View Full Version : Deforming Hollowpoints?
beatlesfan
10-13-2011, 02:45 AM
Hey everyone. When I'm out and about I chamber a round in whatever gun I'm carrying. When I get home I eject the round, reinsert it into the magazine, and pop the mag back in. I've been carrying the T9 almost everyday since I got it a few weeks back.
About a week ago I ejected the round from the chamber and noticed that the hollowpoint was a bit deformed. I thought it might have just been a fluke. I've now noticed it again twice. The first time was with Hornady Tap 147gr JHP. The second and third times have been with Hornady Critical Defense 115gr JHP. I'm wondering what's going on here. This ammo isn't cheap stuff and I don't want to have to throw away good/expensive ammo.
Does anyone have any ideas? I'm a bit concerned.
gb6491
10-13-2011, 06:17 AM
A round's trip into the chamber of a semiautomatic pistol is a pretty violent evolution. First it slams into the feed way, slides/bounces up that, then bumps into the chamber roof before coming to rest.
What you are seeing is most likely the result of repeated chambering of the same round, but that's not to say you won't see the same thing after just one trip into the tube. In addition to deforming the bullet nose, you also need to be aware of bullet set back (bullet being forced back into the case which can cause increased chamber pressure). The preceding occurs to differing degrees in most all semiautomatic pistols. The best you can do is try to minimize the effect by limiting how often you chamber a particular round. Even then, the round will reach a point where it should be removed from the rotation. I try and shoot mine before they reach that stage.
Regards,
Greg
jocko
10-13-2011, 08:31 AM
My rounds will look a tad different after ejection. Certainly won't harm anything, and certainly not worht throwing it away. Many defense rounds today are a softer all copper round and slamming into that feed ramp like GB stated is a violent thing, the weakest of the two objects will take the brunt. Certainly if u have to eject that live round for the first time put in down in the middle of the magazine and start fresh with a new round or save it for range practice if u have doubts. U can change rounds also to see if some of that dissappears but copper is copper is copper..
Bawanna
10-13-2011, 10:50 AM
The set back GB mentioned is to me the important thing. Various ammo differs in how well it's crimped and how hard the bullet is. Different guns make that chambering with less damage than others.
It's a good idea just to rotate the chambered round somewhere else in the stack or set it aside for range if it starts to look bad and toss it if it looks like the bullet is pushed deeper into the case.
I have a box in the armory with fresh rounds to replace such rounds. I call it the top round box. The old goes into a box for range and they can grab just one round to replace it.
I assume you have younguns around, I'd find a more secure place to store it and not do the empty chamber thing. One less chance of a mishap too.
jocko
10-13-2011, 11:11 AM
certainly set back will occur to if one does multiple loading and unload and then reloading. Not sure any round was designe dto be done that way--very often...
beatlesfan
10-13-2011, 03:53 PM
Ok thanks guys. It never happened with my other auto loaders, so thanks for clearing that up for me.
Also, I don't have any kids running around. Just the black lab, and he knows that you always assume that daddy's guns are loaded. :D
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Bawanna
10-13-2011, 04:05 PM
Ok thanks guys. It never happened with my other auto loaders, so thanks for clearing that up for me.
Also, I don't have any kids running around. Just the black lab, and he knows that you always assume that daddy's guns are loaded. :D
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You may not notice it beatlesfan but any semi auto is prone for it to happen. AR 15's, any of them. Some just do it worse than others.
PS- Black Labs Rock. Good dogs, I've had a few. 2 were suppose to be yellows but I ended up with blacks, not sure what happened there.
rholmes69
10-13-2011, 09:35 PM
IIRC, there is a pic/thread of LEO glock at a jail or prison facility that had had the same round constantly driven to battery and one day the ammo was used at a range and caused the gun to go kaboom. They stated is was from the bullet being set back too deep in the case and caused some sort of failure.
beatlesfan
10-14-2011, 02:50 PM
You may not notice it beatlesfan but any semi auto is prone for it to happen. AR 15's, any of them. Some just do it worse than others.
PS- Black Labs Rock. Good dogs, I've had a few. 2 were suppose to be yellows but I ended up with blacks, not sure what happened there.
They really are awesome dogs. We used to have Samoyeds, but we rescued the lab from a shelter. Most well behaved dog I've ever seen. Thanks for all of the info guys, I'll keep in mind to be a bit more careful. Maybe rack the slides more gently(except the Kahr...)
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JFootin
10-14-2011, 03:33 PM
If you don't have any kids around, why not leave the round in the chamber? Even then, inspect and rotate any round that has been in the chamber and ejected. Of course, your mag(s) are full, so throw 'em in a box and use them when you reload mags. Plus, I like to load the chamber and then add one to the mag, so I am packing 7 instead of 6. Of course the T9 holds more, but you could still do that.
beatlesfan
10-14-2011, 03:45 PM
If you don't have any kids around, why not leave the round in the chamber? Even then, inspect and rotate any round that has been in the chamber and ejected. Of course, your mag(s) are full, so throw 'em in a box and use them when you reload mags. Plus, I like to load the chamber and then add one to the mag, so I am packing 7 instead of 6. Of course the T9 holds more, but you could still do that.
That's a thought. I leave all of the pistols in the safe loaded. I do have company over often though. If something were to happen I wouldn't be able to live that down ya know? I unload more for safety's sake.
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jocko
10-14-2011, 04:00 PM
an unloaded gun is indeed a safe gun, but also a worthless gun..
JFootin
10-14-2011, 04:00 PM
That's a thought. I leave all of the pistols in the safe loaded. I do have company over often though. If something were to happen I wouldn't be able to live that down ya know? I unload more for safety's sake.
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Understood.
beatlesfan
10-14-2011, 04:32 PM
an unloaded gun is indeed a safe gun, but also a worthless gun..
True, but the chances are a lot higher of one of my friends grabbing my gun to check out, than someone kicking in my reinforced front or backdoor. It'd take SWAT to get in one of my doors lol.
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JFootin
10-14-2011, 07:35 PM
Yeah, and the prospect of a gun ignorant friend picking one up, pointing it and pulling the trigger is pretty good given the general ignorance of the populus nowadays. It seems like the ability to reason has been bred out. The last presidential election is the glaring proof. And like Neal Boortz was saying this morning, to this very day most people still don't realize who Obama really is, his upbringing, his background, his mentors, his chosen affiliations. Not a clue!
beatlesfan
10-14-2011, 07:42 PM
Yeah, and the prospect of a gun ignorant friend picking one up, pointing it and pulling the trigger is pretty good given the general ignorance of the populus nowadays. It seems like the ability to reason has been bred out. The last presidential election is the glaring proof. And like Neal Boortz was saying this morning, to this very day most people still don't realize who Obama really is, his upbringing, his background, his mentors, his chosen affiliations. Not a clue!
The majority of my friends are gun carrying/respecting people just like me. I do have a few friends who are quite liberal who haven't held a gun in their lives. Imagine the press if one of those friends picked it up and it "magically" fired and hurt someone. There's no need for me to have to have to worry about that. If the bad guy can get through my always locked door and my 100 pound black lab before I can rack the slide, then I probably wouldn't be able to stop them anyways.
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JFootin
10-14-2011, 08:11 PM
You're right!
TheTman
10-14-2011, 08:18 PM
What kind of friends do you have that would just pick up a gun without asking? They'd not be welcome in my home. And I sure as hell wouldn't pick up a friend's gun without asking them first.
beatlesfan
10-14-2011, 08:45 PM
What kind of friends do you have that would just pick up a gun without asking? They'd not be welcome in my home. And I sure as hell wouldn't pick up a friend's gun without asking them first.
I'm not saying that they WOULD pick up a gun without asking, they haven't before, but someone might. Who knows. All I wanted was opinions from everyone on here who are more knowledgeable than me, about my deforming hollowpoint issue. I wasn't looking to debate my friends. If you don't like them, don't invite them over. I'm just trying to have a civil talk here everyone.
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Rainman48314
10-23-2011, 05:42 PM
I'm not saying that they WOULD pick up a gun without asking, they haven't before, but someone might. Who knows. All I wanted was opinions from everyone on here who are more knowledgeable than me, about my deforming hollowpoint issue. I wasn't looking to debate my friends. If you don't like them, don't invite them over. I'm just trying to have a civil talk here everyone.
Sent from TapatalkIt should be safe to assume your friends, whatever their political leanings, would not rummage thru a nightstand drawer. Just put it in there. There is a lot to be said for eliminating a question in your mind as to whether a gun is loaded or not by having it always loaded.
JFootin
10-23-2011, 06:16 PM
There is a lot to be said for eliminating a question in your mind as to whether a gun is loaded or not by having it always loaded.
Very simple arithmetic there, Rainman. 1 + 1 = BANG! :D
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