Chambering round more than once?
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The bullet can set back further into the case. (main reason)
The case rim will start to wear eventual not being able to extract.
Both of those can reduce the reliability of that particular Self defense round.
The case rim will start to wear eventual not being able to extract.
Both of those can reduce the reliability of that particular Self defense round.
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Once...not so bad, no big deal.
A dozen times...may be too much.
Personally, I chamber between 5-10 times, and just do a quick inspection after I eject the round and put it back in the magazine; if the rim is getting beat up, or the bullet looks like it's either pushed into or puled out of the case a bit, I replace it and save that round for the range.
A dozen times...may be too much.
Personally, I chamber between 5-10 times, and just do a quick inspection after I eject the round and put it back in the magazine; if the rim is getting beat up, or the bullet looks like it's either pushed into or puled out of the case a bit, I replace it and save that round for the range.
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Watch out for the Barnes TAC-XPD ammo. A couple of times is all it takes to get over a sixteenth of an inch setback. I wouldn't recommend saving these for the range, due to the resulting high-pressure. I'd pull the lead and dump the powder to dispose of it.
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There's no lead to pull in a Barnes...
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What is that stuff? It looks like a Teflon coated something-or-other.There's no lead to pull in a Barnes...
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Not sure what the coating is (Molybdenum, maybe), but Barnes uses all-copper bullets.
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When all else fails, I guess I should read the box. It does say all copper, but the grayish color looks sorts like my old fail-safe deer hunting ammo in 30-06.
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You still have to eventually load your carry mag. I suppose you could feed the first one in the chamber by hand, then slap in the mag.
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So, I had to find out for myself. Using 3 different pistols, Glock 17, Shield and S&W Model 39-2, I chambered the same 115 gr Hornady Critical Defense round five times in each pistol. I loaded it in the mag each time and racked it hard.
Using a digital caliper, I measured the OAL of the round before I started and after each chambering. There was absolutely no bullet set back after 15 chamberings.
What does it prove? Probably nothing. It's just that I had read so many threads about that particular round being susceptible to set back more than others. Bullet set back can and does happen. It's just that you never know if it will happen on the first chambering or on the 16th.
Using a digital caliper, I measured the OAL of the round before I started and after each chambering. There was absolutely no bullet set back after 15 chamberings.
What does it prove? Probably nothing. It's just that I had read so many threads about that particular round being susceptible to set back more than others. Bullet set back can and does happen. It's just that you never know if it will happen on the first chambering or on the 16th.
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I may be wrong, but I believe both their Critical Duty and Defense has a raised lip that prevents setback beyond what's considered to be safe pressure levels. I've never experienced setback with their ammo, it's usually other brands that I have a problem with.
It's still a good practice though, to rotate your ammo by using it at the range regularly.
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don't just plunk a round into the chamber and slam the slide!! The extractor on a semi-auto is designed to hook the round as it advances upward from the magazine--take a look at your slide, the striations on the breechface are vertical because the case head moves vertically which allows the extractor to slide into the rim...'snapping' the extractor hook over the back of a case is bad juju; It will damage the extractor and potentially the breechface...
I typically use a 'Barney Load' which essentially is just a magazine loaded with a single round to fill the chamber and then replace with a full mag of carry ammo...
I try to rotate my carry ammo every year, regardless of the amount of chamberings--a visual inspection with a dial caliper is definitive proof of Go/No-Go in my case...
i have personally seen .45acp Critical Duty, 9mm TAP, and some .40 XTPs that beg to differ...I currently have a .45 I have set aside specifically to show new shooters as an example...it has been set back 1/8" essentially turning it into a tiny Grenade
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*facepalm*
while technically accurate, not exactly relevant to the thread or the OP's question...
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Funny....I just had a dream about this last night. I saw the bullet mashed down almost to the case mouth. :sad:
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I call those "nightmares".
40 and 9 are more susceptible to running into a pressure problem with them already having high cartridge pressures in such small cases. Even small amounts of bullet Setback can spike pressures very quickly in these. I noticed it on several carry rounds that I would carry in the chamber as my 11 th bullet in a 10 rd mag after measuring them. Over time and repeated chamberings it surely can occur. Be careful.
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I dedicate ONE box of defensive ammo to replace any top-off rounds that show signs of set back. The replaced round gets put in a box for range use.
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