# Slide not closing on reloads



## rednecks70 (Feb 5, 2011)

I just started reloading 40 caliber to shoot in my glocks (23 & 35). Every once in a while the slide will not close all the way when chambering the first round on the 23, mostly happens when my sons (they are 10 and 13) rack the slide so I figured they were riding it back and sure enough if I have them release it with the slide catch the problem goes away. Is it possible the bullet is not set back far enough in the cartridge? I don't have calipers to measure the exact length but I compare my reload to a factory bullet to make sure its close.

Now when using the same ammo in the 35 my sons can chamber the first round fine but the slide may not close all the way when cycling the 2nd, 3rd, etc. shots. The only explanation I can think of is their not gripping the gun tight enough and the recoil is getting absorbed in their hands/arms and not in the slide because it's not happening when I shoot the pistol. I've been loading the minimal powder charge, would increasing the charge help?

Thanks!


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## twomode (Jun 7, 2009)

Do you have any reload books? They will give you all dimensions and you can find out from there what your OAL should be, as well as all other cartridge dimensions. Do you factory crimp? Is this only with reloads? etc etc. Good luck.


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## rednecks70 (Feb 5, 2011)

twomode said:


> Do you have any reload books? They will give you all dimensions and you can find out from there what your OAL should be, as well as all other cartridge dimensions. Do you factory crimp? Is this only with reloads? etc etc. Good luck.


I do have a book on reloading, I should invest in calipers but funds are short at the moment.

I'm assuming the die that sets the bullet in the cartridge is crimping but I'm not sure if it's factory.

I have shot 250 rounds of reload and to be honest it's only happening when my sons are shooting, I can't recall a single time it's happened to me so I will have to teach them proper technique. I've put about 500 rounds of factory ammo through both of these guns and the only problem I had was one failure to eject on the 35. The range officer looked at it when it happened and said I'm over oiling it so we wiped off the excess oil and it was fine for the rest of the day.


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

It's more likely that your cases are not completely resized, or not properly crimped, than that the problem rests in seating depth. It is also possible that your cases are a little too long, but that usually would be the situation only if the cases have been reloaded several times.

Even if your full-length resizing die is properly set, it will leave the very base of the case un-resized. In .40, this may be a meaningful issue. Because of this, somebody (Lee?) makes a push-through, full-length resizer specifically for .40 cases.
If the bases of your reloads are just a wee bit oversize, you would experience the stoppage you describe.

The same stoppage may be the result of un-crimped case mouths, too. The .40 case should be taper-crimped on the bullet (not roll-crimped). If your die set does not taper-crimp your cases, you might experience the problem you describe.
The taper-crimp is formed in a separate operation, not with the seating die. A seating die will only make a roll-crimp.

If the cases are properly resized and properly taper-crimped, slight bullet protrusion would not cause the problem of which you wrote. The bullet would have to be really much too far out, to the extent that it would be visually apparent when you compare a reload to a factory round.

*Test:*
Strip the pistol. _Use only the barrel_, all by itself, for this test.
Hold the barrel in one hand, muzzle pointing vertically downward.
With the other hand, drop a reload into the barrel's chamber. Do not push it in. Just drop it into the chamber, and let it seat itself.
If the reload drops properly into place, flush with the chamber's mouth, it's a good one. Invert the barrel and let it drop out.
If the reload does not drop all the way in by means of its own weight, it's bad and should be rejected. Drop it out and set it aside.


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## rednecks70 (Feb 5, 2011)

Thanks for the info Steve I think you solved the problem. The cases are brand new and I have been running them through the case trimmer just as a precaution. I purchased the push through die from Redding but since the cases are new I didn't see a need for this step. 

I did the test you outlined and none of my reloads fall all the into chamber. Looks like I will be ordering a taper crimp die. I'm assuming this set of reloads can be put through the taper crimp die and saved but please let me know. Thanks.

John


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## rednecks70 (Feb 5, 2011)

What do you guys think of this die? It seats the bullet and taper crimps.

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/default.aspx?productNumber=479027

Also, I noticed one of the other taper crimp dies required the bullet to have groove in it? Here's the description

The Lee Taper Crimp Die is hardened steel designed to overcome crimp problems caused by poor die design. These dies offer little or no advantage when used with 1986 or newer Lee dies as the crimp angle is already a modified taper crimp. *Jacketed bullets must have a crimp groove (cannelure). *Shellholder sold separately.

John


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

Although I use a separate taper-crimp die, I'm sure that the RCBS seat-and-crimp die will do the job.

I don't reload with jacketed bullets, and the lead bullets I use don't have a cannelure (groove) into which to press a crimp, so I am unsure of the validity of the Lee statement.

The real problem you face is correcting the cases you've already loaded.
If they have lead bullets, they only need to be run up into a taper-crimp die. (This is why a separate taper-crimp die might be useful.)
If they have jacketed bullets, I am unsure about how you might proceed. You may have to pull all of the bullets, dump out the powder, resize and re-expand the case mouths, recharge with powder, and then reseat the bullets and taper-crimp them. (You can reuse both powder and bullets, if the bullets are pulled carefully.)


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## rednecks70 (Feb 5, 2011)

Okay, the batch I just loaded are jacketed bullets. I'll jump off that bridge when I come to it :mrgreen:!

I'll do some more research today on that RCBS die. I just want to make sure it can taper crimp a jacketed bullet without the grove before I purchase it. It would be nice to accomplish two tasks with one stroke of the press!

Thanks for your help!

John


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## TOF (Sep 7, 2006)

A Lee factory crimp die will post size for you plus, if adjusted correctly crimp any 40 cal bullet you choose to use, cannelure or not. I use them for 9, 40 , 357 and 45. They work great. I have successfuly loaded tens of thousands of 40 cal with a standard Lee resizing die. Badly bulged Glocked cases included.

You also need to purchase calipers. I expect your son's hands are worth more than a set of calipers. I am a tightwad but purchased basic tools necessary to "SAFELY" reload my ammo.

If you don't know what OAL you are ending up with your recipe is a potentialy disasterous one.

Good luck


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