Determining Max OAL

[Seth]

I want to figure out the max oal for my STI Edge's barrel. By my way of thinking, the bullet OD is bigger than the lands ID, so I put a bullet in a sized case, drop it in the barrel and push until the case bottoms out.

Is it BASICALLY that simple? I realize it won't be dead nuts accurate as the bullet will seat a little into the lands, but I just want to know the MAX.

Am I correct?

[UW Mitch]

Also depending on what caliber you're talking about you might be limited more by how long a bullet can fit in the mag tube (maybe?)

~Mitch

[Seth]

I realize there are 80 other factors to reliable feeding, but I'm only currently concerned with max OAL. Is my method reasonably close?

[Joe4d]

Basically what I have been doing for years, I generally use the press though, back out the seating die, seat a bullet, try it, screw in seater a little try again, till it fits, mike the OAL then shorten another .020 and there you have it.

[superdude]

UW Mitch has a good point. i don't know if it will make a difference in your instance or not, but the cartridge will still need to fit in the magazine. this might be an issue, and more so with flat nose bullets.

for an explanation as to why, see:

http://www.38super.net/Pages/Overall%20Length.html

[Renron]

A little dated from last post, but I'll tell you what I was told by Irv Stone from Bar-Sto.

I asked basicly the same question, How do I calculate the OAL for my BS40's chamber?

I was told, paraphrasing of course, "seat a bullet loosly in a non-primed expanded case, and insert it into the chamber manualy. Then push the slide forward until it locks, that will seat the bullet against the lands and into the case, remove cartridge and measure OAL. Then subtract .05 - .10 inches and your "good to go". "

Of course you will have to Chrono the round wth whatever powder you are using, start small and work up slowly.

This does not account for any magazine issues that may be encountered. Different story, with different problems and resolutions.

Hope this helps someone,

Ron

[SA Friday]

Yes, your method is pretty much the standard method to figure out OAL for that gun barrel with that bullet profile. Complete the test 5-10 times and measure each max OAL on each round and write it down. You should see if you get an odd measurement, and throw it out. Average the kept measurements and subtract .05 to .1 in your length and that will be optimum reload length for that bullet and barrel. Reload 5-10 dummy rounds at this length and see if they load in the mag. If they do, you are golden. If they don't back off the length's of the dummy rounds by .05 increments until they feed and not jam the mag. When they no longer jam, you have your max OAL for that round in that gun.