Flat Points

[kylethunder380]

Hey Guys, I have some 122gr FP cast lead bullets to test out and was getting nosedives today at the range. I have no experience loading this style of bullet yet, but I was seating them so that the lube ring was just below visible at the case mouth. It was near the end of my session and my feed ramp was getting dirty, but they were consistently getting stuck into the ramp- this was not like it was happening every so often. Even only just going beyond the lube ring, they are still not very long overall because of the flat point. Aesthetically, it would look best to seat all the way down to the "shoulder" of the bullet but I doubt that would be ideal. Is there a rule of thumb for getting these to chamber in ramped 9mm barrels? I am using a reduced power recoil spring but only one size below factory.

Thanks,

-Kyle

[revchuck]

Kyle - I've shot a bunch of these through a Beretta 92, two CZ-75Bs, a SIG P6 and an M&P9 with no problems. You've loaded them about the right length (if you measure them, you should find they're about 1.05" OAL). If you're shooting them in a 1911 pattern gun, those guns tend to like longer OALs.

How dirty was the rest of your gun? Was the load really light? My load is 4.4 grains of 231, which pushes them about 1100 fps. I'd suggest loading them hotter, if you can do it safely, and trying them again.

[kylethunder380]

Kyle - I've shot a bunch of these through a Beretta 92, two CZ-75Bs, a SIG P6 and an M&P9 with no problems. You've loaded them about the right length (if you measure them, you should find they're about 1.05" OAL). If you're shooting them in a 1911 pattern gun, those guns tend to like longer OALs.

How dirty was the rest of your gun? Was the load really light? My load is 4.4 grains of 231, which pushes them about 1100 fps. I'd suggest loading them hotter, if you can do it safely, and trying them again.

It is an EAA Witness model gun. The gun was not that dirty... I guess I am just used to shooting JHP's which are much cleaner. My barrel and barrel ramp were totally black and I had shot probably around 120 rounds total. Sometimes they would nosedive at the bottom of the ramp, sometimes in the middle. On the latter cases, I could sometimes hit the slide forward and get them to chamber. Yes, I was using a pretty light load. I thought maybe the heavier recoil spring might solve the problem but it didn't help at all, so I put the lighter one back in since I like the feel better. I also had some 125gr conical points which I could seat all the way to the bullet shoulder and still not jam up like the flat points. I'd like to get the flat points chambering reliably, but if I can't, might have to go with the conicals or a heavier round nose. I wonder if anyone on the forums makes or would have any 130-135 grain round nosers with diameter of .355-.356 which I could test out. I wish more bullet companies would offer sample packs so that we can test them out in our particular gun before getting stuck ordering several hundred or thousands, just to get the bulk rate. Midstates Bullets are very good in this regard but of course they don't offer a 130-135 grain round nose for 9mm/38 super (sized to .355-.356).

-Kyle

Edited January 23, 2009 by kylethunder380

[revchuck]

Kyle - Sometimes your gun tells you it doesn't like some bullets, and you've just got to listen to it. This might be the case here.

Having said that, I also as a matter of course replace factory magazine springs with Wolff extra power springs. I'm wondering if maybe weak mag springs might be contributing to this. This is beyond my feeble expertise, so I'm just wondering.

If you're looking for a bullet to load long, the generic 125 grain RNLs can be loaded to 1.15" OAL (the same length as most factory hardball). However, if those conical point bullets shoot and function well in your gun, you might want to stick with them.

[kylethunder380]

Having said that, I also as a matter of course replace factory magazine springs with Wolff extra power springs. I'm wondering if maybe weak mag springs might be contributing to this. This is beyond my feeble expertise, so I'm just wondering.

That is actually not a bad idea. 9mm mags are not perfect and I use the EAA large frame ones with spacer. Maybe I will try new a new spring in one of them and see what happens.

-Kyle

[revchuck]

If you've got the large frame Tanfoglio, rather than the standard size, then you probably need a bullet that loads longer.

[RiggerJJ]

The Tanfo is well known for not like anything but round nosed bullets. Some of em even don't like hollow points.

jj

[y-not]

My EAA match will not feed any flat noiesed bullets and does not realy like any lead bullets, I was told by a gunsmith that the feed ramp is to steep and the lead binds up on the ramp. I only use FMJs in mine.

[kylethunder380]

My EAA match will not feed any flat noiesed bullets and does not realy like any lead bullets, I was told by a gunsmith that the feed ramp is to steep and the lead binds up on the ramp. I only use FMJs in mine.

Mine is the Match too. I think mine doesn't like lead either. I am not happy with the results I am getting. The flat points will not feed no matter what I do as far as length is concerned. I tried everything from just below the lube ring all the way to even with the shoulder, with no improvement. I had a very hard time cleaning my barrel too, and still haven't gotten it perfectly clean after 2 cleanings. I will never buy flat points- these were samples I got to test out. The conical nose ones fed okay but I am not sure about the accuracy or the leading of the barrel. I was using Zero JHP's without any problems and will probably just stick with them, but a heavier weight. I polished my feed ramp even more just to make cleanup easier if nothing else. Thanks guys.

-Kyle