Bullet setback does exist

[GoWolfpack]

Load the gun. Leave it alone. Bullet setback solved. Frequent loading and unloading is buying a ticket to a negligent discharge.


45 acp is extremely forgiving of bullet setback. Being such a low pressure round, if your carry ammo is a thousandth or two shorter than it started out, the gun can still handle the chamber pressure just fine.

 

[smalls]

Load the gun. Leave it alone. Bullet setback solved. Frequent loading and unloading is buying a ticket to a negligent discharge.

Some people shoot their carry guns frequently, and premium defense ammo is expensive.

 

[316SS]

But, if you must, run your carry ammo through a taper crimp die and lean on the handle hard. That will increase neck tension to the point where setback just about goes away.

Over on the Reloading forum they would tell you that crimping doesn't increase neck tension, but excessive crimping can decrease it. Neck tension comes from the size differential between the sized case and the seated bullet; the crimp only serves to eliminate whatever case flare is needed to seat the bullet.

Load the gun. Leave it alone. Bullet setback solved. Frequent loading and unloading is buying a ticket to a negligent discharge.

Some people shoot their carry guns frequently, and premium defense ammo is expensive.

I don't unload my carry gun except to practice or clean it. However, if you practice often you should also check your chosen carry ammo often for reliable function. As a compromise, I Sharpie the primer on carry ammo that has been chambered and shoot those when I practice.

 

[smalls]

A lot of people can't afford to buy their carry ammo that frequently. I shoot my carry ammo roughly 4 times a year.

There's also those who dry fire. I do dry fire exercises 2-3 times a week. This means I have to unload and reload my gun.

My point being that most if us can't just "load the gun and leave it alone".

 

[showmebob]

Being a reloader of several calibers I can tell you with 9MM I'm having trouble with neck tension on .FC., Blazer and CCI brass only. Just a strong two thumb push will set the bullets back into the case. No problems on other calibers or brands of brass.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

That's a problem of brass thickness and sizing die. If the brass is too thin for the sizer neck tension goes to hell. To successfully load those brands of brass, you either need a tighter sizing die, or a better crimp.

 

[Drail]

Measure the plug in your expander die. If it is not 3 to 5 thous. smaller than the bullet's dia. you are loading then it needs to be turned down until it is. A drill press will do the job. There should be enough neck tension BEFORE you apply a crimp that you cannot push the bullet into the case no matter how hard you push. You should be able to see faintly see the outline of the bottom of the bullet on the brass. Then crimp just enough to remove the flare you put on the case mouth. Hard crimping will not hold a bullet in place if the case was over expanded or not sized down to spec. Extra hard crimping will make it worse.

 

[Steel Talon]

Load the gun. Leave it alone. Bullet setback solved. Frequent loading and unloading is buying a ticket to a negligent discharge.


45 acp is extremely forgiving of bullet setback. Being such a low pressure round, if your carry ammo is a thousandth or two shorter than it started out, the gun can still handle the chamber pressure just fine.

In my case before I retired from the job I inspected my pistol daily prior to duty which involved a daily rack...

 

[R.W.Dale]

Load the gun. Leave it alone. Bullet setback solved. Frequent loading and unloading is buying a ticket to a negligent discharge.


.

And where in this process do you become proficient with the pistol?

IMO if this can work to cure your setback concerns you're not practicing enough




posted via that mobile app with the sig lines everyone complaints about

 

[GoWolfpack]

Take two........



If you're going to unload and reload your semi-automatic frequently, you're probably going to get bullet setback. I proposed the simplest possible way to avoid this. Clearly I was wrong.


I haven't experienced noticeable bullet setback since I started loading from a spare magazine with a single round in it. I do not, however, unload and reload daily. More like weekly. I shoot and replace my carry ammo about every six months. I dry fire with revolvers or with guns similar to my carry guns.

The only way to stop bullet setback for good is to stop chambering and ejecting the same round multiple times. Dropping a round into the chamber rather than loading from a magazine wears on your extractor; the gun was designed to be loaded from a magazine, not from the ejector port. Some guns can handle it and some can't, but the bottom line is you'll cause your extractor to fail much faster. Rotating the ammunition within the magazine cycles your mag springs, accelerating wear on them.

I was wrong to be dismissive of the OP's problem, and I'm sorry.

 

[45_auto]

I ride the slide into battery instead of allowing it to slam home.

That may not affect you much on the range, but it's a very bad practice to use on a weapon that you may need to count on to save your life. It's very easy for the slide to stop a few thousandths out of battery so the disconnector prevents it from firing. There's a reason that EVERY manufacturer and trainer recommends NOT riding the slide while loading a round.

 

[hentown]

Bullet setback does exist

Sho do!

 

[moxie]

Setback happens, but it varies from type to type.

Blazer is marketed as a practice round. I wouldn't use it for carry. Try one of the better 230 hollowpoints and test to see if you're getting setback.

Some guns are more prone to setback due to specific feed ramp geometry.

Best to check before rechambering any rounds. You can also do the "push test" used by reloaders. Just pust the bullet hard against a bench or table. If no decrease in length you're likely good to go.

 

[RetiredUSNChief]

Bullet setback is going to occur, period. You may not be able to measure it immediately, but it's there nonetheless.

Yeah, I'm sure that it may occur in some brands, or with particular lots within a brand, more often than others. But it's ALWAYS there, even with the best of brands and the best of reloads.

The question which cannot be answered with precision is "How much setback is safe?"

This is because there are a variety of factors which affect this (safety), not the least of which is the type of powder used and how much is in the cartridge.


Recognizing that setback always occurs, the solution to this is simple:

When setback is noticable, remove that round from your pistol and either dispose of it or put it aside to be used at the range the next time you go. Replace it with another one.

This should be entirely within the working budget of anyone owning a firearm, regardless of the type and expense of their carry ammunition. Unless you have faulty ammunition, this isn't going to require someone to go through a box of ammunition every week by replacing defensive carry rounds.


You do not have to mike out your chambered round for this, either. Periodically visually inspect the chambered round side-by-side with one that hasn't been chambered. If you can visually detect any setback, replace that round with another one.

 

[hentown]

Unless you're roll-crimping into a cannelure, then crimping has no effect on setback, except a taper crimp that's too heavy will loosen neck tension and exacerbate setback problems.

When I was loading .400 Cor-Bon and .40 Super I took Peter Pi's (prez of Cor-Bon) advice and bought a hand canneluring tool. I cannelured every bullet that I loaded into bottleneck handgun cases and roll-crimped into the cannelures.

 

[otasan56]

I load the chamber in my G17 from an empty magazine; I don't want any bullet set-back with my 115gr JHP +p+ ammo.

 

[mr.trooper]

Fiocchi uses bullets with a canalure in a lot of its cartidges. Even on cartridges you wouldnt expect it - like 32acp. That is why i like to carry that brand.

Yoi could also purchas a canalure tool, and crimp the brass behind the bullet on loaded ammo. Setback solved.

 

[Just One Shot]

Load the gun. Leave it alone. Bullet setback solved. Frequent loading and unloading is buying a ticket to a negligent discharge.


45 acp is extremely forgiving of bullet setback. Being such a low pressure round, if your carry ammo is a thousandth or two shorter than it started out, the gun can still handle the chamber pressure just fine.

I agree with leaving it alone and while I dont have a problem shooting a round with setback in my 1911 I wouldn't do it in a Glock regardless of caliber.

 

[hentown]

I don't agree with hand-feeding a round directly into a Glock's chamber.

 

[coolluke01]

I did a test a little while back with 147 gr Winchester Ranger T's in my Glock 26. I chambered the round many many times. I had set the caliper at the OAL at the beginning and then checked it periodically though the test. The OAL never changed after dozens of chambering. I would load the round in a full mag and drop the slide on the round. I gave it every opportunity to fail and they stayed true.

I would recommend trying this with your carry ammo and see how it holds up. Feed ramp geometry plays a big part in bullet setback. As does crimp of the bullet.

 

[Reefinmike]

I have never experienced setback with the way I load my 380 for carry. I crack it open once a week when at the range, and after cleaning and lubing I lock the slide back, drop a shok in, drop the slide and insert a full mag alternating 90gr ball and hydrashok. I never got why someone would insert a mag, drop the slide, remove the mag and load another round. Its just easier to drop one in the tube

 

[Inebriated]

I have never experienced setback with the way I load my 380 for carry. I crack it open once a week when at the range, and after cleaning and lubing I lock the slide back, drop a shok in, drop the slide and insert a full mag alternating 90gr ball and hydrashok. I never got why someone would insert a mag, drop the slide, remove the mag and load another round. Its just easier to drop one in the tube

It can break the extractor on many types of guns. That's why.

 

[EVIL]

I have noticed setback to be more prevalent in sub-compact semi-autos. For instance, my GLOCK 27 would visibly setback after only a few rechambering, while I could never discern any visual setback on my full-sized G21. When I started reloading and got calipers, I determined that there was slight setback of the .45 ACP rounds in the G21, though not as aggressive as .40S&W in G27 (Both Hornady.) Fiocci carry ammo also minimized setback in .45 ACP, from my experience.

Since I am one of those holster on/off again, through-out the day carriers, about 2 years ago, I decided to make my main EDC a .357 SP101 revolver, and I haven't looked back since.

 

[just for fun]

I only get it in my G33 357 SIG. I love the 357 SIG for carry, just wish it didn't have set back issues.

Got very lucky about two weeks ago. Son was shooting my glock 32 and had a misfire. When I cleared the gun the bullet had pushed all the way into the case and there was about 3/8ths of an inch of the bullet showing. primer showed light hit. When we got home I pulled the bullet and chambered the case, primer when off as expected. Had that happened on a live round, well I don't want to think about what could have happened to my son's hand. Case was Winchester and had been reloaded maybe three times. I've got Speer brass that have been loaded 5 times and this was my first encounter with setback in the gun, I would guess that I put close to 5K through that gun. With Speer cases after the fifth reload is shot the cases are retired. Reloading the 357 sig is another ball game. I have had rounds that the final inch of travel on the reloading handle didn't feel like it had enough resistance. Rare but has happened. Finished bullets would not pass the push test and cases were trashed. Before that gun goes to the range agian all ammo will be "push tested!!"

 

[AJumbo]

If you're using the .45 ACP Blazer Brass, get used to setback. I found it to have the greatest tendency for setback of any ammo I tried. It's OK at the range, but I wouldn't depend upon it for carry.