Bullet Setback: Check your Ammo!

[Jason in WI]

So, I'm usually pretty good about cycling my ammo in my .40 being that it's a high pressure round and things get interesting real quick when the bullet is set back in the shell. The 9mm that I seem to be always carrying, not so much. I usually ride the slide home and really never have much in the way of setback. Today I un-chambered for the ride home after work and noticed my round was a wee bit shorter then expected.

Not the best pic but you get the idea. Looks like I'm going to have to watch it more carefully. These are cheap Remington UMC 115 gr JHP. This round has been cycled probably better then fifteen or twenty times and never looked visually shorter, just went all at once.

 

[Landose_theghost]

It happends man,bullets don't like to be chambered multiple times. Sometimes it takes a repeat chambering, somtimes it happends all at once. Replace it with a new bullet,toss the shorty in a box and start a collection for the range.

-Landose-

 

[AFPVet]

You could just ride the side forward too rather than slamming it into battery. Significant bullet setback is rare. We have rechambered rounds in the military and law enforcement with no significant setback. That right there is significant! You may want to start riding the slide into battery—or cycle the rounds.

 

[LR Yote 312]

That one looks like a candidate for a few thumps in the
inertia puller.

LR Yote

 

[Carcharodon]

+1 to Yote!

 

[Citizen]

Y'all could just avoid the whole problem altogether by carrying a revolver.

Bullet setback? Whatzthat? The clearance between the cylinder mouth and the nose of the bullet?

(Also, you could use ammo that is crimped. Hornady and Corbon put crimps behind the bullet. I think Federal might on some of theirs, too.)

But, it is smart to alert readers to setback from time to time. New readers might not have come across the issue.

 

[protias]

This is why I do not like to rechamber a round all the time.

 

[baldp8]

I have found that Hornady Critical Defense is the worst for setback in my XD-40. I still have them, but am very careful with chambering and checking them close if I have to rechamber. I had to stop using them completely in my 1911 as the setback with the initial chambering was significant.

 

[oak1971]

Great topic. Like Yote said, a bullet puller is your friend.

 

[smithman]

With the stupid transportation law, I use a wheelgun. No wasted ammo due to chambering a round all the time...and I really don't like carrying in condition 3.

 

[LR Yote 312]

Its fun work ...Cheap stress therapy too.
I use a broken concrete brick for a smacker,and it makes a nice
"Crack" that drives my downstairs neighbors nuts. ( Payback for the skunky hydro that he smokes.)

A few light taps should set ya up good.....get too crazy and ya end up with
a tunnel full of powder.
Work slow...and it should be GTG.

If one really wanted to get nit picky,pick up a dial calipers too.

LR Yote

 

[Passive101]

This is one of the worst things with the current WI laws. A rule of thumb I try not to chamber a round more then 3 rounds for high pressure rounds.

Thankfully 9mm can go up in pressure where there isn't really room for .40S&W and .357 SIG to go to before being dangerously over pressured.

 

[phred]

With the stupid transportation law, I use a wheelgun. No wasted ammo due to chambering a round all the time...and I really don't like carrying in condition 3.

Good! I'm not alone. When I need to be in and out a lot, I use the revolver too.