Reader Forum

Three Point Jam I shoot a lot of .45 ACP through my duty pistol, a Para Ordnance P14/45 LDA with PXT, and my Colt Gold Cup. Awhile back I bought some Winchester "white box" ammo, mostly to replenish my supply of brass. I began experiencing what Gene Shuey describes as a "three point jam" regardless of which piece I was using. When I reload, I polish, decap and resize each case, then drop it into a full length case gauge. If it goes in easily, I reload it.

If not, I measure its length, trim if necessary, resize and try the gauge again. I shoot modest powder charges, but eventually the cases expand enough near the rim they don’t go into the gauge so they get discarded. I have old brass from a variety of manufacturers which reloads and performs flawlessly but the Winchester continues to pose problems.

I use Rainier Ballistics copper coated bullets which have a slight shoulder about midway between the case mouth when seated and the tip but that doesn’t present a problem with my non-Winchester brass. The breech end of the barrels of both guns is open and polished. The breech faces of the slides are free of scratches and abrasions and the extractors clear the case rims.

The obvious solution is to trash the Winchester brass but I would still like to know why, after careful resizing several times, it continues to pose a problem. Clayton W. Freeark We have been told that the "white box" ammo contains less than the best Winchester components as those are reserved for and used in their premium ammunition. Even a scratch on a case could disqualify it.

Along while back, we learned that Winchester had thickened the walls of its commercial .45 cases to bring them closer to mil spec for internal case volume. This, our own reloading experience told us, would serve to lessen the possibility of creating excessive pressure within the military case when it was loaded with a commercial case charge of powder. Use a micrometer to measure the wall thickness of the cases you’re using against the wall thickness of a military case.

If your commercial brass is thinner, junk it and either start buying military brass exclusively or restricting your purchases to brass meeting mil spec for internal case volume (ICV). Though you are obviously a reloader far more cautious than most, the measures you are taking to make certain the case conforms are all external in nature. To determine ICV install a spent primer in an empty case, weigh it, fill it with water and weigh it again. The difference between the two weighings provide the internal case volume.

This can and frequently does show a grain or two difference between cases measured even when they are taken from the same batch. This is the most maddening thing about ICV. We can recall our bench rest shooting days when a grain of powder more or less in a charged case could lose a match, so we kept on weighing cases until we had twenty with the identical ICV. We weighed over 250 to get that 20 and considered ourselves lucky. We hope we’ve been of some assistance.

We have not seen Gene Shuey’s AGI video and cannot determine whether the three point jamming he mentions might result from a slide short cycling however slightly. You see, AGI and AGA are entirely separate entities. Friendly, but separate. K-22 Outdoorsman I am working on a K-22 Outdoorsman from the 30s that is like new. The problem is that it misfires with some ammo. Winchester Powerpoint fails almost every time. The insides are clean and oiled and I have determined that the firing pin protrusion is only 0.024".

The headspace, cylinder to recoil shield is 0.0105" and the rim depth is 0.046". That gives a recoil shield to rim depth of 0.0565". Winchester Powerpoint rims are 0.040" Thus, the extended firing pin to depth of rim chamber is 0.0325", leaving a "crush" on the rim of only 0.0075".

I replaced the mainspring but it made no difference. I may order replacement firing pins but don’t know if that will help. William O. (Bill) Branch Hold the gun with its barrel down. Open the cylinder while supporting it. Slowly close the cylinder. If it hits the barrel on closing it is a positive indicator end shake is present in any S&W revolver regardless of caliber. As you know, end shake is characterized by an excess in lateral cylinder movement.

When present, the forward position of the cylinder can cause light hits and misfires since the firing pin can no longer make solid contact with the case rim. In some cases, this specific condition can be corrected by installing one or more cylinder end shake washers ahead of the cylinder. An additional check for end shake is to measure between the front of the cylinder and barrel breech and from the rear of the cylinder and firing pin bushing.

All measurements can be taken with automotive-type spark plug gauges or similar with the cylinder closed. Front gauge spec for the K22 is 0.004 – 0.010 and the rear gauge spec is 0.004 – 0.008. A fresh firing pin might overcome the problem, but if end shake is present you’d have to keep on replacing it after wearing down in attempts to fill the gap. Old Scope Repairs Over the years I’ve had taken off several old 3/4" .22 rifle scopes and replaced them with more modern ones.

Most are Mossberg or Weaver and need things like cross hairs and lenses. I would like to have these scopes repaired but I can’t find anyone that repairs old scopes. There are two contacts we know of for sources but note that people who do repair old scopes may not have a lens on hand to replace the damaged one. They are not lens makers and as such must rely on the same providers as your local optician or ophthalmologist for the fabrication and polishing of lenses.

Nor do the repair people maintain a stable of spiders from which they can extract a fresh set of cross hairs. We can not imagine even an estimate on the cost of making anew lens and enticing a spider out of its silk so you might be better off after all with continuing your practice with replacement scopes. Nevertheless, for Mossberg contact Vic Havlin at and Larry Mahan for Weaver scopes at Both parties will be needing scope model identification dope.

Spring ield Trapdoor I am looking for breakdown info, schematics and parts for a Springfield Trapdoor. Willie Hutchinson A schematic and reassembly instructions for the 1873 Trapdoor appear in NRA Guide to Firearms Assembly, hard cover edition. We did an article on the 1873 several years ago that would answer your question regarding assistance with the firing pin. There is a small screw under the rear of the breech block. If you back out that screw the firing pin can be withdrawn.

Numrich Gun Parts Corporation (gunpartscorp.com), Jack First (jackfirstgun.com) and Dixie Gun Works (dixiegunworks.com) are all likely to be able to provide any replacement parts you may need. Gary Bargar You should be alerted to a couple of things about the Springfield you’re working with. You did not mention whether it as a rifle or a carbine (cavalry) model. The rifle carried a black powder load of 70 grains pushing a 405 grain bullet. The carbine only packed 55 grains of powder behind the same weight bullet.

Whether rifle or carbine, the Springfield in your hands should not be fed a modern smokeless powder round. This is true in either case and must be observed if the Springfield is an original. Serious damage to both firearm and operator could result due to excessive pressure. If smokeless powder is used, a reduced amount that would generate the black powder equivalent for pressure and no more has to be employed.

Due to the popularity of Cowboy Action shooting, these equivalent loads are available from more than one commercial ammunition manufacturer. AG