Could this cause misfeeds in 1911s?

[Snowdog]

While running a few rounds through a couple 1911s recently, I had one specimen that's proven itself totally reliable in the past with multiple brands of JHPs to choke on Georgia Arms 200gr SWCs. Now I'm aware that the bullet profile of the SWC challenges feed reliability, but one 1911 experienced a couple failures to feed while the other didn't (with the same number of rounds fired through both).

While at home later trying to better understand the failures, I attempted to recreate a misfeed by manually cycling several magazines worth of the same 200gr G-A SWCs through the 1911 in question. While I wasn't able to induce any similar malfunctions using this method, I did notice that many of the ejected SWCs had bullets that had been forced further back into their cases.

Would it be safe to presume this had something to do with the failures at the range? Could it be that the cartridge lost some vital foward momentum needed to situate the cartridge for proper chamber alignment as the bullet collapsed back into its case after contact with the feed ramp, resulting in failures to feed?

I've had plenty previous experience with Georgia Arms and continue to believe them to be among the best in their genre, though if this bullet set-back is to blame for the failures to feed, perhaps G-A would do well to apply a healthy crimp to this particular load.

Thanks in advance

 

[carolinaman]

Hi there Snowdog,

The short answer is yes it can and if this run of ammunition was taper crimped properly at the factory it would lessen the likelyhood of feeding problems since the .45 auto round headspaces on the rim of the cartridge.

Chris

 

[wally]

If the bullets are setting back on their first trip thru the gun I'd sure stop buying that brand of ammo! Discard the setback rounds.

Setback can cause dangeoursly high pressures, although in .45ACP you have near maximum safety margins. Multiple trips (more than three) will cause any ammo to experience setback eventually, so if you used the same rounds multiple times, your observations don't prove much other than its a bad idea to load and unload the same rounds in an auto-loader.

Next time out, I'd check to see if the rounds that jam (fail to feed) are setback or not. Its possible that the ones that don't setback jam while the setback lets them feed -- a potentially dangerous situation that can result from using a stronger recoil spring to "correct" feed problems.

--wally.

 

[Jim Watson]

Yes, bullet setback can cause a misfeed, and if it does bounce into the chamber will run pressures up. It doesn't have to kaBoom the casehead to cause trouble, I had some to stick in the chamber enough to fail to extract. That is why I don't use soft, slippery plated SWCs any more.

You cannot crimp a loose bullet tight, the offending cartridges either had undersize bullets, thin or workhardened brass, or the sizing die was worn. Yes, tungsten carbide will wear over the course of a million rounds in commercial service.

 

[georgeduz]

well it could be the spring is too heavy for that target load,i load 45 auto for 2 pistols.my target loads do not work in the 1911 with stock spring,

 

[slopemeno]

Carolinaman: +1 on taper crimp. Its amazing how FEW people have figured this out. Back when I was Action shooting, we found that taper crimp was THE key to getting most guns to work consistently. Guns that hesitated to feed factory ball worked great with my heavily taper crimped H&G 68 200 Gr SWC.