Hi guys. A long time ago I bought a box of 250 .40 cal reloads at a gun show at the Cow Palace in SF. Just recently I got back into shooting and I’m having problems with the reloads. They sometimes get some stuck in the clip and come up flat instead of angled up and won’t cycle. I did some measuring and the factory Winchester loads are 1.124 and the reloads are 1.164. I read the MOL should be around 1.135. If in fact these shells are too long to work in this handgun, a Berreta 96, what are my options? Thanks, Keith

Do you or does someone you know have a loading press? If they chamber and fire, you could fire them singly, but if you have access to a loading press and some dies, you could seat the bullets deeper. I've not seen a 40 magazine that will handle 1.16x" ammo. There may be some out there, but I haven't seen them. That's also why as a rule I don't shoot ammo someone else has loaded, even factory stuff.

Seating a bullet deeper will likely increase pressures. I shoot 40 that is loaded WAY long in my Limited Para, (1.200") and would NEVER seat the bullets deeper with that load.

Stay safe!

The pressure of those rounds is likely low to start, given that 40 data specifies a max COL of 1.135".

You're talking about a non SAAMI-spec firearm and non-SAAMI-spec loads.

1.135"

another reason not to buy reloads

Got it Tikkanut. Lesson learned. I even looked into a Charter Arms Pitbull in .40. Unfortunately they are not on the roster here in California.

Unless you're a seasoned reloader, I'd be hesitant to provide advice, Retiredmech.

I would chrono a couple dropping them in the chamber before shortening them.

My M&P magazines will handle 1.17" COL.

I wouldn't hesitate to shoot those reloads. But do a drop test to see if the bullet profile will work in your guns chamber. You can run them through a seating die and shorten them up 20 thou.

This^^^
Standard OAL for our match ammo was 1.195- 1.200 for any Para limited gun, STI'S and SV's too...... regardless if shooting 180's or 200.s. Nobody shot SAAMI anything in a .40 and made major under the old 175 pf !

Retiredmech. Move to another state where you can buy the revolver. No more Kalifornia. Be Well, RZ.

Huh what’s your load? Ie powder and bullet?

How did you get them to fit in magazines??? 10mm for example max OAL is 1.160 you were loading these 40’s .030 longer than 10mm. So I’m curious what barrel and magazines were you using to do this?

I do not reload. While it is difficult, I can get 4 or 5 in the magazine, but they get stuck and won’t come up into the chamber. I have a friend that has a Glock .40 and we will see if they work in that. Keith