superdude
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Posts posted by superdude
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Ah yes, the famous, or infamous, top rounds nose dive feed failures.
The phenomena you described is well known. The more rounds you load, the greater the change of angle in the top round. A noticeable change in angle occurs after there are about 4 rounds in the mag. I’ve spent many hours loading and measuring mags of various sorts, and all the mags I’ve measured thus far suffer from the same problem, but the effect is rather pronounced in 1911 single stack mags. I hope to write an article on this matter, with the hope it will be published in a gun mag or at least on the web. I’m working on a website for the 38 Super and that information will end up there in some form at some point (www.38super.net - sorry, but its free advertising!)
You’re right that the effect is more pronounced with tapered cases like the 9mm. but the problem still exists with straight walled cases like the 38 super.
The cause of the changed angle is a little tough to figure out. The angle of the follower changes, but its not obvious why. Some folks have speculated about the magazine spring and laws of physics and all that – which I didn’t understand but I’m not all that bright when it comes to anything involving math.
I suspect that the rather unique configuration of the Chip McCormick follower is an attempt to correct this change of angle to some degree. It might help a little, but in the final analysis the top round still nose dives.
This problem plagues 45 single stack mags to no end. This might explain why some manufacturers market 45 mags that hold only 7 rounds and other manufacturers sell ones that hold 8. The feeding reliability with 8 rounds is a genuine concern. (Putting in that 8th round dramatically changes the angle of the top round, and it nose dives terribly. It’s the same thing with 10 round mags for the 45 single stack.)
For example, I have an aluminum frame single stack cut for a ramped barrel that I put a 45 top end on. When I load a mag with 8 rounds and the top round is a hollow point, it can nose dive so far that the edge of the hollow point bullet actually hits the aluminum frame below the barrel’s feed ramp – it has the scars to prove it – and of course the cartridge stops dead. With only 7 rounds in the mag it behaves better and only rarely jams. With 6 rounds in the mag it runs fine. You can get around that with loading hardball rounds as the top rounds, but that’s not quite what I want to put in this gun because its for self defense. Oh, and even the proprietary Pow’RBall round nose will jam there – I tested that hypothesis. And by the way, all mags act that way, Colt, Springfield, CMC, Wilson Combat. It’s a chronic problem, and the folks at EGW pointed that out to me.
I converted the gun to 38 Super and the problem went away. It still nose dives with a full 10 round mag, but it doesn’t dip as far because the center of the bullet is much higher than a 45 and the bullet always hits the feed ramp (so far!).
So, how is the problem fixed? It does not look like there is a magic bullet (sorry about that terrible pun) to fix the nose dive angle problem. From what I’ve read it has been tried. (but feel free to invent a better mouse trap! You will be adored by millions!) The only advise I can give is to polish the inside of the magazine lips where it contacts the case and its rim. This will allow the round to move forward a little easier (less friction) and will reduce the tendency to nose dive. And round nose bullets will make the contact point on the feed ramp a little higher, but from what I understand its hard to find 40 caliber round nose bullets.
Also remember that as you put more rounds in the magazine the spring pushes back all the harder and causes more friction between the top round and the inner feed lips. This only makes the problem worse.
Rest assured that you do not suffer alone. Lots of shooters are pulling their hair out because the top rounds nose dive and stops dead. Well smoothed feed lips – read well used feed lips – and well used brass – they gets smoother with tumbling and polishing – the problem is less frequent.
Hope this helps.
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i called Kart not long ago (May 2006) and asked them what diameter their 38 super barrels are. they said .356. So i had to special order a 38 super barrel with a .355 bore.
i have been too lazy to slug the thing since i got it - its still in the wrapper.
feel free to call them, they are nice folks.
Kart Precision Barrel Corp.
3975 Garner Street SW
Shallotte, NC, 28470
Tel. (910) 754-5212
Fax. (910) 754-5210
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Guy is absolutely right with his advice, after all he is the real expert here.
The main point is that your actual results can vary significantly from what the published results are for all the reasons outlined and most simply because you're using a different gun (read BARREL) than they used.
its interesting that if our real world results are slower than the published results, we question why the published results are so far off. but, on the other hand, if our real world results are faster than the published results, we just smile a little wider.
do not be disheartened by your results. i test lots of stuff in my guns and the results vary with each barrel i use - they're all the same length but made by different companies. some barrels are fast, some are slow. and its consistent. that's just the reality of it.
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i've had excellent results with the CCI primers and after some 100,000 CCI primers I frankly don't know what all the fuss is about. i also use Federal and Winchester, and Remington. my 650 feeds them all reliably though i have had minor problems with the Winchester. i think it comes down to minor variations in the loading machines more than the primers themselves.
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in my limited experience with plated bullets in the 45 i also experienced some feeding problems. i inspected a couple of the bullets and noticed a flattened spot near the nose where it had hit the feed ramp. traditional jacketed bullets never show this because the copper jacket is really hard and relatively thick - it being drawn copper. plated bullets are very different in that the copper is applied a molecule at a time (i think) to the lead core. i think of them like powdered donuts. i could be wrong here and welcome comments from those who know better. anyway, the important thing to note is that the lead in many plated bullets is very soft - its basically a swaged bullet and this means a soft lead alloy. that's why it can deform when it hits the feed ramp. and i think that's why it stops dead. it doesn't bounce off the feed ramp like a traditional hard copper jacketed bullet. a plated bullet hits the feedramp with the soft copper film over a soft lead bullet and it can stop dead.
cast bullets also tend to be highly reliable feaders because they are made of a hard lead alloy. they bounce off the feed ramp during feeding just like a hard jacketed bullet.
i don't use plated bullets in the 45 anymore, and have switched to traditional FMJ bullets. yes, they cost more, but they feed 100%.
i don't know what would cause your gun to have trouble extracting the fired Rainers.
hope this helps
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I believe that Charles Petty tested this exact thing; mixed 45 brass versus same headstamp brass. He fired it from an accurized gun in a Ranson Rest.
The Result? No difference in accuracy between the two groups of brass.
This is something that many 45 shooters have suspected for years, myself included. there tend not to be huge differences in 45 brass from different makers. And I suspect that because there is a huge empty space in the 45 case for gunpowder, that minor difference that do exist between different brands of brass (with respect to volume) don't add up to all that much.
Bottom Line? Don't sweat sorting brass. Its a 45, just load it and shoot it and enjoy.
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Angus Hobdell
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A critical question is what could be causing the dents. Something has to be hitting the rail at that location and at an angle. In that location maybe the magazine or the top round are the only things there. But I seriously doubt they are the culprits since they probably could not hit the frame in a manner to cause those types of dents. After all, the magazine side is parallel to the frame rails. And the top round is too, and the brass/lead components are much softer metal than the steel frame. So I would tend to agree that they are the result of something that happened at the factory and not because of shooting the gun.
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HSMITH has nailed it down for new shooters. It’s an intelligent, articulate description of how to approach this sport. First and foremost, learn to shoot accurately. Speed without accuracy is pointless. Second, test the limits of your skills by increasing your speed. You learn from doing. You learn even more from failing, or as HSMITH puts it, crashing. You don’t know how fast is too fast until you exceed that limit. Or, as one of my friends used to say, you don’t know what kind of luck you have until you push it. Scientists call it hypothesis testing. Good job HSMITH!!
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The Lee FCD can be good for barrels with tight chambers. Case in point: a friend of mine has 2 Springfield 1911s in 45ACP. His regular reloads (done with a Dillon 650 and Dillon dies) with cast bullets run flawlessly through gun #1. However, gun #2 sometimes jams with the same ammo – the slide won’t go all the way forward and the case appears stuck in the chamber – they were hard to extract, even after the chamber was cleaned. After investigating it was found that only a very few rounds would get stuck, and that they were ever so slightly out of round because the bullet was seated at a very slight angle. The same round fit in gun #1 and in one of my pistols. We measured the rounds that wouldn’t fit and they were a wee bit large in diameter where the slight bulge was visible. I took those same rounds, ran them through my Lee FCD, and they would now fit in gun #2. I also measured the ammo before and after going in the Lee FCD. The Lee die shrunk the diameter by about .002 inches. It’s not much but it was enough. My friend has not yet bothered to ream the tight chamber, which maybe he should do, but that’s his decision.
My experience with the Lee FCD is that some bullets are a bit hard/large and they cause the press to rattle or jump. I noted this with Remington Golden Sabre 45 bullets and some cast bullets, but never with FMJ.
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the 38 super is still alive and well, and the new Single Stack division will no doubt revive interest in this respectable cartridge. the extra rounds and reduced recoil are two pluses that make it appealing. Bullets are a little cheaper than for the 45, if you happen to load your own. And as was noted above, the 38 super feeds more reliably in a single stack than does the 9mm Luger. this is likely because the 38 super has a longer overall length than the 9mm, and the 38 super has a straight walled case which tends to reduce nose-dive feed failures that the 9mm might be more prone to because of its tapered case. That is certainly true in my double stack para ordnance gun.
It is worth noting that as recently as this last weekend minor power factor cartridges in a single stack placed well in competition. The Single Stack Classic National match held in Barry, Illinois saw minor power factor guns placing 4th and 7th out of 230 shooters. According to the results these guns were used by Taran Butler and Doug Koenig, two skilled and respected shooters. That's a pretty good endorsement. I don't know if they used the 38 super, 9mm, or 40 S&W (which is considered minor power factor if over 8 ropunds are in the magazine - according to their rules: http://www.1911society.org). In any event the 38 Super has a strong following even in guns without red dot sights and compensators.
for the Final Results of the Single Stack Classic National Match, go to:
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i think its a good idea. it does reduce muzzle flip and i can't feel any difference in transitions. the gun never feels sluggish. the additional weight is such a small percentage of the gun's overall weight that it is not likely to produce obvious changes in transitions. but having that extra weight at the end of the gun helps to keep that muzzle down.
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now for something completely different.
i tried a different approach. i installed Hogue rubber finger groove grips on the gun. the finger grooves go around the front strap. superb gripping!! i will boldly say that its better than checkering. gets the fingers around the front strap in the same position!! soft and comfortable!!! i have them on all my guns now. even my carry gun. soft and comfortable. did i mention that already? best grips on the planet - in my book.
why suffer when shooting?
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i hope that other viewers will correct me if i'm wrong but my understanding is that comps work best when using more gunpowder. the more gunpowder you use, the more the comp does its magic. more gunpowder makes more gas and that's what runs the comp.
this can be accomplished by using slower burning gunpowders. slower burning gunpowders require more powder - in weight - than fast gunpowders to acieve the same velocity. so even with a heavy bullet, like the 230g, you can get better comp action by using slower gunpowders. of course, using lighter bullets allow more gunpowder to reach their max safe velocity than heavy bullets. ultimately you'll have to try a few different loads to see what works best for you.
of the powders you mention, Unique is slower burning than 231 and will require more of it - in weight - than 231 for the same velocity, so Unique would be the better choice.
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things to consider when selecting the right gun for you.
the gun's natural pointability. some guns point better than others for any given person. try each.
grips. a gun with changeable grips can make a huge difference it how it feels.
trigger pull. the colt has a nice short trigger pull that many shooters prefer. some find it faster than the other guns you listed. it depends on what you prefer.
division. for production division, all but the colt quality. for limited 10, they all qualify. for limited, they all qualify.
my preference? i'm a 1911 type guy. the gun fits me perfect. it points where i point, i can put my favorite grips on it (Hogue rubber with finger grooves), the trigger pull is short and fast.
your preference? try the guns you listed and see which seems to fit you best. after all, its not the gun that wins matches, its the shooter. pick what fits you best and have fun.
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The beauty of a 1911 is its natural pointing. The beauty of natural pointing is that the gun points where you point. The beauty of a gun pointing where you point is that you’re more likely to hit the target. Another beautiful thing about a 1911 is that you can change the grip angle (read – natural pointing angle) by changing to a different design of the mainspring housing. I vote for changing the mainspring housing if it makes the gun point where you point.
Why force yourself to do something that is not natural? Why distort your natural pointing angle? Change the mainspring housing.
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I noted that while I was writing this, HSMITH posted a more succinct explanation of one of the common causes for this type of problem. But I’ll add my little note anyway.
In a perfect world the magazine follower pushes up on the slide stop after the last round and that pushes the slide stop into the slot on the slide and prevents its forward motion. Failing to do so could have several causes. Since you mentioned that the problem started after a visit to the gun doctor, I will start with a problem that might have originated there. Start with a test. Grab one of your problematic magazines, preferably one that fails most consistently. Put the empty magazine in place and pull the slide back (alternatively you can take off the slide assembly but put the slide stop in place). Look inside to determine if the magazine follower has caught on the underside of the slide stop, which it should, or if the follower has slid past the slide stop, which it shouldn’t. (of course try this several times to see if it is consistent.) If the follower has slid past the slide stop its likely because; a) the follower is worn, modified, or the wrong size, and does not project laterally far enough to engage the slide stop, or
the slide stop does not extend far enough inside the frame to engage the follower. In the latter case it could be a bad slide stop, or maybe your gunsmith removed a little metal from the slide stop. Why would your gunsmith do that? In some instances the inner portion of the slide stop sticks too far into the frame and the bullet of a loaded round will hit the slide stop as it moves into position at the top of the magazine. In this case the bullet pushes the slide stop upward and this can engage the slide stop prematurely, locking the slide while there is still ammo in the magazine. The cure is to remove a little medal from the slide stop so it isn’t hit by the bullet, but still engages the magazine follower. Maybe your gunsmith did this.Another possible reason is that the slide stop is slightly bent and is having difficulty sliding up into the slide stop notch in the slide. Normally the slide stop is positioned so that, when pushed upward, it slides easily into the notch in the slide. If the slide stop is slightly bent, it won’t fit into the notch in the slide. Note that there is a groove cut in the slide stop that is clearance for the part of the slide that is not relieved for the slide stop (a bit hard for me to describe clearly, sorry). If that groove is not centered in the right spot, it can prevent the slide stop from going up far enough into the slide stop slot. The solution is the bend the slide stop so it does so easily – something you might want to have the gunsmith look at unless you’re confident that is the problem. In some cases the groove in the slide stop is not as wide as it should be and it can be fixed by making it wider.
Yet another possibility is that the slide stop plunger spring is pressing to much on the slide stop and preventing it from easily moving upward. Some slide stops have a dimple cut in the end where the plunger makers contact. This is usually done to prevent the slide stop from moving up to engage the slide prematurely. In rare cases the dimple is too deep, or the plunger spring to strong, and it prevents the slide stop from moving upward when engaged by the magazine follower.
No doubt there are other possible causes, but these can be the more obvious ones and are a good place to start looking. hope my notes were readable.
Good luck
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Curious problem. I’ve had no problems with McCormick or Colt mags using the semi-rimmed cases. I always get 10 rounds in the McCormick mags, either semi-rimmed or rimless. I guess the question is exactly how are they binding? Can you get 10 rounds in them? Are they binding while loading them and when firing or only in one situation?
Rishii has a good point and that might be the first place to check. If the bullets are seated a bit too long that can cause binding in the magazine. Max overall length is 1.280 for the super. Some hollowpoint bullets have a rather flat nose, for example the Speer Gold Dot bullets, and need to be seated a little deeper to prevent hanging up in the magazine. A seating depth of 1.240-1.250 might be required. Experiment a bit. and there might be a little variation in some mags. i noted that a Wilson Combat mag i had briefly (see below) was not happy with long overall length rounds that would fit fine in the McCormick mags.
You can increase the capacity of your Colt mags to 10 rounds. I bought the Wilson Combat magazine kit from brownells (catalog # 965-266-038). It replaces the Colt follower and spring and it will now take 10 rounds no problem. I’ve put in 2 in my Colt mags and they work great.
I recently bought a new Wilson Combat 10 round 38 super mag. I could not get 10 rounds in it to save my behind. I disassembled and reassembled it twice with no luck. I never did figure out where it was binding, so I sent it back to Brownells for a refund.
Good luck
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The recoil issue goes something like this: The less powder you use, the less recoil. Faster powders require less in weight to achieve a given velocity than slower powders, therefore they are the ones to use. Heavy bullets require less velocity to make major than light bullets. So the formula is: heavy bullet + fast burning powder = less recoil. Is it true? From my limited experience, it probably is true. Every time I’ve tried 2 or more powders that achieve the same velocity, the fastest burning powder (which requires less powder weight) produces a noticeable reduction in felt recoil. Every time, though I have not tried all powders, i.e. the “limited experience” comment!! (I shoot a 230gr FMJ 45ACP bullet at about 740fps (depending on the barrel) using 4.2gr Vit. N310 for IPSC matches.)
How does this compare to a fast burning powder used with a light bullet that makes major? I haven’t tried it so I won’t pretend to know. Possibly important detail = there is a mathematical formula to calculate recoil that includes the weight of the gunpowder in the formula = therefore the powder charge is important (at least in that formula).
That’s the recoil argument as I understand it. I could be wrong (standard disclaimer).
Happy shooting
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i shoot a Para Ordnance LDA 45 in production. i like the big holes, too. I shoot a 230FMJ bullet with either 4.5 of N320; or 3.6 of N310. velocity is around 650fps (150 pf) in a 5 inch 1911 and its very tame, about like a 9mm load. i've not used lighter bullets mostly because i like the 100% reliability of the FMJ.
good luck
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I can only reiterate what the others have said, but I also have an additional comment. First the reiteration. From what folks say, the most sensitive primers are Federal. The next most sensitive are Winchester. CCI are the hardest primers. I’m not clear where the Remington primers fall in all this but at least one person has said they are about the same as the CCI primers. I use Federal primers for my revolver because it has a lightened trigger and doesn’t hit the primers as hard as a semi-auto firing pin usually does. I use CCI for all the semi-auto loads, and even with a lightened hammer spring (19lb. in a 1911) and titanium firing pin I’ve experienced no misfires with CCI pistol primers.
My additional comment: Sargenv noted that his 650 doesn’t like CCI primers, and at one point many years ago Dillon suggested that folks avoid them because they were too long. When I first got a Square Deal B and the 650 (years back) I had problems seating CCI primers flush. I called Dillon and they said that I should avoid CCI primers, and that I should use Winchester primers. Odd, I never had problems with my Rockchucker press and CCI primers. Turns out that the Dillon folks were wrong. The presses, as configured by them and sent to me, had difficulty seating any primer flush. I made some adjustments and they seated the CCIs just fine. It wasn’t the primer, it was the press. Since then I’ve loaded near 100,000 CCI primers with the Square Deal B and 650 with no problems. They seat below flush or flush just fine. In fact, I’ve probably had more trouble with Winchester primers than any other brand – in this case they get hung up in the primer pick-up tube.
The bottom line is that if sensitivity is an issue, go with Federal or Winchester. If sensitivity is not an issue, go with whatever you load likes.
By the way, some powders discriminate between primers.
Good luck
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10mmdave has a good point. i've discovered, much to my frustration, that if there is direct sun on the chronograph/screens the readings can go wonky. i've found that the best conditions for chronographing is either on an overcast day, or by placing the chronograph in the shade. i learned this while testing loads on a partly cloudy day, when the sun was sometimes behind the clouds, and sometimes not. velocity reading varied by several hundred fps, high or low. since then i keep a stock of a 'calibration load' handy, a load that i know from many tests runs at a consistent velocity. its to make sure the chronograph isn't having a weird day or that the sunshine factor doesn't distort the readings.
this might not apply to your situation. regardless, its something to watch for.
good luck
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one issue that sometimes arises when loading major power factor loads for the 38 super is the strength of the brass. if you're using a gun with a fully supported chamber (ramped barrel) this is less of an issue. if you're using a gun with an unsupported barrel (standard feed ramp) then brass strength matters. In tests i've conducted with different brands of brass fired in an unsupported barrel (current colt production) ive found that starline brass (rimmed and rimless) is stronger than Remington or winchester. with excess pressure loads the remington and winchester brass will bulge dangerously in the region where the case is not supported while the starline does not (exact same powder charge and bullet loaded specifically for this test). however, do not interpret this to mean that the starline brass will not fail. it will, but perhaps not as easily as remington and winchester. and i have to add that the strength issue between brands might vary with lot number and other factors, so don't take this as gospel (nothing i say is; actually, nothing anyone else says should be taken as gospel either).
the starline brass appears to have slightly less case capacity than the remington and winchester, and this might result in different velocities with the same powder charge and bullet weight.
hope this helps.
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Wow, lots of answers and nobody answered your question. I’ll give it a try.
Conventional 38 Auto and 38 Super:
All the cartridges you mentioned are variations of the same case. It is a straight walled case with a nominal diameter of .3840 and a length of .9000 max.
The 38 Auto is the original cartridge introduced in 1900 in the Colt 38 Automatic pistol. it propelled a 130 grain bullet at 1050 fps.
The Super Auto was introduced in 1929 and it pushed the 130 grain bullets at 1280 fps. It was renamed the 38 Super Auto, or just the 38 Super. In 1974 the industry adopted the +P headstamp to distinguish it from the older 38 Auto. They did this because the 38 Super opperates at much higher pressure than the old cartridge.
Both the 38 Auto and 38 Super Auto are semi-rimmed cases. The rim diameter (.4060) is a wee larger than the rest of the case (.3840).
Rimless versions of the 38 Super:
The 38 Auto rimless is, as you noted, a rimless version of the 38 Super (and see the 38 Supercomp below). I think there is one company that designates their brass with this name - but I forget the name.
The 38 SuperComp (made by Starline brass) is a rimless version of the 38 Super. It was made, I think, in response to the fact that the rimmed cases sometimes have feeding problems in high capacity magazines. Removing the rim helps them feed reliably.
Another rimless version of the 38 Super is the 38TJ (38 Todd Jarrett, Made by Hornady).
Bottom line: they are all the same cartridge, the conventional ones are semi-rimmed and the newer ones are rimless.
All the cases can be used in your 38 Super pistol. Your extractor might distinguish between the semi-rimmed and rimless versions since their diameter is different, and this could result in case extraction problems.
Most folks would advise you to not use the old 38 Auto brass in your 38 Super gun since the 38 Auto brass might not be strong enough for the pressures of the common 38 Super.
Hope this helps.
the slide stop does not extend far enough inside the frame to engage the follower. In the latter case it could be a bad slide stop, or maybe your gunsmith removed a little metal from the slide stop. Why would your gunsmith do that? In some instances the inner portion of the slide stop sticks too far into the frame and the bullet of a loaded round will hit the slide stop as it moves into position at the top of the magazine. In this case the bullet pushes the slide stop upward and this can engage the slide stop prematurely, locking the slide while there is still ammo in the magazine. The cure is to remove a little medal from the slide stop so it isn’t hit by the bullet, but still engages the magazine follower. Maybe your gunsmith did this.
Oal On Montana Gold Bullets
in 44/45 Caliber
Posted
gosh, i just posted this on another link literally a couple seconds ago, so i will include it here as well. it helps to understand why the nose dive thing occurs in the first place.
round nose bullets will help reduce the problem because the bullet nose hits the feed ramp a little higher.
okay, here is a copy of a previous posting.
Ah yes, the famous, or infamous, nose dive feed failure.
The phenomena you described is well known. The more rounds you load, the greater the change of angle in the top round. A noticeable change in angle occurs after there are about 4 rounds in the mag. I’ve spent many hours loading and measuring mags of various sorts, and all the mags I’ve measured thus far suffer from the same problem, but the effect is rather pronounced in 1911 single stack mags. I hope to write an article on this matter, with the hope it will be published in a gun mag or at least on the web. I’m working on a website for the 38 Super and that information will end up there in some form at some point (www.38super.net - sorry, but its free advertising!)
You’re right that the effect is more pronounced with tapered cases like the 9mm. but the problem still exists with straight walled cases like the 38 super.
The cause of the changed angle is a little tough to figure out. The angle of the follower changes, but its not obvious why. Some folks have speculated about the magazine spring and laws of physics and all that – which I didn’t understand but I’m not all that bright when it comes to anything involving math.
I suspect that the rather unique configuration of the Chip McCormick follower is an attempt to correct this change of angle to some degree. It might help a little, but in the final analysis the top round still nose dives.
This problem plagues 45 single stack mags to no end. This might explain why some manufacturers market 45 mags that hold only 7 rounds and other manufacturers sell ones that hold 8. The feeding reliability with 8 rounds is a genuine concern. (Putting in that 8th round dramatically changes the angle of the top round, and it nose dives terribly. It’s the same thing with 10 round mags for the 45 single stack.)
For example, I have an aluminum frame single stack cut for a ramped barrel that I put a 45 top end on. When I load a mag with 8 rounds and the top round is a hollow point, it can nose dive so far that the edge of the hollow point bullet actually hits the aluminum frame below the barrel’s feed ramp – it has the scars to prove it – and of course the cartridge stops dead. With only 7 rounds in the mag it behaves better and only rarely jams. With 6 rounds in the mag it runs fine. You can get around that with loading hardball rounds as the top rounds, but that’s not quite what I want to put in this gun because its for self defense. Oh, and even the proprietary Pow’RBall round nose will jam there – I tested that hypothesis. And by the way, all mags act that way, Colt, Springfield, CMC, Wilson Combat. It’s a chronic problem, and the folks at EGW pointed that out to me.
I converted the gun to 38 Super and the problem went away. It still nose dives with a full 10 round mag, but it doesn’t dip as far because the center of the bullet is much higher than a 45 and the bullet always hits the feed ramp (so far!).
So, how is the problem fixed? It does not look like there is a magic bullet (sorry about that terrible pun) to fix the nose dive angle problem. From what I’ve read it has been tried. (but feel free to invent a better mouse trap! You will be adored by millions!) The only advise I can give is to polish the inside of the magazine lips where it contacts the case and its rim. This will allow the round to move forward a little easier (less friction) and will reduce the tendency to nose dive. And round nose bullets will make the contact point on the feed ramp a little higher, but from what I understand its hard to find 40 caliber round nose bullets.
Also remember that as you put more rounds in the magazine the spring pushes back all the harder and causes more friction between the top round and the inner feed lips. This only makes the problem worse.
Rest assured that you do not suffer alone. Lots of shooters are pulling their hair out because the top rounds nose dive and stops dead. Well smoothed feed lips – read well used feed lips – and well used brass – they gets smoother with tumbling and polishing – the problem is less frequent.
Hope this helps.