Reload Glock Brass?

[Mexican_Hippie]

I've read a number of different opinions on this. Something about case bulge due to not having full support.

Basically, I've got the G22 and a LWD 40-9 conversion barrel. Still gotta get some time off at home to be able to shoot it , and still gotta get some G17 mags. Would like to reload for both 40 and 9mm eventually.

Here's what I've formulated:
- If you do a full re-size you should be fine when using brass from the Glock factory .40 barrel
- The LWD 9mm barrel supports it better, ie less bulge

I'm sure I'm re-hashing things long known, but can't find a definitive answer. Just wanting to get an idea on safety before spending money on dies, etc. Is this a safety issue, or not much of an issue at all?

 

[Charlie]

I wondered the same thing regarding shooting from my G23. RCBS (I think) makes a "die" that costs about $30 and is supposed to take the buldge out all the way down. When I mentioned it a while back, Dawico replied he shoots his .40 cal. brass all the time without doing anything other than resizing and has never had a problem. I decided to not do anything except full length resize and have had no problems. The "buldge" is small and doesn't keep the reloads from chambering. Just my two bits.

 

[codygjohnson]

I reload A LOT of 9mm from/for a Glock 19 and 34. I run it through a Lee Factory Crimp Die after seating and don't have any problems with buldges.

 

[Mexican_Hippie]

Thanks Charlie and Cody, it sounds promising at the least. I think I'm gonna fire some factory ammo in each caliber and just see what the brass looks like out of my specific gun before I make a decision on buying all the dies.

I'm really hoping the 40-9 barrel works well. The 9mm is so cheap compared to the 45 I'm used to shooting, and with that barrel you can even shoot cheap lead bullets. I'm not planning on carrying with the 40-9 barrel, range shooting only.

 

[HKGunNut]

I have reloaded many thousands of Glock fired 9mm, never had an issue. I can't speak to the .40.

 

[M. Sage]

Full-length sizer should take care of it.

 

[deemus]

I have never reloaded from the 9, but hundreds from a Glock 45 acp. My experience has been that a GLock will shoot just about anything you put in it. In the two Glocks I have shot, not one jam in about 2K rounds. And you will save a fortune reloading those. I use the Lee dies too, and they have worked great for me.

 

[Deavis]

The bulge was really apparent in the first gen of Glock 40s, but they seem to have tightened up the barrel a bit so you don't see the guppies of yore. The Glock 45 and 40/10 barrels offer the least amount of case support and are the most likely culprits to bulge a case that was loaded to high pressure. If you look at 10mm cases, it is really apparent at close to max pressure.

For 40, if you are shooting your own brass and using a LWD barrel or any quality aftermarket barrel, it will be like any other gun you reload for in either 9mm or 40S&W. If you pickup range brass, you could get guppies but most full length sizers will get the bulge out (EGW U-Dies made by Lee REALLY knock it out) and for the most part you won't have an issue. Roll-sizing is the best precaution but Redding has a push-through die if you are really worried about it.

 

[zfields]

Full-length sizer should take care of it.

Full length sizes don't always hit it. I've ran into and older bulged brass, usually just toss it. Most the newer guns don't seem to be as bad about it. There is a few "push through" sizes that will get it fixed, but either way it doesn't usually last as long. Lot more hardening in the brass when you have to knock out above lump like that.

Sent from my NookColor using Tapatalk

 

[whuggins]

I have a Glock .40 cal model 23 third generation and have reloaded for many years. All you have to do is check you brass after you clean it and full resize. Look for cracks and other deforms. I have reloaded 100 of 1,000 rounds and have never ran into a bad one yet. Stay about mid range with your powder and watch how deep you install the round. stay within specs. This round has roll crimp and that doesn't need to be that hard, just a light crimp. The 9 mm or 40 cal doesn't have a hard recoil and will not have problems with rounds pushing back into the case. Stay within these specs and you should be fine. Even with a factory barrel. You may not have to be this careful but why push a good thing. People that have a KaBoom problem overload with powder or push the round in to deep. These are the areas that you really need to watch real close. Stay with what the reloading hand book says and you will be fine. PS: Talked to several Glock Master Armorers and they say the buldge is on all autos in some way or another. Some you can see it and others you can't unless you look real close. I have a Kimber 1911 Tec II .45 acp. and it has a buldge at the base. Never had a problem with them. There are people out there that will make a mountain out of a mole hill in a heart beat.

 

[tmd11111]

This round has roll crimp and that doesn't need to be that hard, just a light crimp

The .40S&W uses a taper crimp.

 

[shortround]

Never had a problem with .40 S&W brass having been shot in a Glock 23 that wound up on the bench.

I mark all my "Glock" brass and only reload those for the Glock.

Some of the troubles in reloading the .40 for the Glock is the bullet. Do not use an un-jacketed lead bullet, unless you have an aftermarket barrel.

Stay within published data, and you can re-load your brass many times.

So far, cases last longer than I can reload.

 

[tmd11111]

Never had a problem with .40 S&W brass having been shot in a Glock 23 that wound up on the bench.

I mark all my "Glock" brass and only reload those for the Glock.

Some of the troubles in reloading the .40 for the Glock is the bullet. Do not use an un-jacketed lead bullet, unless you have an aftermarket barrel.

Stay within published data, and you can re-load your brass many times.

So far, cases last longer than I can reload.

Another internet myth. To date I have put about 8,000 rounds of lead reloads through my factory G35 barrel.

 

[Deavis]

IIRC Glock specifically has a warning in their manual about not shooting lead and H&K doesn't, even though they use polygonal rifling as well. Regardless, if you did everything your manual said, you wouldn't load your own ammunition either. I never noticed a problem with lead of appropriate hardness for the velocity.

 

[piledriver]

Full-length sizer should take care of it.

Yep!

 

[OLDVET]

Yep!

Last year I had the unfortunate bad luck to be shooting next to a guy that had his Glock 40 cal. go boom. The slide ended up 7 yards in front of the firing line and the frame exploded cutting the guy's hand pretty bad. They took him away in a ambulance. Earlier he had been bragging about shooting his reloads. Apparently he was loading a +P equivalent load with lead bullets. Glock is very specific in their literature about using lead bullets in their guns. I questioned a Glock Customer Service person about reloading for my Model 23 when I first got it. He told me shooting reloads voided their warranty. Aftermarket barrels are much safer for reloads. I know you can do almost anything you want with a Glock, but I have seen first hand what can happen when they fail.

 

[tmd11111]

IIRC Glock specifically has a warning in their manual about not shooting lead and H&K doesn't, even though they use polygonal rifling as well. Regardless, if you did everything your manual said, you wouldn't load your own ammunition either. I never noticed a problem with lead of appropriate hardness for the velocity.

Glocks owners manuals have a warning about shooting reloads. It doesn't specify what type of reloads, just says reloads.

 

[Deavis]

Yes, and that ambiguity makes it even worse. You reloads, Black Hills' reloads, or no reloads. Big umbrella that, from their standpoint, makes perfect sense. Of course, any CYA statement taken to extremes can result in silly results.

 

[piledriver]

The few owners manual I have ever read, from who ever. said reloads will void warranty. You reload from what the manual says and you will be ok. I shot many reloads from a 22 and 17 with no problems. You can blow any gun if you don't know what you are doing.

 

[robocop10mm]

Magma makes a machine called the Case Master. The brass is forced through a die from base to mouth . It corrects all case deformities except the extractor groove. I run all 9mm, .40, .357 Sig, 10mm and .45 ACP brass through my Case Master and have no problems.

I realize that "working" the brass will cause it to become britle. The bulge common to Glock fired brass is "worked" back to original spec, loaded, fired and "worked" back. This will eventually cause problems. I do not own any Glocks, but shoot brass previously fired in Glocks. 4-5 loadings w/o problems