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.45 ACP w/ Unique - load right out of a Hornady manual - not cycling Glocks

2K views 25 replies 14 participants last post by  DustyJacket 
#1 ·
Hornady manual Fourth Edition list the maximum load for Unique with a 200 grain bullet as 6.2 grains.
Hornady manual Fifth Edition does not list a load for Unique in .45 ACP.

I put together a load with a 200 grain plated SWC with 6.5 grains of Unique. It works fine in my 1911s, but it will only eject the spent round if there is one round in the chamber and the magazine is empty in my Glock 30 SF. If there is any ammunition in the magazine, I suppose there is just enough resistance against the slide to limit the slide movement to about an inch and a half. The extractor fails to pull the spent round out of the chamber, and it doesn't even get as far as a stovepipe.

I have a Speer manual that list the starting load for a 200 grain jacketed bullet as 6.5 grains of Unique with a maximum of 7.3 grains of Unique.

I have always felt that the Hornady manuals lawyer-ed up and deliberately posted anemic loads, but this is not the first time that I have had loads from a Hornady manual which would not cycle an automatic pistol.

Anyhow, to this point, this is probably more of a rant, than anything, but in the past, I've used a lot of HOT Unique loads and Blue Dot for .45 ACP.

Rather than fall back on my old habits, I am considering using AA# 7 (just because I have 3 pounds), Bullseye, Win 231, 800X, or WSF.

Any comments on all of this would be appreciated.
 
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#2 ·
The shorter the slide the stiffer the recoil spring, then less likely it will feed light loads. Bump it 1-2/10, probably works fine. If it's a 200gr LSWC, good luck, they don't like the G30 or G36.
 
#4 ·
They are 200 gr plated SWC. If there was only one round in the magazine, it fed with no problem and upon firing cycled the slide back to lock the action open. The additional drag of a second round in the magazine, is what caused the slide to stop. Basically, like you're saying, a couple tenths of a grain probably gets the gun into reliable operating territory. Just grabbing a load from the middle of the range published by Speer gets me up closer to seven grains where I'd likely "revisit" if I stick with Unique. I used to use some Ken Waters loads that pushed the envelope, and these current loads are the result of me 'mellowing with age' a bit.

I know what you mean about short slide difficulties. I have a Paraordinance P10 which cycles hardball and Golden Sabers perfectly, but will not cycle a single semi wadcutter.

Anyhow, I'm likely going to use up what is left of a pound of Bullseye on my remaining 200 gr swc, and then switch over to a thousand rounds of plated 185 grain flat points.
 
#5 ·
MY xd45C requires a load stouter than it's full size XD45tac version. Part of that is the captured recoil spring of the 45c. No dropping a recoil spring wt to get softer loads to run. I can get down to about 140PF with the 45c. The Gen4 G30/36 is sim IMO, I believe also a captured recoils spring?
 
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#6 ·
I'm your neighbor here in Northern California, so it's a Gen 3 G 30 SF.
It seems to me that I bumped this load .2 of a grain to get it working with my Gen 2 G21, so what your saying makes sense that it will require another .2 bump to get it working in this gun. If I use Unique, I'll probably bump it .4, but I might just use Bullseye.
 
#8 ·
I would try another 200 grain bullet of a different shape with the same charge.Then you will know if it's the bullet or the charge.Because of the ramp on the 30 and 36 models some not all of those models do not like swc bullets.
 
#10 ·
The extractor fails to pull the spent round out of the chamber, and it doesn't even get as far as a stovepipe.
Just to clarify, it is more than likely the extractor is working fine, just that the slide isn't coming back for the case to hit the ejector. So, this would be an FTEject.

And, your Speer manual sounds much more accurate. I run 6.2gr Unique / Universal under a 200 as a light plinking load in a well-used G21, so I m not surprised it won't reliably cycle a factory G30.
 
#11 ·
Just to clarify, it is more than likely the extractor is working fine, just that the slide isn't coming back for the case to hit the ejector. So, this would be an FTEject
This is correct. If the magazine is empty, and the gun only contains the chambered round, the gun will fire and eject the spent case, and the slide locks back on the empty magazine.

But, with a round in the chamber and a round in the magazine, upon firing, the slide stops one third of the way back and the spent cartridge is still partially or completely chambered. It's as if the pressure from the magazine pressing the top cartridge into the slide is enough to arrest the slide's rear-word progress.

And, your Speer manual sounds much more accurate. I run 6.2gr Unique / Universal under a 200 as a light plinking load in a well-used G21, so I m not surprised it won't reliably cycle a factory G30.
I always sanity check my loads against my Hornady manuals to make sure I haven't inadvertently picked a nuclear load from another manual. I just periodically forget to check Hornady loads against other manuals to make sure that something like this doesn't happen.
I once had a Hornady load for 9mm 147 grain with SR 4756 which would not cycle the gun. I found another manual which listed a load one tenth of a grain higher, which when I accidentally metered an additional half grain over led to cases bursting. I'm of the opinion that SR 4756 builds pressure rapidly and unpredictably since this whole thing occurred within a range of one half a grain.
But, I don't consider Unique to be so fussy, so I'm surprised that Hornady prints a load that is anemic in one manual and drops the load (presumably due to problems like this one) in the next manual. I can't imagine having to print a manual for a hundred different bullet weights.
 
#12 ·
Again, the shorterthe slide the siffer the spring. I xan get pretty soft loads to run in a stock g21, total failure in a 36. Hornady gives you a load range, you have to match the data up with your gun. One reason i never bother with starting data in any manual. It rarely give best results.
 
#13 ·
Again, the shorter the slide the stiffer the spring. I can get pretty soft loads to run in a stock g21, total failure in a 36. Hornady gives you a load range, you have to match the data up with your gun. One reason i never bother with starting data in any manual. It rarely give best results.
I've only recently been dabbling at the lower end of the spectrum with automatics.
Up until now, most of my 9mm and 45ACP loads have been at or near max.
Beginning loads for 10mm are probably peppy enough so that my Glock 29 never had similar issues. Those beginning loads are going 200 to 300 fps faster.
 
#15 ·
I've only recently been dabbling at the lower end of the spectrum with automatics.
Up until now, most of my 9mm and 45ACP loads have been at or near max.
Beginning loads for 10mm are probably peppy enough so that my Glock 29 never had similar issues. Those beginning loads are going 200 to 300 fps faster.
The only Glock guns that have a problem with SWC is any model of the G30 and G36 because those have a different feed ramp angle. All the rest of make models of Glocks gun using SWC should work fine.
 
#14 ·
First, Glocks aren't supposed to shoot reloaded ammunition. But worse is a SWC in a G36, they just don't feed correctly to function reliably. My guess is factory ball ammo or any round nose jacketed bullet in a reload would work fine, so it really is your load choice that's the problem.

If you have to run SWC bullets, bump your loads up until they work correctly. Or try a different weight bullet.

This is what working up a load is all about. Making your loads work best in your gun.

Jeff

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk
 
#17 ·
For the 45 ACP I always prefer 200 LSWC in 1911s. But for the Glock a plated 230 RN is a better choice.

A great match quality bullet is the Sierra 230 FMJ over 6.0 grains of Unique.
 
#18 ·
For the 45 ACP I always prefer 200 LSWC in 1911s. But for the Glock a plated 230 RN is a better choice.

A great match quality bullet is the Sierra 230 FMJ over 6.0 grains of Unique.
Agreed. Ball ammunition feeds great, but when you are scoring a tight group in competition (especially with a slow moving round like .45 ACP) the paper tends to tear, and then you lose the distinct rounded cuts that a SWC (or even a flat nose round) will make. Once that paper start flapping, subsequent rounds do not make a distinct (countable) hole.
Hornady load data for 45 ACP is also worked up with shorter COL. That could account for the slightly lighter charge weights of the various powders compared to Speer data.
When I get back home, I'll have to check my c.o.l. against several of my manuals. I tend to leave a little extra shoulder exposed on semi wadcutters. It seems to feed more reliably that way.
 
#20 ·
Load a few rds. in the mag and shoot until it fails.
Remove mag and look at the shoulder on the SWC rd. still in the mag.
More than likely you will see where the fired rd. rim caught on the shoulder of the SWC as the slide was coming back
That is plausible. That is right about where the slide stops.
I'm out of the country right now, so I'll have to check it next month.
 
#22 ·
Thank you.
I'm going to try a charge around 6.8 grains.
re: ramp angles- it is not an issue as the slide chambered fifty rounds from the magazine without a hitch.
 
#23 ·
Just got back from the range I loaded 10 rds. with 5.1 grains of Unique with a 200gr. RN B&B casting bullet. And shot them in my 30sf. Shot great and ejected great out of the gun.Did not care for the accuracy thought.They had a hell of a lot more recoil than I care for. wanted to try the lowest book charge that I could find to try.

Yes you can shoot many SWC bullets in any G30 or G36 but 9 out of ten times they will not be 100% reliable.
 
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#26 ·
I am loading 5.3 gr Bulleye (I think) behind a 200 gr LSWC, and now plated lswc with no problems in an M1911. Makes a soft target load.

I had heard somewhere that the 200 gr LSWC will not feed in a glock, which is why I never had a glock in .45
 
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