Reusing bullets

[MoreIsLess]

If I make a couple of "test" rounds without powder, of course, can I test them to see if they feed in my gun OK and then if they do pull the bullet out and re-load it with the same set up only using powder.

I hate to be so paranoid but I am new to this and would rather be over cautious than not cautious enough.

I have an M&P 45 pistol.

 

[243winxb]

After you pull the bullets on the dummy rounds, resize the brass. It will work Ok.

 

[rcmodel]

I am of the opinion that loading dummy rounds to "test" if they will function is a monumental waste of time.

Just because they will hand feed in your gun doesn't mean they will actually Feed, Fire, and Function Freely in your gun when you go to shoot them. Hand cycling ammo through a gun has an entirely different dynamic then letting the gun do the cycling itself when shot.

Just load the dang things, and seat at max OAL that will fit in the barrels chamber without the bullet hitting the rifling leade.
(Assuming a pistol, take the barrel out and use it for a cartridge guage at the reloading bench.)

If you start out with a recommended Starting load of powder, they will either cycle the action, or they won't.

BTW: It's just as easy and far less bother to pull the bullets and recycle them and the powder if it doesn't work out for you.

rc

 

[Dudemeister]

Just because they will hand feed in your gun doesn't mean they will actually Feed, Fire, and Function Freely in your gun when you go to shoot them. Hand cycling ammo through a gun has an entirely different dynamic then letting the gun do the cycling itself when shot.

I can attest to what RC just said. I have a Llama 380 that would feed and eject ANYTHING you put in it by hand cycling it as fast as you can, but in real practice it would almost always misfeed after the first couple of rounds.

In my case it turned out I had a bad recoil spring. Changing it, fixed the problem as long as I use round nosed bullets. It still misfeeds HPs.

So don't waste your time with dummy rounds.