Are semi-autos finicky with handloads?

[awaveritt]

I recently purchased my first semi-auto, a stainless CZ-75B. I've run about 400 rounds of various factory ammo thru it without any problems. I currently handload 38 specials and am considering adding a set of 9mm dies and getting into reloading for it. I've heard stories about how semi-autos are more finicky with handloads, ie. feeding, extraction, etc, etc. What are the major issues with semi-auto calibers with respect to handloading. I'd like to hear some of your success stories and/or frustrations.

[Creeper]

As long as you stick to loads that are the dimensional and energy equivalent of factory loads, you should have zero problems.

C

[RickV]

I have pushed about 800 rounds that I had reloaded thru my M&P 40. The one thing that I found is that the starting loads of powder are not enough to cycle the gun consistantly. As I increased the loads the cycling problems went away. I am shooting 165g FMJ with W231 powder the starting load was 4.5g at 4.7g the gun cycled but the cases ejected erratically (like into my face ) once I went up to 4.9g everything worked like a fine watch. Make sure your OAL is around the middle of the tolerences and you should be fine.

[rwilson452]

Some semi-auto handguns are picky about bullet shape. other than that no issues here.

[awaveritt]

Some semi-auto handguns are picky about bullet shape

What about cast bullets? I'm assuming they should be shaped similarly to factory profiles and hard-cast?

[CrustyFN]

I load for a CZ 75BD Police 9mm. The only problem I had was loading Berry's 124 grain FP. They were fatter at the end of the bullet and had to be seated deeper in the case. Take the barrel out and use it for the case gage and you should be fine. Other than that I have never had any feeding or extraction issues. I have shot 125 grain LRN without any problems. Very nice gun, I love mine.
Rusty

[SL1]

One safety item to be careful with handloads for semiautos:

The bullet must be held in the cae tightly enough that it does not get pushed back into the case by the autofeed cycle. Pressure can shoot up VERY high if the bullet is pushed into the case.

It is best to load up some dummy rounds (no primers or powder) to test your die setup, before you load live rounds. Measure the cartridge over-all length (COL) of each dummy to the nearest 0.001" with a caliper.

At a range, put a dummy round in your magazine and then put a factory round with the same bullet weight in the magazine above the dummy. Put the magazine in the gun, rack the slide to chamber the factory round and fire it to autofeed the dummy round. Carefully eject the dummy so that it does not fall hard on the ground or table. Measure the dummy's COL and see if it has become shorter than ITS previous measurement. (DON"T work with averages of several rounds for this test.)

A couple thousandths shorter is OK, but not more. Do this with about 5 dummies if you are using only one brand of case. If you are using mixed headstamps, then you really should do this test with 5 case for each headstamp you are using.

If you do get too much COL loss, get back to us to work through the die setup issues. If not, then start loading powder and working up your loads.

The things that make cases grip bullets tighter are primarily smaller expander plugs and cleaner case necks (inside). Crimp helps to some degree, but, beyond that degree, overcrimping actually makes the cases looser.

SL1

[wwmkwood]

Do not play around with max loads with semi-auto pistols. Some feed ramps leave alot of the cartrige unsuported. The brass is all that keeps the bang in.

[Slamfire]

Are semi-autos finicky with handloads?

Yes.

And soon, you will find out how.

[bp78]

No. Handloads will run just fine in semi-autos.

I'd invite anyone who says otherwise to any USPSA or IDPA match where they'll watch folks burn through reloads in all sorts of 1911s, Glocks, and other semis.

Odd-ball bullet profiles may cause you problems, but you can easily just reload 9mm to emulate whatever factory load is your favorite. I think this misconception comes from new reloaders who don't crimp or size their loads correctly, problems which may go otherwise unnoticed in rifles or revolvers. I've reloaded a lot of 9mm for my STI 1911, while it didn't care for some berry's hollowpoints which looked like 9mm versions of the flying ashtray, it runs just fine with all sorts of LRN, JHP, and FMJ loads.

[Pilot]

No. Do your part and handloads are fine in Semi-autos. Been shooting my own for many years.

[RidgwayCO]

Semi-auto rounds are generally considered "finicky" in that they have a fairly narrow "performance band" that they have to stay within. Too little pressure, and they won't function properly (insufficient energy to move the slide back far enough to eject the fired round and pick up a fresh round from the magazine). Too much pressure and you subject the slide and frame to battering (or worse).

Revolvers and single shots have a much wider performance band. As long as there's enough pressure to reliably expell the bullet from the barrel, but not so much pressure as to damage the weapon, then you're good to go.

Also, bullet shape in the revolver is mostly immaterial, as long as it doesn't stick out the front of the cylinder and bind up the action. In semi-autos, some bullets are notorious for not wanting to feed reliably. Also, some guns (and I've read that the CZ is like this) are relatively "short chambered", and rounds shorter than the SAAMI maximum COL might still have difficulty chambering reliably. When reloading for a pistol like this, you'll have to figure out your own "maximum cartridge length" for each bullet used, and then keep your rounds below that length.

So yes, semi-auto cartridges are more "finicky" than revolver or single-shot cartridges, but the process isn't anything so difficult that it can't be easily accomplished by the average reloader.

[Mike Irwin]

Some of them can be, yes.

As others note, dimensional differences in reloaded shells can have a big impact on whether the gun will function correctly or not.

I had a Kahr K9 that had a very tight chamber. If the reloads were not perfect and very close to factory specs, the gun would jam.

[robctwo]

I have run thousands of hand loads through my CZ75BD, both with the factory barrel and with the BarSto replacement barrel. No problems with the factory barrel until I double tapped over a squib. Got some slight barrel bulge. You will find out about squibs if you reload enough.

I also put a BarSto in a BHP in 9mm. The BHP BarSto had a very tight chamber, and was a pain in the rear until my gun smith reamed it out to factory specs. Did not have that trouble with the CZ replacement.

I have shot a lot of 124gr round nose and truncated, some 147 truncated, and some swc in 9mm. Currently shooting 124 gr round nose from a local caster almost exclusively.

Lee factory crimp die on all my semi auto rounds. .380 to 300WSM.

[WESHOOT2]

Not with good handloads.

[CrustyFN]

No problems with the factory barrel until I double tapped over a squib. Got some slight barrel bulge.

That sucks. I saw a guy do that at the state Glock match. I was a RO and the guy running the stage and I tried to stop him but he was just too fast.
Rusty

[bp78]

Lee factory crimp die on all my semi auto rounds. .380 to 300WSM.

Big +1. Especially in 9mm, the Lee Factory Crimp Die (FCD) does great. I use it on 9mm after some initial crimping problems with my dillon die. No problem in 45acp, but the Lee FCD fixed some initial newbie reloader problems I had in 9mm.

[poetic332]

Im in an Identical situation as you with good results.

I own a CZ P01 and I just started reloading. I just reloaded 200 rounds using the following:

115gr. FMJ Hornady bullets
5gr. Winchester WSF powder
cci small pistol primers
on a Lee Loadmaster press w/ carbide dies and NO FACTORY CRIMP DIE.

CZs like shorter rounds, so with your calipers, measure a factory load from Remington (they're known to be kinda short) and use that measurement to set your bullet seating depth. The overall length should be around 1.165 or a bit shorter.

I loaded 200 rounds and successfully fired 199. The one that misfed was due to a misshaped casing that I missed when inspecting after loading. My CZ loved these loads. A little hotter than Winchester white box 115s. Can't say about accuracy because I'm not a great shot, but I was hitting the small target I was aiming at.

Have fun.

poetic

[antsi]

Yes
because semi-autos are generally finicky about ammo - more so than revolvers, any way. The cartridge has to be the right size and shape to feed, and it has to generate the right amount of energy to cycle the gun. Some guns are worse than others in this regard.

No
because they are not particularly more finicky about reloads than they are about ammo in general.

[swmike]

I have 4 Semi-Auto Pistols that eat ammo like a fat man at an all you can eat buffet. I have reloaded for them for many years and they just eat it up. I have actually had more problems using factory ammo in these handguns (S&W 459, Sig P-229, CZ75 SP-01, Skyy CPX-1).

I shoot the same round in all. 6.5 gr Power Pistol under a 124gr JHP (Montana Gold) with COAL of 1.250".

All ammo is loaded on a Dillon XL650 using Dillon 9mm Dies and finished rounds are checked with a Wilson Case Gauge. I load between 1,000 and 1,500 rounds in a session and EVERY finished round goes "through the gauge". As a result my guns enjoy reloads very much and I enjoy a considerable cost savings over factory ammo.

Like anything else in life the quality of what you produce depends on the care and attention that you put into it.

[FrankenMauser]

Most semi-autos are not finnicky about their loads.

It is simply a matter of the handloader finding a load range the pistol will accept. (It's not as hard as it sounds.)


As noted above, bullet profile can cause major problems, though. Most pistols work best with a round-nose, or truncated cone type of bullet profile. (including hollow point variants)