45 ACP Failure to Chamber

[tbaum]

I'm loading 45ACP for a Springfield XD Tactical and an XDM Elite. The Tactical will chamber the rounds I've loaded. Once fired mixed brass and a 200 grain round nose plated Mo. bullet. The XDM Elite will not chamber the same round. I checked the rounds when I was loading them in a Lyman Test Block and they tested fine.

I know the XDM Elite has a match barrel would, it have a tighter chamber because of this? I reset my sizing die down further in the press and removed the de-capping rod . The rounds have put back through the die will now chamber doing a plunk test. Am I correct in assuming the XDM Elite has tighter chamber? This will be a pain as I have another 2000 rounds to do. I bought the XDM Elite recently and have the Tacticlal for several years. I like them both with the XDM Elite having a slight edge over the Tactical. The biggest difference is in the trigger. The XDM Elite is far superior..

 

[Jim Watson]

Obviously your Elite has a chamber smaller than the Tactical OR the gauge.
"Match barrel" is advertising fluff, the SAAMI chamber specifications are the same for standard and match, the only difference in specifications is provision for semiwadcutters in match ammo.

Does your Elite take factory ammo and reloads with jacketed bullets?

I would get a Lee Carbide Factory Crimp rather than running them through the sizing die; although you could experiment to find how little you had to enter the sizing die to squeeze them down to fit. I did "taper crimping" for some time by just bumping rounds into the mouth of the sizing die with only a turn or two of engagement.

 

[jmorris]

What size die are you using?

Oh, think I miss read it at first. You are running loaded rounds back through your size die, minus the decapping pin to get them to plunk?

If so, the first thing I would do is pull a bullet and see if by solving one problem I created another, in swaging the bullet to a smaller diameter with the case. Like these, as an example of what you don’t want.



Your size die reduces the case enough to require an expander to open it back up to the correct diameter. There might be a fine line in there where you could have decent results but it will be pretty easy to wreck hopes of accuracy in swaging your bullets to a diameter that’s too small for the barrel.

I would certainly test in small batches at this point. If your solution as it stands hurts the rounds accuracy, I’d probably stop and just use the loaded ammunition in the firearm you have that accepts them as they are.

 

[35 Whelen]

Make sure you're applying an ample taper crimp.

35W

 

[CQB45ACP]

Lots of lessons here we’ve most all learned such as gauges aren’t barrels and barrels aren’t gauges (well they are but only for that barrel).

A bit of clarification please…you have 2000 cases to resize not completed rounds, correct?

Another lesson either way, best to test a couple of completed rounds (or sized cases) in ALL firearms one will potentially use before doing 2000.

Just resize a few here and a few there—that’s how we eat an elephant.

Have fun

 

[edwardware]

I checked the rounds when I was loading them in a Lyman Test Block and they tested fine.

If you weren't planning to shoot them in the Lyman Test Block, with did you check them in Lyman Test Block?

Toss that paperweight in the trash, and plunk test your setup rounds in the tightest chamber you're going to shoot them in. Unsurprisingly, that's the XDM.

 

[jmorris]

I wouldn’t go that far, case gauges can spot problems the “plunk” test cannot.

That said, they are not your barrel, along with throat/lead into rifling etc, so they are not a replacement for the “plunk” at least for setting dies and seating depth.

 

[jmorris]

I think the first thing I would do is locate the “tight spot” using a sharpie. If it’s bullet contact and not a problem with the case area a simple increase in seating depth might solve the issue.

Like these two 230 grain RN bullets.



The one on the bottom, I have to run at a shorter OAL than the one on the top because the ogive will contact the rifling (aka not plunk) if not seated deeper in the case.

 

[Jdague12]

I had to do the same thing with my new Tisas 10mm and a Kimber Aegis Elite. Had to tighten the crimp up just a hair. Springfield XDm 10mm eats everything I feed her, same with XDe .45 and Auto Ordnance .45. Only had a few hundred of each though. Time consuming, but simple enough job. Now they fall right in

 

[film495]

I try to always make and cycle some dummy rounds when using new components. Also, a good opportunity to measure and check for setback. I think you'll figure it out and those components will be fine, you just found one tight chamber, a variable to be figured out, but with a little testing my money is on those components and having no issues. You just gotta have that ohhhhh, lighbulb moment first.

I also advocate using the tight/match chamber to plunk a few rounds in. As an aside, to the actual issue, it could be any number of small details, bulged brass, OAL, trim lenght, burr from the extractor on the case rim, crimp details, really full length sizing the cases. One thing to research might be how factory match ammo differs from regular, it might be consistency, but also other details that might help you work it out.

 

[mdi]

Any time there is a fit issue, measure. Measure the OD of the "bad" cartridge in a few places to find out if it is too fat anywhere (poor sizing, too much crimp, remaining flare, etc.). As Mr. Morris suggested check to see if bullet seating is an issue, hitting the throat/rifling. If a round doesn't chamber I find out why and fix it, I do not resize a finished round. I had a "cartridge gauge" for a while but it caused more trouble than it was worth (I guess my 3, 45 ACP guns had "sloppy" chambers, so it's in a drawer or box somewhere? Ain't seen it in mebbe 20 years).

I get a chuckle when I see "add more crimp" on threads concerning chambering problems. I have not "crimped" any semi-auto handloads in a bunch of years. I do "deflare" with a deflaring die (aka taper crimp die) just enough to insure good plunking with no reduction in case mouth diameter and no swaging bullets (32 ACP through 45 ACP)

 

[jmorris]

I also advocate using the tight/match chamber to plunk a few rounds in. As an aside, to the actual issue, it could be any number of small details, bulged brass, OAL, trim lenght, burr from the extractor on the case rim…

That last one is where the case gauge is far superior to the actual barrel as the barrel often couldn’t indicate any damage in this area of the case.



It’s one of those “mystery” malfunctions because they all plunked fine, then get hung up going into battery because they are now interacting with other parts that will contact those areas.



Before I started roll sizing almost all of my rejects failed because of damage to the rim, that the plunk can’t catch.

 

[JCSC]

You need to first find out if this is a case diameter issue or an overall length issue.

 

[Shivahasagun]

Yes your OAL length is too long.

I've been shooting my reloads in my S&W M&P 2.0 no problem.

Then I got a new XDM Elite Compact and had problems until I shortened them down to near min. 1.2 in. OAL. 4.2 gr Titegroup 200 gr LFP and they run perfectly, even when the feed ramp is gummed up with lead. They run about 800 fps from my chronograph.

I've got the same bullets but coated in an effort to reduce the lead that makes a mess on the breech end of things.

Shorten them up! Be careful regarding pressure.

 

[tbaum]

Every thing measures to spec. Only had to do 500. The sizing die did not effect the bullet. I think my sizing die came loose and backed of it's setting and I didn't catch i Thanks for all the info.

 

[higgite]

I’ve never tried resizing loaded ammo before. Never had reason to try it. But, FWIW, I just tried it with a couple of 9mm dummy rounds to satisfy my own curiosity. (My press is set up for 9mm and I didn't want to swap to 45 ACP)

Both rounds had a COL of 1.084” and case mouth diameter of .380” hot off the press.

After resizing them with the decapping pin removed, they had COLs of 1.075” and 1.077”. Case mouth diameter was .374” for both.

The originals had zero setback when cycled through a pistol. The resized ones had .003” and .002” setback when cycled through the same pistol.

Besides squeezing the seated bullet down, the thing that stuck out to me was the shorter COL after resizing. That could lead to overpressure with some loads. I’ll not be resizing loaded rounds, but that’s just me. ymmv

 

[jmorris]

Every thing measures to spec. Only had to do 500. The sizing die did not effect the bullet. I think my sizing die came loose and backed of it's setting and I didn't catch i Thanks for all the info.

IF, everything ammunition wise measures inside tolerance, I would use a reamer, also within tolerance, too get the chamber to accept ammunition within said tolerance.

I doubt that is the right solution, if it runs with factory ammunition though. There is likely something else you are missing.

 

[CQB45ACP]

I’m so confused.

So you tested all 2000 in pistol where they didn’t work but now 1500 of them do? Or when you thought all 2000 wouldn’t work they actually did?

Never mind happy you’re back on track.

 

[dgod]

I figure d out fr om an article here, that the Buldge Buster is very helpful for the Glock family, I don’t own a Glock, but thought what the heck. So, I ordered th Buldge Buster, now when I have 45ACP loads that won’t go plunk, I get it out and viola… all go plunk.

‘just my $0.02
Good luck
Dgod

 

[JDeere]

As Jim Watson pointed out a Lee Factory Crimp die and call it good for those tight chambers. Works every time...

 

[CQB45ACP]

As Jim Watson pointed out a Lee Factory Crimp die and call it good for those tight chambers. Works every time...

Maybe but if you don’t even know which ones don’t work, if any, or even why, isn’t there a bigger problem??

 

[Blue68f100]

The 45 acp is one of the easiest rounds to reload for. I would not run them back through the sizing die unless you want to loose neck tension. I have several 45cp with match barrels. One requires a slightly more crimp. the other a shorter OAL. So I have my seating die set for the shorter OAL, and crimp set so it chambers. @jmorris has has the right game plan. You needed to determine where the rounds is hanging up first, so you know what needs to be corrected. In most all cases with tight chambers it's the bullet hitting the lands or not enough taper crimp. Also look at the extractor groove on the ones that do not plunk. Flip the round over and see if the base will fit into the chamber or test gauge.

 

[9mmepiphany]

Maybe but if you don’t even know which ones don’t work, if any, or even why, isn’t there a bigger problem??

That is the biggest reason to not use the FCD as a cure-all. It is always a good idea to find what the issue is and to address it correctly.

I do have and have used a FCD, but only sparingly for that outlier case in a large run that won't gauge. If it is more than a couple in a run a several hundred, that tells me that there is something in the process that is out of kilter

I would not run them back through the sizing die unless you want to loose neck tension.

This is always a bad idea as the sizing die resizes cases to SAAMI minimum whereas the FCD resizes cases to SAAMI maximum.

Squeezing loaded bullets to SAAMI minimum will often cause a loss of neck tension. This is causes the same issue as increasing crimp to retain bullets at the case mouth. This is often presented as bullets spinning in the case

 

[joneb]

For me if a round will not chamber I check the chamber first. If that checks out I check the round it is either to long or to large in diameter.
I always seat and crimp acp loads in separate steps, this has solved a lot of chambering issues for me.

 

[jmorris]

I think my sizing die came loose and backed of it's setting and I didn't catch i Thanks for all the info.

That has happened to me as well, now when I get things where I want them I put witness marks on the important parts to know if they move from where I put them.

At a glance, it’s easy to see any movement. It’s almost free and sure beats loading a bunch of bad ammunition.