[stxhunter]

I'm relatively new to reloading, done about 700 rounds of 9mm now for my Springfield XDM without any problems. My question is this: I was talking to my dad the other day and he was saying his Glock manual states never to use reloads in a Glock. I've read online possible problems, something about the chamber specs not supporting the end of the case? I spoke with my uncle who confirmed this and he said he had actually seen some pretty nasty pictures. How much truth is there to this and has anyone successfully loaded for a glock?

[rcmodel]

About all new firearms manuals say not to use reloads.
It's a legal thing, not a safety thing.

Loading for a 9mm Glock is no different then loading for any other 9mm.
Except the use of lead bullets is not a great idea unless you are an experianced reloader.

About all the Glock blow-up's have been related to guns in .40 S&W caliber, not 9mm.

Early 1st. Gen Glock .40 chambers were not at all well supported.
Now they are much better.

So, if you want to reload for it?
Use published load data, and jacketed or plated bullets, and gofer it.

rc

[PO2Hammer]

I'll agree with all of that.
I've loaded thousands of rounds for Glock 9mms, never a problem.

[Clark]

If I put an empty case in the barrel and scribe a line with a needle, I can measure the feed ramp intrusion.
If I cross section the brass, I can measure the thickness of the case web.
9mm barrels have .19" intrusion; Kel-Tec and Glock.
9mm barrels with .165" intrusion; CZ52 aftermarket, Tokarev, Beretta 92, Star Firestar.
All brands of 9mm brass I have cross sectioned looks like .16" thick.
The worst case Kel-Tec with .030" of thin unsupported case wall when I do an overload work up will make intolerable recoil before the case will guppy belly case bulge.
When the case bulges, the bulge will show an outline of the feed ramp that will indicate ~ .010 ~ .020" more feed ramp intrusion than the needle mark shows.

[Centaur 1]

Since you don't mention cast bullets, I assume that you're using either jacketed or plated bullets. As long as you're not trying to set any velocity records, you'll be fine. I personally don't see the logic behind using hot loads just to kill paper. Most of the concern with Glocks are with lead bullets. The rifling they use is called polygonal rifling, which doesn't have the sharp edges of standard rifling. Instead of lands and grooves it's more like hills and valleys. The one downfall to polygonal rifling is it's propensity to generate excessive barrel leading, which leads to chamber pressures that exceed safe levels. I shoot lead in my G26 and I've never had any problems, but I cast my own bullets and I size them several thousandth's larger than my bore diameter. Commercially available lead bullets are usually sized to .356" which is too small to properly seal some Glock barrels, not to mention the lube they use is not the best either.

[Ledhore]

Centaur 1 nailed it. Properly sized cast bullets are the key. Absolutely no leading in my .40 glocks.

[stxhunter]

Wow!! Thanks for all the quick responses. I've been using the Berry's plated double struck bullets and have had no problems so far. I'm only using about 4.2gr of titegroup behind the 115gr slugs, so I'm not really pushing them very hard and guess I wouldn't have a problem with them in a glock. This might be another dumb question, but wouldn't the full length sizer die fix any potential bulge problems in the case during reloading?

[eam3clm@att.net]

It may fix the problem during reloading, but not during firing. What I am getting at is to still inspect the cases as with any caliber and gun. According to my records I was getting an average velocity of 990fps with 4.0gn titegroup out of a 4" barrel with a col of 1.130 and an average velocity of 1069fps with 4.5gn with a col of 1.135. The bullet was berrys 115 rnds bullet.

[PO2Hammer]

There is no abnormal bulging with Glock 9mms. Full length sizing will bring your brass back to specs.

With plated or jacketed bullets you are GTG in a Glock 9mm. People are going way overboard on this.

[rcmodel]

The sizing die cannot reach all the way to the base of the extractor groove due to the thickness of the shell holder, and the rounded entry into the die to keep cases from hanging up on a sharp edge.

If there is a pronounced bulge, the sizing die can't reach it all the way down to resize it.

Anyway, if you are getting that much case bulge?
You are loading them way too hot.

rc

[gamestalker]

As rC stated, most all firearm manufacturer's will state that using reloaded ammunition will void the warrenty.

However, Glocks are prone to problems relative to the barre and non jacketed bullets. Most shooters who reload for Glocks will either buy an after market barrel or only reload jacketed. I personally have been loading for a G17I bought back in the mid 1980's and have had no problems what so ever. Whether or not anything has changed with Glock barrels since those G17's came into existence, I don't know. I will say that the chamber on my G17 isn't very well supported, so buldging is not unusual and will commonly present within the first 4 or 5 reloadings in my 1980's G17. But out side of a shorter than average case life, I haven't experienced any other significant issues.

[stxhunter]

Thanks for confirming what I had previously thought about the "bulging issue" I wasn't sure if it was an issue that was played up with internet hype or if there would really be something to worry about.

[GLOOB]

When the case bulges, the bulge will show an outline of the feed ramp that will indicate ~ .010 ~ .020" more feed ramp intrusion than the needle mark shows.
This is a bit of a mystery. It seems to me that I've seen lots of guppy bellies that occur way higher than the feed ramp of any gun. And here, you have actually measured a "smilie" as higher up than the feed ramp. Question is how is that possible on a locked breech firearm, unless the breech is opening early? And how is the case extracting while it's under so much pressure, rather than the rim ripping off?

Seems like if the breech stayed locked long enough, the smilie couldn't occur any higher up than where the ramp is. And once you went past that threshhold, I woulda guessed you might run into significant problems with sticky extraction.

This is why I wonder if a firearm that stays locked longer (such as my FNX40) couldn't be "hotrodded" more than my G27, which unlocks quite early.

[jmorris]

This might be another dumb question, but wouldn't the full length sizer die fix any potential bulge problems in the case during reloading

No, to size the entire case you need a push through or roll sizer. Don't worry about it, if your rounds casegauge they are fine.

[EBShooting]

What primers are you guys using? I have been using CCI500 and my glock 19 will only fire about 60% of them, whereas my Sig P229 and my Beretta 92FS have no problems with them and fire 100%.

Is there a primer that Glock's tend to like better?

Thanks,

Eric

[Waywatcher]

I really doubt it is the primer. I have only launched 50 rounds of reloads so far in my Glock 23, but all 50 were primed with CCI 500 and all of them fired 100%.

It really sounds like your primers aren't seated fully, or you have oil in the striker channel.

I really like my RCBS Bench Prime. I push until I feel firm resistance and then I hold it at the firm resistance for about one second. With this tool and method, I have never had a high primer, ever. In my 5000 rounds or so of reloads with various guns since I started reloading just a few years ago, I have never had one that didn't go off the first time. Not one.

[bds]

I have been using CCI500 and my glock 19 will only fire about 60% of them, whereas my Sig P229 and my Beretta 92FS have no problems with them and fire 100%.
If you are having misfire issues with Glock, inspect the bottom of the striker tube channel. There is a drain hole at the bottom of the slide near the breach wall that opens into the bottom of the striker tube channel. Fouling can build up in this area and get hard packed down by the striker pin, keeping the striker from moving forward fully and causing lighter striker hit/primer misfires. Also make sure the striker pin block is clean and moves up and down freely to release the striker fully.

Pictures below shows the hole (I inserted a small precision screwdriver) and the bottom of the striker channel tube where the fouling builds up (right around the rectangle pin hole). This is the area you need to clean, and perhaps scrape with a small flat screwdriver. Sometimes really hard packed fouling will require a 15-20 minute soaking in Hoppes #9 solvent before I can scrape off. As Waywatcher posted, make sure you do not oil the striker channel as this area needs to be kept dry without any oil/lubrication.

http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=162651&stc=1&d=1334326878

http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=162652&stc=1&d=1334326878

Bottom of striker tube channel where hard caked on fouling often builds up (you can see the rectangle striker pin hole at the bottom). I sometimes have to soak the tube with Hoppes #9 solvent for 15-20 minutes to soften the hard caked on fouling before I can scrape it off with a small flat head precision screwdriver.

http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=162653&stc=1&d=1334326917

[kingmt]

Make sure that your primer pockets aren't crimped.

If the striker isn't fouled & the primers aren't high then make sure your not crushing them while your seating them. If the pocket is still crimped when you try to seat the primer you may crush it.

[EBShooting]

Thanks for all the input concerning my failure to fire issue.

[2Bad4u]

I have a Glock 17 Gen 4 and a Glock 21 Gen 4 and have no problems with reloading.

When I first started reloading for the Glock 17 (using W231), I started at the minimum powder recommendation of (4.1gr), just to be on the safe side. What I found is that there was not enough force to consistently cycle the slide properly. I was experiancing failures about 30 to 40% of the time. This same load in my Sig P226 Elite worked just fine.

I slowly upped the charge to 4.4gr and I still had cycling issues about 10% of the time. I found that my Glock 17 wanted 4.5gr to work 100% of the time.

I suggest that you start out with light loads and work your loads up slowly to see what your gun likes. YMMV.

[Bowfishrp]

All I shoot in my glocks now are reloads and they work perfectly.

[coalman]

Per Glock reloads are unsafe in your Glock. I've dodged fate about 35k times thus far. Millions of others reloaded rounds have as well. YMMV.

[bbuddtec]

clear the weapon and re-chamber one of those ftf's... if it fires, it was a seating issue.

as far as the op... yes it's just a disclaimer, very few of my guns have seen "safer" factory-rounds on my account.

[eam3clm@att.net]

Like 2Bad4u I have found that my glocks run better with higher charge and may not cycle with the the starting charge. I have a load using the berrys plated bullets that run great in my P95, but it turns my glocks into a single shot. I have also seen numerous internet pictures of kaboomed glocks, and most put the blame on the undersupported chamber. I do not have any academic degrees in human nature, but in my line of work it is my expierence that some people will try to minimize their responsibility (yes I pulled out in front of the other vehicle, but they were speeding). The glock chamber somtimes is the scapegoat for a mistake in reloading or poor weapon maintaince. Any gun will blow up if the pressure is greated than what the gun can handle and any piece of brass can rupture if it is subjected to too much pressure espically if it is weakened. Just work your load up and inspect your brass. Make sure you use the proper charge with the proper powder. Make sure that you dont double charge the case. And check the neck tension for bullet setback.

[Buckeyeguy525]

I also loaded for a 9mm Glock with no problems. I am relatively new to reloading as well, and when I read about the possible issues with reloading for the Glock 40s, I traded my Glock 23 for an M&P40c. Its probably a long shot and the problem was probably fixed, but I try to follow my reloading manual which says do not load for a glock 40. I'm not a Glock brand loyalist, so I didnt see the point in even taking that chance

[kingmt]

I have seen the early Glocks bulge factory brass. I have a TCP that does it also. The ramp goes past the web so there is no support at all. Unsupported chambers is something to load with great caution.

If your P95 will cycle ammo your Glock won't I would say ether your Glock recoil has been replaced or your Ruger spring needs to be.

[4895]

If you want to load 9mm for the Glock, don't forget the BLUEDOT powder! Nice flame, big boom, and accuracy is better the hotter the load. Good luck

[kingmt]

"and accuracy is better the hotter the load."

Considering it is to slow. I agree.

I've always though it sounded fun tho.

[Lloyd Smale]

I load for glocks in 9 40 and 10mm. the bulge problem shows itself with the 10 much more then the others and about requires a push through sizer if you want to run top end loads. For the 9 and the 40 ive the ewg lee sizer die seems to take them down enough to function just fine in my guns and in the case of the 9s even that really doesnt seem to be nessisary. Back off the loads a couple grains of powder even in the 10 and the problem goes away.

[Buckeyeguy525]

I reload mixed range brass and finish off my .40s in the lee bulge buster kit. It is very easy to tell which rounds have been fired from a Glock because I can feel the bulge being ironed out. Many 40 rounds wont fit into the case length guage because of the bulge at the base, but they fit flush after using the bulge buster.

You see these problems more with 40 and 10mm because they are new designs (80s and 90s) and were made using new technology, so they tend to have thinner walls than the 9 or 45 (very old designs). Coupled with the unsupported Glock chambers, you get the bulge

[EBShooting]

Update...

Just got back from a range session. Shot my reloads out of my G17L. Seems like most of my issue was seating. Also sees like this batch was a bit too light. I did realize that this was my first batch of reloads (only been at it a few months).
The new batch I have worked up, is more in the midrange according to my reloading manual.
So as long as I make sure my primers are seated properly, I should be good to go.

Thanks for all the input guys.

Eric