Kkm And Glocked Brass

[Dave C]

Tyring to decide if I want to go with an KKM barrel? I reload so it would be nice to shoot lead because its cheaper, and it would give my G35 a cleaner look. My ? is we all know about Glocked brass but the stock barrel on mine will take and function great with the stuff that barely dosent fit my case gauge. I know the KKM chamber is tighter than the OEM barrel but is it that much tighter that I will run into my reloads that dont pass case gauge inspection wont work with that barrel as they do in my stock barrel?

Thanks for the help.

Correct me if I am wrong, but the 1st generation glocks had chambers that were so big that all of the brass that went through them were difficult to resize enough to reload with out using a undersized or special sizing die. The newer glock chambers are tighter and resizing this glock brass is not much of a problem.

I use KKM and StormLake barrels in Glock 35, 34 and 17 because I cast most of my oun bullets. My experence is that the chambers in both KKm and StormLake barrels are tighter than Glock OEM chambers, but properly sized reloads will function in all of them.

By the way, I use Dillon dies.

[Harmon]

i have not had one bit of trouble with ammo chambering with my KKM glock barrels..and i load on a dillon square deal with the stock dies.

I do have a G24 made in 1993 that has a pretty loose chamber..more so than my 2000 vintage G22.

For those arguing the extra cost of the aftermarket barrel, blow one case head and see if you still want to argue.

i have a storm lake barrel, but i dont think its as good as the KKM.

if you only shoot factory ammo...a new barrel would not help ya much...beside look cool.

Harmon

[Mad Scientist]

I have fitted and or used kkm, barstow, stormlake, loanwolf, factorystock and welded factory stock barrels.

my personal ratings in drop in barrels are.

1 KKm fit and price,(tight fit and flawless rifeling)

2 loan wolf price and price(fits like stock sloppy)

3 barsto good fit but to much money (fits good if you have the cash and time to wait

4 storm lake well I woulde nt buy one.

5 welded barrels they are supper acurate but to much work and they are hazards in welding

6 stock barrels are the best for carry guns as they were designed for.

Johnnie

[WildWest N AZ]

Well what this really comes down to for me is Im going to still have some reloads that still have the bugle in the case? What can you do but the main reason I started this thread is because I was wondering if people had issues with reloads and tighter chamber of the KKM barrel and it dosent seem to be any issue. I will just have to use my barrel as my gauge. Im sending my gun into SJC tomarrow and was debating on having a KKM barrel fitted and along with having the slide tighened among other upgrades. I should just do everything in one shot and quit being a cheap A$$, then I will have one really nice gun when all is said and done. Thanks for all the feed back on the KKM barrel not having feed issues with glocked brass. Makes me feel better about getting the barrel, I was just concerned It would make my reloading abit of pain if it wouldnt take the Glocked brass.

[Chris Keen]

The best case gauge is the chamber / barrel in your gun, itself.

My advice is to throw out your case gauge, and buy an EGW / LEE "Under-sized" die. Then simply use your own chambeer as a case gauge, and you will be surprised at how few rounds DON'T make it.

I have shout thousands of rds. through mine with no FTF / FTE issues

[Dave C]

Well what this really comes down to for me is Im going to still have some reloads that still have the bugle in the case? What can you do but the main reason I started this thread is because I was wondering if people had issues with reloads and tighter chamber of the KKM barrel and it dosent seem to be any issue. I will just have to use my barrel as my gauge. Im sending my gun into SJC tomarrow and was debating on having a KKM barrel fitted and along with having the slide tighened among other upgrades. I should just do everything in one shot and quit being a cheap A$$, then I will have one really nice gun when all is said and done. Thanks for all the feed back on the KKM barrel not having feed issues with glocked brass. Makes me feel better about getting the barrel, I was just concerned It would make my reloading abit of pain if it wouldnt take the Glocked brass.

I would suggest just buying the KKM pre fit barrel and not have the barrel fit or the slide tightened. I don't think you will get enough benifit for the money you would spend. The glock was never intended to be a bullseye gun, it was designed to be very realiable. Don't get me wrong, Glocks are quite accurate the way they are. (As far as realiability, I have always thought that if your glock doesn't work, you probably broke it)

Good Luck

Dave

[WildWest N AZ]

The best case gauge is the chamber / barrel in your gun, itself.

My advice is to throw out your case gauge, and buy an EGW / LEE "Under-sized" die. Then simply use your own chambeer as a case gauge, and you will be surprised at how few rounds DON'T make it.

I have shout thousands of rds. through mine with no FTF / FTE issues

I have EGW die right now, I get 2 to 5 rounds out of 100 that dont case gauge but work fine in my barrel. To hell with the case gauge then!

Im still not sure If Im going to do the barrel/slide tight yet? From the people Ive talked to that had it done and have shot SJC's guns say they as just smooth and accurate as any limited/Open gun that STI got. Ive always wanted I way tricked out Glock though?

[Smokecloud]

I shoot a G35 with KKM barrel and a stock barrel. I still prefer to use the Lee FCD, it sizes down the furthest of all dies I have tested (RCBS, Dillon, Lee standard resize die). The KKM seem to shoot lead more accurately, but the stock glock barrel shoots jacketed just a scootch better. Interestingly enough, the KKM shoots all bullets about 30 FPS faster than the stock barrel. I shoot lead through my stock barrel from time to time, because I have a few thousand of the SWC's that wont feed through the tighter chamber of the KKM. The stock barrel is harder to clean than the KKM. No matter what size die you use, follow up with the FCD for the final crimp and size. I have zero guage failures using this method for about 7500 rds so far. All I shoot is glock fired brass from the range.

[WildWest N AZ]

FCD die is that something other than the Lee crimp die have not heard of that? I only get 2-5 or so rounds that dont get the bulge out, And from what I hear case gauges are way tighter in tolerances than any chamber?

Edited October 9, 2006 by WildWest N AZ

[Smokecloud]

The Lee Factory Crimp Die (FCD), crimps the case after the bullet has been seated, separating those two steps, which is a must if reloading lead to avoid shaving the lead off the bullet while seating. The extra added effect of the FCD is that it has a carbide size ring and effectively resizes the loaded round. Since it has less of a radiused opening, it sizes further down than the initial size die. That extra 16th of an inch is where all of your problems lurk. you can get them for about $12 through midway. I was skeptical at first, but for that kind of money, it was worth a try. Now I wont load without it.

[WildWest N AZ]

The Lee Factory Crimp Die (FCD), crimps the case after the bullet has been seated, separating those two steps, which is a must if reloading lead to avoid shaving the lead off the bullet while seating. The extra added effect of the FCD is that it has a carbide size ring and effectively resizes the loaded round. Since it has less of a radiused opening, it sizes further down than the initial size die. That extra 16th of an inch is where all of your problems lurk. you can get them for about $12 through midway. I was skeptical at first, but for that kind of money, it was worth a try. Now I wont load without it.

So Im guessing that this die is an upgrade other than the one that comes in the 4 die set lee sells for the 40S&W? Another member also told me that about the this die. Thanks I will look into it.

[unclez]

Correct. The Lee Factory Crimp Die is different than the standard Lee Taper Crimp Die.

[WildWest N AZ]

I went out and checked my Lee die box and I do have the FCD with carbide in it. The deluxe 4 die set has the FCD included. So I got all the stuff that suppose rid the bulge completely? So why do I still get some that have the bugle in it? IM sure my stuff is set up right my dads friend thats been loading for years even came by to check my set up out? He said it was fine so who knows, Im mean all the reloads that come off my press run fine now. So Im guessing I shouldnt have any issues with KKM barrel?

[Smokecloud]

Sorry if this comes off wrong, but I dont trust too many people to check "my" stuff, I have seen way too many people that have been reloading for 20+ years that still cant produce something that will pass the guage test or worse. Check it for yourself. Run the ram to the top and screw the die body in until it touches the ram, then set your crimp adjustment screw until you get the desired crimp, currently I like .421 with lasercast, some like .420 some like other numbers. If the die is not touching the shell plate, then you are not sizing all the way down. You should not have any bulge after that. I have heard a rumor or two that one or two people still had a very small amount of bulge and ended up setting up the FCD on a single stage press, this was because the shell plate assembly on the 550 was bulky enough to not allow the die to size down far enough and the single stage press cured the problem.

You are correct, the deluxe 4 die set from lee contains the FCD. I use a dillon case guage, some are tighter, some guages are looser. Make sure you seat the bullet to manufacturers specs. The KKM's like shorter profile bullets, like the 180 seated to 1.125. I have feed problems with the 170 SWC seated at 1.135 because the nose is too long and it hits the top of the chamber, that is the trade off of having more case support, so I just shoot the 180's, which I like better anyhow. You don't have to push the 180's as fast and felt recoil is less.

[WildWest N AZ]

The dies are just touching the shell plate so Im pretty sure they are fine? If I get this barrel maybe Ill try reajusting them abit if I have issues with them not feeding? I load at 1.135 now, damn to tell you the truth Im not sure if this barrel is worth the trouble? I may just have SJC do the trigger, and grip job and call it good! I fell the stock barrel is more accurate then I will ever be and I have no feed issues with it. But you know the American way do it bigger and better in one shot!!!!

[Bronson7]

I use a KKM in my G30 and love it. To answer your original question, I measured the chambers on both barrels. The KKM was .001" smaller. I used a small telescopic gauge designed for just that and measured it with a micrometer that I had just checked with a standard. I don't know if that's enough difference to matter but the KKM is slightly tighter.

Bronson7

[SA Friday]

OK, had some issues with this very topic. The KKM IS tighter. Glock bulged brass CAN be a problem. Been there, done that, got the extra seconds on the stages to clear my G24 out, one being a DNF (that round was so jammed into the chamber, I thought it was never coming out). The Lee FCD will get 99% of your problem cases taken care of. Every once in a while, you can come across a real "hammered sh*&" case (usually one of the really hot factory loads shot out of a old stock Glock 40) that you just can't get that little bit right before the rim.

I now use an EWG undersized resizing die AND the Lee FCD. I use both because the FCD makes the crimp nice and smooth and the round feeds smoother. I use the EWG undersized because I have yet to find a round that wouldn't fit in my really tight case gauge after I resized it. My rounds are a lot more accurate now too.

Oh ya, I think you would find the difference in chambers sizes more drastic when it comes to the 40's than the Glock 30. For some reason, Glock really likes extra play in the 40 chambers.

Edited November 12, 2006 by SA Friday

[mcflyiup]

I also have a KKm barrel in my G34. It has been very accurate, but does require a little more attention to reloads. Like somebody said earlier use the barrel itself as a case gauge.

[WildWest N AZ]

I get my gun back in afew days with the new barrel and I will just use the barrel as my gauge. If I have any issues Im going to buy roll sized brass, Its not much more per thousand than brass man and its already to go when you get it.

[Overkill]

When I switched to a KKM in my 29 I had feeding problems with brass that had been shot in the stock barrel; new ammo was fine. What I ended up doing was taking the guts out of a lee Factory Crimp Die, and pushing the brass backwards, primer end up, through the die. This is easily accomplished using a long brass flat head bolt. Grind the underside of the head a little to fit under the shell plate, and trim the length. The carbide sizer on the Lee FCD will full length resize the case. After every couple of firings I resize my stock just to make sure everything still 100%.

[ryucasta]

I would never recomend Dillon resizing dies to anyone thats using an after market barrel with a Glock or a double stack 1911 (Ie. SV, STI) Dillon resizing dies just dont have what it takes for resizing brass for those barrels.

BTW, I own 4 Super 1050's and one 650 and only two of them still use the Dillon resizing dies (45 ACP Super 1050 used for a G21 with a Factory Barrel and a 357 SIG 650 Tool Head retired) the rest of the 1050's and a few 650 tool heads are configured with either EGW, Lee or Hornady resizing dies.

Edited November 25, 2006 by ryucasta

[Joe D]

Guess I am the odd one here. I started out using a RCBS .40 die set. I would get 10-15 rounds per 100 that would fail the case gage. I purchased a EGW sizing die and a FCD. At that point I was down to 2-3 rounds per 100 that failed. I loaded for a while with just the EGW die and a regular taper crimp die. Adding the FCD made no improvement at all.

Bottom line is I now use a regular Lee sizing die and a taper crimp die. I did not like the hourglass look the EGW die gave to the loaded rounds. I get 2-3 per 100 that fail. Handle effort sure is a lot less without the EGW and FCD dies.

I see no advantage to using an EGW die and a FCD die.

[WildWest N AZ]

I got my barrel and did some gauging with my reloads? No problem what so ever with the stuff the case gauge rejected but the barrel took them with out any issue. So the case gauge is now in the trash. I guess I was stressing out over nothing! Thank you for everone's help with this subject though.