Semi wad-cutter, trunkated, etc...

[davism]

I've been trying to find the perfect bullet to reload for my .40.  Today I realized that I don't know what the words trunkated (sp?) and semi-wad cutter mean?  Also, what are the correct terms when describing bullets.  For instance, is it ball or round nosed; flat-point or flat nosed?  A little clarification please.

[Joe]

Truncated is just a fancy word for flat nose.

A wad-cutter is just a bullet shaped like a cylinder, it looks like a coke can.  They are usually used in target ammo.  They cut clean holes w/little if any radial tears.  Makes it easier to score.  They are used in revolvers.

Semi-wadcutters are the same, except they have a nose which allows semi-auto's to feed them properly.  Sometimes the pistol must be modified to feed these properly.

As far as names for particular types of bullets go most manufacturers choose the name of their bullet w/out any regard to what another manufacturer calls it.  No matter the term you may use most people know what your talking about.

HTH,

Joe

[davism]

Joe,

Thanks for the input.  You couldn't have been more helpful.  Now I realize that I have been shooting semi-wadcutters.  I was having some feeding problems which included the "nose" of the bullets jamming into the bottom of the barrell... so I took it to our local gunsmith and he did some grinding on it.  He made the slope slightly more angled which helped with the feeding problem.  Are their any other modifications one make to their pistol to improve performance when shooting the semi-wad cutter?  

Thanks

MD.

PS. Just to make sure, semi-wadcutters are wadcutters with the top 1/3 of the bullet angled in, right?

(Edited by davism at 10:16 am on Jan. 19, 2002)

(Edited by davism at 10:17 am on Jan. 19, 2002)

[benos]

davism,

" PS. Just to make sure, semi-wadcutters are wadcutters with the top 1/3 of the bullet angled in, right?"

Correct.

And, on modifying a *40 cal* to feed with semi-waductters - Since a 40 MUST have a fully supported chamber for pressure/safety reasons, you can't really angle the feed ramp much. There simply is no room to "lay the ramp down," or you'll end up with an unsupported chamber - and risk a case failure.

be