CocoBolo

Your first priority should be to fix the issue with the malfunctions, not find a work around. Having a slide racker may make racking the slide seem a bit easier, but so will pratcing unloaded starts. The drop check is your friend. 90% of the malfunctions I see could have been avoided with diligent use of the drop check, another 6% thru simply keeping the mags clean, and the last 4% either mag or gun specific issues or limp wristing.

Yeah I mostly lose it through low ports! I guess I just need to practice this more... When you are going into ports you are short arming the gun, keep your arms streched out but not locked. This also seems to happen after a reload when you first start, practice in all kinds of odd postitions that helps.

The standard trim length is 1.750, you will find that in just about every reloading manual. The max case length is 1.760. If I have a bullet with a cannalure I set the bullet so that a small amount of the cannalure is showing. I have not loaded any montana gold, but lots of Hornady FMJBT. I'm running everthing without a cannalure at about 2.240. Anything I have to push into the drop check gets tossed in the mistake bucket for those boring witnter nights you spend with the hammer bullet puller. With the Wilson Drop check if I see any brass stick up when looking down the center grove it goes in the practice bucket, for exactly the reason you mentioned, it sticks in the chamber and even worse it almost goes into battery and the the hammer drops and click. I think it has a lot to do with the crispness of the corners, as I can put the round in backwards and it will sink most of the way into the chamber check. I painted them with dykem and ran them thru the gun, and didn't get a definitive marking. Being anal on the drop check has paid off.

The picture of the Le Wilson with the brass being slighlty down into the hole is the ticket. Drop checking .223 is no gurantee that the round will but run from the last 4000 I have done the LE Wilson picture looks right. The real test is to dry cycle some thru the gun. Anything that sticks up gets put in the practice bucket. Last time I took the practice bucket out, my suspecions were confirmed they didn't eject. I also use the small base dies, but I drop check after sizing and toss the ones that don't drop like the Le Wilson Picture, then after loading they get drop checked again, and in every batch I dry cycle some. They say it is the Wylde chamder, well it drives me Wild, when you have to slam the gun on the ground to clear it.

No I just slide them in, both plastic and metal. On the metal ones if you put them in one side up or the other they may stick up if they do flip them over. My guns also have barrels for 38S so sometimes I switch the guts out and shoot 38S.

Clays does shoot very soft, what I found was that Accuracy suffered, make sure you can hit something at 35 yards, and not a gong, maybe an 8" plate. YMMV as each barrel perfers a different load.

My best scores in static steel have come from shooting MAJOR. To explain there is this thing called a dot it is best when the dot and the poi of the bullet are the same. That said if you persist in shooting minor make sure that you are not handicapping yourself by having to aim below the steel to hit it. Not counting my own mis-adventures on steel I have seen it over and over again with other shooters and I like it a lot cause I can whip them like a rented mule in the match. On our last SSC type match 3 of the stages were Virginia count, go figure, I tore that match up and watched others with their 95gr bullets miss like crazy and one 5 second penalty for a round put you out. In my mis adventures into minor steel I found that the impulse difference had me wondering if the slide would reach the end of its stroke as I waited patiently for it to close. Each match I would push it up a bit and at about 150 pf things started feeling good. A 115gr over 5.6gr of Autocomp makes a good load @135 pf, pusing it up to 6.0gr made a better more natural feeling load. For 38Super I liked 5.0gr of WST behind a 115gr pill. Try some different ones out on a plate rack with the timer going then try your major load and see which one makes you faster.

I'm a YMMV, I tried IMSI in my open guns for 2 years, they just did not hold up like the Wolf, I think the wolf may be under rated like a 10 is really a 12. I'm back on wolf springs now I can change it out once every 20k not ever 3k. I'm a recoil phobic, when it starts slapping the palm of my hand like a mule's kick time to change the spring.

Don't forget about San Antonio, we have 2 matches each weekend, 3 USPSA Clubs, and if you head south of town, land gets cheaper. Most counties require 7 or mor acres to allow shooting on the property. The others are falling steel, SSC type, and IDPA including a monthly Carbine match. People move here for the low cost of living, realestate is still reasonable, about 1/2 of what you pay in Austin or Houston. And we are no longer the fatest city in the country that moved south to Mcallen/Harlingen area, and we moved down to 5th or 6th in literacy so most people can read. Corpus and Ausin are easy commutes and have lots of matches.

I measured my maj 9 at .377 with 124gr MTG JHP. Once fired range brass mixed up head stamps. If your oal is 1.165 try some at 1.175 if they don't fit then 1,165 is too long. You need to drop back .005 or more to allow for variance temp change etc. I use the measure press against bench firmly measure again test, if it moved that's a problem. I am going to have to check out this chambering claim, I can tell you for a fact in my AR that the round don't get shorter I know because I check that with every new batch of ammo I load.

My Zombie max 50gr are on the truck headed this way. I picked up some benchmark, any ideas of a good load for those 100 yard and under carbine matches, I have a 20" 1/9 and an 18" 1/8. Magtech rifle primers. I'm in the same boat, have a good stock of 69gr Matchkings loaded for the longshots, some 68gr Hornady?, 52gr Nozlers seem to work good, and now the Z-Max. Ran out of TAC. Most are blemished bullets but I can't find a blemish on them.

Been there done that with 10Gr of AA#7 in 9mm. I could screw down the seater all day long and they just kept coming out the same size, they were growing between seating and crimping. I cured the problem with a Manson Head space reamer. Yes just used the length they came out. Save some anguish get some AutoComp, TrueBlue, Silhoutte or other denser powder that will allow you to seat shorter. Back off on the belling a bit, so you don't take all the neck tension off. Stop using lube on the cases. I tried the U-die thing, hated it, took twice as long to load same ammount of ammo. My standard Dillon dies work well, or my Hornady dies. +1 on using the correct insert for the bullet type, in fact when I switched from RN to JHP I forgot to flip the insert and started getting rejects in the drop check because it was seating them crooked.

Interesting, I'm using Dillon Dies on a 650 I've loaded and shot 70K of 9 major with no set back issues, however, I crimp using the thumb test, measure, press firmly against bench with thumb, then measure again. I was rolling everthing in the case pro prior to loading but got behind and now I only run the rejects post loading thru the case pro. Me thinks you may be using LUBE on the cases, I don't get lube anywhere near the cases, I just man up and strong arm the loader. Isn't that the purpose of carbide dies. You may be over belling the case and relieving all of the neck tension, I bell 9 maj just enough not to cut the jackets, with a handfull of bullets I stuff one 1/2 way up the down stroke, if I set bullet early it will fall off. I would call my crimp minimal, with no set back problems, works good on Montana Gold JHP, CMJ, or Zero's. I've shot 189pf loads with no issues, well two years later my STI slide cracked, but I knew that was going to happen, because it is an STI slide that was tritopped. I'm currently testing two Caspian slides cut the same if they make it past 100k rounds they are better than STI. The battering maybe be due to using an inferior recoil spring, I run 10# wolf, tried the IMSI and they didn't hold up, went limp after 500-800 rounds. I've all run 8#, 9# etc but find that 10# insures 100% feeding and only slightly slows second shots due to dip. My dip is such I shoot top shot in upper A zone and 2nd in lower A zone, blind folded and yanking the trigger, with spotter. Maybe your OAL is longer than your head space, take the barrel out and check that, then load .005 shorter to allows for normal variance. My head space is just right, I have a Manson Head Space reamer $40.00, you can dial in you head spacing to you load in a few turns of the reamer. Black Soot, change to Silouette and get oat meal. HS6, like oil stove black soot. Or AA#7 for small gravel. One thing my 650 does is auto adjust the powder charge, you load a few thousand and check it often nothing changes, so you do a few more thousand and what it jumped up +.4gr or even went down -.4g, nope not the unpredictable electronic scale but electronic verified with beam scale, trusting one scale not even. I'm not a blue biggot I love my LNL tolerate the Dillon, but I absolutely loath Lee and its cousin the ECG U die, either will cut your loading output by 30 to 40% and did not cure the fatboy reject problem a slight reduction, the CasePro well I call it 98%, as 2% can't be cured in the CasePro, that 2% goest to the salvage yard bucket.

Eric about the only thing I would try in Alliant is BlueDot, I have read a couple of post that claimed they used it in 9 major but no details. I've shot some in 38Super and it worked well. The very best thing about it is the smell. I'm headed out to get more TAC for .223 today so I may snag some and try it. I fogot to mention AutoComp in my list. My findings are that with 124gr 9 major you can load Silhouette, HS6, or Autocomp and it is very difficult to tell them apart. In flat maybe hs6 is the winner but in the straight back slap in the palm Silhouette. Which one you are acutally faster with, well only a timer can tell you that. Accuracy, Silhouette produced the smallest group out of my gun at 25 yards, 1/2".

I have the XN, took it to the range once to break in, only trouble I had shooting wolf slugs is that after the 4th shot the lens in the Barska Red dot shattered. The gun ran with all 10 rd mag and 5 rd mags. Yes I shot with no sights at 50 yards and hit the target most of the time. No feeding issues other than an occasional lite strike, I put all the shells aside that had lite strikes and at the end of the session put them all in one mag and they all went bang. I've now mounted the new Weaver Red dot that looks like a fast fire. I had to jack it up to get a good cheek postion and see the dot center of the lens, just used the pictinny riser rail from UTG. While it is in jail get some slugs, heavy bird shot etc for reak in, round up all of your estranged goose, duck, and buck shot high power loads. Give it a solid break in. Flatlander that Rem oil is about as good as blowing your nose in the gun, I've tested about every gun oil out there on my CasePro rolling brass, the lube that keeps on going like an energizer bunny and is more slippery than Astro Glide is CLP, aka Break Free, I use it on my AK-Dilley, AR, and Open Gun, garage door rollers you name it..

I had this problem on a gun, I'm taking the problem literal. It started doing what yours is doing I kept hobbling along with it then on a stage I could not make ready. Gave it to my smith he called me next day and told me to come pick it up. The problem was a burr on the locking lugs of the barrel. From the sound of things everything else is perfect so it could be.

Eric I thought you had tried everything. My favorite would come in an 8# keg be readily available, burn clean, shoot soft, and not sling all over the place. Problem is I'm shooting 9 major. I've tried a few all made major but I fell in love with Silhouette. The list Silhouette, Trueblue, N350, 3n37, IMR7625, HS6, HS7 aka Lound I mean long shot, WSF, 3N38, N105. I have 6# if Silhouette left, but in the fridge 12# AA7, 16# HS6, 10# N350 I'll burn what I got till I can find Silhouette. These days you just got to make do with what you can get. I had to take the light hammer spring out of my CZ since there are no Federal Primers on this planet. I'm sure I can lay hand on AA#5 so share that load buddy! Shotgun range down the road has a ton of powders wall to wall at last years prices, I cleaned them out on Silhouette.

You can spray the outside with Dykem let it dry a bit then insert the mag in the gun take it out and you will see where it is rubbing. My smith told me he did a hammer fit on my SVI mags but I've squeezed a few in my vise, especially single stack mags, I have no idea how they get pregnant but they do,

I've been running the weaver 1x3 works good out to 500 yards. Clear enough and holds zero, and a great feature no dang dead batteries. Got it from midwayusa 3 years ago for $129.00. Life time warranty to original owner.

Is there a problem with BLC(2) metered fine in my LNL AP, never tried it in the Dillon. 27.1gr made 55gr Hornady FMJBT hole in one bullet at 100 yard.

A cone comp requires a 1 degree angle cut so the barrel can unlock. I'm no smith but I seriously doubt that both sides would be the same length if cut with a drimmel, or a hack saw. Between my plasma cutter and my 12" cut off saw, I'd bet on the cut off saw, but I don't think either is the right choice, for precision. Look at the average smith shop my guess is they use the mill to make the cut. The fit of the cone in the end is critical to accuracy as is the fit of the barrel.

Ok, for those on the 40 minor band wagon, why not 9 mm, it is going to be cheaper for components and you already shoot Open and have the equipment to load 9, and 9 mm brass is the easiest to find! For me I'll stick with my 45, the brass I do get is good, I don't have to run it thru a GRX like the 40. If I want to shoot minor I can, or major, and with Clays behind a 200gr Bayou it shoots very soft. Did I say it is easy to find, don't need to dip it in Dykem to mark it they stick up like stumps. I love those Semi Wad cutters, you can see the holes in a no shoot at 50 yards. I can tell you for a fact that in Open shooting minor is the KOD. No real speed advantage, and for steel I prefer major the bullet gets there faster and makes it wag like a dogs tail. I'm a C in SS, I have fun, it should be like heavy metal one A hit is all you need, that would sure shake things up.

If you are only shooting with one mag, that mag could be the problem, if that is the case try to borrow another one. Sounds like you have enough rounds thru it that it should cycle on its own. If it is an sti mag it needs the spacer in it for shorter OALs, long bening 1.17 and beyond. The bad mag or extractor can make it not feed, but for those kind of diagnosis we need either detailed description on picutures. Other little stuff the cause grief, finger or thumb rideing against slide, noodling (less that firm grip), these are exarcebated when the gun is new. I run all AFTEC in my open guns one of those has over a 100k rounds on it, once right they just run and run a good investment. It isn't a drop in part, needs to be fit properly. You also need to clean the extrator tunnel ever 1000 rounds to keep it working. Rounding the bottom edege is key to a smooth running gun. Little bit of rigg grease on end of barrel, on the lugs and underside of slide where it contacts the plunger, CLP everywhere else. I found that CLP is the best, by trying all different lubes on my CasePro roll sizer, it last longer and does a better job than any other lubricant, that is rolling thousand of rounds at a time. I run all sidemore mounts but not due to ejection problems, only because I couldn't master the upright, too lazy to practice. However there is a preponderance of evidence that poorly tuned ejectors throw brass into the regular mount, which bounce back into the gun. The easy test for this is to take the mount off and test the gun. (it is probably or should be red loctited on and will need to be heated to get the screews out). Everone I know with one runs factory ammo, 115gr just about anything, although bob has had trouble with one brand I can't recall which. They run 9 or 10# springs. While the best know load for this gun is 5.2gr of AutoComp with a 124 and 5.6gr of AutoCom with a 115gr (135pf) about anything should run thru it. Are you able to hand cylce rounds thru the gun both fast a slow? If so then it becomes it could be a timing issue.

I recently got reminded what a new gun is like, I had a slide replaced. I had to hold the gun in the left hand and whack it with the right to open it up. I loaded 3 big sticks but had to manually feed in the first round with the mag out, once the pump was primed I commenced break in firing one shot after the next counting to 28 then reload and 28 again, then another 28. I grabbed the back of the slide and yeah I could open it. I turned to my friend and asked did you see where it hit, he said you were shooting the top target right? No the bottom it was 14" high. Point is all new guns need break in, and it takes about 500 rounds before you know what you are dealing with. I left out the fun part about having to nudge the back of the slide every few shots to make it go into battery, sometimes just click no bang, but nudge slide cock and fire, it wasn't fun. So about 200 rounds in it started working is it match ready nope but read for a good 200 or 300 round practice break in. Get it good and wet with CLP after about 500 rounds its broke in. Be sure to lube up the barrel lugs heavy. Give it a fighting chance to unlock and lock. A good load is 5.2gr of AutoComp behind a 124, if it RN 1.140, JHP see what fits in the chamber. If it is real tight you can go all the way to 7.0gr (aka major). If the back of the bullet is getting hung under the ejector its a sign the slide is not moving fast enough. With a light recoil master it is hard for a tight gun to run. Stuff a recoil rod in it with a 11 or 12# spring when it get lose you can go down to a 9 or back to the recoil master. Lots of steel masters at local matches the little guns run and run but they suked some in the beginning, had to be tweaked here and there. Zakley why I like a good proven used gun. I had a new one built went thru hells break in, since then it has run 100% for 20k rounds, changed noting.