I have a recently acquired .45ACP Semi Auto ( not a 1911). I am trying to work up loads for it bti it is giving me a little trouble and I could use your assistance. Every boolit (230LRN) passed the plunk test prior to shooting. My quandary is that I can't remember when a round wont go into full battery is the load that was just shot too light not allowing full recoil or is the recoil spring too light or is it something totally different? Appreciate your thoughts.
The load may be too light, not allowing the slide a full stroke so the spring can develop the energy necessary to return to battery. Or, the spring could be weak. How far do the empties fly when ejected?
Do the rounds cycle manually maybe they do not fit properly. This may sound stupid but not all round nose bullets or boolits are shaped the same.
My friend had a problem with a certain brand of FMJ 230gr 45ACP not cycling, he went with a different brand and the worked fine.
I have had good luck with my Lyman 230gr lead round nose bullet mold working in every Colt gold cup (yes I have had 4), Kimber, Spring Field, and Sig I tried them in.
Good luck
NRA Life Member
Groo here
Are your loads light, are they to spec length, if so check the extractor for a burr.
I would look at the load first, If you have it ,,, 5 gr Bullseye with a 230gr bullet at correct length is WW2 spec.
I have a Sig 220 in .45 ACP. As long as the load is a full power load, it will eat it with no problem. If it says Match on the box or I try to shoot light reloads it is a no go. Just the way it is timed and sprung. I don't screw with it. Just use regular power reloads or inexpensive ball.
I had another thought, what about the spring length. This recoil spring seems to be extremely long and is a pain to put the slide back together. I am wondering if the spring may have been replaced with whatever was handy and not the proper replacement. I am going to order one and see what I get.
I use LEE 230 truncated cast bullets in my SW M&P 45 with 5.2gr of bullseye. Works great. You either have to strong of a spring, or weak loads. If you have tried factory loads and they don't cycle I'd lean towards replacing the spring.
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Never forget.......we must manage the recoil properly with every shot in 45 ACP. If those wrist go a little bit limp with even one shot, the frame is no longer steady and the slide will not have full travel.
My thought is that you should use the heaviest recoil spring which will still allow the pistol to reliably function the pistol. The fact that your round is not going into full battery could be caused by several other causes. For example, the inside bearing surface on your extractor can cause problems with the slide fully closing. Polishing your feed ramp might help also.
Phil
I think what I really need to do is send it down to Doug and get it throuted.
Last edited by Virginia John; 04-12-2016 at 08:17 PM.
What is your load? If you insert a full magazine, pull the slide all the way back by hand and release it will the round chamber? How far does it throw the brass when ejecting? When you fire it with a good solid grip can you feel that the slide comes to a stop and gives a sharp second recoil at the end of its travel?
On my target pistols I look for a load that is accurate first. If it doesn't function all of the time then I work with different recoil springs until it is reliable. My goal is to get reliability with a spring that is strong enough to just allow full rearward motion of the slide on recoil.
Some times it's the pot,
Some times it's the pan,
It might even be the skillet,
But, most of the time, it's the cook.
Make sure the bullet is seated properly, if oal is too long, the bullet may be contacting the grooves before the round is in complete battery.
Have you tried to run a box of factory ammo through it to see if you can isolate the problem somewhat? You said your loads were passing the "plunk" test.Originally Posted by Virginia John
Take out the recoil spring and try some dummy rounds without it, see if they function.
sharpy a few ans note the spots they are hanging on.
Get a new spring for the gun and don't over spring to fix the problem = band-aid.
Hate is like drinking poison and hoping the other man dies.
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The effective range of an excuse is ZERO Meters
How often does it occur?
I've found that the ojive shape is something that .45acp are critical of. If the gun feeds ball ammo and not other shapes then it may well be the shape of the bullet.
Remington Golden Saber HP bullets are the closest I've found to ball ammo and that is what I carry after much testing.
Cycle some of your rounds and see if they are scraping the top of the chamber when chambering.
OAL is also important, make up some test batches and vary them a bit and test and you should be able to find the right length for the bullet you're using.
Since I got the gun. I picked this up used at a pawn shop. I liked the look and feel and figured that whatever was wrong with it, I could fix. And that is where I am.
One more time.
How often does it occur? Often means frequency.
One more time.
Does it run with factory ammo?
try one just one round with the magazine in the gun.
if it locks back you need just a tick more oomph.
if it don't you need a lot more oomph.
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