Plunk test fail: CW380/ Fiocchi Shooting Dynamics

[tony k]

A little background on my pistol here:
http://www.kahrtalk.com/showthread.p...-is-on-the-way

In summary, I recently purchased a new CW380 and I have about 300 rounds through it. My last outing I had a couple failure to return to battery issues.

I kept the last 7 rounds of fiocchi shooting Dynamics ammo so that I wouldn't leave the range with an empty gun. This morning I did the plunk test on those 7 rounds, and 4 of them failed the test. I guess that indicates to me that my pistol has a short throat. No biggie. My CW45 also has a short throat, and that resolved itself after a few thousand rounds 😉.

My question is, how have you all dealt with short throat/tight chamber issues? Polish the leade? Shoot it till it resolves itself? Send it back to Kahr? (No!)

I'm gonna start reloading for it, so tailoring my range ammo to the pistol won't be a problem, but what have you all used for SD ammo? Based on Shootingthebull's tests, I'll likely try something with a Hornady xtp bullet.

What do you all think?

[Bawanna]

Or the Fiocchi is a bit long. Some passed. Other brands worked?

I do think some Kahrs have slightly tight chambers but there's a lot of questionable new ammo.

[Ikeo74]

A gun with a short throat can be easily corrected by changing ammo. Do not mess with the gun or bug Kahr about it. Just buy ammo that is more tapered. The taper will go farther into the throat and the problem will no longer exist. When reloading, pay special attention to the bullet shape you buy and load. I had the same problem reloading some Nosler 124 gr bullets for my XDs 9mm. I only had to load them a little shorter to get them to run 100%.

The XTP's should run without a problem because they are more tapered. Also try Speer Gold Dots. They should be OK on the plunk test.

[Ed M]

Tony - Were those Fiocchi rounds the Shooting Dynamics JHP? That round is loaded with an XTP copy bullet, and were intended to provide a lower cost option to their Extrema for practice purposes. My CW380 ate up a few hundred of those with no issues at all during it's break in and after. Cabela's had them on sale at one point for less than any other practice ammo, so I stocked up...

For carry ammo, I prefer nickle plated cases. Most of the self defense rounds using the XTP bullet use brass cases - Extrema being one exception. Besides the corrosion advantages, I feel the nickle cases are a tiny bit "slicker", and may help with feeding issues. JMHO.....

My current choice in a self defense round is Underwood's Xtreme Defender +P ammo. It's pricey, but works well in my CW380. Underwood uses Starline nickle plated brass cases and CCI primers, along with a low flash powder. Good stuff. They also sell a round loaded +P or non-+P using the XTP bullet and the good quality components. Fairly inexpensive too.

https://underwoodammo.com/shop/380-a...-hollow-point/

I test all my carry ammo (every round) using a Wilson gauge that is machined to SAAMI specs before I carry it in my weapon. Easier than doing the plunk test, and it only takes a few minutes to check a whole box. Measuring Underwood ammo with a digital caliper has proven to me that their loads are very consistent, spec wise. Really good quality control in my experience so far.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/81...-gauge-380-acp

[tony k]

Or the Fiocchi is a bit long. Some passed. Other brands worked?

I do think some Kahrs have slightly tight chambers but there's a lot of questionable new ammo.

I figure the fiocchi is on the long side of within spec, and the cw380 throat is on the short side of within spec. The rounds I measured were between.936 and .943, with a good bit of full diameter bearing surface exposed. That's well within normal, but there's so much variation in ogive shape between different hollow point brands

[jtsmall]

I test all my carry ammo (every round) using a Wilson gauge that is machined to SAAMI specs before I carry it in my weapon. Easier than doing the plunk test, and it only takes a few minutes to check a whole box.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/81...-gauge-380-acp

Great suggestion.

Having no prior issues with 9mm and .40 S&W I'm amazed at the issues I'm having with 380 Auto and my CW380.

What's even more curious no problems with the BodyGuard 380 or LCP II using the same range of 380 Auto.

As another post so eloquently stated, 'I smell a fish!'



Sent from my VS995 using Tapatalk

[Ed M]

As another post so eloquently stated, 'I smell a fish!

Something I've found interesting is that Fiocchi ammo is NOT made to SAAMI specs. Try to find otherwise on their website, or look on a box of Fiocchi ammo specifically looking for it to state that it complies with SAAMI specs.

Kahrs are made to SAAMI specs. Fiocchi is not made to SAAMI specs. Fiocchi USA is a member of SAAMI, but their ammo is made in Europe, or here using Italian components. It's a sneaky way around the SAAMI standard primarily used here.

If you smell a fish, you might want to check your doorstep......

[joemsj51]

Ed M

Please name a couple other ammo options (cheaper ones) that use the nickle plated case? Your Underwood is mucho dinero per round
Thanks!

[Tilos]

I cannot understand why anyone would consider a gauge better for checking ammo than the actual gun barrel, especially for carry ammo.
Yea, it might be faster for batch testing, but plunk testing 6 or 7 rounds of carry ammo prior to filling a mag can't take much time.

Chambers can measure within the sammi spec and be at either end of the tolerance limit, whereas a gauge is what it is, within the tolerance limit, possibly the other tolerance limit.
Why I use the plunk test and don't own any "gauges".

[Ed M]

Batch testing - check. (I reload)

Gauge sitting on my bench ready to go - check.

Unloading a bunch of guns, field stripping them, plunk testing each one - uhhhh, no.

Now if I had a "problem child", I might make an exception, but with my guns, if it passes the gauge test, it's gonna work in all of them.

And that's why I own a "gauge" - because it works for me. FWIW, I don't reload self defense ammo for the legal aspect of it, but that's a different can of worms.

[Ed M]

Ed M

Please name a couple other ammo options (cheaper ones) that use the nickle plated case? Your Underwood is mucho dinero per round
Thanks!

I've never encountered inexpensive range ammo that uses good nickle casings.

The Underwood ammo in the link I posted above is actually pretty cheap for self defense ammo. Tough to beat $15.50 per box of 20, especially considering the quality of the components, and the consisitent overall quality of the product, in my experience.

I don't burn through a lot of self defense ammo at the range. Just the typical replacement after carrying it for a while, or testing a new carry weapon. Underwood e-mails me free shipping coupons all the time for $100 or more worth of ammo purchased. Since I only use Underwood ammo in my 380s , that lasts a long time. I use Federal HST 147 gr in my 9mm carry guns, and Target Sports USA has good prices on that....

[Bawanna]

I don't carry reloaded ammo for the same reason but I do save nickel cases and reload them with the better bullets. They are just in case I run out of store bought, "the guy at the counter told me to carry this stuff" ammo. Not likely I'll run out but I was a boy scout too many years to not be prepared.

Brass cases are for bulk practice type stuff.

I also have a case gage but seldom use it. I do the plunk test for a few rounds of each batch and call it good to go.

[joemsj51]

I've never encountered inexpensive range ammo that uses good nickle casings.

The Underwood ammo in the link I posted above is actually pretty cheap for self defense ammo. Tough to beat $15.50 per box of 20, especially considering the quality of the components, and the consisitent overall quality of the product, in my experience.

I don't burn through a lot of self defense ammo at the range. Just the typical replacement after carrying it for a while, or testing a new carry weapon. Underwood e-mails me free shipping coupons all the time for $100 or more worth of ammo purchased. Since I only use Underwood ammo in my 380s , that lasts a long time. I use Federal HST 147 gr in my 9mm carry guns, and Target Sports USA has good prices on that....

So you aren't naming any other nickel casings you've tried in your Kahr?
BTW.... I have "other" issues with Lehigh / Underwood, dating back to muzzleloader bullets.

[Ed M]

Off the top of my head:

Winchester, Federal, Hornady, Fiocchi Extrema, Speer, Sig Sauer, Remington. All worked fine.

Actually, the only ammo I've ever tried that didn't work perfectly in my CW380 was Perfecta from Walmart. I don't worry about that, as I rarely even see that stuff in stock at my local Walmarts in 380.

Occasionally, they do have Perfecta in 9mm, and I buy it when they do. It works great in all my 9's, including my Kahrs. Really like it, as it burns clean, and seems like it's a fairly stout load.

I run 45 cal XTP's in my Savage 10ML2 muzzleloader with special sabots. Been so long since I had to buy the sabots that I forget who makes them. Just checked - they're made by MMP.

[Tilos]

FWIW, I don't reload self defense ammo for the legal aspect of it, but that's a different can of worms.

And that's the can of worms we are discussing here, not reloads.
So do you plunk test the factory self defense ammo in the barrel of your carry gun
just askin'