Question about bullets in a semiautomatic gun?

Question

Will combining different types of rounds (hollows, soft point,etc.) in a magazine affect the gun negatively?

Answer 1

You can combine any types of rounds you want, as long as each one feeds, chambers and ejects properly.

Answer 2

It will do no damage whatsoever to the firearm/magazine, however you may not get very consistent shots. Each type of ammo may be grouped together (depending on your skill) but overall you may not have the best groupings. I know the military does this with machine guns, they use tracers so you don't have to use the sights very much while shooting. Like every 5th, or 6th round is a tracer so you can physically see where the bullets are going. But shooting hollows, softs or FMJs will have no negative effect on your weapon.

Answer 3

I'd agree with azrael, the only caveat I can think to add is if there is not uniformity of quality among the rounds, it could lead to intermittent difficulty with the feed and extractor mechanisms. There will be a slight difference in mass distribution-- i.e., balance, but that would be so slight you probably would not notice.

I'd suggest making up some mixed magazines and firing them off on the test range to be sure no problems will arise.

Answer 4

Possibly. Flat pointed bullets tend to feed poorly in a semi-automatic. Spitzer (or pointed) style bullets feed much more reliably. As long as all the bullet types feed well, you'll have no problems.

However, in my experience, semi-autos are very picky when it comes to accuracy. Semi-autos seem to favor a particular combination of components (bullet, powder, etc..). If you begin mixing bullet types, your shots will be all over the place.

When I carried my semi-auto hunting, I used the same type of bullet every time. If I had to mix bullets (like if I was hunting on an Island with big bears..first bullet for deer, next two are heavy bullets for a bear), I use a bolt action. Bolt actions are much more consistant when you change ammo components.

Answer 5

They can yeah. They'll have different ballistic properties, so will make marksmanship unreliable. The softer tipped rounds can leave lead residue in the rifle's bore. This'll make the accuracy unreliable, and in an auto/semi-auto (if used frequently) t'will become a "spray and pray" weapon.

Answer 6

The bullet is less important than the cartridge. All rounds should have the same charge to prevent misfires.

Answer 7

No, it won't affect the weapon or magazine. There's no reason at all for it to do so. Tracer rounds are often stacked in amongst non-tracer rounds.

Answer 8

No it would have no effect on the operation of the gun

Answer 9

Just dont go on a plane Osama. We will kicka yo assa

Answer 10

That would really make your target practice a whole lot harder.