Nose Dive?

[MustangGreg66]

So I recently bought a Customized 2011 and I just started working up a load for it. Previously I borrowed an SVI 2011 and loaded for it so I went off that experience, however things are a little different this time around.

I figured if I'm going to shoot this thing a lot, it's going to have to be on the cheap. It has a Schumann AET barrel, but I'm working up a 180gr Bear Creek Moly load for it anyway. It seemed to shoot ok in the test loads.

Anyway, my load was using Solo 1000 at an OAL of 1.205" (aiming for 1.200, but took what I could get) and the loads seemed to work great, functioned fine except for one FTE on the last round that went right back in the chamber. I'm ordering a afec extractor to hopefully fix that. Through some chain of events during testing that I don't really recall I extracted a loaded round that had been fed after firing a shot and I found this.

It looks like the front of the bullet contacted the bottom of the feed ramp.

I guess my question out of all this is: Has anyone seen this before? Is it due to the longer OAL and would shortening it to 1.180" or even 1.135" help?

It didn't cause any malfunctions and I checked a few rounds after I found this and it looks like all of them are doing this. But like I said, they all fed fine.

I ordered some new magazine springs for some other mags so I guess we'll see if that's causing it. Not sure what else to try, or if I should be concerned or not.

Edited February 1, 2013 by MustangGreg66

[Cavy]

You should be concerned. That looks like a failure to feed waiting to happen. I think you are on the right track. Most times this happens when the follower isn't applying enough pressure to keep the rounds secure in the tube. Make sure the inside of the mag tube is clean and free of dings or burrs. Scotchbrite or fine sandpaper work well. Also check the followers for burrs. New springs and clean shiny ammo. I load mine to the same 1.200" without any issues.

[MustangGreg66]

Thanks for the reply.

I got the new Grams springs/followers the other day and took all my mags apart and did a little swapping around. The two mags I had been using had old grams springs that were 1-2" shorter than the new ones. I shot up the rest of my ammo I had loaded with the new mag springs but forgot to go back and check for this. I'll have to load some more ammo and look for it again. I did notice a little hitch as the gun fed the ammo, not smooth.

I was thinking to load them down to 1.180" since that's what some recommend. I tried one of my rounds in a friend's Para and it wouldn't chamber. I'm thinking maybe I'll load up some of my Glock major 40 load and see how that chronos and shoots out of the 2011. After all, it'd be nice to have a similar load for both.

[RH45]

Failure to feed could be the least of your problems.

.40 S&W is a high pressure round to begin with, and if you get bullet setback, it will raise chamber presure, and possibly blow up your gun.