Glock barrel question

[Brian1911]

So I am recently a first time glock owner and bought a 21sf which I love. It is my CCW gun and I picked it because it can fair well enough for USPSA matches which I use for really good practice to complement my CCW.

My question is about the stock barrel and reloads. I have been reloading for about 7-8 years now and have always used Bullseye powder since all my guns are in 45acp and I started out a die hard 1911 fan before going plastic. What I am concerned about is the glock barrel and using reloads being that it is not supported and has the polygonal rifling. I have been told to get barsto since I use a hot powder and what was "safe" for a load in my 1911 isnt the same for a glock.

Now all I shoot is FMJ and my load is 1.265/.469-.470/230 fmj/4.5-5.0 Bullseye. I currently am using 4.5 grns BE but realized it wont make power factor which doesnt concern me much since I shoot at club level. What concerns me is the talk about me trying to meet power factor by moving my charge up to 4.8 or possibly 5 grn BE and it being unsafe in a glock barrel.

Now i have researched load data with 230 fmj and BE powder and the 100yr old recipe seems to favor 5grns. I tried it in a 1911 and it felt stout like factory stuff so I saw no need to punch paper with something like that and have since gone back and forth between 4.5-4.8. I dont have any reason to think my load is unsafe but I have been told there is no way to measure pressure and velocity isnt what the real concern is here.

So far I have not seen any stressed brass or signs of over pressure so I have no reason to worry other then what I have recently been told so I want to be sure I am not ignorant to something I am not aware of here. I also load my brass until it splits or gets lost so even on old worn brass all still looks good to me.

So what do you guys have to say?

[Mattog22]

So what do you guys have to say?

I have used 5.0 gr, maybe even up to 5.2 gr (would have to check my data about the 5.2) of TG with 230 gr bullets with no pressure signs. I am not as familiar with Bullseye but I think as long as you are shooting jacketed bullets you should be fine.

[Brian1911]

I sort of figure the same thing that my load has been safe now for 20k rounds or so but mostly in 1911's. I just wanted to be sure I am not over looking something here about glocks and thinking my load is safe in a 1911 therefore it is safe in a glock. I knew glocks dont have a supported chamber but also realize it doesnt seem to matter unless you are using very hot loads which I wouldnt even do in a 1911 regardless of it having more case support.

I just figured as long as I am not an idiot it should be fine but would like some more feed back from those who have experience with glocks and reloads or even better the same load I use.

[Duane Thomas]

A lot of people "know" Glocks have really minimal chamber support and really loose chambers. Have you ever actually examined the chamber throat and chamber size on your Glock versus your 1911? Do that, you might be surprised what you find. What you'll find, in case you were wondering, is a chamber throat that comes back as far on the cartridge casing as you'd want it to, and a chamber actually quite a bit tighter than several other competitive designs.

Major .45 loads are safe to fire in your Glock. Think about it, factory .45 hardball typically goes in the 190-200 power factor range, typical USPSA Major ammo is loaded around 170. The .45 ACP is a very low-pressure cartridge to start with (granted it doesn't have the thickest internal web in the world, at the low pressures at which it's intended to operate it doesn't need one). If your Glock can safely fire 200-plus pf factory ammo safely - and it can - it can fire your 170 pf handloads safely, too. Don't worry about it.

[G-ManBart]

Duane nailed this one.

Lots of folks think they know Glock barrels aren't supported, blah, blah, blah. I usually post a picture of a Glock barrel and a 1911 barrel next to one another, but it will only show what Duane described. Much ado about nothing.

Any Glock can safely fire any .45acp, even +P, that you can buy. Unless you're going well over book maximums, you won't have a problem, and if you do, you would have had a problem with pretty much any model/brand/design gun.

The only slight bit of truth those folks may have told you is that a load that's safe in one gun isn't necessarily safe in another gun. If you're at max book loads it's something to worry about, but if you've backed off a bit you should be totally safe. The other thing is that lead bullets and the polygonal rifling aren't a good combination....not worth messing with even though some folks get away with it. R,

[Brian1911]

Thanks guys.

I feel better about not having/wanting to send out my glock for a fitted barrel. I bought it for what it is and love it for what it does. I have my 1.5 group Baer's that have been worked over by John Harrison so if I want accuracy I go to those.

Thanks again and I will just keep plinking away.

[redmanfixit]

I am a 1911 type and have hand loaded for years. I love my 1911's. Definitely an emotional relationship. I also have a G21sf. I only like my Glock I don't have the emotional thing going, I just like it more and more the greater the number of rounds I put through it. I have run about 7 thousand rounds of hand loads made with bullets I cast by hand from recycled lead. Never have had a problem with leading in the gun. My loads handily make a power factor of 180. I run the same load in both my G21 and all my 1911's. Bullseye is also one of my favorite propellants, I really don't see moving away from a versatile, proven reliable formula like that!

Eat at Joes 10,000 flies can't be wrong.