Kaboom

[Steve RA]

They will all work, it is just that the load will be more uniform if in the same brass. I just load in batches and put them in 50 round boxes.

[Poppa Bear]

I load mixed cases of Starline, Win, R-P, Federal,.... About the only ones I avoid are S&B and any other cheap brass.

When I size my brass I am using a Redding die that takes them down to 0.421", My Lee die takes them down to 0.423". Because of the smaller size with the Redding any brass that fails is discarded so I know everything that passes has not been stressed past its limits.

[azgoose]

Glad you okay. I've not had a problem with S&B, but most (if not all) S&B primers are crimped in, so that will explain why your primer system does not like them. I have to ream mine before I reload anything S&B.

As others have said, you might want to switch to a slower powder. Titegroup is extremely fast. I'll use it for 40 minor, but not major and your load is major. I'm gonna give AutoComp a try, minimum load listed on Hodgdon site makes major with low pressure chambers.

[jmbaccolyte]

Well, I started shooting Battle in the Bluegrass IV this morning, my first ever Level II match. I was doing well, slow, but getting good hits. On the fourth stage blew up my new G35 Gen4. Blew out extractor, mag release, and mag and bruised up my hands pretty bad. The slide wont even cycle now. I'm what I thought was a careful reloader, look in every case before setting bullets by hand. I'll probably invest in a bullet puller. FML.

Perhaps your brass has been fired many times and is not really "once fired" as the sellers claimed. If this case that blew out on you was fired several times in early generation Glocks, then perhaps it failed for that reason even in the better supported chamber of your 4th generation. I would be tempted to try to purchase some truly once fired brass (for example from a law enforcement agency range) and shelve your current brass for now. Your reloading practices mirror mine except where you are even more careful, but my brass is truly once fired and I've not yet had a problem (crossed fingers)- in 25 years and counting.

Don't get me wrong, both my father and my son have Glocks, and I am considering suggesting my daughters buy them. I respect the design and quality control, but I believe a significant portion of the Ka-booms in .40 S&W came from brass reused too many times in early generation Glocks which were reloaded with fast powders and heavy for the caliber bullets while using reloading dies that didn't provide the requisite hourglass shape (to prevent bullet setback) that we love in the better half of our species.

Just my $.02 worth and please don't give up on reloading (unless you're wealthy. Its the only way I can afford to shoot ).

PS: I use a progressive reloading press and tape a piece of paper to the powder measure hopper with the name of the powder I have in the powder measure and how many grains its currently adjusted to throw each time. Hopefully this will keep me from adding Clays to the hopper instead of WST when the powder measure when it runs down to halfway and is set to throw 5.5 grains (my WST major load) instead of 3.2 grains (my Clays minor load). Both loads are at 1.23" OAL.

Edited April 14, 2013 by jmbaccolyte

[the duck of death]

After looking at the bulged brass out of a G23, I use KKM barrels in all my 40SW Glocks.

I've never had a problem, something you might think about.

[Koppi]

As good practice, I never leave power in the measure after loading. Humans make mistakes, even when we are positive we have not

I still mark the measure with powder and charge but, always check--again--again--again just to make sure while I'm setting up and while loading.

KKM a big plus in a Glock! They always seem to Kaboom

[Craig N]

3.0 Clays bunny fart is what I run in my G35 for minor.

[jmtyndall]

Ok. I've been reloading for about a year w a Pro 1000(cowboy T videos and lee thread on this forum made it work). I start a reloading session with weighing of 10 charges and checking every 15-20 charges after that. If I stop for any reason, I re weigh 10...

I've been using Titegroup for 40 under 180gr Berry's FP and use Lee FCD on every round. I also measure OAL of 10 when I start and randomly measure during reloading.

My intent was to develop a near minor load in order to make the gun, G35, run nice and soft in production. I've been using 4.3g, 1.135OAL, with success. Not a minor load, chrono approx 875-900 FPS, but it runs the new gun well without having to change recoil spring. I've used this recipe 3 different times with no malfunctions and no leading of the bore. Additionally, I plunk tested every round and discarded for disassembly anything that doesn't drop in easily.

Are you shooting lead or plated? Most Berry's Bullets are plated, but you mention leading, which is a non-concern with plated bullets

[thegunnerd]

Ditch the pro 1000. I started on it because my father had been given one as a gift , then gave it to me. I loaded for .45 and was getting squibs left and right. It was dropping low charges every 4th or 5th round. I would get rid of that pro 1000 in a hot minute and get nearly anything else. Most people here will say dillon , that's what i have . but the rcbs, or hornady are much better products then the pro 1000.

[elroyyboy]

Ok. I've been reloading for about a year w a Pro 1000(cowboy T videos and lee thread on this forum made it work). I start a reloading session with weighing of 10 charges and checking every 15-20 charges after that. If I stop for any reason, I re weigh 10...

I've been using Titegroup for 40 under 180gr Berry's FP and use Lee FCD on every round. I also measure OAL of 10 when I start and randomly measure during reloading.

My intent was to develop a near minor load in order to make the gun, G35, run nice and soft in production. I've been using 4.3g, 1.135OAL, with success. Not a minor load, chrono approx 875-900 FPS, but it runs the new gun well without having to change recoil spring. I've used this recipe 3 different times with no malfunctions and no leading of the bore. Additionally, I plunk tested every round and discarded for disassembly anything that doesn't drop in easily.

Are you shooting lead or plated? Most Berry's Bullets are plated, but you mention leading, which is a non-concern with plated bullets

I don't shoot lead. But I still check the barrel w plated bullets just in case. Just a precaution.

[RePete]

In my eyes, ALL BRASS IS GOOD, except AMERC. I like S&B brass because it's strong.

Once fired brass is a relative term. Once fired in many guns.

[elroyyboy]

Well, I finally got the weapon disassembled. Here's the piece of brass that was stuck in the chamber. Have left a message w Glock Tech Svc. Crossing fingers and hoping for good karma.

[djcantr]

Ditch the pro 1000. I started on it because my father had been given one as a gift , then gave it to me. I loaded for .45 and was getting squibs left and right. It was dropping low charges every 4th or 5th round. I would get rid of that pro 1000 in a hot minute and get nearly anything else. Most people here will say dillon , that's what i have . but the rcbs, or hornady are much better products then the pro 1000.

Mine needed a little clearancing on the arm that the chain attaches to that pulls back the charge disk. I no longer have the problem you described but still look into each case to look for no, low or double charges. They can be a little finicky but with some tuning they work. Still going to upgrade to a Dillon down the road, though.

[motosapiens]

sounds like your loading procedures are generally pretty good. I just recently started loading some of the brass I picked up at nationals. Someone there was shooting starline brass with a pretty wierd chamber. I noticed that every 30th or so casing the sizing die wouldn't make it all the way to the bottom without undue force. I just threw those cases away. They looked alot like the ones in the thread linked earlier. Eventually I noticed that the cases that were giving me trouble had some fairly obvious longitudinal lines in them. It looked like the chamber they were fired in had 6 or 8 'stripes' where the material was slightly relieved, so the brass was pushing out into those relief cuts. I started looking more carefully to cull those out. I have never seen that before.

[elroyyboy]

Ditch the pro 1000. I started on it because my father had been given one as a gift , then gave it to me. I loaded for .45 and was getting squibs left and right. It was dropping low charges every 4th or 5th round. I would get rid of that pro 1000 in a hot minute and get nearly anything else. Most people here will say dillon , that's what i have . but the rcbs, or hornady are much better products then the pro 1000.

Mine needed a little clearancing on the arm that the chain attaches to that pulls back the charge disk. I no longer have the problem you described but still look into each case to look for no, low or double charges. They can be a little finicky but with some tuning they work. Still going to upgrade to a Dillon down the road, though.

I placed a 4" spring with hooks on each end from the actuator arm on the measure and attached it to an eye bolt on my bench. The spring ensures that the measure actuator returns following case charging and is much more sturdy and reliable than the lamp chain included with the press.

Additionally,I don't use the regular disc. I use the micro disc. It's more prone to throw light charges (if you don't push the handle all the way down) and has never thrown heavy. The only way to double charge is to push down the handle, raising the ram, raise the handle just enough to allow micro disc to return to under the hopper, and, without advancing the shell plate, push down on the handle again, raising the same case into the powder/flare station.

I spoke to Glock tech services this morning, who advised me to send in the pistol for inspection. I shipped it today and included the pictured shell casing, along with all the aftermarket springs and Gen3 trigger bar. I noted that I was aware that Glock will discard these parts and replace with OE, but that I thought they should see the weapon exactly as it existed during the incident.

We'll see what happens.

[jmtyndall]

With all that said, perhaps it's not a loading issue and the gun was slightly out of battery? I'm thinking that or bad casing.

[elroyyboy]

I'm leaning more towards OOB or case failure. But... As a relatively new reloader I suspect human error as a possibility, too (though it's not one I like. ).

[Steve RA]

The longitudinal lines in the case are caused by a chamber that has slight flutes in it running length wise. It's designed to help extraction start while the pressure in the case is still relatively high. Several firearms makers have done that and I seem to remember that one of the mfrs of replacement barrels does it also.

[motosapiens]

The longitudinal lines in the case are caused by a chamber that has slight flutes in it running length wise. It's designed to help extraction start while the pressure in the case is still relatively high. Several firearms makers have done that and I seem to remember that one of the mfrs of replacement barrels does it also.

flutes.... that's the word I was looking for earlier, lol. I figured it was probably to help with extraction. I'd guess the brass i picked up came from a gun with flutes that was also running a bit higher pressure than normal to leave such impressions in the brass.

[area51]

glock charges 100.00 to replace the frame. had a similar problem with my g30 which looks like it fired out of battery...I plan to get a KKM... Don;t trust my Glock barrel with reloads... When buying brass from other people, especially 40 cal, you have no idea how many times that brass was reloaded or the stress it went through.

With all that said, perhaps it's not a loading issue and the gun was slightly out of battery? I'm thinking that or bad casing.

True that...

Edited April 15, 2013 by area51

[ProGunGuy]

i would change powders to a a more filling one, and use the regular disk instead of the micro disk. I have been using WST for my 40 and it fills the case well with 4.5- 5.0 grains and a 180gr bullet.

[RePete]

The longitudinal lines in the case are caused by a chamber that has slight flutes in it running length wise. It's designed to help extraction start while the pressure in the case is still relatively high. Several firearms makers have done that and I seem to remember that one of the mfrs of replacement barrels does it also.

Glock doesn't flute the chambers, that's an HK thing.

[elroyyboy]

i would change powders to a a more filling one, and use the regular disk instead of the micro disk. I have been using WST for my 40 and it fills the case well with 4.5- 5.0 grains and a 180gr bullet.

Thanks. Looking at Accurate #5 (5.8-6.5 for 180gr plated in Lee second edition or Longshot (6.5-8.0 same manual different bullet, and I have a pound of it). What's the issue w the micro disc?

[bikerburgess]

I have had a couple case head separations on 40sw that turned out to be from the same batch of brass I picked up at the range one day early in my reloading the brass was fired once fired out of a HK sub gun by one of the police agency's that practice at my gun club.

sounds like your loading procedures are generally pretty good. I just recently started loading some of the brass I picked up at nationals. Someone there was shooting starline brass with a pretty wierd chamber. I noticed that every 30th or so casing the sizing die wouldn't make it all the way to the bottom without undue force. I just threw those cases away. They looked alot like the ones in the thread linked earlier. Eventually I noticed that the cases that were giving me trouble had some fairly obvious longitudinal lines in them. It looked like the chamber they were fired in had 6 or 8 'stripes' where the material was slightly relieved, so the brass was pushing out into those relief cuts. I started looking more carefully to cull those out. I have never seen that before.

I had a couple case head separations (in a Tanfoglio with a tighter than a Glock chamber) that I traced back to a batch of once fired cases I picked up that were from a HK sub gun used by one of the local police agency's at my gun club. I had run hundreds of that load before I had the separations and when I got the case out I could still see the lines from the chamber flutes (I didn't tumble them long enough to get the stripes off) I belive that the sub guns are pretty hard on the brass so now when I see a pile of 40 at the range with the tell tale stripes I just leave them lay.

Mike

[Flexmoney]

In post #17, in that picture... is that the base of the bullet that is all the way back at the mouth of your chamber?