Check your carry ammo!
I found this today during my normal carry ammo rotation. Both are the exact same round from the exact same box. Bullet set back can cause an overpressure situation real quick, and could destroy a weapon or cause great injury. Yes, I will be complaining to Hornady about it, but I thought you all would like to know. Make sure to check and rotate your carry ammo!
The set back round has only been chambered 4 times in a Ruger SR9c
The set back round has only been chambered 4 times in a Ruger SR9c
I usually buy white box FMJ cheapos for range practice - I got one that was set back about as bad as this one. Took it to the range boss, who told me "Why worry about it - it'll probably go bang". I gave him the "You gotta be f'n kidding me" look, and he then replaced it. Now, I didn't find any more setbacks in the 4 boxes I burned through, but... there was one squib toward the end of the set. Lucky for me it was #2 of two taps... I rather like my face and fingers where they are.
You are braver than I am. I do not train doubletaps with Winchester White Box or Wal-Mart Federal. I only train like that with my own reloaded rounds. That way I know they are 100% reliable.
My understanding is that those massive government .40 caliber ammo purchases were the Federal HSTs, and for good reason.
There are several websites comparing the performance of all of the main HP rounds out there as well as YouTube videos showing gelatin and water tests. Why bother with an also ran like the Hornady round? There are plenty of others that have proven to perform as well and a few that have truly distinguished themselves as a better option. Don't get me wrong, the Hornady will work, but it isn't the best choice by a long shot.
It did not expect these to perform like the SXT, but I also did not expect this either as Hornady is supposed to be pretty good bang for the buck.
No doubt I am talking out of my rear end on this one as I am probably very ignorant on the subject, but the only three conceivable things that I can think of that would effect performance are as follows. Please keep in mind that when you get done laughing, these are strictly guesses.
1. The powder settling/compacting over time.
2. Maybe freshness actually does count with powder/primers.
3. Moisture getting into the round to defeat the powder's effectiveness.
Are any of these factors into why you would even care about ammo being fresh or not? Is there something else I am not thinking about?
The Ranger SXTs in my FNP-9 have been sitting on my bedside table for a few years now. the only time they come out are when I go to the range to shoot some cheap FMJ factory stuff or lately my own cast reloads. I use a 124 gr, RN tumble lubed design from Lee in a six cavity mold, FWIW, and they shoot pretty decent for goofing around at the range. Helluva lot cheaper too.
Me, I want a bullet that hits my target, transfers the energy to the target, and stops about halfway through the target.
I know setback can cause pressure to jump very quickly and should never be ignored. But remember that a 9mm is not a magnum and as long as you are talking .020", you are not in huge danger. IF you find it is being caused by bullet setback from the forcing cone, none at all. In my opinion.
In my rifles that have huge amounts of powder (and pressures) I actually determine the overall dimension of a round by partially setting a bullet in a empty test casing, and force the bolt closed, and measure how far the bullet was shoved back by the forcing cone.
For a precision rifle, the least amount of "void" you have between the bullet and the cone, the better is for accuracy. No more than .003" in either of my Savage 110BA's. A bit looser in most others.
This does no work for semiauto guns of any type. Too loose all over.
I shoot a lot of hardcast lead, so I have measured my chamber, and these should not have touched the rifling, so this should not have caused the issue.
I reload rifle round the same way you do, which is why my .308 is set below the cannelure of the 150 grain FMJ. They clear the rifling by an average of .004.
And remember that hollow points and Round Nose are different lengths. As I recall, the suggested overall length for my 115gn HP is 1.130".
I'll check tomorrow and get back if it's different.
I also rotate my ammo, but by shooting my carry piece at least 4 times a month. That's minimum. Since we are very near our range, that's easy for us.
How old is that box of ammo?
My manual sets the 124 grain XTP bullet at 1.060, which is what the factory had them, but having been chambered 4 times each round is now about 1.030, a .030 set back.
I have sent the pics to Hornady to get their opinion. I still feel fine shooting these as the SR9c is rated to +P+, but this might be an issue for them if someone were to have this problem and then shoot them out of a gun not built like a Ruger.
:-)
http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/wcs/s...
I don't disparage anyone who chooses to cc. I merely choose not to in order not to have to alert the government that I may own a handgun. Just another avenue that will be used to round up the weapons when they come for them (and they will).
That said any other firearms I may have purchased from private individuals in my home or in other places along with any stockpiles of ammunition I may or may not have at home or buried somewhere else are a matter of pure speculation.
My apologies for a bit of ire.
No, this is not the case with mine. I have chambered this round only four times as I only unload and reload my carry ammo when I go to the range or clean the gun afterwards. Each round that is in the chamber is moved to the bottom of the mag and a fresh round is chambered. I allow 4 total revolutions for a total of 44 unload and reload cycles before the ammo is shot and replaced.
It works for me, and reduces the risk you're talking about by a lot (maybe to zero).