XD won't feed reloads

[OUshooter]

I'm new to this reloading thing so I'm needing some diagnostic help. I have a XD in .40 that I'm reloading for. It has never failed to feed any factory ammo that I have thrown at it. It however hates my reloads.

I sized then trimmed to 0.840" a batch of brass. Then set my seater to the recommended 1.120" depth using Winchester 165gr truncated coned jacketed bullets. I set the crimp so it was just enough to let the rounds fall out of the chamber.

Problem is about 30% of the time the reloads get halfway up the feed ramp and hang. The factory rounds I measured are all in the 1.112" neighborhood so I shorted my rounds to match and the problem persists.

I'm headed to the bench as I type this to try the longer OALs I have seen people mention. I'm starting to wonder if my pistol just doesn't like the truncated cone.

Any suggestions would be welcome about how to tell when the crimp is right to a OAL for XD's.

Thanks,

[XD Niner]

Two thoughts:

1. Have you case gauged the rounds? Do all of them pass?

2. What brand and type of bullet are you using? Is the profile markedly different from the factory ammo you've been shooting?

[OUshooter]

Two thoughts:

1. Have you case gauged the rounds? Do all of them pass?

2. What brand and type of bullet are you using? Is the profile markedly different from the factory ammo you've been shooting?

1. Yep all of them are good.

2. Using Winchester 165gr Truncated cone bullets, jacketed. The factory ammo is all jacketed RN.

[GrumpyOne]

What kind of press/dies are you using? As far as trimming, I've loaded probably 30,000 40 S&W, never trimmed the first one. Tumble them, de-prime/size and load. One guess would be not enougth crimp, maybe the bell isn't quite taken out of the case. Use your calipers to mic one, from the headstamp to the bullet. The very first bullet I ever reloaded was a 40 S&W, Winchester 165 TCFP.

[SteveU]

Although I can't explain why it won't feed the reloads that are the same OAL as your factory (though 1.112 seems short. I figured they'd be closer to 1.120) you might try going longer. see how it feeds 1.135. Might save you some gunsmithing/feedramp work

(edit: just re-read original post that you are doing just that. I bet it helps.

Edited October 29, 2009 by Surge

[OUshooter]

What kind of press/dies are you using? As far as trimming, I've loaded probably 30,000 40 S&W, never trimmed the first one. Tumble them, de-prime/size and load. One guess would be not enougth crimp, maybe the bell isn't quite taken out of the case. Use your calipers to mic one, from the headstamp to the bullet. The very first bullet I ever reloaded was a 40 S&W, Winchester 165 TCFP.

RCBS turret press and RCBS carbide dies.

I had that thought about the bell also. So I ran 10 of them through the mics and they seem fine. A little daylight shows right in the middle of the case but otherwise the case is flush at the bullet and headstamp ends.

[bfwally]

My XD 45 will not feed truncated cone rounds unless they are loaded long, basically as long as possible while still chambering, minus about 0.010". And sometimes even then it nosedives on one or so out of 100. I use round nose bullets for matches, but those are hard to find for .40, right?

[aztecdriver]

Another issue - Measure the OAL of the rounds that failed to feed and make sure they are the same as what you loaded. You may be getting setback and that could be real I watched a guy shoot a class with his XD 40 clear jam after jam. Finally I looked at one of the rounds he ejected and the bullet was set back far enough for 1/16" of the case to be visible PAST the round. The only reason the bullet didn't hit the bottom of the case was powder was in the way and this was a factory loaded reload. If that's the case - adjust crimp and consider the U-die for the sizing die.

Edited October 30, 2009 by aztecdriver

[Classic_jon]

I have loaded up a lot of TC, JHP, and RN rounds on my XD .40 and I have been using 1.130. Everything I load at that length feeds like a champ. I have loaded various Berry's, Remington JHP's, and Montana Gold 155gr JHP's at that length and never had any issues.

I also second what others have said about checking the crimp and the OAL of all of the rounds that Fail to feed. If your crimp is too loose, as it feeds, it can shove the bullet back far enough into the case to not feed correctly. If you can grab a round and push on the bullet fairly hard and it slides back into the case, I would say the crimp is not tight enough.

[SA Friday]

Go to the EGW site and order an EGW Undersized carbide resizing die. About $25.

1.12 to 1.135 OAL. WWB 165gr 40 cal is 1.12 OAL

Your crimp with a jacketed bullet is not really crimp. You are removing the bell from the case and making the case mouth lay flat on the bullet's jacket. Anything tighter than that is bad and can cause a higher pressure spike in the chamber on firing. The friction from the brass on the side of the bullet should be enough to prevent set-back. If it doesn't (I use RCBS dies and they don't resize small enough IMO), the U die will resolve this.

I would not go shorter than 1.12 on your OAL. Too short can be just as bad as too long.

Under NO circumstances, use a Lee factor crimp die.

[Nik Habicht]

Under NO circumstances, use a Lee factor crimp die.

Sean,

can you expand on that?

[aztecdriver]

Under NO circumstances, use a Lee factor crimp die.

Sean,

can you expand on that?

Yes, please do - because I've been using it on .40 with Precision "black" 185s and it's been working fine. I know about the caselength issue, but other than that?

[OUshooter]

Another issue - Measure the OAL of the rounds that failed to feed and make sure they are the same as what you loaded. You may be getting setback and that could be real I watched a guy shoot a class with his XD 40 clear jam after jam. Finally I looked at one of the rounds he ejected and the bullet was set back far enough for 1/16" of the case to be visible PAST the round. The only reason the bullet didn't hit the bottom of the case was powder was in the way and this was a factory loaded reload. If that's the case - adjust crimp and consider the U-die for the sizing die.

That is exactly what is happening. The rounds that don't feed have the bullet shove back a long ways. I just set them aside and pulled them when I got home. I didn't think much of it because it wasn't round after round. Rather 2 or 3 times out of 10. I would have thought that my crimping would be more consistent round to round.

[aztecdriver]

Another issue - Measure the OAL of the rounds that failed to feed and make sure they are the same as what you loaded. You may be getting setback and that could be real I watched a guy shoot a class with his XD 40 clear jam after jam. Finally I looked at one of the rounds he ejected and the bullet was set back far enough for 1/16" of the case to be visible PAST the round. The only reason the bullet didn't hit the bottom of the case was powder was in the way and this was a factory loaded reload. If that's the case - adjust crimp and consider the U-die for the sizing die.

That is exactly what is happening. The rounds that don't feed have the bullet shove back a long ways. I just set them aside and pulled them when I got home. I didn't think much of it because it wasn't round after round. Rather 2 or 3 times out of 10. I would have thought that my crimping would be more consistent round to round.

It probably isn't just crimp with jacketed bullets. As was pointed out earlier - sizing has a LOT to do with 40 and set back. I don't know if it's just the angles of the feed ramp in the XD that make it more susceptible that I actually have seen this with a purchased reload from a company or your sizing die isn't getting the case small enough - or even what brass you are using as well. The U-die might be the way for you to go - and there is enough of back and forth about that in other threads for you to read to your hearts content. I've used the the Lee dies without an issue.

[SoonerPast]

My discovery is with my XD 9mm, and persistent feeding issues. The issue in my case seems to have been weak magazine springs. Stronger, new springs push the top round in just a bit higher, nose up orientation. I think the top bullet is initially hitting higher on the barrel's feed ramp and feeding better. In my case I am talking about a 147 grain bullet is loaded pretty long for a 9mm. An aside, I don't shoot my XD a lot and it surprises me that the magazine springs could really have been weak, but the new springs do change the position of the top round.

Also, when a round did jam, the nose of the bullet would be stuck on the bottom edge of the feed ramp, often with enough force to have deformed the bullet's leading edge. (Hollow point bullets)

[GrumpyOne]

Dillon .40S&W dies leave a "coke bottle" effect on the case after sizing. When you seat the bullet, it actually expands the case just a fraction where the bullet is seated, leaving the middle of the case smaller than the mouth. I think this prevents setback.

[Classic_jon]

My discovery is with my XD 9mm, and persistent feeding issues. The issue in my case seems to have been weak magazine springs. Stronger, new springs push the top round in just a bit higher, nose up orientation. I think the top bullet is initially hitting higher on the barrel's feed ramp and feeding better. In my case I am talking about a 147 grain bullet is loaded pretty long for a 9mm. An aside, I don't shoot my XD a lot and it surprises me that the magazine springs could really have been weak, but the new springs do change the position of the top round.

Also, when a round did jam, the nose of the bullet would be stuck on the bottom edge of the feed ramp, often with enough force to have deformed the bullet's leading edge. (Hollow point bullets)

SoonerPast, Did you clean the follower on that mag? The only time I have had FTF issues with one of my mags was when the follower was dirty. Now mine is a .40 XD but the design of the feed ramp is still pretty close. I also have at least 2000 rounds out of one of my original mags and I still use it in competitions with no issues so far. Tip I got here was to take it apart and gently scrub the follower with a scotch brite plastic scrubber and then dry it and put it back together. Works like a champ!

[fuzzysights]

Try this, take one of the rounds that failed to chamber and head back to the reloader. Dial in about .002 more crimp and try to chamber the same round. I bet that with just a bit more crimp your rounds chamber flawlessly in your XD. I learned that same lesson the hard way on my XD40 when I first started reloading.

[OUshooter]

Well I backed the COAL out to 1.135" and 30rds ran like champs. Seems like that was just the ticket for those TC bullets. Much thx to all those who replied with advice. I'm gonna run 100 or so to make sure it wasn't a fluke.

[SteveU]

Well I backed the COAL out to 1.135" and 30rds ran like champs. Seems like that was just the ticket for those TC bullets. Much thx to all those who replied with advice. I'm gonna run 100 or so to make sure it wasn't a fluke.

Good deal. Now go shoot!

[Flexmoney]

Well I backed the COAL out to 1.135" and 30rds ran like champs. Seems like that was just the ticket for those TC bullets. Much thx to all those who replied with advice. I'm gonna run 100 or so to make sure it wasn't a fluke.

Have you tested for bullet set back ??!!!

[benny hill]

Crimp @ .418

[OUshooter]

Well I backed the COAL out to 1.135" and 30rds ran like champs. Seems like that was just the ticket for those TC bullets. Much thx to all those who replied with advice. I'm gonna run 100 or so to make sure it wasn't a fluke.

Have you tested for bullet set back ??!!!

Yep Yep. I was worried about that and didn't want my pistol coming apart in my hand. So needless to say it took forever to run 30rds one at a time.

[SCV]

I think alot of the FTF could be because of the barrel! I had one that refused to feed anything other than factory ammo. I coughed up a little extra doe and bought an aftermarket barrel..... Walahhhhh my probloms stopped.... After that it would eat anything.....

As for the Lee FCD its the best thing since buttered bread.....

Edited January 2, 2010 by SCV

[OUshooter]

Update to my last post.

I have since set my COL to 1.12x", most come out at 1.125". I have had no problems getting the original XD 10 rd mags to eat any of my hand loads. The factory 12rds that I ordered, from Springfield, refuse on all counts to feed the same loads, as does one ProMag 11rd that I bought at Academy years ago.

When using the 10rd mags the reloads feed smooth as silk. I've shot ~500rds of them w/o a single hitch.

But I can't get through a 12rd mag w/o at least 2 FTF. So my only conclusion is that the "new and improved" mags are a POS.

Anyone wanna sell me 4 or 5 OEM 10rounders:)

Edited January 23, 2010 by OUshooter