Okay, back from the range.

I pulled some Berry's 185 SWC the other day, and finally got 30 of them loaded up, in three new test batches of ten each, and ran them through both my .45s today.

I'm bummed.

In the thirty rounds, I had four failure to return to batteries. This is a huge number.

I've gone THOUSANDS of rounds in both weapons before with no malfunctions.

I thought I knew how to reload SWCs, but perhaps I should review. I had them loaded so there's just a narrow 32nd of an inch (or so) between the case mouth and the shoulder. Gave me a COL of 1.138-1.153.

Hard to imagine making it shorter, it already seems awfully short to me, but making it longer means leaving more bullet exposed, which sort of defeats the purpose of a SWC, doesn't it?

Open fire, Gridley. You won't hurt my feelings.

Tell me what I did wrong.

What makes you think that COL is a problem with not returning to battery? That is more due to the load being too light, you limp-wristing, the recoil spring being too heavy, or enough crud to gum up the works.
The COL involves feeding and chambering.
For lead bullets, I usually seat the bullets so the round is just below flush with the barrel hood. This minimizes head space and leaves some room for bullets with a bump or something on the shoulder.
How was the recoil?
How far did the other cases eject?
What was your load and was it a light starting load?
Are you one of those who just has to switch the 16lb spring for a heavier one?
Did you shoot with wrists locked?

My mistake. I shouldn't have said failure to return to battery, it was a failure to feed, not to return to battery.

They were starting loads, ten round each, a tenth of a grain between the steps. They all functioned fine, except the ones that didn't feed.

I wouldn't seat a SWC anywhere near that long, that's not how SWCs are set.

They weren't lead. Don't know where you got the idea that they were lead.

Need more info.

how is it failing to feed?

is the nose hitting the feed ramp or barrel.
is it short cycling.

What's your load? Are you to the point that it reliably cycles or just under? Did the four rounds jam in the same weight batch or spread through all three?

Are your dies set the same as your other load except the seating plug? The only change should be seating depth. Do you have the same exposed shoulder on this round as your other SWC loads? When changing bullet profiles the same ammount of bullet should be in the case.

Have you shot 185's in either of the guns before? It's a short bullet and most guns rely on bullet shape to help feed. The short bullet ma be wedging into the chamber instead of riding down the top of the chamber.

The load was Titegroup, CBC brass, WLP and Berry's 185 plated SWC.

The loads were 5.1, 5.2 and 5.3 grains. There were ten rounds of each.

The failures occurred one at 5.1, one at 5.2 and two at 5.3.

There were two weapons. Both were Springfield Milspecs, one is heavily modified, the other is unmodified.

The magazines were both seven round Metalforms. There used to be a guy on The High Road that would go on and on about the dimple on the magazine follower, and a bunch of us drank his koolaid, and bought several dozen of them. I have thirty or forty of them. These were two of those. They are only different from the rest in that these were two of five carry mags, and are only cycled, shot and then cleaned every six months.

All rounds cycled reliably, other than the failures to feed. The rounds that functioned completely functioned fine.

The rounds were all loaded on a Square Deal B, the dies were not adjusted between the loads, the only thing that was changed was the powder bar adjustment.

Every powder load was weighed on a Dillon electronic scale.

Yes, I've loaded and fired these bullets before, although with Bullseye. My favorite load, in both guns, is Titegroup and a Berry 200 SWC. I've run many hundreds of the Berry 200.

I don't know how to measure how far the shoulder is off the case mouth, nor how to measure seating depth, unless it's done with some kind of subtraction calculation off the COL.

The bullets are hitting the feed ramp, one of them stuck there, three of them hit the top of the chamber and wedged there.

quote:

Hard to imagine making it shorter, it already seems awfully short to me, but making it longer means leaving more bullet exposed, which sort of defeats the purpose of a SWC, doesn't it?

I was under the impression that simi wad cutters were supposed to cut nice clean holes in the target, and do not understand why seating them out a little longer would defeat the purpose?

The cartridge headspaces on the case mouth, and if the shoulder on the bullet protrudes above it the shoulder will hang up in the chamber. The shoulder should be flush with the case mouth. I found out the hard way.

If you look at the location of the shoulder of a 200 grain and the 185 they should be the same. The shorter nose is the problem. I can't see the pictures on the links but when I tried the 200 grain wad cutter I was able to compare it to the 230 round nose from the same company. You may be able to seat the bullet a little longer (further out) but you increase the volume in the case and may or may not have to increase the load slightly. You may not be able to get the 185 to cycle with out altering the feed ramp or magazine.

I see. I think.

I'm starting to think that what's going to happen is that I'm going to end up sticking to 200 SWC. I don't have any problem with them, probably for exactly that reason.

taper crimp?

Yes, I fully concur on sticking to 200gn SWC.
I know it is just me, but I wouldn't waste my money on plated SWCs. Tried it ONCE. What a waste. I have tried the jacketed SWCs, and they were almost as big a waste of money.
Most 1911s will feed any SWC, and many will feed an empty case.
When you are loading, let the GUN tell you the COL.
If you know where the case head is in relation to the barrel when the case head is against the breech, that is generally the COL you want to aim for. Most often, minimum head space will produce max accuracy.
Load a couple of inert dummy rounds at max COL and run a pluck test to determine longest COL that lets the rounds drop in the chamber and drop back out.
1/32" is just a "rule of thumb" and means no more than that. The exposed shoulder all depends on your gun's chamber. The feeding is determined by your magazine (how soon the lips release the cartridge to feed and the angle when they release) and the feed ramp.
Too short, and the nose of the bullet will be slung up and jam into the top of the barrel (generally, for me) and if too long, the bullet nose will jam into the feed ramp.
For 185gn, I consider the Zero 185gn L-SWCHP to be the best I have ever run.
For 200gn SWC, I prefer the Zero L-SWC, Precision Bullets coated L-SWC, or mastercastbullets.com 200gn cast L-SWC.

The shoulder should NOT be flush with the case mouth. Your powder charge is on the high side for plated, causing a timing problem with the slide. Reduce the load or get a heavier spring. A little lead of the bullet should be above the case mouth. I set COL like this, measured head to bullet shoulder for all wad cutters. Number all magazines to see if the problem is with all or just one manufacture.

If the bullets have to be flush with the case mouth to chamber, there are problems. The bullet diameter is oversize or the chamber is to tight. Some XD pistols will only take a .451" bullet. Some of Lees 230 gr cast bullets need to be seated extra deep, short COL to get the ogive to fit the barrel. Measure on the bullet right in front of the case mouth on RN. Here .450" is what you want to see.