Ammo Question for .45 cc owners

Several good posts on bullet setback, but are we sure this is what's happening with the OP's ammo? Re-reading his first post, he's having the bullets coming OUT of their cases, dumping the powder out. In a semi-automatic, I can't think of any forces that would tend to pull the bullet *out* of the case, especially if these self-defense rounds aren't even in the gun while it's being fired.
 
OK, if you still believe it's not an ammo problem, consider this. I have .45 ACP dummy rounds I made back in 1991 that have been used for years to check feed and function on 1911s that I worked on and built for a living. These 16 or so rounds have been hand cycled HARD through many many guns, customers and my own - and they still have not setback. They are still at the same OAL I loaded them at in 91. And for all you "needs more crimp" believers, these dummy rounds have almost no crimp applied to them at all. The case mouths had all of the flare removed and no more. When a bullet is seated you should be able to press the bullet HARD against the edge of the bench and not be able to budge it. Any at all. This is with no crimp applied yet. The crimp dies's purpose is only to remove the flare on an auto cartridge so it will feed easily. If the bullet is loose in the case no amount of crimp in the world is going to hold it in place. You have to be able to faintly see the outline of the entire bottom bullet in the case. Now you will not have setback or pull. If the brass has no temper in it or the expander button is too large the case will not hold the bullet. Our ammo producers used to produce high quality ammo but those days seem to be over now. Proceed with caution. If you chamber a round 2 or 3 times (or even ONCE) and it sets back you are playing with fire. If you can see a round that has set back saving it for practice doesn't mean it won't damage the gun (or you).
 
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Oh yeah, "smooth and proper feeding is a hallmark of Colt pistols." I made a lot of money fixing Colt pistols that didn't feed smooth and proper. LOL. When you mass produce semi auto guns you are going to sacrifice build quality and adherence to tolerances to meet production quotas. When you're required to fill Govt. contracts it's even worse. It's just the way it is in today's world. If you want a 1911 that functions from the box look at Wilson, Les Baer or Ed Brown. Or pay a qualified pistolsmith to go through the entire gun and fix/adjust anything that's less than perfect. When I started working on these guns Bill Wilson was the only serious production gun out there. If you wanted better parts you went to him. Then Les Baer and Ed Brown. The reason these guys can build a great gun is because they have spent years fixing production guns and making them work. They know there are problems with mass produced guns and how to correct them. Colt has not. They crank out lots of new guns to sell and don't bother with the details.
 
drail,

I made a bunch of .45ACP dummies back in '89 I use for function checking and dry firing. They've been slammed a lot, but like yours are still their original length. All they have for crimp is the proverbial "light taper crimp." I agree ammo that has problems like the OP's should be returned to the manufacturer. If you're going to use factory ammo, the cycled rounds need to be checked, as setback with some of them is a fact of life.
 
.45 acp ammo

Thank you all for your input/comments.
Again I have been loading and unloaded my 9mm and 38 super for 15 years without any issues. It just started with my .45.
Why I choose to unload when I come home is my choice for safety practices.
You can choose what ever way you like, and I will do it my way. I do not wish to debate this. This is not what this thread is about.

After all the input, I decided to take my Beretta to a competent gunsmith in my area.
When he had some free time, he went over my handgun with me.
He states that my Beretta is in great shape and should not have this issue.
He also states, that in this country, the gun and ammo demand is greater then it has ever been and keeps growing. Supply and demand is great, forcing ammo companies to mass produce ammo with little to no quality control.
The best answer is to reload yourself.
Thanks again for all your help.
 
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The best answer is to reload yourself
Click to expand...

Sorry...I can't resist.

If you know the answer, then why ask the question? :p

Seriously...

Ammunition is made to be fired--whether it is magazine or clip fed, or in a cylinder, or oaded one at a time.

It is NOT designed to be slammed into a feeding ramp again and again, and again. If you do this to ANY ammunition--particularly one with a large meplat--it will suffer setback.

If you have to load and unload, get into the habit of easing the round into the chamber, and then checking to make darned sure the slide is fully into battery.

But...handle it the way you want. Best of luck to you.
 
.45 acp ammo

I created the thread because I had no idea what was going on.
After reading all the feedback, I decided to take my handgun to a gunsmith to hear what he had to say.
I clearly stated this in my last post.
Yes , it makes sense that ammo being slammed into a feeding ramp can create this problem. However I have unloaded my 9mm and 38 Super probably 100-500 times without any issues. So it seems ammo quality has gone done dramatically.

Easing the round into the chamber, and then checking to make darned sure the slide is fully into battery is good practice.
Thank you for that sound advice.
 
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