Glock 20 range report with new barrel

[Lennyjoe]

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Finally got the G20 out at the range yesterday with the new Storm Lake barrel installed.

I picked up the barrel for $139 shipped direct from Storm Lake cause no one else had them available. To my dismay, Topglock now has them for $89

Reason for the barrel change was to improve accuracy and the ability to use high performance reloads without the chance of ruining brass or kabooming the gun do to the unsupported chamber. The Storm Lake barrel has better chamber support and is stainless steel.

First loads I used were 180gr West coast plated bullets over 10.0 grains of Blue Dot. This is my range loads for plinking. They shot fine out of my S&W 1006 and gave me around 1200fps out of the S&W. I got right around the same velocity out of the Storm Lake barrel but ran into a problem with the plated bullets.

The first issue I ran into was during firing the pistol wouldnt go into full battery. Noticed that cause the trigger did not reset all the way. When I took the gun apart to see what gives I noticed a piece of plated bullet stuck just inside the chamber right were the barreling begins. This wouldn't let a fresh round chamber completely. Good thing too cause I wouldnt want to shoot this round out of batter to begin with. Here's a picture of what I got out of the barrel. It happened twice in 1 each 10 round string. Needless to say, I quit shooting them rounds.

Another view;

After I chucked the plated reloads I went to some 180gr Speer Gold Dot JHP's and 8.5gr of Power Pistol and WLP primers. This load averaged 1208 fps. This load grouped about 1.5" high right of center and had a 3" grouping

Next loads were with 180gr XTP's, 800X powder and CCI mag primers;
9.5gr = 1308 fps
10.0gr = 1334 fps
10.5gr = 1380 fps

Accuracy was top notch at 15yds with all 3 loads. The 10.5gr loads put 5 rounds at 1.25" off of a rest.

Bottom line, the barrel was definitely worth it cause the groups got smaller compared to the factory barrel and all of the brass wasn't glock smiled to any degree. I did get some minor glock smiling with the Blue Dot and 800X loads when fired out of the factory barrel. I didn't take the time to chrono the loads out of the factory barrel since I knew I was going to replace it anyway.

So, for all of you 10MM shooters that are interested in an aftermarket barrel, for the price the Storm Lake is a good improvement for the G20/29 if your into reloading and want to get the most out of the 10MM round.

Hope this helps. Maybe I should of put it in the reloading section but I thought it would get more visibility in the autoloader section for you G20/29 guys.

 

[Lone_Gunman]

I operated on a guy once who had added an aftermarket barrel to his Sig, and was shooting his own handload which were above standard specs. Somehow, he managed to fire the gun without it being fully in battery. I am not sure how that would have happened, but that was the story I was told by other people there. The gun blew up, he was hit with fragments of metal that penetrated his chest and abdomen. He ended up in the hospital for about 6 weeks, had a couple of operations, finally went home.

I kind of lost interest in aftermarket barrels, and going beyond recommended pressure specs, after that.

The guy was later killed by his wife. He was a wife beater, and she shot him in the head with one of his own guns. It was ruled self defense.

 

[agtman]

Thanks for your range report on the Storm Lake barrel.

 

[JohnKSa]

I guess you realize you're pretty lucky...

Thanks for sharing the information--it could really save someone's bacon.

 

[Lennyjoe]

I guess you realize you're pretty lucky

Guess so. I thought it was odd for the plated bullets to do that.

I think I'll forgo the plated and work up some hard cast 180's for range loads. Lot cheaper anyway.

 

[Desertscout]

Worrying about the stock barrel KB'ing should be a non-issue. I hate to tell this story but I will. I have reloaded literally 100's of thousands of roiunds of many calibers and am a very careful and meticulous reloader but after several years of moving and other issues that precluded me doing ANY reloading at all, I finally got settled in where I had a little time. Instead of taking my time, re-familiarizing myself with everything and easing back into it, I just jumped in and went after it. The first loads that I did was for my G20 which I had never loaded for before. Like lennyjoe, I chose Blue Dot and settled on 10.3 grs. Like an idiot, I didn't doublecheck my settings and put 13.0 grs. in a few of them. When I touched the first one off, I was a little surprised at the recoil and after a couple more, I decided that the noise and recoil was WAY more than normal. I noticed something bouncing out of the front of the gun after the next round and found an expended primer laying on the table in front of the gun. I looked around and found a couple pieces of the brass and was shocked at what I saw. None of them had ruptured but were severely bulged and the primer pockets enlarged noticeably. Upon my return to the shop, I found that I set my scale wrong.
It is much against my better judgement to admit something so utterly stupid but I'll tell one thing. It has concreted my total faith in the Glock weapon system.
I haven't yet figured out how to take real good closeups but I think ya'll get the idea.

Also, I shoot thousands of plated bullets (Berry's) and have not any problems at all in my stock Glock barrels.

 

[Rockstar]

Desert: Your camera's "macro" setting is your friend!

I've never understood the need to load "nuclear" loads, other than to have something to post about on the internet. Exactly what need does a nuclear load fullfill, in your Real World that a "standard" max load wouldn't fullfill?

 

[Lennyjoe]

FYI, its not a nuclear issue, just getting the full potentail out of a round. Also, increased accuracy is worth the few extra dollars.

 

[Rockstar]

I don't believe max loads have anything to do with accuracy in a pistol. "Full potential" for what? Can't say that term, as used, has any meaning.

 

[Desertscout]

In nearly every caliber in existence, except most of the belted magnums, max loads are almost NEVER the most the accurate. I have found that in MOST cases, that a 5-10% reduction under max is the most accurate. Usually, when you speed it up, you sacrifice accuracy.

 

[trickyasafox]

no accuracy is not dependent on how hot a load is, but my g17 does prefer warmer loads too so i see where he's coming from

 

[Lennyjoe]

In nearly every caliber in existence, except most of the belted magnums, max loads are almost NEVER the most the accurate

Interesting. The 10.5gr of 800X under 180gr XTP's are far more accurate than the 8.7gr max listed loads on IMR's website out of this pistol.

Full potential" for what? Can't say that term, as used, has any meaning.

I like 10MM cause it gives me good energy in a high capacity package for the field (more than 6 rounds from a revolver). Since Winchester silver tips are basically the only mass produced factory loads available in stores, I prefer to reload the round myself. The Silvertip does not give much more performance than a .40 cal round. That being the case, I would of been better off buying a .40 cal if all I had was store purchased ammo available. Doubletap is pretty much the only ammo out there that gives you hard hitting performance like the 10MM was designed for.

So, to get the full potentail out of what a 10MM was designed for, I reload.

 

[Stinkyshoe]

Lennyjoe,
Your comment on the scale thing got me to thinking. I have a balance scale made by Hornaday. Is there a way to ensure that it is accurately measuring charges? I want to reload for 10mm and have a safe margin to allow for mistakes a may make as I learn how to reload (seating depth, crimp, things that may cause a problem). The reason I got a 10 was because I wanted more power. Even sissy 10mm factory loads like UMC put out 150-200 ft lbs that factory blasting ammo in 40, 9, and 45. Do you feel you can safely get loads equal to those produced by Double tapp?
Thanks
Stinky

 

[Lennyjoe]

Do you feel you can safely get loads equal to those produced by Double tap

Getting close but am less apt to push the limits like McNett does on Glocktalk.

Is there a way to ensure that it is accurately measuring charges?

I don't see anything on Hornady's website for checking measurements. RCBS has a scale check weight package that can help you verify accuracy.

http://www.rcbs.com/default.asp?menu=1&s1=4&s2=6&s3=59

 

[Master Blaster]

Those little rings of plating in you picture, are the result of too little belling and possibly a bit of overcrimping. The are being shaved off the bullet when you are seating and crimping it. Closely examine some of the loads you have not fired but reloaded with those bullets, you may need a magnifying glass to see the shaved plating sitting in the case mouth.

If you see nothing then use your bullet puller on a loaded round and you will.

If they had happened when the round chambered it would not have chambered, think about it, the brass fit in the chamber right??? and its diameter is greater than that of the bullet. If the start of the rifling caused this to happen, then you have too long of an OAL. My bet is that you are using a die that seats and crimps in the same die, and the crimping part is happeneing too soon while the bullet is still being seated to length resulting in shaved plating.

You are doing the same thing to the jacketed bullets but they are not as soft so you are only scraping them when they seat.

 

[Lennyjoe]

My bet is that you are using a die that seats and crimps in the same die

Incorrect. I am using a seating die and then a FCD. Pulled the remaining 14 bullets and inspected them. Other than a minor indentation where the crimp set in the bullet was unmarked. I bell the mouth plenty when running the brass thru the powder die (Lee). The bullet goes into the mouth enough to keep it steady when entered into the seating die.

I did get a response back from Storm Lake on the thread I posted on Glocktalk showing the same thing.
http://www.glocktalk.com/showthread.php?threadid=507297

Here's there reply;

We had a barrel returned to us some time back because it would not go into battery. I found this same thing in the chamber. The customer did not mention shooting plated bullets but I bet he was. I tend to agree with the gentleman on the Glock Talk forum and that it is due to our chambers being on the low side of the SAMMI spec. I would think the bullet is expanding and the pressure is cutting the tip off and leaving it in the chamber. I have never shot plated bullets so I cannot be sure. We would be happy to ream your chamber bigger or even refund your money. Thank you for the feedback. We have learned something about our barrel and the plated bullets.
Adam

All of the times I've talked to them I have been impressed. They are quick on their response and are willing to make things right. For now, I'm keeping the barrel and moving away from plated bullets. Had planned on going to hard cast lead anyway for range plinking and quality jacketed bullets for personal defense/field use.

 

[Master Blaster]

I have never shot plated bullets so I cannot be sure.

He's right about that.

I have loaded and shot a couple thousand plated bullets, out of my two glocks, never had a problem, I have used Ranier, and Berry's.

I have seen rings of plating shaved off when I first started using them and I was using the same settings on my dies as for my lead bullets.
The ring of shaved jacket material is just that not the tip of the bullet as the barrel maker is suggesting.

 

[Rockstar]

I guess my point is that, for any conceivable (to me) use, max published loads will accomplish anything that your "field" experience might require. I don't believe that 200fps extra will mean diddly-squat in the field.

As to using plated ammo in hi-vel applications, one of the problems is that plated bullets are really sensitive to overcrimping. Doesn't take much of a crimp to cut into the plating, causing the separations you describe.

 

[Lennyjoe]

After looking at all the pulled bullets I'd be willing to guess that was the case. The crimp was light, but enough to indent the plating enough to notice it. Those were the last of the West Coast plated bullets I had anyway. Think I'll spend the extra $8 and get some quality FMJ bullets in the future.

 

[Desertscout]

You might try Berry's plated bullets. I shoot thousands of them in 9mm, 10mm, .40, .357, .44 and .30-30. Have never had a single instance of bullet related problems if the proper loading techniques are used.