rechambering?

[Bark'n]

I usually will only re-chamber a round 3 or 4 times before I mark it and move it to another spot farther down in the magazine.

I don't fiddle with my guns after they are loaded, but frequently I do have to clean my guns, if I haven't been to the range and shot them in a while.

The reason is because I pocket carry my LCP and frequently pocket carry my XD9sc. Regardless of the fact they are in a DeSantis Nemesis holster, they still gather a lot of pocket lint.

So again, after 3 or so re-chambers, the round gets moved to another spot in the magazine after I mark the case indicating it's not to be a chamber round any more.

Each trip to the range, I always shoot up older rounds first before I dip into the ammo I may have just bought!

Not exactly a scientific system, but it works for me.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[gottabkiddin]

What's the difference? A "good reliable JHP" IS a "premium" round in my book...

Yes yes, we must know. Just what do you mean. Just what is a Quality round vs an Average one, Inquiring minds want to know.

[86thecat]

In regards to SGT Jensen's test, I find it surprising that inertia from the slide striking a round already in the chamber will cause setback that quickly. Was the gun pointed down allowing the round to fully seat in the chamber before the slide was released? I have found that pistol rounds crimped with a Lee Factory Crimp Die are very resistant to start moving when disassembled in an inertia puller (40 and 10mm), so a good crimp seems to do its job.
I switch from hollow point to soft point whenever going into the woods, so my ammo gets rechambered a bit. My Glock 20 feeds correctly from the magazine no matter how slowly you cycle the slide. It's easy to see and feel that the barrel has moved up and locked. So my solution is to not let the round be slammed around. Haven't found any bullet setback issues. Have used the same technique with other pistols (G27,Sig P220, HiPower, etc) with no problems. Is there any reason not to chamber rounds slowly as long as you're aware of how the gun locks into battery?

[Kevin Jensen]

In regards to SGT Jensen's test, I find it surprising that inertia from the slide striking a round already in the chamber will cause setback that quickly. Was the gun pointed down allowing the round to fully seat in the chamber before the slide was released?

Yes, the GLOCK was pointed down, at the floor. The round was fully seated.

Is there any reason not to chamber rounds slowly as long as you're aware of how the gun locks into battery?

This is how I chamber a round now. I lock the slide to the rear, insert a full mag, ride the slide forward instead of letting it slam on its own, and top off the mag. I have not recorded any setback using this method.

[scotth]

So my solution is to not let the round be slammed around. Haven't found any bullet setback issues. Have used the same technique with other pistols (G27,Sig P220, HiPower, etc) with no problems. Is there any reason not to chamber rounds slowly as long as you're aware of how the gun locks into battery?

Nope, no problem. I've been doing this for years with no issues. Tiny semi-autos like the Kel-Tec P3AT and Kahr PM9 won't go into battery as easily when riding the slide due to its low inertia. With those pistols, I just chamber them "normally" and still have never had any problems.

[redneckrambo]

So what would be the safe maximum allowable setback? .020"?
I just checked a box of Blazer Aluminum 9mm and found up to .010" variation in length in new ammo.

[swinokur]

Ok-I'm confused. If bullet setback is dangerous and can cause a kaboom, why would you then go the the range with a possibly dangerous round? A kaboom is almost as dangerous at the range as it is in a SD situation. Or are people just firing them at the range before anything is noticed? I don't own a micrometer.

Thanks,

Stu

[Ram Rod]

I rotate my previously chambered rounds to the bottom of a full mag whenever I think about it actually. I do this more with my 40S&W caliber pistols.

[BearCat]

Whenever I clear the chamber of I take that round and place it in a seperate magazine. When a few magazines are full I make it a point to practice with my SD ammo, on my next trip to the range.

[jonconsiglio]

I do pretty much the same thing as BearCat. I'll cycle each round up to two times. When I remove a round from the chamber, I rotate it to the bottom of the round and put a mark on it with a Sharpie. When it gets cycled to the bottom a 2nd time, I put a second mark on it. When that round makes it back to the top, that magazine gets set aside and a fresh one is inserted.

I carry a 1911, so it's pretty simple with a single stack. I use Federal HST and Ranger T-Series. The HST have the crimping (?) on the bullet and the crimping meets the case, so it's very easy to see any setback. plus, I compare the cycled round to a new one, never noticed any setback, but I still feel two cycles is enough. I have about 500 rounds of each, so I don't mind. Plus, once enough is set aside, I run a couple courses at IDPA with my carry ammo in my carry gun.

The reason i ever cycle ammo besides going to the range is that my office is at home. My wife and 4 1/2 year old daughter (starts Pre-K soon) stay home with me and we had our son 27 days ago. I chamber a round in the morning, for example, then keep my gun on me all day. When we wind down at night I like to keep my gun nearby, but sometimes take the bullet out of the chamber for an extra measure of safety, then when we go to bed, I chamber another round. Not saying it's the right way to do things, but there's no way my daughter can cycle the slide. So, typically every day or two, a round is chambered.

I do leave an AR15 and another 1911 always in Condition 1 in the bedroom. Neither are accessible when I'm not in there, so there's no reason for cycling rounds. I will say, I have noticed considerable setback in 5.56 rounds compared to any .45's.

[jonconsiglio]

*An edit to my above post....

I was thinking about the 75gr TAP rounds I just loaded when I mentioned the crimping!

On the HST there's a crimp, if you want to call it that, around the middle of the case, this helps stop any bullet setback. From what I understand, it works very well.

[Midnight412]

Wow. This is an eye opener for me. I have several .45 JHP +P rounds that I have cycled through my M&P many times. I'm going to pull all of them and measure for length.

All I can say is DAMN! I feel like I am unarmed right now because I don't know if it is safe to fire my gun with the ammo that is in it...

[billfromtx]

Multiple chambering of the same round can certainly cause setback and should be avoided. I'm curious though. Why would you be chambering and rechambering? It's a sd handgun. Load it up and leave it alone.

exactamundo as The Fonze used too say!

[Rexster]

I have owned firearms that tended to push the bullet deeper into the case, if repeatedly chambering the same round. My current carry guns don't, but I still try to not chamber the same round more than twice, in autopistols. This is not a financial burden, because I don't make a regular habit of unloading my duty and carry guns, except for my duty/SD/HD shotguns, in which I only have a round chambered if it is in my hands, ready for action. Shotgun ammo does not suffer set-back, though the rims can get a bit chewed-up over time.

[dkpeppard]

By and large, rechambering a round is no big deal. Especially if you lock the slide back and look into the chamber with a loaded magazine inserted to see if that top round is basically a straight feed into the chamber. It is for my 1911s and Glocks. No "banging" or "slamming" of the bullet nose into anything.

I have a generation two Glock G19 and a generation three Glock G26. Are you saying Glocks don't slam the ammo when chambering, so I have nothing to worry about with rechambered rounds?