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Old 09-17-2016, 08:50 AM
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I recently went to my local gun range and was firing my S&W 29 .44 3inch using Hornady's FTX rounds 225gr. Upon firing 5 rounds....the cylinder wouldn't turn and felt jammed. I looked and saw the last bullet nose sticking out and the red tip was not letting the cylinder turn. The round was removed safely. I have taken pics and contacted Hornady but I want to know if anyone has had this happen to them before ?
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Old 09-17-2016, 08:47 PM
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The .44 recoil caused it to jump crimp. In other words, the gun went backwards a little faster than the bullet did. It happens. (A good reason to test fire your defense rounds before you bet your life on them.)
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Old 09-17-2016, 09:33 PM
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Yup, this problem becomes increasingly more prevalent the lighter the gun gets. Your 3" weighs less than a 6" so it's recoil is snappier.

I don't know what the normal crimp looks like on those rounds, I've never handled any, but the one in your photo looks like it has NO roll crimp - just a taper crimp - if any crimp at all. Neck tension and/or light crimps are a recipe for just that kind of disaster with full-power 44 magnums in a light gun.
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Old 09-18-2016, 08:13 PM
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Thank you for explaining. I used to really like those rounds. I've now moved to Remington 180gr.JSP's.
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Old 09-23-2016, 07:02 PM
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This is one among many reasons we reload.
And what can go wrong if attention is not paid at all stages.
Hornady owes you at least a box of that ammo WITH A CORRECT CRIMP!
They need to hear about that lot of ammo in a loud voice.
In a round like that the case should be roll or profile crimped at least half way down into the cannelure.
The case neck may not have been sized small enough either.
I have shot heavy 260-280 grain bullets in a 4" 629-2 MR.
HEAVY recoil, but the bullets stayed put in the cases until I dropped the hammer.
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Old 09-23-2016, 08:25 PM
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Your Hornady FTX was designed as a hunting round, not a SD round, to be fired out of long(er) barrel handgun and lever action rifles. It's no wonder that you got bullet jump out of a 3" barrel.
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Old 09-24-2016, 01:15 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CTG_COLLECTOR View Post
Your Hornady FTX was designed as a hunting round, not a SD round, to be fired out of long(er) barrel handgun and lever action rifles. It's no wonder that you got bullet jump out of a 3" barrel.
I agree about the first part but respectfully disagree with that last part.
Hornady should never (and I believe never knowingly would) release any ammunition that cannot be safely fired in any modern gun chambered for that round.
Or they should at least label the boxes accordingly (like the various grades of 45-70 or "Ruger only" ammo).
It is for this very reason the magnum brass was lengthened: to prevent mis-use of certain ammo and guns.
It is for this reason I squawked big time when I found out my Bulldog was actually chambered for the magnum
in error although I had no intention of ever putting the wrong ammo in it.
The original 396 even had stamped on the barrel: 200 grain bullets only. (That turned out to be not necessary)
The gun and ammo companies work closely together to make sure everything shoots reliably and safely.
But mistakes do happen in large manufacturing operations.
Firearms companies strive to minimize these for obvious reasons.
I think Hornady should be glad to learn about a faulty run of this ammo so they can fix it.
Several other reports of bad ammo have been dealt with by the companies involved gracefully and swiftly
(for the most part) if reports in this forum are anything to go by.

The only bad "ammo" I have ever personally obtained was a punctured 44 special case from Starline.
After looking at the picture, the tech I was in communication with said he knew exactly what happened and sent me some more brass.
Stuff like that is supposed to be weeded out before anything is boxed but occasionally stuff happens.
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Old 09-24-2016, 04:51 PM
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The OP's problem has nothing to do with the way the ammo was made nor with Hornady per se but everything to do with physics.
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Old 10-05-2016, 10:18 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CTG_COLLECTOR View Post
Your Hornady FTX was designed as a hunting round, not a SD round, to be fired out of long(er) barrel handgun and lever action rifles. It's no wonder that you got bullet jump out of a 3" barrel.
Quote:
Originally Posted by CTG_COLLECTOR View Post
The OP's problem has nothing to do with the way the ammo was made nor with Hornady per se but everything to do with physics.
So you believe Hornady knowingly makes and releases ammo that cannot be safely shot in a 3" revolver AND DOESN'T TELL ANYONE ABOUT IT?
Reread what I said about making and shooting heavy bullets in a heavy recoiling revolver.
Given the proper bullet pull and crimp there should be and in fact is no bullet creep.
Dangerous game rifles face the same problems and use the same techniques to solve them.
I promise you I and most of the handloaders in here could take that ammo and remake it so it would not pull the bullet.
Like you say it's a matter of physics but not just Sir Issac's version.

I am waiting for Hornady's reply to BigDoc with interest.
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