About keeping your carry gun loaded

I only time I have seen/noticed set back was with my SR 1911. It would only chamber FMJ. Ruined a number of Hollow points with serious set back. The gun was returned for repair and works fine now.

For your question. I leave my guns loaded with one in the chamber. I have chambered some rounds many times and not had a problem. Loading and unloading guns should not be problem if you follow safe practices. If you want to practice and are nervous try snap caps.
 
I once decided to test bullet setback. I used several pistols, several different brands of ammo and got some interesting results (all 9mm).

To make a long (and tiring and fairly expensive) test program tale short, I played with a lot of combinations in both pistols and revolvers and got some high pressure signs, but never enough to blow up or damage any guns (or me!). Obviously I could not test every combination of handload or even buy every brand of factory ammo, but I did a lot of testing and have the sore hand to prove it.

My conclusion was that bullet setback from repeated chamberings of factory ammo does not happen and if it is forced (using a vise to break the seal and create bullet setback) it is obvious and/or the round won't chamber.

In short, I concluded that such a condition would almost have to be created deliberately, and with reloads, not accidentally by simply chambering the same round several times. And even then, every warning (like bulged cases) would have to be ignored (as was done in some tests where a badly distorted case was hammered into the chamber).

Jim
 
James K said:
but I did a lot of testing and have the sore hand to prove it.

My conclusion was that bullet setback from repeated chamberings of factory ammo does not happen and if it is forced (using a vise to break the seal and create bullet setback) it is obvious and/or the round won't chamber.
Click to expand...

I cant speak for your personal test methods but rest assured bullet setback is real, common, and can be a problem if not checked and discovered. There is plenty of information available to validate the problem with a simple web search: https://duckduckgo.com/?q=bullet+setback&t=canonical&ia=web

I've had my own problems specifically with Hornandy ammo setting back with even just one or two chamberings and I've read of others having issues with Hornandy ammo specifically 45acp in non-ramped 1911s.

https://www.firearmstalk.com/threads/hornady-critical-duty-45-bullet-set-back.95369/
http://forum.opencarry.org/forums/showthread.php?98597-Issue-with-Hornady-Critical-Defense
 
Only time I manually cycle a round out of the chamber when I am at home is to do some dry firing or to clean the gun.

I used to worry about bullet setback and if it really does bother me, i can just unload the magazine and put the recently unchambered round at the bottom of the mag. If it takes dozens of reloading to set a bulletback, cycling a different round each time should spread it out. But I know that I do not load/unload enough times between range trips to have it be a true concern.
 
I don't know about bullet setback, but repeated chambering of a round can cause damage to the primer, at some point causing it to loose its ability to fire. There was a case a few years ago of a cop who unchambered his duty gun every night and rechambered that top round every morning. After something like 3 years of this (1000 times) he found himself in a gunfight. All he got with the first trigger press was "click". There was an investigation and the problem was declared to be the multiple chamberings. Somewhere between the 2nd chambering and the 1000th, the primer gave out.

I use Claude Werner's advise. Every time you unchamber one of your expensive hollow points, use a permanent marker to mark the case. When you unchamber a round with 4 marks on it, it's now just a practice round.

This would cover any tendency for the bullet to move around as well.
 
how often? I have noticed it by way of visual inspection many many many times. Was it enough to be a problem?.. who knows. It was enough to notice it with the naked eye. I have seen it in as little as 2 chambers of the same round. Who hasn't? I mean really, are there people who have not had the occasion to notice bullet set back?
 
I see people making the argument that one should be able to unload a weapon safely, the military does it, etc. The fact is - done right at the range you are pointing where? Down range. In the military or police you are pointing where? A clearing barrel. When you do it at home you are doing it where? Occasionally this is necessary at home, but as someone pointed out you are buying a ticket to the ND lottery and personally, I'd like to keep that to a bare minimum.

I have no doubt someone can/will come behind me and say how they have a specially built wall, or a clearing barrel inside the door of their house. Fine. Most people do not and therefore should not be clearing a weapon where a ND will potentially cause loss of property or life.

I guess that puts me firmly in the "leave it loaded" category. :)
 
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