Hello, I just joined up and had a quick question for you all....
Yesterday I went shooting with a friend of mine and took my Para LS Hunter with us to shoot, and some of my reloads to feed it.
All in all we fired a bit over 300 rounds of ammo, and had probably 4 instance of malfunction (not including the rear sight deciding this was the day for the non-loctited screws to loosen lol) , all of which were the slide not going completely into battery, it would be juuust far enough to not allow the disconecter reset, and a light press of the thumb would put it foreward into battery, each of the 4 times it happened I inspected the rounds and other then a couple small bumps and what not on the cast lead projectile they looked fine, after they were placed back into the mag, and they went through fine.
I thought to look at the headstamp on the offending cases after the first time (should have thought about it, but I didn't :-[ ) and all of the three I looked at the headstamps of were of pmc make, could the cases be "sticking" because I didn't size them well enough?
They seemed to fit fine in the chamber after examining them.... I know I probably am worrying for nothing, but I'm considering seprating out my pmc brass this go around and seeing if this malfuction happens again.
Desolo, do you pass-through size your brass? If not read through this section, there is a video also...
http://10mm-firearms.com/reloading-10mm-ammo/pass-thru-sizing-using-lee-fcd/ (http://10mm-firearms.com/reloading-10mm-ammo/pass-thru-sizing-using-lee-fcd/)
No, I've not tried pass through sizing yet.... I've just been using a lee sizing die that came in the 40/10mm die set, I've been using my factory crimp die to crimp the rounds after using the seating die set to only seat the bullet. Is it worth getting an "extra" fcd and using it for full length sizing?
You can use the FCD you have, just remove the guts, then all you need is a push pin, some guys have used a brass casing (so it fits the shell holder) and fill it with a piece of steel rod placed inside as their push pin.
Having a case gauge will definitely show it you have issues, but using the pass through method they will fit the gauge.
Some care with regards to cast bullets is just enough case mouth flair to accept the bullet, seat it to depth without any crimp being applied (otherwise the bullet can snag the casing a shave bullet material, that can build up on the edge of the case mouth or roll inside increasing diameter and headspacing issue). Crimp in a separate step to finish. These are the things that will insure 100% feeding reliability.
Good luck!
I made sure to tinker with the case flair and to make sure not to shave the lead bullets, and using the fcd on a nice light setting just to make sure it is all even, must have made 2-3 dummies just to take apart and look at the markings left on the lead, until I got none other then scuff type from the puller...
So I take the center out of the fcd, and make an insert of some type to just press it through the carbide ring? Sounds simple enough, ill have to investigate this, although I've been doing my loading on a lee handheld press, so I'm not sure how well I could do this with that.
I figured it out, I dissassembled the fcd, and then took apart my ram prime primer carrier, and used the base with nothing else in it to press the empties through the carbide ring, this isn't to bad, just takes some elbow grease :)
"Having a case gauge will definitely show it you have issues"
The min/max gauge is prob the best $10 I've spent... Picked on up on Ebay and it catches ALL the case problems.
Of course a barrel will work too ( use the tightest you have ) but I can leave it on the bench and use it more often due to same.
I just do a random bullet now and then, but when sizing some brass check more often.
If I pick up or trade for some new 10mm brass that's already been fired, I run them all through a Lee Bulge Buster setup in case they were fired by a gun that did not have a fully supported chamber. I don't like Glock smilies.
My Para is sensitive to COAL. How long where these loaded?
In mine, anything over 1.250" overall will result in the types of stoppages you are describing. There are some bullet profiles that are more forgiving than others. But in general I have just landed on loading to 1.250 and calling it good.
I was aiming for as as long a coal as I could as I understand it is supposed to keep pressure down, started at 1.260 on the first batch I did, backed it off a bit with this batch, was aiming for 1.255.
The offending rounds were truncated cones, never had an issue with the rnfp, so perhaps I am loading them too long for the tc projectiles?
Ill double check with an alternate set of calipers later to be sure I've got them where I THINK I've got them.
I've pass through sized all the brass Id reclaimed from my last shooting session, and got done depriming them in the sizing/depriming die last night, after I've loaded a few from that batch ill see about comparing them to any of the pmc cased rounds out of the previous batch that weren't fired this time, maybe the pass through sizing will have made a difference in the end of the cases.
Sqlbullet, what model para 10mm do you have? Has it had any other particular quirks? Does the coal you prescribe apply to all bullet weights and profiles? What about 220's? I've been considering loading some of those in the future.
Just a side note see you are shooting cast bullets, check the end of chamber cut in your barrel. Recently I found a small bit of alloy that got stuck to the headspacing cut and that presented a failure to return to battery and full lockup on my G-30 using cast bullets. Sometimes it can be the simplest things that make us scratch our heads and say WTH. ???
Based on many pull-downs, I have seen many cartridges loaded to lengths shorter than 1.2500".
Just today the Federal XM1003A 190gr measured 1.2485" I have measured some stuff at 1.2420" like the DT 200 & 220 gr WFN cast.
This DID start to happen after it had some rounds through it, I hadn't thought of that!
I know some of the pmc cases went though the pass through a bit more stiffly then others, I wonder if it could be a combo of a tight chamber that was fouled AND brass that wasn't sized to the base....it was atleast 100 rounds in before this started so it had certainly gotten fouling built up a little.
I don't like exposed lead in my 10mm. I always use powder coated like Blue Bullets or Precision Bullets. Here was my last batch of 10mm/.40 cal using Blue Bullets and nickel plated cases. Aren't they cute?
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/Gandog56/SANY0209_zpsbd0b37d3.jpg)
By the way, with 200 grain bullets I do use a COL of 1.260". They work in all my 10mm pistols, but I don't have a Para.
I have a P16-40 that I converted to 10mm. It has no other quirks.
Yes, TC or SWC bullet styles are far more sensitive, as well as any RN or HP design that has the ogive starting much past the mouth of the case. It really seems to be an issue with the shoulder of the loaded round being over 1.05" more than anything else.
I run a bunch of 175 grain SWC, but have had the issue with other HP and RFN bullets from time to time. If I keep my COAL below 1.250, I never have issues.
For the converted Para16-40's, I have to wonder if the 10mm chamber reamers, also cut the throat taper as well. The angle and width of the opening especially at the end of the chamber cut. I could see where if the angle is too tight, it would affect the longer seated bullet designs with bore diameter portions a head of the casing mouth.
One thing I noticed in the Bren Ten barrel design was that there was long lead with respect to the rifling in the barrel. It looks like about 3/4" before the rifling starts... ???
I remember reading somewhere that the bren ten's rifling was different, and that it was a feature of some sort, but don't recall what it was supposed to do. Interesting though!
I've never had an issue with hollow points (yet) but its something I've been waiting to see it happen, seems like every auto has one it hates!
My Para is a single stack, do you run yours on the standard 16/40 mags with a spacer removed?
How long have you been running it as a 10mm? I'm not big on double stacks but ill admit a 1911 style pistol that has that many rounds of 10mm is pretty sweet!
I've been interested in trying the coated bullets but just haven't gotten around to it, I wonder how soft of lead one could powder coat? Itwould be neat to have a very soft slug coated well enough to protect the bore but still allow expansion....imagine a high velocity nyclad type round! That would be fun to try!
Well I've certainly got some stuff to think about and various things to try, so this is great!
Just figured id throw this out there: I sat down tonight and chamber checked (barrel out of the gun plunk testing, and looking at how it headspaces in relation to the barrel hood) the last of my batch that I was having issues with, and wouldnt you know it, I had 5 failures, all of them in pmc cases.... so it sounds like they were in fact the issue, this next batch will have been pass through resized so when I get around to loading them ill do the same test again and see if I have the same issue, but I don't think I will ;D
Quote from: Desolo on July 30 2014 12:34:53 AM MDT
Just figured id throw this out there: I sat down tonight and chamber checked (barrel out of the gun plunk testing, and looking at how it headspaces in relation to the barrel hood) the last of my batch that I was having issues with, and wouldnt you know it, I had 5 failures, all of them in pmc cases.... so it sounds like they were in fact the issue, this next batch will have been pass through resized so when I get around to loading them ill do the same test again and see if I have the same issue, but I don't think I will ;D
All my strange 10mm brass goes through my Lee Bulge Buster. Also my .45 nd .40 cal.
Just in case they've ever even been within sniffing distance of a Glock.