Need OAL help

[Bugs100]

I've loaded 1000's of 45 caliber 200gr wad cutters and have never had a problem like this. All the rounds that I have made in the past have worked fine in all my 1911's and other 45's.

I built a new 1911, with a new Kart national match barrel and Factory rounds work fine.

I loaded 15 mags with the wad cutters that I always use. They were loaded so the edge of the wad cutter was flush with the case they jammed. They jammed so bad they they were stuck in the barrel and had to pushed out with a squib rod.

They either jammed at a upwards angle or refused to chamber all the way in which confused me because the diameter was .469 before and after I loaded them.

So I lenghted the OAL to various lenghts and tried these. 1.250, 1.245, 1.235 they all jammed. These were all loaded with the same amount of powder 5.3grs of W231.

These rounds were all sized at 469 with a Lee FCD.

None of them worked so I started going up from the OAL in reverse from the short OAL. I usally use by loading some 1.25, 1.27 and 1.30.

Nothing worked so I'm starting to think it's the Kart National match barrel which has a 1/16 twist..

Any Ideas?

 

[Lugnut]

Bugs- I've never used lead or wad cutters since many of the 1911 jams I've seen were with lead wad cutters. If factory jacketed ball ammo works you may want to try some 230 RN bullets. I bet the match barrel is much "tighter" than your other barrel and could be part of the issue. I'd also get a case gauge and see how the reloads fit.

 

[Bugs100]

Good advice, thanks. I'm going to take the barrel out and use that as a case guage. I know that the rifling in my Colt's starts .005 before the rifling in my S&W barrels and that caused me problems in the past.

But evidently the match barrel is a lot more finicky then any of my other 45's. I have a thousand, Hornady 230 round nose that I'm going to have to break open.

Some times you can't see the trees because of the forest.

 

[Lugnut]

I'm no expert but I know the 1911 was originally designed for ball. And if you look at most of the 1911 feed ramps... well they aren't very good ramps IMHO- steep angle and short.

 

[Adam_MA]

Bugs,
My S&W 1911 will not shoot SWC bullets under any circumstances. My para eats anything and everything I feed it though. I believe it's because the Para has a feed ramp, where as the smith is just a standard 1911 design.

I have just resigned to the fact that the I can only feed the smith RN bullets, and load for it as such.

 

[GTOShootr]

It sounds likes a gunsmithing issue with the barrel to frame ramp. Read up on feedramps or post the question to the 1911 forum.

Feedramp thread

The Chuck Rogers pics are great.

 

[Dick]

I have a Series 70 Colt Gold Cup that I bought over 30 years ago. When I first got it, it wouldn't feed SWCs (we're really talking about semi wad cutters, right, not true wad cutters?) no matter what I did. I ended up polishing all tool marks out of the feed ramp, first with a fine circular stone, then 600 grit, then crocus cloth, until it was literally mirror bright. Since then it's had no feeding problems and will usually chamber an empty cases from the magazine with no problem

 

[Gammon]

I've loaded 1000's of 45 caliber 200gr wad cutters and have never had a problem like this. All the rounds that I have made in the past have worked fine in all my 1911's and other 45's.

I built a new 1911, with a new Kart national match barrel and Factory rounds work fine.

I loaded 15 mags with the wad cutters that I always use. They were loaded so the edge of the wad cutter was flush with the case they jammed. They jammed so bad they they were stuck in the barrel and had to pushed out with a squib rod.

They either jammed at a upwards angle or refused to chamber all the way in which confused me because the diameter was .469 before and after I loaded them.

So I lenghted the OAL to various lenghts and tried these. 1.250, 1.245, 1.235 they all jammed. These were all loaded with the same amount of powder 5.3grs of W231.

These rounds were all sized at 469 with a Lee FCD.

None of them worked so I started going up from the OAL in reverse from the short OAL. I usally use by loading some 1.25, 1.27 and 1.30.

Nothing worked so I'm starting to think it's the Kart National match barrel which has a 1/16 twist..

Any Ideas?

Match barrels can be a problem. I have a Bar Sto that will only accept rounds loaded to 1.235 (SWCs) as opposed to all of my other .45s that run great ona diet of SWCs loaded to 1.250. I would test my loaded ammo in the Kart barrel to see what the max OAL is that will chamber (flush with the barrel hood). This should establish the proper OAL for that barrel.

Since this is a new gun, you have a lot of variables to deal with. The extractor will prevent reliable feeding if it has too much tension. Mags can also be a problem. Just because they work in your other guns doesn't mean they will work in the new one. I would experiment with a variety of mags. These are the easy fixes, the next step may be throating and feed ramp polishing, not too difficult but work that must be done very carefully.

 

[WILDCATT]

1911

I have 3 1911s they all feed swc without a hitch.I load with 1/32 of bullet out of case and roll crimp.take barrel out and see if rd will fit if it wont check case mouth and see if you took out the flare.check the barrel with an empty if that did not work.one of mine will feed emptys from the mag.my barrels are all military made except one is an AMT long slide barrel.

 

[Bugs100]

I took 200 rounds that were already loaded and used the new national match barrel from that new 1911 to check them.

All the rounds were the same diameter and varying OAL's from 1.25 to 1.250. Out of the 200, 44 wouldn't not chamber. But they all fit a Colt 1911, S&W 1911 and a 625..

I called Bob at Penn Bullets and he told me he didn't think it was the OAL. He thinks it's the barrel and is going to send me a 100, 200gr wad cutters sized at 451 instead of 452.

He told me it's a common problem with National match barrels and that there can be a big difference in how tight the chambers are between Manufactors.

That alot of times to get one of these National Match to take cast consistantly, they have to be reamed.

 

[WILDCATT]

1911s

I n the past target guns were feed lead bullets especialy swc.maybe the new guns aren't made as well as they should be.why pay 100 of dollars and then have to have a gunsmith make them work.I have 2 AMTs and the feed fine a FED ORNANCE and a WW2 colt that feed fine.and I use 200 gr swc with 3.6 gr 700X.bullets seated with 1/32 out of case and roll crimped.