Thread: Bullett setback on Hydra Shok

If every time you unload your pistol, and then later reload it, and repeatedly use the very same cartridge (or couple of cartridges) at the top of your magazine's stack, after a few iterations you will always find bullet setback.
Every time a cartridge is shoved into a pistol's chamber, some force will be applied; and repeating that application of force will eventually move the bullet into the case.

thank you for the reply is it still safe to use the 6 to8 rounds at the range

Depending on how bad the bullet is pushed into the case it could cause unsafe pressure there is really no way to tell. I would dispose of them and from now on rotate the round chambered with others in the magazine.

Some other forum member, perhaps a gunsmith, might have a more accurate answer to your question.
Send a PM to rex or TedDeBearFrmHell, and ask one of them for an exact answer.


(Sorry, tacman: While I was writing, you were posting.)

No problem Steve. The rounds may be safe to shoot but I personally do not chance it. If for whatever reason I find an oddball round I dispose of it.

Checking with a gunsmith is a good idea.

There are some pistols which one can safely "ride the slide" to chamber a round without risking bullet setback or damage to the extractor. The Glock pistol is one of these. And then there are some which recommend never riding the slide but rather to use the full power of the return spring when chambering. Kahrs fall into this category.

Riding the slide to "rechamber" a round isn't horrible, just make sure that you remove the magazine afterwards and press check the round to ensure it is captured by the extractor and fully in battery when you are done.

Removing the magazine can help on some pistols to prevent the top round in the mag from scooting forwards when you press check.

Thanks Guys I though the pressure would be a problem will give them to a reloader at the gun shop to use Thanks again for the heads up

I would put those that are setback in my hammer type bullet puller and give them a whack or two to shift them back. Then I would recrimp. Without that capability I would trash them.

Originally Posted by zhurdan

Riding the slide to "rechamber" a round isn't horrible, just make sure that you remove the magazine afterwards and press check the round to ensure it is captured by the extractor and fully in battery when you are done.

Removing the magazine can help on some pistols to prevent the top round in the mag from scooting forwards when you press check.

With the Glock, and as I recall the M&P Smith & Wesson, the extractor does not move over the case rim. It comes up from under it This is easy to tell with a Glock since it has a visible/physical loaded chamber indicator. You can put your finger along side of the extractor and you will not feel it rotate in the slide. Instead, it remains stationary as the new round is stripped from the magazine and fed into the chamber. I have done this on ranges and tested this to make sure that the case rim is captured by the extractor and as expected, it does eject the case when fired.

As a rule of thumb, unless one has knowledge of how a given pistol operates, it is best not to ride the slide when chambering a round. I do a lot of what I like to refer to as trigger discipline. This entails having to unload the gun, go through my drills, and they reload. I always carefully check and compare re-chambered rounds against other ones in my magazine to make sure all is as I expect it to be.

Thank you Steve for the recomendation but I'm not a smith,I just love the 1911 and learned to do 90% of the work on them.I've always been intrested in guns in general,so I guess you could say I'm a "Jack-Of (off)-All-Trades".You have a great knowledge base also.

To the question at hand,pull out a mic or calipers and measure them to compare,1/8" is .125" and dangerous.I know what you mean though because all the older HydraShocks I've had set back a little on the easy side.If just looking at them it's really noticeable do not pull the trigger on it.As TOF said they can be salvaged but toss them if you can't redo them.

The reason is they are on the warm side as far as pressure,a .030" setback can be devastating with a fast burning powder.Something a little slower burning can just bump it to a +P,but since you don't know,don't chance a KB.As mentioned ,don't keep chambering the same round,especially in the short barreled ones with heavier recoil springs.After about 3 chamberings in a 5" I rotated it,and if it chambered once more it got shot,Federal cases are some of the thickest walled so you'd think case tension was high on the bullet,but reality proved otherwise to me.At any rate,.030 is a big number,if I see we're getting near .020 they are retire to be blown off at the next practice-as long as they don't move alot/chambering.

With rounds like this I ride the slide down to slow the ramp and hood hit,once it rolls over I let go and nudge the slide to be sure.The smoothness of chambering plays a part in this also,the rougher it chambers,the more blunt force the bullet will take.While ramp polishing can be overrated,it still needs to be smooth,shave in the reflection is cool but not necessary.Same with the breechface,it needs to be smooth and no machining ridges to slow the rim from sliding up.What really counts is the mag and extractor.Mags are a whole discussion of release points and the relation to the feedramp,a shallow feedramp can go un-noticed with a Wilson mag due to it's design,but an original tapered lip Colt mag can choke.The extractor needs to be tuned though,and alot nowadays are put in on assembly and if it passes test firing it's out the door.They need to be the correct length,which isn't a huge problem,but the round must slide up in the notch smoothly.The tension needs to be set so it's light enough to deflect,but not too light that ejection is erradic and all over the place.There are 2 entry cuts on the bottom also,they need to be there,the corners rounded to transition to the main working flats,and polished highly helps more than the feedramp.

Sorry,rambling,but HS's are known to do that,if everything you try gets serious setback fast there's some smoothing needed to help curb it.On a side note,HS's are a good round and I still have some old ones,but there are better designs since their inception.I've been running Win PDX's because they're easily available,but the Ranger T's are even better.I don't feel under equiped with HS's,but they're rare where I am and since I reload for shooting I don't buy bulk online.

Darnit,double post again,sorry.

Originally Posted by SouthernBoy

With the Glock, and as I recall the M&P Smith & Wesson, the extractor does not move over the case rim. It comes up from under it This is easy to tell with a Glock since it has a visible/physical loaded chamber indicator. You can put your finger along side of the extractor and you will not feel it rotate in the slide. Instead, it remains stationary as the new round is stripped from the magazine and fed into the chamber. I have done this on ranges and tested this to make sure that the case rim is captured by the extractor and as expected, it does eject the case when fired.

As a rule of thumb, unless one has knowledge of how a given pistol operates, it is best not to ride the slide when chambering a round. I do a lot of what I like to refer to as trigger discipline. This entails having to unload the gun, go through my drills, and they reload. I always carefully check and compare re-chambered rounds against other ones in my magazine to make sure all is as I expect it to be.

Exactly. Know your gun. Know how it works. It's not the best, but it's not, as I said "horrible" either. As long as you check it to make sure it is properly seated and under the extractor. Been doing it for years with a Glock 32c. Never had an issue and I shoot... um.. a lot. 7 classes in 3 years... countless crates of ammo... it works, but you have to check to make sure it fed under the extractor properly. Better than dropping the slide on one in the pipe, and I see people do that all the time. Makes me cringe!!!