Round in the chamber??

[EvilKidsMeal]

im not sure if this should be here or in ammunition but anyways.

i saw on another forum somewhere while i was googling reviews on night sights that if you chamber the same round too many times it can be dangerous. the guy said it can create dangerous over pressures.

i was wondering if this was possible because it didnt make any sense to me.

 

[jblomenberg16]

There are a lot of threads on this.

In short, there is the possibility that loading the same round many, many times, could push the bullet back into the case far enough to increase pressures above the limit that the case can withstand. Most autoloading pistols have a very steep feed ramp, so the nose of the bullet (especially HP's) takes a pretty good hit when loaded into the chamber.


I think someone here on INGO did some tests chambering a .357Sig round multiple times, and measuring cartridge OAL each time to see what the results were.


As a general rule of thumb, most folks recommend alternating rounds that you chamber if you are for whatever reason ejecting your normal chambered round. Typically folks will pop out the top 2 or 3 rounds from the mag, chamber a "fresh" one and the top off the mag with the others.

 

[EvilKidsMeal]

There are a lot of threads on this.

In short, there is the possibility that loading the same round many, many times, could push the bullet back into the case far enough to increase pressures above the limit that the case can withstand. Most autoloading pistols have a very steep feed ramp, so the nose of the bullet (especially HP's) takes a pretty good hit when loaded into the chamber.


I think someone here on INGO did some tests chambering a .357Sig round multiple times, and measuring cartridge OAL each time to see what the results were.


As a general rule of thumb, most folks recommend alternating rounds that you chamber if you are for whatever reason ejecting your normal chambered round. Typically folks will pop out the top 2 or 3 rounds from the mag, chamber a "fresh" one and the top off the mag with the others.

okay that does make sense now. but how much is many, many?

i clear my gun fairly often because i practice drawing, reloading, and aiming techniques with an empty mag, so obviously i need to eject then re-chamber later. maybe i should just get a red/blue gun. haha

 

[Scutter01]

https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...an_i_chamber_the_top_round_in_a_semiauto.html

Here's what I measured:

https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/718084-post27.html

 

[EvilKidsMeal]

so then would just chambering the rounds slowly (holding the slide all the way home instead of pulling back and letting her go) cut down on setback?

 

[jblomenberg16]

so then would just chambering the rounds slowly (holding the slide all the way home instead of pulling back and letting her go) cut down on setback?

I think you run the risk then of not getting the slide properly seated. A common cause of Fail to Fire on autoloaders is someone "riding the slide" as it closes.

If you are doing a significant amount of drawing and other practicing (which is a good thing) you might want to just invest in a few dummy rounds or snap caps made from hard plastic. These can be used for dry fire as well.

I'm not sure how many is too many times, but guess that when one does have an over pressure that is the too many-eth time.

 

[Boiler74]

I ride the slide of my glocks when rechambering a round. A lot of times I have to bump the rear of the slide to engage it fully, but that does the trick. I'm especially worried about setback with the .40 glock.

 

[rbrthenderson]

I had a HP round that I chambered a few too many times and when ejecting the round from the gun, I felt powder hit my face and realized the bullet had come loose from the casing and threw powder everywhere. Scared me quite a bit when it happened. That's when I started to cycle my ammo in my magazines....

 

[Dawall]

The extractor also deforms the edge of the cases rim after many cycles. This can cause a extraction failure.

 

[Hammerhead]

While I generally alternate the first two or three rounds in a magazine on a regular basis to keep my rounds problem free, I also figure it's a good idea to empty the magazine to relieve tension on the spring and rotate all the rounds, especially if I haven't been out shooting in a while.

Probably no empirical data to show this does any good, but it makes me feel better. That and it lets me play with my bullets.

 

[jblomenberg16]

Becareful...if you play with your bullets too much they could go off....

 

[Boiler74]

While I generally alternate the first two or three rounds in a magazine on a regular basis to keep my rounds problem free, I also figure it's a good idea to empty the magazine to relieve tension on the spring and rotate all the rounds, especially if I haven't been out shooting in a while.

Probably no empirical data to show this does any good, but it makes me feel better. That and it lets me play with my bullets.

Emptying your mags will wear them out faster than leaving them full. It's the cycles of full to empty and back that wears out the spring, not sitting under tension.

 

[EvilKidsMeal]

If you are doing a significant amount of drawing and other practicing (which is a good thing) you might want to just invest in a few dummy rounds or snap caps made from hard plastic. These can be used for dry fire as well.
.

the problem with dummy rounds is that i still have to eject and rechamber later.

and i checked all my ammo( not with calipers cause i dont have any) but how the bullets have the little lines/crimps/serrations, whatever you wanna call it. i could still see the tops of the lines where the bullet meets the shell on all my ammo but i could see where some were pushed in farther than others.

should i still shoot this ammo or just buy new and remember not to mess with it as much? im a little worried about the safety of them now that i learned about this.

 

[Griffeycom]

My xD sets back the bullet in the ammo I use (Ranger T-Series) and I usually just discard that round after awhile since I don't reload. I try to rotate when I remember but for the most part I just try to leave the gun loaded. Sometimes it's necessary to lock it up and unload it though!

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

This is MY proceedure:

After cleaning from a range trip, I insert my full carry mag into the gun. I then ride the slide forward very slowly. I do indeed have to push the slide all the way into battery.

Eject carry magazine

I then take the formerly chambered round and load it into the top of my carry magazine.

Because I don't let the slide slam home, I'm personally not concerned with bullet setback.

*I do this method because my ammo budget is TIGHT; and my SD ammo budget it even more tight.

-J-

 

[Audie Murphy]

How about just dropping the round right into the barrel when the slide is locked back and mag out. That would stop the bullet getting seated in further.

 

[jblomenberg16]

How about just dropping the round right into the barrel when the slide is locked back and mag out. That would stop the bullet getting seated in further.

I had asked a similar question a few years ago. Apparently this could cause damage to the extractor in some guns, as it would have to spring out and then back around the case rim. When chambered normally, the case rim more or less slides in behind the extractor.

 

[BigMatt]

This

 

[HobbyGuy]

You also need to make sure to rotate rounds in an AR. When the round is chambered, the firing pin actually touches the back of the cartridge leaving a small dimple. With enough of these touches it becomes possible for the round to discharge without having the trigger pulled.

 

[DoubleJJ]

40 S&W is very sensitive to a bullet seated below minium OAL. Pressure of such a bullet fired can be greater then the pistol can withstand. Contacting the company that produced the amunition may result in a number for M.O.A.L. that can be used.