FEG 9mm BHP Reload and Feed Issues

[badbob94]

Hi there!

Newb here to this forum and BHP but not to shooting and reloading. I picked up a FEG copy of the BHP a few months ago and have been slowly working on it. I removed the mag safety and worked on the trigger, sear and hammer in addition to cleaning up some rough milling. I polished the feed ramp. I now have a crisp 6lb trigger, no creep, smooth slide, ejector, etc.

However, today I got to the range to test the gun. I reloaded the following:

115gr RockyMountain plated round nose
5.5gr Clays
OAL 1.118"
CCI primers
Blazer brass
Lee 4-die set, with a heavy final crimp.

single shots were fine. But when I loaded two rounds in the mag the second shot failed to go to battery (feed). the round would be wedged between the magazine and the top of the barrel chamber. I also go 1 failure to eject, which dented the brass.
I was using an aftermarket magazine, Meggar.

So I'm looking for help since I have a few variables going on.

Is my OAL to long?
Hodgdon's web side shows a min. load for 115gr JHP starting at 3.7 gr. Is my load too weak?
How can I test my magazine to make sure this is not an issue? I could make several dummy rounds and manually try to cycle them??

any help would be appreciated.

Thanks Badbob

 

[JayPee]

Here's something to consider. The MecGar magazine for the Hi-Power was designed to point the bullet at a steeper "up angle" than other mags in order to get JHP's to feed reliably in HP's having the humped feed ramp. It works very well. However, if you've removed the hump, your MecGar's steep up angle could be causing your rounds to skid up the feed ramp and jam into the barrel extension as you describe, instead of making the turn into the chamber.

To eliminate one variable, I'd set the MecGar mag aside until you can see if a stock factory mag will repeat the error.

This is in no way a criticism of MecGar mags. They are excellent equipment.

Now for a second variable. Failure to extract. Do this. With your thumbnail push inward on the back of the extractor. The spring tension should be stiff. If it is soft, you need a new extractor spring. FEG's are notorious for weak extractor springs, but a new one from the parts department of Browning in Arnold, MO will fix it in a jiffy for very little money.

Manually cycling rounds from a mag through the action really can't compare to the way the gun acts under the stress of firing.

Last suggestion. Get some factory ammo and compare the gun's performance with the way it acts with your handloads.

Hope this helps.

JayPee

 

[Dr.Rob]

Check all your reloads in a go/no go gauge. At a minimum, take the barrel out of your pistol, and use it as a gauge.

Try a different magazine.

Check the extractor tip and make sure it isn't chipped. FN replacement parts from Numrich will work. Make sure the spring is installed properly. I broke the tip off mine after several thousand rounds.

 

[Schlegel]

Make sure the magazine spring isn't weak. My Mec-Gar mags work on my FEG, and I also flattened the ramp.

 

[badbob94]

JayPee

thanks for the advice. Ok, I'll set the mag aside and stick to the factory mag. I didn't remove the ramp hump when I polished it.

she passed your extractor test. Nice and firm, hurts my finger to press it all the way down.

Humm, factory ammo, round these parts its really hard to find. I've seen a few boxes but the price is outrageous. I see if I can scrounge a few rounds from some friends.

Badbob

 

[badbob94]

DocRob

yes, I did check my rounds in the barrel to make sure I was not loading them too long. I'm at 1.118" but I've seen them as compact as 1.00" They rounds could simply be too long.

Thanks

Badbob

 

[SFsc616171]

One last thing to check.

When was the last time you changed your recoil spring??????
Look to our dear late Guru of the High Power, Steve Camp's site, named HiPowersandHandguns.
There is a tolerance for when to change the recoil spring, by measured length.

 

[Wreck-n-Crew]

Check all your reloads in a go/no go gauge.

That or use your barrel and do a plunk test to determine your OAL:

The Casing should rest on the end of the chamber without the bullet touching the Barrel. It will spin free and easily with no grab and fall out when you turn the barrel upside down.

 

[a2x4bbl]

My FEG would occasionally do the same (the failure to feed). Usually I could bump the mag with the palm of my left hand and it would go into battery and continue shooting . It didn't do it very often . It would not feed 124gr flat points at all until I cut that hump out of the feed ramp and relieved the frame a little both sides of the feed ramp . A 3/8 end mill cut that hump out and everything seemed smoother after that . It feeds everything with ease now . Mec-Gar mags are all I have 5-15rd and 4-20rd and have had zero feeding problems after I cut out the hump. I just picked up a brand new hi power and both mags say made in Italy on them. As per Mr. Camps book they are original equipment and to quote page 52 " In my experience , Mec-Gar is the premier Hi Power magazine for shot to shot reliability and has been my first choice in Hi Power magazines for decades now". His book and disassembly guide are both excellent as well as his website . Hope this was helpful . Welcome to the forum .

 

[il.bill]

Welcome to the forum, and good luck getting your FEG Hi Power issues sorted. They are good pistols and I expect that you will really like it. There is a great deal of knowledge and information on THR. Some of the folks who have already replied to your thread really know what they are talking about.

I have been looking for replacement blued 9mm Hi Power extractors for over a year. Brownells and Numrich have been consistently sold out since I began my search and I am currently patiently waiting for a backorder of three (only one is needed now but if they ever show up I will have a couple of spares for my meager FN/FM/FEG/Mauser/Luger Hi Power collection) to come in from Browning. Post back if you do find a current source for an extractor.

 

[Onmilo]

You say, "Heavy Final Crimp"
What do you mean by that?
Roll crimp, taper crimp,,,,

 

[Jim Watson]

Your OAL is more likely too short than too long. Load as long as your chamber will accept in the "plunk test." I run from 1.135" to 1.145" depending on the bullet, I don't change the seating die for different round nose or conical, just take what I get. Feeding is good, although I do not have a Browning or FEG.

5.5 grains is a heck of a lot of Clays. Do you perhaps mean Universal Clays?
If so, SAY SO! There is a constant Internet Whine about the difficulty of keeping Clays, International Clays, and Universal Clays straight. Don't add to the confusion.

 

[Outlaw Man]

My FEG, the first time I bought it, had failure to extract problems. It was a chipped extractor. As for the other issue, the above suggestions should help you determine the cause.

 

[badbob94]

OnMilo

The Lee dies have a 4th crimp die. Per instructions (totally new to me) the final crimp can be either light or heavy. 1/2 turn for light, 1 full turn for heavy. We use the final heavy crimp setting.

As for crimp and chambering. I tested the rounds in the removed barrel to make sure the OAL was correct. Yes, the brass hit the rim and would chamber, spin and remove easily. the bullet was not touching the lands/barrel.

After doing more research I'm beginning to think this is a weak load issue.

Thanks you'all you've been a huge help so far.

Badbob

 

[badbob94]

JimWatson

Ok, thanks for letting me know you're running longer and not having feed problems.

As for loads, I'm using just plain old Clays. I have a 4lb keg for shotgun and want to use it up. Hodgdon web site shows two loads:

115gr lead starts at 3.0gr
115gr fjhp starts at 3.7gr

Did I say 5.5gr?? I meant 3.5 gr of Clays. I started there because:

1) I wanted to test fire the gun and not push it.
2) I read lots of different information about copper plated lead round nose. Some said load the same as lead bullets, some said reduce 10% from FMJ, and finally some said load it the same as FMJ.

So, getting some factory ammo might be the way to test to make sure this is a load issue verses a mag, feed ramp, spring tension issue.

Thanks much,

Badbob

 

[badbob94]

OutlawMan

I'll double check the extractor but I had just torn the entire gun apart and polished all pieces. The extractor hook was in fine shape.

Best wishes,

Badbob

 

[Jim Watson]

Did I say 5.5gr?? I meant 3.5 gr of Clays.

And this is another reason to double check any Internet Recipes you pick up.

 

[badbob94]

Did a quick check on my reloads and compared the cartrigdge diameter at the crimp and spent cartridges.

Spent average diameter=.3810"
Reload Crimp diameter=.3755"

That is a .0055" difference--so this should not be a problem.

SAAMI spec for the chamber is .381", and for the cartridge at bullet is .3800", a difference of .001" (isn't that rather tight?"

I did look closely at how the cartridge feeds out of the mag into the chamber. the angle is just right for the edge of the brass (the crimp where bullet meets the case) and it does ever so slightly catch on the roof of the chamber. I wonder if that is enough to hang up the slide from feeding all the way.

Badbob

 

[badbob94]

Hey folks

Its been a long winter but I finally got to the range yesterday to try out some new loads. I'm happy to report the feed problem is fixed. However I did have two fail to eject, but these was steel ammo I got at big blue. I double checked the ejector and it was well lubed and pivoting freely. I probably shot 100 rounds yesterday.

Here is my load:

115g PRN
3.7gr Clays
OAL 1.118"
1 turn on the Lee Crimp die.

so in retrospect the weak load was the problem causing feed issues.

Thanks again for your suggestions and help.

Badbob