How to Use FMJ Cartridges in a Lever-Action Rifle

A Winchester rifle

Lever-action rifles have been a mainstay in the American firearms scene for more than 1 1/2 centuries. Problems can arise when firing full metal jacket (FMJ) or spire-point ammunition in lever-action rifles with tubular magazines. The magazine is loaded with the nose of one round resting on the primer of the next round. During recoil, there is a chance the pointed bullet can set off the primer of the round in front of it, causing an explosion.

Things You'll Need

• Spire-point FMJ bullets or FMJ flat-nose bullets or Hornady LEVERevolution ammunition

Instructions

1. Select your ammunition. The bullet should have a flat nose. Depending on the caliber of your rifle, there are ammunition manufacturers who make flat-nosed bullets that are fully jacketed. Calibers such as .357 Magnum, .38 Special, .44 Magnum and the older .44-40 offer more options for jacketed, flat-nose ammunition.

2. Load spire-point bullets if no flat-nosed, jacketed bullets are offered for the caliber of gun you own. Open the action, load a round in the chamber and close the action. Load one round in the magazine. Shoot the round in the chamber then work the action to chamber the next round. Do not load more than one round in the magazine if using spire-point bullets.

3. Load and shoot Hornady LEVERevolution ammunition as a third option. LEVERevolution ammo uses a polymer-tipped Flex Tip bullet that, when fired, flies like a spire-point FMJ round with great ballistic efficiency. However, the Flex Tip bullet's nose will not puncture the primer of the round in front of it during recoil, so it is safe to use in tubular magazines.

Tips & Warnings

• Check the length of FMJ spire-point ammunition. Some are too long to feed and load from a magazine. They may have to be single fed by hand directly into the chamber.

• Round-nose bullets can be just as dangerous as pointed bullets in tubular magazines. Use flat-nosed bullets only.

References

• Hornady: LEVERevolution FTX
• Buffalo Bore: Heavy 357 Magnum Pistol and Handgun Ammo