loading 250 grn hornady XTP issue

[Cpl_Peters]

so a friend at work got a box of 250 grn hornady XTP bullets given to him but he doesnt reload. I told him i would load them for him and found some load data for 250 grn jacketed bullets in the instructions that came with my lee dies. upon loading a few of these bullets to the the specs on the sheet I did what i always do when trying a new recipe, i loaded them into a magazine to make sure they fit. After they passed this test i tried cycling them in my mc operator 1911. i then discovered that they would not cycle. I tried again with my glock 21 and had the same issue.


anyone know what might be causing this? with the same brass/dies/overall length i loaded a hornady 230 grn FMJ RN and it cycled just fine. I measured the diameter of the 250 grn XTPs and they were .452 just as expected. what gives?

[Cheep]

What do you mean by cycle??? Won't come out of the mag, won't go into the chamber or what?

[NotEnufGarage]

Typically, when using the term "cycle" in reference to a semi-automatic handgun, one is referring to the blow-back operation of the weapons slide, extraction and ejection system after the round is fired.

I think what OP means is they won't chamber or he's experiencing feed issues. A lot of 1911's are touchy to bullet shape and COAL due to feed ramp issues. If the rounds are jamming such that they don't get completely stripped off the top of the magazine, it's probably a length issue. The nose of the bullet is jamming on the feed ramp before the round gets released from the mag.

Solution is shorten the round (if safe to do so, as this effects pressure), clean up the feed ramp, or switch to shorter bullets or bullets with a rounder tip.

[Cpl_Peters]

they go into the chamber but the slide wont completely go into battery. it is also then difficult to rack the slide back to eject the round. I also have the same issue with my glock 21 on these rounds as well.

[Bill Steele]

they go into the chamber but the slide wont completely go into battery. it is also then difficult to rack the slide back to eject the round. I also have the same issue with my glock 21 on these rounds as well.

The long bearing surface is jamming in the lands. XTP's are similar to TC profile bullets this way.

You can load them a little shorter (if your load will permit). Just make up a dummy and crimp it so the case is just straight, then march the seating die down in increments until the gun will go all the way into battery. The G21 will likely get there first.

As an aside, a good way to get the round that is jammed into the lands to eject is hold the slide and slam the palm of your other hand into the top of the backstrap.

Good luck, have fun.

[Munk]

these are .452 you say? They're for 45LC, .454casull, and Softly loaded .460's.

You want .451 bullets for a .45 autoloader.


You might be able to "fix" it partially by seating them deeper, which may make the leading edge pop up slightly more out of your magazine (helping feed issues), and it'll keep them from engaging your lands before entering battery.

If you were near me, I'd buy them off you so you could buy some more appropriate 230 grain or similar rounds. (these won't handle normal .460 velocities, but I can load them easily with trailboss and treat them like a plinking round).

[Cpl_Peters]

so i checked the diameter of my 230 fmj rn with my calipers and they are indeed .451. but my lee manual lists .45 ACP diameter as .452. my nosler manual says .451 for ACP and .452 for LC. then my Redding manual says both .451 and .452 for both ACP and LC....wtf!

I think my issue may be overall length but i dont want to load them shorter than the min OAL listed on the lee load sheet, as it is the only 250 grn ACP load dats i could find.

these are .452 you say? They're for 45LC, .454casull, and Softly loaded .460's.

You want .451 bullets for a .45 autoloader.


You might be able to "fix" it partially by seating them deeper, which may make the leading edge pop up slightly more out of your magazine (helping feed issues), and it'll keep them from engaging your lands before entering battery.

If you were near me, I'd buy them off you so you could buy some more appropriate 230 grain or similar rounds. (these won't handle normal .460 velocities, but I can load them easily with trailboss and treat them like a plinking round).