[WhoKnowsWho]

It scares me. I fired my Factory Winchester stuff through my G22 and easily see the bulge. The cases out of my Kahr and USP are both fine, calipers confirmed the bulge too, not just a trick of the eyes.

So I guess I will fire factory rounds in my Glock for now, and reload those cases for the other guns, but not use them again in the Glock until I get an aftermarket barrel of some sort (any suggestions?). I just don't trust my luck enough to tempt a kB even if I load light bullets and low charges.

Why oh why Gaston?!

[Black Snowman]

I learned to reload with my Glock 24P.

I tempted fate far longer than I had to. If it took calipers to confirm the buldge then you don't really have a problem. When I messed up my reloads in my early days I got BULGE. Like a millimeter easy. I reloaded some of that brass over-pressured like that 3-5 times before I relised what I was doing (mag primers, duh). I then threw out all my brass and started fresh. I've since lost brass before wearing it out. No seperations, cracks or signifigant bulges.

I've been using Star 165 grain FMJ TC bullets with CCI small pistol primers and 5.5 gr of Universal Clays for about the last 4000 rounds. Some of my brass has been reloaded over a dozen times. I always watch it but it hasn't been a problem yet.

155 gr bullets are the sweat spot for reloads from what I've seen. Maximum muzzle energy for minimum pressures. I'm switching to them with my next bulk bullet purchase.

Three things I will recommend and I think saved my butt loading .40 S&W are get a Lee Carbide Crimp Die. Worth every penny. The second is avoid Remington .40 brass. The mouth is thinner and doesn't hold a crimp as well making for more likely bullet set-back. The third, load as close to MOAL without going over as you can. Not only does it reduce pressure but it seams to increase accuracy. If you go over MOAL even slightly the rounds will bind in the magazine unless you're using certain rounded bullet profiles.

Oh, and of course, don't load lead.

No need to waste your money on a new barrel. Edit: Unless of course you want a .357 Sig barrel too ;)

[HSMITH]

I agree that the aftermarket barrel is a waste of money. Resize and shoot that brass 5 times or so and then let it lay the next time out. I reload for my G22 with 180 grain bullets and 5.6 Universal, I get a bulge but only a couple thousandths, visable with the naked eye but not bad. Even rather warm loads of Power Pistol do not blister the cases and no problems have come up.

Make dang sure you have at least .002" of case tension on the bullet, and like already said seperate the R-P brass out. Rem brass is VERY thin and will not work well with the same die settings the other makes work with.

40 brass is dang near free, shoot it 5 times or so and throw it out. The aftermarket barrel will take FOREVER to pay for itself in brass costs.

[WhoKnowsWho]

Is the Glock the only .40 you guys are shooting these reloads out of? I could always segregate a Glock brass pile, use it 6, 7 times or something, and then leave it.

[Khornet]

for my G22 since 1994.

You can bulge a case in the reloading process, I've found.

My handloads commonly produce a slight bulge corresponding to the 'unsupported' area of the chamber, but usually it's only noticeable if you know it's there and look for it. Interestingly, I've had many brass splits over the years loading .45 ACP as the brass just wears out--nothing different about the shot, just notice the split when I go to reload the brass-- but I've yet to see one from the G22.

I have about 2000 .40 cases, and I size/deprime/mouth flare them all at once, and go through them all reloading and firing then start over. That way it takes a long time to wear out any one case, and I don't have to keep such close track of how many times fired. After a few more trips through the whole batch, it'll be time to start with fresh brass.

I do crimp tightly, watch OAL closely, and don't try to load too hot. That's all.

[dickwholliday]

go to evolution gunworks site EGW and get their Lee undersized die for the 40 and reloading glock fired brass problrms will be over.....DICK

[FireInTheHole]

Just dont use glock brass for hot loads. Simple as that.

[HSMITH]

I use a normal Lee carbide sizing die for my 40 loads. The Dillon Dies and RCBS do not go down the case car enough to size the bulge out. If the loads could go in a "match" barrel or another 40 with a tighter chamber there would be problems with other than Lee die sets.

[FireInTheHole]

On the contrary, I've used a DSDB to load bulged glock cases and then used them in a desert eagle .40 before. No problems.

[HSMITH]

Square Deal uses different dies than the 550 and up presses. The Baby Eagle also has a very generous chamber and will bulge cases as bad as Glocks do.

The "match" barrels for Glocks and some of the tight chambered guns, Sig and Para 40's come to mind, are where problems will crop up.

[FireInTheHole]

Well the baby eagle may allow the brass to over-size some(military chamber I presume), but it appears to fully support the case unlike glocks. I have not seen any obvious case bulges from the DE .40

Point taken on glock aftermarket barrels.;)

[HSMITH]

Maybe we are getting into some semantics here.....

By bulge I do not mean blister, I mean slightly out of round and more-so toward the base. The portion that is unsupported on the Glock barrels is significant but it takes a DRASTIC problem to cause just that area to protrude visably. By bulge I mean that the case is larger at the bottom rear and tapers up to the mouth of the case. A nicely "throated" 1911 barrel does much the same to the brass, as does the Baby Eagle.

[FireInTheHole]

OIC:p

Then yes, I have seen such a ring on cases from both guns... the glock is more prominent.

I've only seen the swollen blisters on a few cases... very scary. Ironically they werent reloads, but S&B .40......

[HSMITH]

I've only seen the swollen blisters on a few cases... very scary. Ironically they werent reloads, but S&B .40......

WOW!!!!!!!! That is major SCARY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I despise the S&B brass so it has been a long time since I shot any new S&B, now it will be a LOT longer.

[KP95DAO]

HSMITH,

You will find that the current S&B 40S&W and 357SIG cases are much improved over that of a year or so ago. I have NO problems using the once fired brass off the range these days.

[HSMITH]

Thanks for the info 95. I pick up a little here and there with my brass so I will give it another try.