Any SR owners have issues with Hornady XTP?

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antiacus

Bearcat
Joined
May 21, 2013
Messages
4
I've owned my SR40c for over a year now and it's eaten everything i've ever fed it with no issues including all kinds of fmj and jhp.

I was surprised when my XTP handloads wouldn't feed. They get hung up in the breech with the top of the bullet hitting against the top of the barrel and nearly all of the brass still showing. They hang when cycling the slide and also when shooting.

Tried doing a thorough cleaning & lubrication to no avail. Bummer because i like XTP's they are a great value and offer pretty dang good performance vs cost (and i have a quarter ton of 180gr jhp's that are presently making terrific paper weights).

Anyone else have this issue?
 

Rei40c

Blackhawk
Joined
Feb 16, 2012
Messages
976
Can't say that I have with the XTP but I have had this with the Critical Duty in 180g in the past. Both bullets have a tad more cant inwards which makes them slightly less rounded. I always assumed that was my issue anyway. I polished my barrel and feed ramp and that seemed to make the issue go away.

Here is your xtp next to my critical duty round, similar design http://cdn.thektog.org/forum/attachments/f87/39d1311452230-your-p3at-defense-ammo-380dpxvshornadycritdefense002jpg-1.jpg?stc=1

As long as the feed ramp is slick and clean no troubles. After 150 ish rounds when the powder starts to build up on the ramp, well then I may have a problem, but usually not. I still carry it as my every day carry ammo.
 

antiacus

Bearcat
Joined
May 21, 2013
Messages
4
Rei40c said:
Can't say that I have with the XTP but I have had this with the Critical Duty in 180g in the past. Both bullets have a tad more cant inwards which makes them slightly less rounded. I always assumed that was my issue anyway. I polished my barrel and feed ramp and that seemed to make the issue go away.

Here is your xtp next to my critical duty round, similar design http://cdn.thektog.org/forum/attachments/f87/39d1311452230-your-p3at-defense-ammo-380dpxvshornadycritdefense002jpg-1.jpg?stc=1

As long as the feed ramp is slick and clean no troubles. After 150 ish rounds when the powder starts to build up on the ramp, well then I may have a problem, but usually not. I still carry it as my every day carry ammo.

Thanks man. I haven't yet polished my ramp. I'll do just that and give it another try.
 

Iron Mike Golf

Blackhawk
Joined
Feb 15, 2010
Messages
945
Given your description of the stoppage, I don't think polishing the ramp will help. What I'd look at is seating the bullet out further. A longer COL will get you a shallower approach angle into the chamber. That should help keep the round from getting hung up on the edge of the HP cavity.
 

antiacus

Bearcat
Joined
May 21, 2013
Messages
4
Thanks Jeff, that makes a lot of sense and jives with what i'm observing.

I'm going to polish the ramp and breech and try a couple different seating depths this weekend.

Really appreciate the assistance!
 

Iron Mike Golf

Blackhawk
Joined
Feb 15, 2010
Messages
945
If you are going to polish the feed ramp, I recommend do that by hand as opposed to a Dremel or other motorized tool. You might wrap a cotton patch around a cartridge case and use Flitz or Mother's Mag polish.

I'd avoid polishing the chamber. By all means, do visually inspect under magnification for burrs and dress any you find. Chambers should be satin, not mirror like.
 

antiacus

Bearcat
Joined
May 21, 2013
Messages
4
Interesting thing happened.

I loaded up 50 rds with a coal of 1.151 (i know, exceeds saami specs) and they fed perfectly. Even slow controlled manual feed there was no hangups. So i grabbed a couple of the old cartridges (all at 1.125) and they also fed, they were a little rougher, with a tiny hiccup before feeding, but they fed nonetheless.

Any theories?
 

Cheesewhiz

Hunter
Joined
Feb 8, 2008
Messages
2,114
Location
Chicago, IL
Yeah, you were using a minimum length for that bullet in that caliber as listed in a book. It's a minimum, that doesn't mean it's the proper length for feeding in your gun. I would check some factory loaded Hornady's using that bullet and you will find that they are loaded a little longer than 1.125".

The max spec on a .40SW is 1.135" you will probaly find that that length will load just fine in your gun. The issue with loading longer is with mag feeding and possible ogive into the rifling when chambered, the first is a pain, the second is dangerous. To check for a good length in your gun, you put a bullet into a fired case and push it into the chamber with the barrel removed. Carefully pull that dummy round out and measure the overall length, subtract .010" from that and you have a found length. If that found length is over 1.135", load to 1.135".
 
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