Ammo Observation with Shield .45

[Hunter8282]

Just incase it might help someone else out, I shoot a 200 rnds of WWB 230gr without issues as well as 20 rnds of Federal HST 230gr when I first got my Shield .45

My second to last range trip I shoot 40 rounds of Federal Champion 230gr and had all kinds of fail to feed issues with those rounds nose diving into into the magazine and one time the slide fully closing on an empty chamber. All this occurred multiple times with the two 7rnd magazines.

So I took the mags apart, cleaned them and reassembled. I also added a little lube as directed in the user manual to the gun itself, no lube in magazine. Yesterday I went and shot 100 rounds of Blazer Brass 230 grn with zero issues. Ran like a champ.

Seems at the moment, my Shield .45 does not like Federal Champion 230 grn.

 

[Shield9mm]

weird, my shield likes any kind of ammo I feed it.

 

[OU 812]

I am surprised that your 45 Shield is not feeding Federal Champion 230gr ammo. It is a Full Metal Jacket FMJ and that is the best feeding 45acp ammo. I wounder if the over all length is long? Should be 1.200 max

It is not unusual for the 1911 to have issues with hollow points but for a Shield to have feeding issues with FMJ is very odd.

I hope you take some time and try it again and I for one would love to see a picture of what it is doing.

 

[Shield9mm]

it sounds more like a mag issue than the gun itself.

 

[Hunter8282]

The mags had sat loaded for some time but I then unloaded them and loaded up with the Federal Champion and then had several FTFeeds. Either way, even with the mags sitting loaded, it cant fail to feed like that. The rounds didn't even seem to clear the magazine before being driven nose down by the slide. But never saw this with WWB or Blazer Brass. It is weird. I'll try the federal champion again someday of just save it for my 1911.

In the picture below, the slide has started to close, caught the rim of the case and drove the round nose down. A simple "sling-shot' of the slide and all was good, until it did it the next time.

 

[hoc9sw]

Polish the feed ramp a bit. Don't go all dremmel crazy, just a cloth with some flitz.
All my pistols are ammo finicky in one way or another, even to two supposedly identical, so I buy according to what works in all, or get rid of the worst offenders.

 

[Hunter8282]

The rounds never even made it to the feed ramp. I am guessing OU 812 suggested that the batch of round Federal Champion I have are a tad long.

Its either that or they didn't have enough power to pop the slide all the way back which doesn't seem likely or the mag followers got "sticky" and after cleaning them, they worked right again.

 

[striker56]

I'm having problems also using Sellier & Bellot fmj ammo, I tried using Rem Oil to clean the mags, spray and wipe out excess. Switched to Remington fmj and so far it helped. Going back to the range next week to try again. I also tried some Winchester fmj with no issues but only shot half a box.

 

[OU 812]

Nice picture speaks volumes.

You are correct its Failure to Feed with the nose of the round jamming into the front of magazine. I would measure the Over all Length if Federal has shipped some rounds out with a long over all length they need to know and get out replacements. Max should be 1.2 inch's if you don't have a caliper or micrometer could you take a picture next to a different brand of 230gr FMJ 45acp.

If the round is correct and measures under 1.2 I would load the magazine using the palm of your hand to move the rounds to the back of the magazine and see how much room is in front of the bullet.

 

[Hunter8282]

Nice picture speaks volumes.

You are correct its Failure to Feed with the nose of the round jamming into the front of magazine. I would measure the Over all Length if Federal has shipped some rounds out with a long over all length they need to know and get out replacements. Max should be 1.2 inch's if you don't have a caliper or micrometer could you take a picture next to a different brand of 230gr FMJ 45acp.

If the round is correct and measures under 1.2 I would load the magazine using the palm of your hand to move the rounds to the back of the magazine and see how much room is in front of the bullet.

I do always tap the back of the magazine in my palm to seat the rounds back in the magazine.


Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

 

[OU 812]

Hunter8282

After rereading your posts and noting that you are having the same problem with a different manufacturer Sellier & Bellot.

I am unsure what is going on.

WAG Magazine issues?

 

[Hunter8282]

That was striker56 having problems with S&B. I have only used WWB, Federal Champion, Blazer Brass, and Federal HST with only the Federal Champion giving trouble. I'll try and borrow a micrometer today and measure some tonight.

 

[schnee72]

I have put 600 rounds of S&B 230 FMJ through my Shield 45 without issue.

 

[jnichols2]

Guns are like people. They don't all like the same ammo/food. Sometimes, it's best to just feed them what they like.

 

[Tradewind36]

My Shield 9 does that with Federal HST 147. I've been seriously thinking of trading it for the Shield 45.

 

[Hunter8282]

I am not a machinist and not sure I am doing this right, or how to exactly read this, but in my random sample of 5 rounds, every Federal champion round was longer than every blazer brass round with the the high federal and low blazer shown below.

So I am not sure the cause, but for a while I'll think I'll just shoot the blazer brass and hst and make sure it's reliable.

All other rounds were between these two, but again, all federals were longer than the blazers.

Federal Champion

Blazer Brass

 

[FloridaS&W]

You realize there is a known issue with some of the 45 magazine followers, right? My Shield 45 was jamming up with that same Federal ammo; the mags were coming unseated and this was all CURED when I replaced the defective followers in those mags. S&W shipped them to me for free. There are several threads on here about this issue with photos and details.

 

[Hunter8282]

You realize there is a known issue with some of the 45 magazine followers, right? My Shield 45 was jamming up with that same Federal ammo; the mags were coming unseated and this was all CURED when I replaced the defective followers in those mags. S&W shipped them to me for free. There are several threads on here about this issue with photos and details.

Yes I did see posts about that. I have never had a mag drop or come unseated on me. Never had any issue till I tried Federal Champion and when it jammed like in the picture above, the mag was still firmly seated in the gun. As far as I could tell, I do already have the newer style mag follower. Please correct me if I am wrong.

 

[FloridaS&W]

Here ya go brother; the new follower is in front, it has a notch in the corner indicated by the arrow. Looks like maybe yours are okay. Anyway hope you get it sorted out.

 

[Hunter8282]

Yeah mine have the notch and "groove" the height of the follower.

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk