Para Todd Jarrett 40 misfeeds

[TMC]

Dang, I thought someone had the low down on why TJ's Para gun was jamming at the Nats.

Me too, dang

Back to the thread.....

My Para liked longer loaded ammo, the few extra thou made all the difference.

[Rather-B-Huntin]

Same thing happened when my P16 was new. Was about to pull my hair out until my buddy suggested trying some of his loads that were loaded long. I think in the neighborhood of 2.00". Once I did that, the problem was solved. Those damned Para's just won't cycle standard length ammo. That's why I sold mine. Really dude, you shoulda saved a few hundred more and bought an S_I. I shoulda done that myself. If I ever get back into shooting Limited, that's what I'll do. Meanwhile, I'm gonna shoot in single stack!!

[Bryan 45]

Same thing happened when my P16 was new. Was about to pull my hair out until my buddy suggested trying some of his loads that were loaded long. I think in the neighborhood of 2.00". Once I did that, the problem was solved. Those damned Para's just won't cycle standard length ammo. That's why I sold mine. Really dude, you shoulda saved a few hundred more and bought an S_I. I shoulda done that myself. If I ever get back into shooting Limited, that's what I'll do. Meanwhile, I'm gonna shoot in single stack!!

Maybe it's a small percentage of Paras, but mine cycles fine w/ standard length ammo. I've never fired factory in it, but my reloads are factory spec.

[ken hebert]

My P16 runs everything from standard length to out to about the 1.185 range.

[MagicTH]

I have a Jarrett model that I bought new in Dec. of 06'. It will not run commercial ammo under 180gr. Commercial 180's or higher runs fairly well in it. Handloaded 180gr TC's with a length of at least 1.190" work the best for me.

I am using factory mag tubes with factory followers and springs and Dawson base pads. The mags will hold 20rds reliably. I tried Arrendondo followers once, nothing but problems.

The only thing changed on the gun was I added an Ed Brown wide ambi safety, and changed the recoil spring to a 12.5# IMSI spring.

I have roughly 6,000 rounds through the gun. That is 22 matches plus practice at least 2 or 3 times a month. The gun works good for me.

Hope this helps,

Tom

Tom,

Thanks for the input. I have my 650 setup and running. Loading to 1.200 OAL. I just need my gun club membership to clear so I can chrono the loads. I am pretty sure the 1.2 is going to work...at least my fingers are crossed. Sounds like it will from all the comments.

Good shooting.

[jjanglin]

On the Para 40`s Ive found that lowering the barrel by taking off some of the metal off the barrel that sets down on the barrel bed

so the barrel sets down a little farther. then you can follow will schuemans advice on fitting barrels on his web site---

on the LDA`s ive had to take some off the barrel bed itself, ya have to make sure that the barrel isnt hitting the inside of

the slide or anything around the ejction port and that it isnt butting the sides of the slide at the breech face,Some

Paras are fit real loose at the factory and those are the ones that seem to work,Para is a good gun it just needs

some clearance, the barrels are never the same,I did a bunch of LDA`s back when Major Roger Sherman was shooting them and not one of the forty barrels were close as far as outside deminsions come into play.

jim

Sailors

[Parashooter]

Hrm.... reading these notes about OAL, I happened to have the calipers handy, and the two loads I've been using are on the short side...

180gr. LFP at 1.128 (magtech bulk crap)

And the accurate load

170gr LSWC at 1.107 (fairly light charge of 6.5gr of AA#5)

Pete

[MagicTH]

Hrm.... reading these notes about OAL, I happened to have the calipers handy, and the two loads I've been using are on the short side...

180gr. LFP at 1.128 (magtech bulk crap)

And the accurate load

170gr LSWC at 1.107 (fairly light charge of 6.5gr of AA#5)

Pete

For what gun? Are they working for you? What I have learned from the guys here and especially from Brian Enos' "Competiion Reloading" DVD is that the magazine determines your OAL. The bullets need to be as long as the magazine will allow. This helps prevent the bullet coming out early in which case it "can do anything" to quote Brian. It can nose dive or flip up too high. This makes sense to me. Further, the Para limited is built on a 1911 frame which was made as a .45. OAL for a .45 is 1.25. So, it all adds up.

Terry

[Parashooter]

Para P16-40. an early one... got it in '97 and I've pretty much run 90% handloads through it

The load was something we worked up, since there were no listings for a 170gr. bullet, still aren't many.

The bullets I was using (was, company seems to be long gone) cannot be loaded out to magazine tube length... nowhere near.

As for "loading them as long as the mag will allow"... there is a caveat to this... you need to know you aren't running the bullet into the rifling. When I was competing in Service Rifle, (AR15) I made a guage to measure leade depth (where the bullet makes contact with the rifling) and the loads must be backed off from there .010-020" or you'll get overpressure. But that is for heavy, long bullets (69gr barely makes mag length, 80gr is for single loading directly to the chamber)

I don't know if running into the rifling is an issue in the pistol barrel, since I load the SWC's so there is very little of the full diameter exposed from the case I didn't feel a need to check the leade. (now that I'm thinking about it and curious I'll probably make a guage this week.... has to be for a specific bullet though... )

I finally ran out of the 170's.... right as lead prices skyrocket... now I have to find a new load :-(

[MagicTH]

As for "loading them as long as the mag will allow"... there is a caveat to this... you need to know you aren't running the bullet into the rifling...I don't know if running into the rifling is an issue in the pistol barrel...

Yes, it is. My gunsmith recommended I load to 1.200" OAL and he bored my barrel accordingly for the longer cartridge.

I finally ran out of the 170's.... right as lead prices skyrocket... now I have to find a new load :-(

Montana Gold 180 gr. CMJ. Good price. Lots of guys on the forum like these. I bought a case ($272 for 2500 shipped) and shot my first match this weekend with these bullets and 1.200. ZERO failures to feed out of ~200 rounds. Finally THAT problem is solved.

Unfortunately I experienced a brand new problem. The temperature was below freezing and by the 3rd stage, with the magazines out in the cold, the springs just didn't move; i.e., no spring pressure and/or sticking in the magazine. I tried two unused mags, same problem. I cleaned all mags, followers, etc. The best I could get to feed in 4 mags were 6, 6, 12 & 14 rounds. The next morning I loaded the mags with dummy rounds (no powder/primers) and hand cycled. They worked perfectly at room temperature. (PS: These mags only have 2-300 rounds through each of them, stock springs on the TJ Limited model. I loaded my own ammo on a 650 and resized the entire case and case gaged every single round using once fired Winchester nickel plated brass.)

I will try Wolff +10% springs and some silicon lube and see what happens...Suggestions are welcome!