Uplula rookie error

[Ad Astra]

Taking a few "use or lose" days; went shooting yesterday.

Beretta 92FS and Ruger 10/22 takedown needed shooting. New optic on the rifle, new Wilson Combat #13 pound DA spring on the Beretta. (Oh. The DA pull is now amazingly light and sweet. 100% firing rate with three kinds of ammo).

I did make use of that "Counterfeit Maglula" thread and finally bought one of these loaders. I was fine with the Glock loading tool, but my cousin's new SIG P365, eh. Those mags are tight.

Anyways. Was using the only ammo cheaper than Winchester White Box (WWB), the WW steel case. 150 rounds/$22, I think. Not my first choice, but. Had some to shoot.

This stuff (at right). Anyways.

To my disgust - and horror - the unjammable Beretta had a failure to feed! Now. Such an event must be analyzed. Think M9 goes 30K MRBF; jams are rare.

1. This steelcase had a powdery coating. Dirt; I don't know. Could feel it.

2. Mags was new. Clean, but bone dry.

3. Gun was somewhat dry. (It's got some gold Glock grease on its rails now)

4. Maglula: Unfamiliarity with this is a contributing factor. I noticed (today) rounds don't stay fully at the rear of the mag, "centering" if you will in the magazine.

*Keeping a finger on the round as the loader goes forward keeps the round's base to the back of the magazine*

So. No failure is an only child. Berettas like lube. Steelcase ammo is a bad place to save money. And magazines need to have their springs lightly oiled, too.

Thoughts?


AA

 

[Acmemfg]

UpLULA......
Hard to actually describe what, but there is a knack to learning how to get it to work effectively. You kinda have to shift the rounds from side to side a little bit when you insert them in a double stack magazine. I know that hardly helps much, but you will get the hang of it.

 

[Ad Astra]

Looking at the pix, one last thing. Was shooting steel plates at 100 yes, (naturally with a sandbag rest!)

Totally possible the bag slowed the slide going forward ...rifle bag front rest with wings.

Think the Beretta's honor is no longer in question ...


AA

 

[DocPapi]

Every time I load a mag, the last step is to give the spine of the mag a good whack against my other hand to fully seat any rounds that aren't properly situated. It's become such a habit that I don't even think about it, but has stopped those kinds of misfeeds.

 

[jar_]

Also load a round by hand before using the Uplula. I never use the steel tongue of my Uplula on the follower itself, even my all steel ones.

 

[Ad Astra]

Thanks for the comments! It's a fine gadget, "with practice, comes everything."

AA

 

[DocPapi]

Also load a round by hand before using the Uplula. I never use the steel tongue of my Uplula on the follower itself, even my all steel ones.

I wonder if a small piece of rubber or silicone tubing that would fit tightly over the steel tongue of the Uplula would help avoid damage to magazine followers? I think I'll try it and report back.

 

[jar_]

I wonder if a small piece of rubber or silicone tubing that would fit tightly over the steel tongue of the Uplula would help avoid damage to magazine followers? I think I'll try it and report back.

It's not just a matter of damage to a follower, in fact that's a minor issue. The primary reason is to create a standard positioning and surface for the following rounds. Look at many followers and often they are sloped, particularly if for a double stack. By feeding the first round by hand to create a common positioning and surface for the other rounds.

 

[DocPapi]

Makes good sense...thanks for the insight!

 

[HARMON]

Every time I load a mag, the last step is to give the spine of the mag a good whack against my other hand to fully seat any rounds that aren't properly situated.

Also load a round by hand before using the Uplula. I never use the steel tongue of my Uplula on the follower itself, even my all steel ones.

I follow these steps everytime.

I like the lanyard, I'm a big proponent of lanyards, especially in bear country, be they brown or black bears.

 

[Acmemfg]

Every time I load a mag, the last step is to give the spine of the mag a good whack against my other hand to fully seat any rounds that aren't properly situated. It's become such a habit that I don't even think about it, but has stopped those kinds of misfeeds.

Smacking the back of a magazine to seat the rounds is regularly taught. We learned it and it is now, decades later, still an unforgettable habit. Even these guys followed the drill.....