How many times do you chamber a round?

[lukem]

Here is a question that was just emailed to me by one of our members:

If I carry a loaded/chambered round and unload it when I get home, how many times can I chamber the same bullet/round without a crimping problem on that round?

Personally, I've always used the same round until I shot it the next time I went to the range. What is the consensus here?

 

[Treo]

I keep an eye on .45ACP other than that I'm not aware of any other round known to be prone to set back

 

[The_Outlaw]

Personally, I've always used the same round until I shot it the next time I went to the range. What is the consensus here?

About 6-10 times for me.

 

[schadenfreude]

Once I chamber a round, it remains chambered until I either go to the range (practice) or have to clean the gun. If it goes to the range, it is fired and if it removed due to weapon maintenance, it is set aside for later use at the range as practice ammo.

 

[S&W645]

I keep an eye on .45ACP other than that I'm not aware of any other round known to be prone to set back

9mm also can be driven back in the casing. In fact, any round that doesn't get crimped in can do it. I have a couple 9s right now that are that way and need the bullets pulled and redone.

As to the original question, I rotate the ones in the mag if I unchamber a round. It might take a year to get back to the original round and by then, it should have already been shot at the range. So 2 or 3 at max.

 

[CharlesMorrison]

.40 cal is another round that's prone to set back. With the .40 cal, the over pressure can be "explosive".

Really, any round that is not properly constructed can experience set back.

YMMV


Sent from behind enemy lines.

 

[tcox4freedom]

Mine stays chambered unless I'm cleaning or at the range. If if unchamber a SD round to use FMJs at the range I inspect the round and rotate to the bottom of the magazine. This has been my standard practice for several years now and I've not experienced any problems with setback.



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[BluesStringer]

As to the original question, I rotate the ones in the mag if I unchamber a round. It might take a year to get back to the original round and by then, it should have already been shot at the range. So 2 or 3 at max.

Exactly what I was going to say.

I'll add that I've never had a problem with "crimping" that the original question was posed about, reinterpreted in subsequent posts to be referring to bullet "set back" (I think), whether in .45s or 9mms.

Blues

 

[JCliff]

It is not difficult to detect a small amount of wear on a round that has been chambered repeatedly, particularly a hollow point. When I unload my self-defense (semi-auto) firearms I always inspect the previously chambered round. If I detect any wear on it, it goes in the range ammo box. If I see no defects or wear I re-sequence it in the magazine so I am rarely chambering that same round more than once (maybe twice) in a six month period, and certainly not over and over (I shoot out my “duty” ammo and replace it at least every six months). Having said this, I have never personally seen a failure to feed or extract that I could solely attribute to a round that had been chambered more than once, or even repeatedly. I have seen a failure to feed from a damaged hollow point round that was damaged when a magazine was dropped, happened to land on the exposed top hollow point round, which was slightly deformed due to the weight of a full magazine and a hard surface. Regardless, I recommend what I think is a reasonable precaution against a potential cause of a malfunction in a self-defense firearm. You want a self-defense firearm to work flawlessly, and not be doing a failure to feed or extract drill due to a worn bullet or casing when your life or someone else’s is on the line. It’s a small, easy, and quick thing to inspect the round, replace it if it shows any defect, and “rotate” another round into the chamber.

 

[S&W645]

Exactly what I was going to say.

I'll add that I've never had a problem with "crimping" that the original question was posed about, reinterpreted in subsequent posts to be referring to bullet "set back" (I think), whether in .45s or 9mms.

Blues

Yep, the original is about setback and crimping of the front of the casing ala rounds for a Nagant 1895 pistol. :smile:

My crimping was to mean where the casing has a rolled crimp to keep the bullet in a fixed location. Like on my Colt Police Positive Special's .32-20WCF rounds. They won't get setback in a repeating rifle and they sure won't in the revolver.Link Removed The Winchester rounds are actually narrower between the point where the bullet sits and the tapered rear of the casing. When fired, that narrowed band swells to form a taper between the rear and the neck.

 

[gunnerbob]

I don't rack the slide to load the round for carry... I drop it into the chamber and let the slide go forward... prevents the set-back.

 

[gejoslin]

I don't rack the slide to load the round for carry... I drop it into the chamber and let the slide go forward... prevents the set-back.

That's what I do also. I have digital calipers, so if any question I just measure the round problem solved. You can get a good set at Harbor Freight or Sears for about $25 or less. All reloaders should have a set if you know any.

 

[tcox4freedom]

I don't rack the slide to load the round for carry... I drop it into the chamber and let the slide go forward... prevents the set-back.

I used to do the same thing sometimes. But, I've heard you risk breaking the extractor if you let the slide slam on a chambered round.

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[tcox4freedom]

Here's another video--

 

[CharlesMorrison]

Ruger says its ok to drop a round in the chamber and let the slide "hit home".
S&W on the other hand states not to do that with its M&P pistols. Don't why...
Maybe cause one is exposed hammer (Ruger) and the other is striker fired (S&W)?


Sent from behind enemy lines.

 

[JCliff]

In 1979 I was taught by my first PMI before shooting a 1911 .45 not to do that (drop a round in the chamber and then let go the slide) for exactly the reason described in these videos. It's not the way your pistol was designed to work. I also don't think that's a good way to to try and avoid setback. The bolt and extractor slam into the back of an already chambered round with more energy because none is expended stripping a round off the top of the magazine and chambering it. That really pounds the round in a way that normal feeding and chambering doesn't.

 

[Ringo]

I used to do the same thing sometimes. But, I've heard you risk breaking the extractor if you let the slide slam on a chambered round.
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Just don't allow the slide to "slam" on the chambered round. Be gentle, no problem.

 

[JCliff]

Just don't allow the slide to "slam" on the chambered round. Be gentle, no problem.

.
I don't recommend that procedure either. I have never encountered an instructor anywhere who recommended "riding the slide" gently home as a means of loading and putting a pistol into battery. That's a good way to end up with an ever so slightly out of battery pistol that goes click instead of bang when you need it.

 

[mappow]

I keep the same round chambered in my 1911A1 SprFld .45. unless I'm cleaning or off to the range. I have done both in dropping the round into the chamber and allowing the slide pick up from the mag and insert. To this date I've never had an issue either way. I think the one currently has been in the pipe for about 3 months now. But by request of my wife we'll be off to the range tomorrow the Fourth of July. Now I'll drop all my SJHP and load ball. Who knows were that round will end up at. I do keep 4 mags loaded with SJHP so I'll pile them all together and reload after the range. Of course I do keep one loaded with SJHP at all times, even at the range. (out door, 67 acres, gotta lov it)

 

[Ringo]

.
I don't recommend that procedure either. I have never encountered an instructor anywhere who recommended "riding the slide" gently home as a means of loading and putting a pistol into battery. That's a good way to end up with an ever so slightly out of battery pistol that goes click instead of bang when you need it.

I've never needed an instructor (except my father) to teach me anything about guns. After 50 years of being gentle loading and putting a pistol into battery I've not once experienced an ever so slightly out of battery pistol that went click instead of bang. You just have to understand what "gentle" means compared to "slam" and be wise enough to do a safety check. Like I said, no problem.