been two or three years since I was testing that gun for reliability between 115 and 124 grain bullets. Darned thing was unreliable with either cartridge anyhow, which is why it was put away for that long.

Terry

He has found on occasion some rounds that had no powder in them doing this.

Click to expand...

I have found two squibs in my liftime, (both factory ammo), and have been an avid and frequent shooter since I was 10. I'm 53 now. Might be something match shooters do. I trust my ammo to fire, and don't require match grade accurracy ammo to defend myself.

gamestalker said:

. So it's entirely possible to have a box of cartridges with two different types of powder, with two different charge weights.



If I used factory ammunition, which I don't, I might check fit by removing the barrel and performing the plunk test, but weighing would be unreliable at best, IMO.



GS

Click to expand...

I think that specific situation would be very unlikely. I can't speak about how other manufactures do it but when Winchester switched powders or makes any component change that will be the start of a new lot. They wouldn't have ammo from two separate lots in one box.

I agree with all else you have said though. There is no point in weighing loaded pistol rounds. Rifle rounds yes, but not pistol. Even in a rifle you are really only looking for powder or not.

Depending on the powder the manufacturer used, charges could very well be so light that variation in brass and bullet weights could easily make it almost impossible to see enough variation to suggest a problem may exist. And since factory ammunition manufacturers use proprietary powders, often times they use blends and types that only require light charges to produce the desired and necessary pressures to achieve desired velocity and function. So when attempting to identify a charged case that only has a 3 -5 gr. charge in the first place, brass and bullet weight variations alone could very easily mask the presence of, or the lack of powder.

Click to expand...

I found that too. The only way to get close to equal weights was to separate the weigh in lots by manufacturer. But since I was already separating by how many times shot the casings were it was a bit unmanageable.

I'm no expert but it seems the best way is to pay attention when you are loading and visually check to see if powder was dropped or not. Same with checking to be sure that primers were seated.