FTFs with reloads????

[freakaccident]

I loaded my first 100 .45 ACP and shot them in my Kimber Custom II today. I got 6 FTFs out of the 100 and about 4 more I had to push the slide in the last 1/8" to fully feed them.

Here is what I loaded:
lasercast 230g LRN OAL 1.260 4.7g W231 Mixed headstamp brass

I got the data from Lasercast.
All cases fit in the case guage just fine.
All cleaned and polished.
I measured OAL on every round.
The powder loads were weighed every 10 or so.

Is it possible the OAL is too long for my Kimber? Too short? Any help?

Winchester's load data shows a max OAL of 1.275

Thanks,
Aaron

 

[wingman]

I suspect it may require a shorter oal however the Kimber has a tight chamber and I would solve the problem by using a lee factory crimp die,
seat and crimp different operations, I use it on 45acp, 9mm and 40cal
with excellent results.

 

[Old Fuff]

I second wingman's suggestion. If you are not all ready doing so, go to a taper crimp and seat the bullets and crimp in two different operations. Also, check the diameter of the case at the neck vs. ammunition you know works in your gun.

 

[freakaccident]

I am using a Dillon Square Deal B. The seat is in stage 3 and the crimp in stage 4. No go on the Lee dies. I can adjust the amount of crimp though.

 

[Old Fuff]

The main thing to be sure of is that your crimp is not causing a little bulge at the mouth of the case. If it is, that would explain why the cartridge goes almost, but not all of the way into your barrel. Kimber uses tight chambers - too tight in my view, and they may be a little tapered.

So far, everything you've said points toward a problem crimp and too-tight chamber.

Edited to add: And as the chamber gets fouled the condition gets worse ...

 

[freakaccident]

So if I measure something I know fires well against my loads and my load is larger at the crimp I should adjust my crimp?

Makes sense.

I didn't notice it getting any worse due to fouling but I only shot 100 rounds.

 

[Old Fuff]

Yes and no. The crimp must be strong enough to prevent the bullet from being pushed back into the case when the bullet hits the feed ramp. If the bullet is pushed backward you can have a very dangerous condition.

Load some cartridges and measure the OAL. Then hand-feed them into the chamber but then eject them on to a soft surface. Measure the OAL again to make sure nothing changed.

In any case, a firm crimp is a must.

A better solution might be to have a gunsmith go into the chamber with a finishing reamer to be sure any restrictions are removed.

Edited to add: I have seen lead-bulleted handloads get hung up in a tight chamber in less then 50 rounds. At shooting matches some shooters scrub the barrel out with a brass brush (but no solvent) between each course of fire.

 

[freakaccident]

Most of them aren't not seating in fully. Most of them are getting stuck right as they are going into the breech with the slide open quite a bit.

 

[Old Fuff]

If the chamber is tight, and if it is slightly tapered, and in particular if it gets fouled at the front with lead shavings and bullet lubricant, and then ...

If the case at the mouth is slightly bulged, it will enter the chamber to the point where the bulged case comes up against the taper. Then it will either stop, or be difficult to get it going further.

So you need a micrometer or dial caliper to determine exactly what the case mouth diameters are between the handloads that won't seat like they should (and this may vary from one cartridge to another, which is the reason some work while others don't), and other cartridges that chamber without fail.

Another possibility is that for some reason the handloads are not coming up under the extractor like they should, or are binding in the extractor. Remove the extractor and see if they feed any better. Use a wood pencil to push the chambered round back out of the barrel. If you conduct this experiment with loaded ammunition it would also be a good idea to remove the mainspring housing to take spring tension off of the hammer.

 

[Rockstar]

The crimp on your .45ACP rounds has absolutely nothing to do with setback prevention. The crimp should be only enough to remove the bell.

 

[Old Fuff]

>> The crimp on your .45ACP rounds has absolutely nothing to do with setback prevention. The crimp should be only enough to remove the bell. <<

I think you need to go back and read the manual again ...

 

[Old Fuff]

Double-Tapped by mistake.

Post deleated.

 

[Major Beer]

not to ask a stupid question -

how many round have you fired through your Kimber ?

just curious if you have a realatively new gun - might need some ammo ran through it. i use a Lee crimp die too - saw a a plug on that

my 2 cents.
Major Beer <-- reloading newb

shoot safe

 

[Rabid Rabbit]

I had the same problem but with a Kimber Ultra CDP II. I solved the problem by decreasing the OAL and using a heavier crimp on the FCP. I also noticed the gun has FTF issues with lead but none with plated or jacketed bullets.

 

[freakaccident]

I have about 1000 rounds through the Kimber.

I think it may be an OAL issue. If I put a 1.263 casing in the barrel it doesn't seat as far as a 1.260 does. A 1.255 seats even further. This just dropping it in and not pushing it in. Would this cause the round to not feed at all? Most of them just barely get the end into the breech before it stops.

 

[Old Fuff]

It shouldn't, but it could. If the magazine lips haven't released the back of the case the nose of the bullet could get wedged against the of the chamber. However if the OAL of the cartridge is correct according to the manual you should have a problem. You might:

Try some other magazines.

Remove the extractor as I suggested before and see if that makes any difference.

Keep in mind that deeper seating of the bullet can increase pressure - sometimes sharply so.

 

[goon]

Either too much or too little crimp can give you headaches. I generally don't use any at all on rifle rounds unless it is going into a tube magazine or I am having some other type of problem that makes it necessary. On revolver ammo I put about as strong of a roll crimp as I can without screwing up my ammo. On auto ammo I usually use just enough to take the bell out and slightly press the mouth in. Most automatics headspace on the case mouth so you have to be careful not to get too much. With my rounds it wouldn't really be necessary because I can see where the bullet swells the case back out when it is seated. They are in there tight. I guess it might depend on how tight your dies are though. Anyhow, I would also check that out first because it has given me more problems than anything else.

 

[TooTaxed]

Olf Fuff may have the answer. You are using RNL, and probably have some small lead shavings at the case mouth on some rounds. The sign is that the round doesn't completely chamber by about a 1/16th inch. A light push with the thumb on the rear of the receiver will generally chamber the round, but you should clean the chamber with a brush to remove any shaving coatings near the mouth. If so, you can remove these occasional shavings by giving the completed rounds a quick turn in burlap as a final step in your reloading process.

I load quite a lot of RNL in .45 and 9-mm, and used to have this problem occasionally...

 

[freakaccident]

FYI - 1.255 is the magic number for me now. Perfect every time! Still looking for the perfect bullet to seat but I am quite happy with Precision Black 230rns now. Cheap and no stink.