? On feeding SWC's to a semiauto

S Mac

Sept. 10, 2021 Steve left us. You are missed.
Novice handguns here again. I recently bought a Ruger P90, it doesn't like to feed SWC well. I know often times They can be modified to do so, what is done? Probably nothing I can do my self, just curious.
 

Longone

Active Member
Which SWC are you feeding it? Have you tried adjusting the OAL, most times that will make it feed. It could be magazines as well, are they factory or aftermarket mags? Before changing anything on the gun that you can not reverse ( like feed ramp polishing) exhaust all other avenues, it could be that you gun just doesn't like that particular bullet.
 

S Mac

Sept. 10, 2021 Steve left us. You are missed.
I just bought the gun, so far I have tried LBT 200, which has pretty square corners. Seated with the top band flush with the case mouth. I do have RCBS 200, which is more rounded, haven't tried yet, would probably be more successful. Factory mag. I also have some found nose moulds, but I hate to let the three SWC's I have sit idle. Also have an H&G 68.
 

Dusty Bannister

Well-Known Member
Sometimes it is better to start with the simple stuff and then progress to the bullet you really want to use. Have you slugged the barrel to find out the diameter most likely to succeed with the bullet you are trying to use? Does your present cartridge drop easily into the dismounted barrel when held vertical? That is the plunk test.
 

S Mac

Sept. 10, 2021 Steve left us. You are missed.
More info I have not slugged the barrel, these do pass the plunk test if seated to the top of the top band. Lyman 49, 4.2 grand WST. As stated I have only started loading for this gun so no other powders tried yet. Sized to .4516, the only .451 die I have. The H&G 68 is a true H&G.
 

Brad

Benevolent Overlord and site owner
Staff member
Can you get some photos that show the jam?
 

S Mac

Sept. 10, 2021 Steve left us. You are missed.
Techno challenged Brad. Witness my lack of avatar. I do have a new phone, need to have a granddaughter teach me to post pics.

These are jamming trying to feed after fireing, catching the case mouth peeling a chunk out of the mouth. The chamber fine single loading.
 

fiver

Well-Known Member
okay..
this is odd I had a ruger P-90 and it would feed rocks I picked up off the ground.
it would also shoot those rocks into a group equal to any ammo I tried in the gun, but it would feed them and anything else at any angle if I could get it in the magazine..

here is what I would try.
the H&G mold would be my first effort.
then if I really wanted to shoot the other stuff I would bump the case mouth against a roll crimp.

I do this for my boy's 1911, it insures feeding and it actually increased accuracy in his pistol.
when I say bumped I mean barely touched as in I couldn't really feel it in the handle.
but I could see the slight down turn of the case mouth.

if that doesn't work I would check the magazine lips to see if they are aiming the round with the nose aiming at the top of the chamber.
 

Longone

Active Member
Sounds like the OAL is too short and the bullet nose is not contacting the ramp properly. Try making a few dummies up that are closer to 1.225" or almost to max mag length.
 

Ian

Notorious member
A photo or description of what's hanging on what would be helpful. Generally with an SWC I leave at least a fingernail's thickness of driving band sticking out past the cast mouth, more if the chamber will accept it, and I'm sure yours will. I've been known to bump those with an RCBS roll crimp die so there weren't any burrs to snag on the ramp or chamber. The only experience I have with those is a P-89, long ago, but it fit Fiver's description perfectly (once I got over that da first shot).
 

Brad

Benevolent Overlord and site owner
Staff member
I would try a range of OAL and see what happens.
I prefer as long as possible and still chamber fully. Shorter generally just causes more troubles.
Something that helped me with my 1911 was removing the recoil spring and cycling dummy rounds slowly by hand. This lets you see what happens as the round is released by the magazine and how it interacts with feed ramp and barrel.
 

358156 hp

At large, whereabouts unknown.
I use a lot of LBT 230 LFN bullets that I cast myself in 1911s. The LFN has always fed perfectly for me when seated as described above, just below the start of the taper to the nose, and with a medium-ish taper crimp. Are you taper crimping, with the crimping being done as a separate step from seating? It makes a huge difference for autoloaders.
 

JonB

Halcyon member
I've own three different Ruger P-series guns. two 9mms and one 45.
Just as Ian and fiver said, they were able to feed any and all I tried.

I'd find another mag to try.
back in my pistol league days (IPSC), I shot a P89. I have many different mags, two different factory mags. If the mags got some abuse during a run/mag drop and hit the concrete wrong, I'd have problems and I was never skillful enough to bring back a bent feed lip.
 

S Mac

Sept. 10, 2021 Steve left us. You are missed.
Maybe it is all in OAL, will try that. I was under the impression that the crimp needed to be above the band, not into the band.
 

Ian

Notorious member
You crimp a .45 wherever it wants to be crimped, based on your particular bullet choice, magazine length, and the plunk test. That's why it's so important to crimp in a separate operation...you likely will be swaging a slight crimp groove in the bullet with the case mouth.
 

Brad

Benevolent Overlord and site owner
Staff member
Ok, I got a few photo from S Mac to post.
IMG_2463.JPG
This photo tells the story pretty clearly. Seat a lot longer. Have maybe 1/32-1/16" of band above the case mouth. Crimp the same amount as you have here. This should prevent the case mouth from snagging on anything as the round exits the magazine.
That damage to case mouth makes the round large enough at the mouth to not fully chamber. Use a caliper and measure the round shown in two places across the case mouth. One 90° to the damage and one across the damage. This will let you know how much the damage adds to the loaded round across the mouth as the chamber sees it.
IMG_2464.JPG
 

Brad

Benevolent Overlord and site owner
Staff member
Anytime you need a photo posted let me know. I can do so quickly and easily. More than happy to help out.
IMG_2137.JPG
About like this.

Sometimes a photo truly is worth a thousand words.
 

S Mac

Sept. 10, 2021 Steve left us. You are missed.
Thanks again Brad. I loaded a few more, gained about .040 over the old OAL. Still pass the plunk test. Havd to wait to shoot them, hate to make to much noise in the neighborhood in a day's time.
 

358156 hp

At large, whereabouts unknown.
LBT .452 230 gr LFN. The pic shows the seating depth that has worked best for me in my guns, even unmodified 1911s!
LBT452LFN.jpg