Do You Measure And Plink Test Every Pistol Round?

[FROGO207]

I will plunk test a sample of every headstamp when first loading for that run. Then at the end I do the last 10. If I feel the need I will plunk test some random rounds as I put them away.
When working up a load I genetally will do it to every round as that is not that many to begin with.

 

[ParallelCode]

I check COAL and use a case gauge on every cartridge. The plunk test I use during initial load development when getting seating depth dialed in.

 

[tightgroup tiger]

I used to. After I bought gauges, then figured out what I needed to do for adjustments to make the gauges happy, I got tired of not finding anything.
So I only spot check now. This is mostly with 9mm and .357mag, the ones I load the most for.

Those case gauges will make you fix sins you didn't know you had. They make you a better reloader.

 

[cfullgraf]

When I was shooting IHMSA silhouette with a 357 Magnum revolver and Contender, I'd check every round. I'd sometimes get over crimped roll crimp that would not chamber. Those rounds were set aside to be "corrected" later and used for practice later.

Once I figured out to trim the cases to a uniform length, the problem went away.

I have not shot any other handgun competition but for the most part, my semi-auto rounds get taper crimped and none of my guns have tight chambers.

I load 38 Special wadcutters in mixed cases and sometimes get one with a thick wall. Again, they are not used for competition. I do not check the rounds after loading but if one is tight when chambering, I do not force it, remove it then run it through a Lee FCD later. This happens maybe once every 400-500 rounds or so. I'm probably weeding out the thick walled cases by this process.

 

[Bartojc]

Every time I do a run I check OAL to make sure nothing has changed. I run every round through a case checker if I have one. A few years back I had a couple 9mm that failed to go into battery. A simple check would have caught it, I now check every round, it really doesn’t take that much extra time.

Jeff

 

[.38 Special]

Nope. The only rounds I "plunk" test are those which will be carried for defensive purposes. The rest do technically get "plink" tested, but that's probably not what was meant.

 

[9mmepiphany]

I Shockbottle every round, 100 at a time.. It takes 2 minutes.

Every round of 9mm loaded goes through the Shockbottle before it goes into the ammo box. The ammo may be shot in several different pistols.

I only measure OAL when setting up before a run, once it's dialed in I don't think about it again until I case gauge. After loading up the Hundo, I pick it up to see that all rounds sit below flush. I then look underneath to see it any are noticeably long or short. The last time I made a run, I had 4 cartridges out of 1800 that wouldn't go below flush...this was practice ammo loaded into mixed brass. Competition cartridges are loading into sorted, single headstamp, cases

 

[Don_P]

Speaking for my 9mm and 45 loads only, ....had you asked the question 6 months ago I would have replied yes. However, after doing it that way for many thousands of rounds with zero fit, feed, eject issues, My system has evolved to the following; I will check the first few rounds out of the press using the barrel / chamber I intend to shoot them through, which is the best gauge for that particular gun. If they plunk and spin, I start cranking them out and periodically check only a few out of the particular session. Thus far, that's worked out well for me so.....

 

[Bassfishing54]

For hunting rounds yes, just to eliminate hickups. For range shooting ammo no. I always verify powder charge and check OAL and drop test when beginning a reloading session and at least every 100 rds. When I change to a different brand of projectiles, I check OAL and drop test frequently, especially if I reset a die. I hate tearing down ammo and the extra effort can save time and headaches.

I can also see the need to plunk test every round, for match shooting.

 

[CQB45ACP]

I have a very low gauging failure rate because I cull the brass before processing.
Here's a partial list of the junk I throw in the dumpster. Maxxtech, MXT, FM, Aguila, Ammoland, ZQI, WMA, Xtream, A USA, SST, GFL and CBC. None of these make it to the press.

Send it to me.

 

[Klaatu Barada Nikto]

Every other primer tube I double check my powder weight, so basically every 2nd hundred round after initial setup and 1st chrono'd group.
While loading into bullet trays is when I case gauge my rounds, also gives me a chance to see if they still have lube on them.

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

Set up the tooling, check the begining of the run, go to production.

This^^^
The only thing I do a little differently is 20% the run. If I’m loading 100 then I stop every 20 and pull a random sample for a complete inspection, including plunk test. That way at least if something has moved I only have to worry about 20 needing a fix.

 

[Rule3]

Heck no!. Never an issue with match grade CZ in 9mm and 45acp.

 

[forrest r]

Don't have any case gauges, can't remember the last time I bothered to do a plunk test. I've been using the same bullets in the 9mm & 45acp for years so no testing needed.

I do set the oal +/- 10/1000th's off the lands. I also do a +/- 3/1000th's taper crimp on all my semi-auto ammo and a medium/medium heavy roll crimp on all my revolver reloads.

I could care less about the "dreaded" brass wear from crimping.

I have dummy rounds made up and I simply set the oal of the seating die to the dummy round and crank out reloads.

Can't remember the last time I had a ftf or fte with 1 of my reloads shooting 300#+ of cast bullets a year.

Now cheap 22lr factory ammo on the other hand has issues every now and then in a ruger mkIV 22/45.

 

[CQB45ACP]

For 45ACP, I don’t barrel plunk but do use two gauges (RCBS & Hornady) as an initial and then occasional spot check. I load in 50 round batches so I’m never too committed if things go bad (which they don’t).

Virtually everything makes it through the RCBS—bullet type (lead, coated, plated) and size (.451 & .452) and case brand (I don’t cull out anything by brand/headstamp). Everything passes.

The Hornady is much tighter and many or most lead coated bullets like Acme don’t fully seat unless I turn them or fiddle with them a little. And this is AFTER I have run every Acme through a .452 sizer before I use them (why? That’s another story). Nearly all plated (berry or extreme) pass just fine. Case brand doesn’t seem to matter.

I shoot four different 45ACP 1911 pistols—Usual suspects—Wilson, Les Baer, Alchemy, and Ed Brown. When shooting, the first three eat virtually anything so I suspect in barrel plunking they’d be like the RCBS gauge.

The Ed Brown is a finicky PIA and I’ve only shot 750 rounds through it. For this way to long post I took out the barrel and tried plunking Acme coated that I shoot weekly—NONE plunked. Not a one. So it’s even tighter than the Hornady gauge.

 

[film495]

yea, but I don't load that much comparitively speaking. even say 200 rounds that are finished, I'm going to line them up and put a light on them from multiple angles and look for anything inconsistent, primer seating, bulge, crooked bullet, whatever - anything that even catches my eye as possibly diffeent will get pulled ouf of the finished batch. with all the checks and measuring along the way, dropping finished rounds into a decent gauge takes what 5 minutes? It probably isn't necessary, and they get measured and checked like every 10th one during the loading process for me anyway, so - not necessary I guess, but what am I saving by skipping the last 5 minute test, and I do on occasion find a few that fail, so I'll keep doing it. Usually it is a burr on the rim, that probably makes no difference, but - if it fails a check or test anywhere int the process, it gets fixed or it doesn't get fired.

 

[gifbohane]

Send it to me.

CQB If you are serious I could arrange to make that happen.

 

[GBExpat]

Do You Measure And Plink Test Every Pistol Round?

In Development Mode, yes.
In Production Mode, spot check during.
In Insane Production Mode, spot check after.

That said ... while cranking the rounds thru the dies, if something looks or feels wrong, I will either sequester one or more rounds for later close check or just stop, dependent upon the specific situation.

 

[CQB45ACP]

CQB If you are serious I could arrange to make that happen.

Message sent.

 

[irishlad]

Every round that I load gets a plunk test. A final check.

I do the same. Probably not necessary, but I feel better.

 

[runner3264]

Yes, every round and why not. takes a few minutes to check 100 rounds. worth my time. You are responsible to check every round before you load them into the magazine anyway.

 

[bubbatime]

Defensive ammo, straight out of the Speer, Hornady, or Federal box, always gets the plunk test. I have found at least 5 rounds over the years that did not fit in the chamber properly, and a few rounds with missing primers or backwards primers.

Training ammo, who cares, its not mission critical.

 

[ballman6711]

Yes, I check every pistol round. As others have said, it only takes another few minutes, and it finds any problems which can be diagnosed and fixed.

chris

 

[AJC1]

Not even close. I check the first few and then randomly as I go. If I had problems I would check more often. The result is the answer to the process. Having problems your QA is insufficient, not finding any problems keep on keeping on. Qa for me is dynamic and needs to adjust to your needs and requirements.

 

[Jonesy814]

Nope. I do sort & load brass by head stamp but once I set OAL I just go to town making ammo. I check/adjust OAL when changing head stamp. 40,000 rounds so far, no problems