Reloading For Glocks...

[jcountry]

I am new to reloading. I have a single stage Honady LNL.

I am planning on starting with 9mm and moving up to .45. I have a G17, G19, and G21. All factory barrels.

I am definitely NOT using lead bullets. Only copper-jacketed for these. Question I have is whether you guys would recommend sticking with the factory barrel (with that small section of the chamber unsupported) or whether I would be better off with an aftermarket barrel.

Thanks

[JimmyZip]

If you plan on running the rounds at normal PF for USPSA and not shooting open, then yeah, you should be GTG. You would be surprised maybe though to see some of the brass you will probably be picking up on ranges in the future. You will think that your Glock barrel must be a new BarSto. I doubt those barrels with typical chamber pressures and prudent reloading practices, would be an issue at all and should serve you fine. Especially if you are planning on running jacketed.

Have fun and play safe.

[jcountry]

Thanks-

I am just planning on staying conservative. Definitely not fooling with max loads.

I know what people are talking about with strange-looking brass coming out of Glocks, though. My cousin shoots a .40 and it has crazy bulges-even on once-fired brass. My 9mm and .45 never looks anything like that. Man-that .40 really works the brass. Not sure that I would even try to reloading something that looks that strange.

Edited April 26, 2013 by jcountry

[Poppa Bear]

It is not even Glock barrels. Many factory barrels are looser than the custom barrels. It is not by a lot but the MAX SAAMI cartridge size for a .40 S&W is 0.424". The custom barrels might have a chamber of 0.426" or 0.427" so anyone reloading has to be careful and ensure that ALL rounds are below that measurement. These barrels tend to be in guns used for competition rather than day to day defensive carry.

Glock, S&W, Beretta,..... run factory barrels with chambers of 0.428" to as much as 0.430" to ensure that everything loads easily because they are designed for day to day defensive carry rather than competitive shooting. Rounds shot through these barrels expand the brass farther than those shot out of the custom barrels so when you try to reload them for a factory gun they will for the most part work just fine because of the looser chamber. For a custom barrel it might take an extra step of two to ensure that the entire round is at or below 0.424 so that it will still feed into the barrel.

Now we introduce Power Factor into the shooting. A round that starts at 0.424" and gets expanded to 0.430" by a 125 to 150 PF load does not get as deformed as one getting expanded by a 170 to 190+ PF load. The high PF load will have enough room to move during its expansion that it will form what is commonly referred to as the Glock smile as some of the brass is forced into that area at the rear of the chamber where the barrels ramp is located. This is less of a problem when the chamber is cut to 0.427" or less because the brass has less room to expand, which keeps it thicker, and less likely to be deformed under the higher pressure loads.

Now we introduce multiple reloadings into the equation. Taking the same piece of brass and expanding it to 0.430" during firing and sizing it back to 0.424" during reloading works the brass a lot harder than one that only gets expanded to 0.427". The brass case is a thin wall all the way up to the web which is that portion that holds the primer cup. That area is solid brass. It does not get expanded during the firing of the case, so where the brass makes the transition from case wall to the web it gets bent back and forth. Being as the case is circular only half of the expansion is felt on each side. 0.427" - 0.424" = .003" divide by 2 and you have .0015" of expansion. Out of a factory barrel with a 0.430 chamber we have 0.430" - 0.424"= .006" divided equals .003" so double the expansion. Couple this with a higher pressure load and we have a greater chance of forcing the brass into the area at the rear of the barrel where the ramp is located.

[practical_man]

If you stay within published load specs you will be fine with the factory barrel.

I now almost exclusively shoot lead bullets out of my glocks in 9mm and 45 ACP. Thousands upon thousands of them without incident. All through factory barrels. Occasional cleaning of the barrels.

-John

[mlmiller1]

Just follow safe practices and pay attention, you should be fine.

[ZombieHunter]

I've reloaded thousands and thousands of 9mm rounds through my G34 and stock barrel with zero problems. All range brass and minor PF of around 136-137 on average. Should have no problem.

[jcountry]

Thanks-

I appreciate the feedback. I am brand new to reloading, so I am trying to keep things as conservative as possible....

[mlmiller1]

If you can find a high volume powder to start with, that will help. Low volume powders are generally more sensitive to small variations in charge weights.

[djthemac]

Id say get an aftermarket lone wolf barrel

- you dont have to worry about glocked brass

- you can shoot lead (way cheaper)

- option to thread if you want to get a supressor

- ... profit?

[kevin c]

I run the stock barrels, using jacketed or moly, but not bare lead. I had one bad experience with an aftermkt barrel that would choke on one brand of moly bullet that ran fine in the stock bbl, so I gave up on spending the extra money.

BTW, while I roll all my cases out of habit, I don't recall. many "glocked" cases that wouldn't run in a factory Glock bbl after resizing in standard dies. I also believe that it's the aftermarket non Glock brand barrels that have the tighter chambers. So, if you shoot and recover your own brass, you're good either way, but while the Glock factory bbl will manage range brass, the aftermkt barrel may not, unless the case is processed to get the bulge out. Think about it - you can be a bit less picky with the factory bbl (though it's true some advise against shooting bare lead).

[match308]

+1 and get a threaded one. Factory Glock barrel and don't look back.

Id say get an aftermarket lone wolf barrel

- you dont have to worry about glocked brass
- you can shoot lead (way cheaper)
- option to thread if you want to get a supressor
- ... profit?

[njl]

I've been loading for several years now, almost exclusively for Glocks in 9mm and .45acp. I'm using the stock barrels, and have been happy with jacketed bullets.

Unless you plan to run cast lead through them, the factory barrels are fine.

[M-Bear]

It is a glock. clean it once a year and shoot it. Only one of my four glocks have ever seen factory ammo. They all have stock barrels.

[JimmyZip]

It is a glock. clean it once a year and shoot it. Only one of my four glocks have ever seen factory ammo. They all have stock barrels.

Dude, so anal.

[G29SF]

The only issues I have had reloading glocked brass is .40 S&W. I believe the stock Glock .40 barrels are the least supported. I also heard gen 3 is much better.

I shoot a variety of calibers out of my G20, but all with KKM barrels. I don't experience the glock smiles with them.

On range brass, I toss the Glock smiled brass in the trash. All others reload fine with my Dillon dies... and fit/cycle fine in my KKM "tighter" barrels.

The Glock smiled brass actually reloaded OK, however I don't like using compromised brass... which smiled brass is, with its distinct crease.

Sent from my RM-820_nam_att_100 using Board Express

[Klemmer]

Tens of thousands of 9mm reloads, all jacketed bullets, through our Glocks. No worries if you stay within published load data and inspect your brass during processing and cleaning. Enjoy your new hobby to support the other hobby.