Anyone use Lee dies to reload for Glocks?

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EMT40SW

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So I got my new Lee deluxe .40 SW dies and in the enclosed reloading data it says, "Do not use reloads in Glocks or similar guns with chambers that do not fully support the cartridge due to the intrusion of the feed ramp". I have never heard of this. I know not to shoot cast bullets with Glocks, but no reloads, huh. Anyone use Lee dies to reload for Glocks?
 
Never heard of it?
Wow! You must really live a sheltered life!

Your Glock manual clearly says not to use reloaded ammo.

It's standard boiler-plate lawyer speak, and has been since a few .40 Glocks KaBoomed years ago.

Inspect your cases and load them, but use common sense when selecting a load.

If you want Magnum performance, buy factory ammo from Buffalo-Bore.
 
I'm using Lee dies in my Dillon 550B to load for all of my .40 pistols. I bought the Lee dies because the Dillon factory dies that I have don't size .40 brass all the way down. The problem with the Dillon dies is that if a particular piece of brass was Glock fired and then reloaded with the Dillon dies it would not be sized the full length of the casing. It would then be much too tight when chambered or fail to chamber slightly out of battery. This problem only occurs when you have brass that is fired in a semi supported chamber (Glocks and a few others) and then is used in a fully supported chamber (Beretta, Sig etc).

If I was only reloading for a Glock pistols it wouldn't have mattered but when the same piece of brass (now loaded) was used in my Sig or Beretta it wouldn't quite chamber all of the way.

I bought the Lee dies because they size the full length of the brass and can be used in any pistol afterward being sized and load regardless of whether or not the chamber is fully or semi supported. The Lee dies are cheaper too.

I don't recall seeing a warning not use the Lee dies with Glocks or other pistols with "semi supported" chambers in with my dies. Most gun companies also warn to not use any reloaded ammunition which is obviously ridiculous and meant to protect them from the liability of poorly loaded reloads.

There is also the concern is with "kabooms" which are believed to originate from a few different sources. Some of which are:

1. the slide not being fully forward but being close enough that the firing pin can still strike the primer of a round (firing slightly out of battery ****Solution - change your recoil spring every 5000 rounds in order to ensure that the slide returns fully forward after each shot****

2. brass fatigue. The brass being stretched and sized when fired in semi supported chambers seems to have any affect on brass life. I still use my brass 10 times before I throw them away but I do my loads in the moderate range. ***Solution - ensure that you are correctly managing your brass by counting how many times it's been used and by examining the brass itself. If you are getting cracked casings it's time to discard that brass even if you haven't used it very many times. Also make sure that you are only picking up your own brass since you have no idea how brass on the ground has been used etc.***

As long as you exercise some care in your reloading process you are unlikely to have any problems.
 
My Lee 40s&w dies have no prejudice about gun makes.(they don't have a warning about Glock pistols, they are over 10 years old though).
I've re-loaded several thousand 40s&w's over the years, mostly 'moderate' loads for range practice, with duty/carry Glocks.
I don't own any Glocks myself, but I would have no great conserns, using reloads in it, if I did.
 
Sorry you're having so much trouble with the Glock issues. The FIRST gun I ever reloaded for was a 9mm Glock 17 using Lee dies! I used Accurate #5 and #7 powders, paired it with some 125 gr. lead roundnose and 122 gr. lead truncated flat points, and made some really great ammo for that gun. Another thing: you CAN use lead in a Glock. After you get through shooting a few magazines full of lead rounds, shoot some jacketed rounds to help clean it out. Don't shoot max velocity powder charges with lead in a Glock. Start out at the bottom and you will probably end up somewhere in the middle. Have fun, and be careful...
 
Be really, really careful about shooting jacketed ammo through a Glock before thoroughly cleaning the barrel after shooting lead ammo.

The lead will build up in the polygonal rifling like it will a heavily worn conventional bore. Then, run a high pressure jacketed bullet through it, and the first shot or two will have greatly increased pressures causing the "issues". (BTDT).

From my reading and experience, and that of co-worker, most of the Glock reload issues involve "factory-reman." reloads, and shooting warm-ish jacketed ammo through the gun with significant lead buildups. Reloaders tend to turn out a superior product, and check the chambering of their ammo before going to the range. Firing out of battery is due to failure to chamber fully. Inspect ALL ammo before loading it in the magazine. Check for dinged/damaged bullets and mis-seated or absent primers. (**IT happens !).

If you'll simply use brass in good condition, use reasonably hard alloys, (most of the producers of commercial cast bullets use Taracorp Magnum alloy, which is more than hard enough not to lead with normal lead bullet loads), and clean frequently.

Clean barrel with good lead-removal solvent and brush thoroughly before running jacketed bullet ammo, and you'll be OK.

Most of the lead bullet issues occured with early factory lead bullet ammo with soft swaged lead bullets. These leaded badly, just like the .357mag swaged lead factory ammo does. Most of this ammo has been discontinued and shot-up. However, the issue still comes up frequently.
 
IMO: The whole problem is that many Glocks can fire out of battery by 1/16" or so. They are designed that way.

When lead and bullet lube builds up in the end of the chamber at the headspace shoulder, it will hold the slide open slightly.

Then, a marginally supported case is even less supported, and KaBooms could result.

Clean the dang things every year or so, and you won't have any issues.

I have been shooting lead bullet reloads in a 23 for going on 12-13 years now without any problems.

I use very hard Linotype cast bullets and stay within normal pressure levels. I have never had even a trace of leading, or fouling build-up in the chamber headspace shoulder.
 
+1 for me!! My Glock 22 loves reloads, but it does better with a lower
grain bullet weight than 180.
 
pac-man-10,

You're exactly right. Had the same problem with an RCBS die set. About 3-4 rounds out of 100 would not chamber properly due to a slight bulge at the base of the case. I believe these cases I picked up at the range were shot in a Glock.

Even with the RCBS carbide sizer adjusted to -0- clearance on my Dillon shell holder, I still had cases not fully re-sized.

Bought the Lee 4 die set, problem solved. For $32.99 plus shipping, this has to be one of the best reloading bargains around.
 
Lee Carbide Dies really are a great value! The reason they say not to reload for your glock is because the chamber is not fully supported. As your brass is fired multiple times it can become weaker and if your are loading max loads you could have a Kaboom. Not because of the Glock but because the brass blows out in the unsupported area. Be carful and happy reloading.
 
My Lee dies had that same warning - I reload for a Glock 20 in 10mm. Inspect the brass carefully each time and toss ANY suspect pieces. My Glock is a 3rd generation and so far hasn't given me any 'smilies' (case bulging) since I bought it. But I still make sure I inspect the brass during each stage.
 
Reloading for a Glock

If you reload for any Glock the true test for chambering is to try your reloads in the barrel to verify fit. (barrel removed from gun) A case guage will really help to determine this as well. The chambering on the case guage will be tighter than a Glock stock barel so if there is a question in regards to fit verify it in the barrel.
 
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