issues with .40 s&w loads

[kcd19]

I've recently started reloading for my Springfield XD40 Tactical/5" for Production class, the intent being to work up some minor loads instead of using factory (WWB).

I've come up with the first batch using data from Hodgdon's data and reading this forum & others. I'd loaded up 50 to try, using the following recipe.

Mixed headstamp/once-fired, primarily WW

CCI500

5.0 gr Hodgdon Titegroup

155gr Berry's truncated/flat

1.125 C.O.L

I gave them a try this last weekend and was pleased, overall. Much nicer to shoot than the factory 165 loading I'd been using for production.

I had a couple of issues with them, though.

- The loads failed to lock the slide on the final shot several times. I this to be because they're slightly underpowered for the factory recoil spring, and I should either bump up the charge, get a lighter spring, or count my shots. Am I on the right track here?

- I had a few fail to feed. The slide would move them forward, but they failed to completely engage the extractor and finish chambering. It left them 'wedged' with the bullet at the top of the chamber and the rim only about 1/2 engaged in the extractor.

* My first thought was "too long", but then I did some follow up the last couple of days, and see that 1.125 isn't at all an unreasonable length & is fairly common.

* I'd thought a little about short stroking issues, but I should note that the very first round I fed, from slide lock, using the slide release jammed in this fashion.

This pistol has been 100% reliable since I bought it 2 years ago. No stoppages at all, all factory WWB.. I got out the calipers and measured COL on the factory rounds vs. the 6 leftover reloads that I brought home.. The WWB measured a nominal 1.116, and my reloads were between 1.122 and 1.125.

What should I try first for the feed issues? I have a few ideas:

- bump my COL back to a length that I know works (1.116)

- eliminate the mixed headstamp factor and load up some of my own (previously fired in that gun) WW cases

- add a bit to the charge (i'm 10% under the low end that Hodgdon is specifying for 155gr bullets) to eliminate short stroking as a suspect

Thanks for any help you can give on the issue.

[caz41]

Get your hands on a chronograph and see what speed they are.

Since I have never used the combo you listed, nor do I own a XD I will not speculate. It could be the spring or your load is under powered. Either way you need to know what your FPS is.

Edited March 23, 2011 by caz41

[Erik S.]

Yes, get aq chrono, but I do believe you gun is short stroking. The gun uses the momentum of the slide to set the extractor so if its short stroking, it can cause FTFeed issues too. Get a lighter recoil spring. The guys that "count shots" don't have a reliable/working gun. You don't want to be one of those guys.

You mentioned the jam happened from slide lock which is weird so you might also want to check your mag follower with those bullets and make sure its feeding them up properly.

[twodownzero]

Chamber check your ammo. Glocked brass?

[dirty whiteboy]

Lighter recoil spring.

[CiDirkona]

I would go with lighter recoil spring as well.

Personally, I aim for the right load, then adjust the recoil spring to match.

[kcd19]

Thanks for all of the replies. I loaded up some more to test & managed to get some time on a chrono, so I have some more things to add.

A few replies and additions..

- the brass is generally in good shape. Most of it is once-fired from my own gun (factories), the rest is once-fired police brass. I am pretty careful about inspecting it for bulges, dings, dents, etc.

- I chamber checked all of the leftovers from last weekend and it all dropped in nicely. I checked everything I loaded for this weekend similarly and kept anything that was sticky or slow to go in/out separate.

- I worked on my form & had less issues with holding the last shot open, but still had issues feeding from the mag, both from slide lock & during courses of fire.

Here are some loads that I tried.. All with Titegroup & 155gr Berry's FP

5.2g, loaded to 1.120" - PF 166.8

1066

1086

1077

5.0g, 1.118" - PF 159.3

1035

1018

1031

4.5g, 1.120 - PF 149.2

944

960

984

All of these are perfectly pleasant to shoot; the 4.5 loads are a bit sluggish ejecting and I had one fail to hold open.

The upper two loads seem to be reliable, and if I have to move it up a bit for for consistent reliability, so be it.

The biggest issue I am seeing right now is the poor feeding, especially from slide lock. I've tried all 6 of my mags & it's not isolated to a single mag.

I've adjusted C.O.L between 1.118 and 1.128 and see little difference in the way they feed from slide lock; i get failures across the board. I've taken a picture & attached it, this is more or less the failure that I get, where the rim isn't fully engaged within the extractor and the front of the bullet is wedged into the top of the chamber.

At this point, I suspect it could have something to do with the crimp. I've compared mine to some other reloads (not mine), and I seem to be able to catch a thumbnail a lot more on mine than the other ones. While I do get the "bump" as the press cams over and finishes the stroke, the edge of the brass is still very squared & doesn't seem to be as tapered/smoothed over as a factory load might. I took the barrel out and tried to simulate a misfeed in the general fashion that this seems to be occurring, and the edge of the brass does seem to be catching the top part of the breech face, which agrees with what the failure seems to be in that the shell doesn't quite "turn the corner" and finish chambering. Does this seem plausible or something that you've seen? Does anyone have a general approach to determining how much crimp to apply? I aim to disassemble what I've got left over at this point and work up some more with a bit more crimp & give those a try.

Thanks much for all of your replies.. much appreciated.

[Artsville]

yeah measure your crimp...factory vs yours.....i can't for the life of me remember my crimp at the moment. I load for an xd40 service as well. I pretty much copied the crimp on WWB. I just measured the very end on the case mouth.

You could measure the wall of the brass X 2 and add your bullet diameter (.400)....should be in that range....

Just remember...don't over crimp the brass should be straight walled. Have any pix of a completed round?

don't think your velocity is an issue cause i run about 850fps pf 142 with standard xd spring.

art

Edited March 26, 2011 by Artsville

[kcd19]

I took some measurements - right at the very front of the case mouth, I have WWB at 0.417 and my reloads at 0.419-0.420

Perhaps more telling are the pulled bullets from each.. I don't have much of any crimp mark on mine, while the WWB crimp measures 0.393 +/- 0.0001 & is very prominent in the photo.

Sounds like perhaps there is some room for improvement on how I'm crimping things. Pulling the factories took a couple of solid blows where my reloads are generally coming loose with less effort than that.

Thanks.

[GrumpyOne]

Your crimp (.420) is fine, right where it's supposed to be. Bear in mind, the WWB is a jacketed round, and can sustain a much heavier crimp than a plain plated or lead bullet. If you crimp the plated or lead to what the WWB is, you stand a chance of having the bullets start keyholing and/or start shedding the plated material as it's fired (the heavier crimp will cut through the plating, causing it to peel off, sometimes in the barrel). Also, don't worry about what the WWB looks like or what it measures after you pull it, that isn't the issue. Measure the crimp on a new round, unpulled, at the case mouth. That should be your benchmark. At any rate, measure your bullet, measure your case wall thickness at the mouth, times that by 2, add the bullet diameter, and set your crimp to that.

On another note, I've found that a heavier bullet in the 40 will shoot softer than a lighter bullet. Try some 180 grain TC with about 3.0 - 3.2 grains of plain Clays at 1.125 and see how you like them. It's like shooting a .22 .....

[kcd19]

Ok, the way GrumpyOne's explained it makes sense, I think. My bullets are measuring 0.399 and the case walls are 0.009, so .399 + 0.018 puts me right around 0.417 as the outer measurement after the crimp, right? I will give that a go and see where it gets me.

Thanks for the heads-up on the heavier bullets. I've been seeing more and more minor loads with 180s since I'd started into this. I will try to pick some up at some point and give them a try, but for now I've got 1k of the 155s for the better part of this season.

Appreciate the replies..

[RH45]

Looking at the picture of your jam, I would suspect a dirty, or, tight extractor, or, weak magazine springs, not pushing the round up, under the extractor.

I've also had ammo that was too long cause a jam like that, or, it's possible that your pistol just doesn't like those bullets.

[Artsville]

On another note, I've found that a heavier bullet in the 40 will shoot softer than a lighter bullet. Try some 180 grain TC with about 3.0 - 3.2 grains of plain Clays at 1.125 and see how you like them. It's like shooting a .22 .....

Agreed.....i had been shooting 165gr plated i am now shooting 180gr MGJHP....way better....like night and day difference.....minor loads.

art

[kcd19]

I adjusted the crimp on those loads and gave them a try today. Loaded everything back at 1.124 C.O.L, crimped to 0.417.

This completely eliminated the misfeeds, both from slide lock & during normal firing.

5.0 g titegroup runs the gun nicely, and chronos just under major. The 4.5g loads run pretty well, but are a tiny bit sluggish. 4.0 doesn't cycle at all.

Once I burn through my supply of 155 I will give the 180s a shot.

Thanks all for your help, it is very much appreciated.

[GrumpyOne]

I adjusted the crimp on those loads and gave them a try today. Loaded everything back at 1.124 C.O.L, crimped to 0.417.

This completely eliminated the misfeeds, both from slide lock & during normal firing.

5.0 g titegroup runs the gun nicely, and chronos just under major. The 4.5g loads run pretty well, but are a tiny bit sluggish. 4.0 doesn't cycle at all.

Once I burn through my supply of 155 I will give the 180s a shot.

Thanks all for your help, it is very much appreciated.

Anytime!

[Artsville]

YEAH!!!!

Lock all your dies in......and load away......Enjoy!