Factory Reloads

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PhoenixConflagration

New member
I got a bad box of Atlanta Arms and Ammo 9mm's at my range today. They offer a $2 a box discount on the stuff if you have a membership. I kept jamming with FTFs and FTEs. I thought it was my gun since I didn't clean it the last time (that was only a few days ago and I knew I'd be back today, so I waited). I took one box home after not being able to fire the last one of the first box (the slide wouldn't go all the way forward). I cleaned my gun up and then tried to feed that last bullet. It still wouldn't let the slide go all the way home. It was then that I thought it might be the ammo itself (better than it being my gun). I loaded some rounds from my back-up gun that just stay in it, and hand-cycled the slide till empty. They all fed fine. Did it again with the bad bullet stuck in the middle of the mag. All good except that one. My Hydroshoks cycled fine too. So did a mag full of the box of Atlanta ammo I brought home. It was just that one box (or half of it anyway). Anyone else have this happen? Should I expect this from factory reloads? I hope not, that discount is nice.
 
Should you expect it? Maybe. Is this the first time its happened? In how many rounds?
Different guns have different size chambers and magazines. Rounds that lock up my 625 run like butter through my Glock 21. Cast bullets are not as consistant as jacketed ones.
I had a Springfield 1911 in 9mm that would only run minimum sized ammo. I had to chamber check every round. Too much hassel and I parted with that gun. My Glocks with KKM barrels will shoot everything.
 
There are reloads and then there are reloads. I used to get "factory reloaded" 9x19mm 124gr fmj from Outdoor Marksman -- went through two thousand with no problems. In the third thousand, I had two rounds come apart while chambering, leaving the bullet in the chamber, powder everywhere, and the casing partially chimneyed. In both cases, I immediately field stripped my pistol (a BHP) and found that bullet in the chamber, an accident waiting to happen. Both times the bullet had the same gouge on one side of the cannelure. I showed the second one to the range/store owner, a gunsmith. He said it looked to him as if the rammer on the "factory" machine was out of alignment, and suggested I put distance between myself and that ammo. I did just that.

On the other hand, I have fired more than 6,000 rounds of Mastercast's reloads, a thousand of it 9x19mm, with zero problems. Prompt, inexpensive and reliable. Highly recommended. www.mastercast.net

Cordially, Jack
 
Personally, I'm torn on Atlanta Arms. They're local to me, and so they are all over the place at every gunshop. I've put several thousand downrange from a few different guns, but it's still kind of hit or miss. I've had .40 S&W rounds from them that won't cycle properly, and I've had 9mm rounds that won't feed properly, .380 rounds that are perfect, and .45ACP rounds that are about as good as any other that I've shot. They are definitely not the cleanest burning rounds though, so that may be something to think about. Overall, I think I would give them a 7/10? Maybe? I mean, I would still buy Atlanta Arms if I didn't reload my own, and if the other offerings at the store were significantly higher priced.
 
I've only shot maybe one or two boxes of them previously (50-150 rounds). This is the first time I've had problems. If I were able to afford higher quality rounds, I certainly would, but right now, it's all I can do to shoot 200 rounds a month--not nearly as much practice as I'd like, especially being a beginner. The price isn't that different from WWB or Blazer Brass. I'll give Atlanta Arms a few more tries, but if I have anymore trouble, I'll pay a couple more bucks a box for the Blazer Brass. They've never given me problems.
 
When I first started shooting YEARS ago, I bought the "factory" reloads the local range sold. They were ok - at least at my level of experience and my youth. Then I made a wise choice and started doing my own reloads. Man, talk about night and day! Yea, I made a few mistakes along the way (boy was I lucky a couple of times), but the reloads I did turned out to be better than what I was buying PLUS they cost less money. Today I only shoot my own reloads or reputable commercial ammo. Its just not worth the money any other way.
 
Don H basically described me

Except I didn't do it in the garage (basement shop), and my arm didn't fall off (second elbow surgery coming the 27th).

Oh, my ammo worked.
(P-O'd the local major LE dept. trainer, because he had to make dummy rds for failure training.)

And my ammo was never cheap......



Fact: The ONLY rd I ever sold that failed was MY ammo that I'd made from scrounge-brass, and a friend in need at a local match bought a box from out of my range bag.
One rd had an internal invisible vertical case wall split, and upon firing felt 'squibbish'; friend stopped. No bullet in bore, but not on target, either.
I'd warned him at purchase the brass was suspect; he understood.
I still feel bad about that one rd, and after that incident I instigated a more rigorous inspection procedure, both for used cases and finished rds.
 
Sounds like somebody needs a dial caliper and few reloading manuals.
All factory reloads means is that a round is reloaded to a certain factory spec. They're still reloads and thus are suspect until you have experience with that particular reloader. Which factory and what load? I used to load my own PMC factory spec 10mm, which just meant that I loaded it using the same bullet, case and powder amount and got the same results on paper. It just happened to be my favorite load.

I am getting back into reloading this year, for sure.
 
Black Hills makes "remanufactured" ammo as well as newly manufactured. I guess they use once fire brass and it is mixed headstamp stuff, but they know what they are doing, being a manufacturer, so I would trust their stuff if the price was right. I would never buy anything at at gunshow in white boxes with the caliber written on in crayon or something, or loose in bags of unknown origin.
 
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