Bob Kennedy

Being experienced in pistol reloading I have no experience with rifle rounds. I have found and prepared the brass. Found the primers wolf .223. I found a decent buy for some .223 bullets. Speer 65 grain gameking spitzer boat tail. I cannot find any reloading data on this bullet for CFE 223 or ARComp powders. I have searched the powder manufacture and bullet manufactures websites but have found nothing. I have found web responses saying use a smaller bullet load and work up. Found another article saying not to to use the smaller use the heavier load and work up. I do not want to blow up a brand new rifle. I just need a safe starting load to start working this round up. So I have come to the experts.

Looks like the modified the feed ramp Bob

Well got the pistol back from S&W. While the paperwork only indicates that there was a Feed/Extraction problem, the pistol now work flawlessly. I have put 200 rounds (Reloads) through the pistol with no failure to feed or extract. I am declaring this fixed. Bob

I am waiting for S&W to return the weapon. As soon as I get it back I will let you know. Bob

Well it is on its way back to the Factory. Took it down the the dealer (Certified Armorer M&P). At first he stated "bet it works fine with hardball". Said I bet you are right. Try something other than Hardball, like hollow-points. Guess what, would not even feed the hollow-point at all. Anything other than real hardball would not feed. He verified that there is a problem with the feed ramp. Called S&W, call tag will be here in the morning. Will update when I get it back. Bob

I ordered and received a M&P .40 Pro in 5". Gun shoots wonderfully. I am having a problem with cases being stripped from the Mag. When shooting factory hardball ammunition there is not a problem. I usually shoot reloads (Bayou Bullets) in 9mm and .45 ACP without issues. Thousands. When trying to shoot the reloads, the first round strips and goes into battery without issue. When the second or subsequent rounds are stripped from the magazine the bullet goes high into the ramp and the Rim is below the firing pin area. Using a slight amount of back pressure on the action the round snaps into place. I thought that this was a COL issue but the rounds are the same length or shorter then the factory ammo. I made up some dummy rounds (No Primer or Powder). I shortened up the COL to well under specs. This did not help. I had the same problems with some snap caps. Changed to the other supplied magazine. Same issue. Feed ramp is smooth and burr free. I am returning to the dealer tomorrow to allow the gunsmith to look at the issue. Any ideas would be welcomed. Bob

Thank you for the answers. It appears that my understanding of the data with your confirmations is correct. Bob

I am just getting back into reloading after 20 years away from the press and boy have things changed. I guess that I am back to the stage of newbie. In my old reloading days I had a rockchucker because I could not afford a Dillion. After 20 years I finally have a Dillion 550. Thank you Brian for making that process so simple. I have the press installed and adjusted for 9mm and another tool head for 45 ACP. I am using bayou bullets for the 9mm 125 gr lrn I found load data in Hodgdon 2010 annual manual (I could not find load data in Lymans 49th) for a staring load of 3.8 grains of universal (clays I assume). I am a little longer on the OAL then spec'ed but is still fits in the case Gage and is the same length as the factory rounds that I have been using in my M&P 9c. Do I have this starting load right? This is just for paper nothing special so I am looking for economical. For the 45 I am using bayou bullets 230 gr lrn over 4.5 grains of universal (again clays I assume). I am again a little longer the spec'ed OAL but it fits the case Gage and is the same length as the factory ammo that I a using in my Colt 1911. Do I have this starting load right? This is just for paper nothing special so I am looking for economical. The main reason that I am doing this is that I a tired of running the mud out of my guns after shooting the cheap factory ammo from Academy or Cabella's. So I am looking for economical and clean burning. At the moment I don't care about power factors (I don't even know what they are) nor do I have a chronograph as they were very expensive 20 years ago and I never used one. Times are different now. Now you may ask yourself how did I arrive at these (universal and unique), well they were on sale at Cabella's, so I figured what the heck I used universal years ago. After I get this all figured out I thought I could order a keg from somewhere. Bob