Glock 23 and Bufflao Bore ammo/ chamber support

[tackleberry45]

Exactly what is meant by "fully supported chamber"? I was going to order Buffalo Bore ammo in .40 but it warns against using it in a Glock 23. Why? I know a lot of LE that issues the 23 so this cannot be an issue with high powered ammo across the board ....or is it? They do not make the same disclaimer on the .357 Sig (for my 33 and 32)? Why?

 

[hrgrisso]

Fully Supported

Even according to Glock's website and manual they say do not shoot reloads. Much of this is due to the Unsupported Chambers. Cartridges can bulge and rupture without the extra support if they are worn out. Why does Buffalo Bore say this? Just guessing I'd say it has to do with the extreme pressures relating to their ammo...

Why doesn't it say that for the .357 Sig... Difference design, pressures act differently on the case etc.

 

[Scorpiusdeus]

Do not use it in your Glock. It may work, but you were already warned not to, so why chance it?

 

[DoubleTapDrew]

It's probably a CYA move since .40 is already a high pressure cartridge and they push them even further on once(or more?) fired brass.

 

[RyanM]

Every single gun company says don't use reloads. It's not a "chamber support" issue, it's a CYA issue. Glocks will work perfectly with any ammunition that generates a peak pressure spike of 35,000 PSI or less, in accordance with SAAMI specifications for .40 S&W ammunition. Ammo which exceeds this, accidentally or intentionally, will very likely result in a case failure, and hot powder gas venting into the mag well, and probably crack the frame. IIRC, about 40,000 PSI is enough to cause a catastrophic failure. Many guns have a failure point around the same pressure. There was a police department on the west coast a few years back that had something like 3 H&K P7s self-destruct in as many weeks.

Buffalo Bore's warning may just be a CYA, or it may be a tacit admission that their .40 ammo, like their "Ruger only" .45 LC ammo, exceeds the industry standard safe pressure limits established by SAAMI.

Either way, I wouldn't risk it. If you really want to shoot the stuff in your Glock, either get the feed ramp TIG welded, or buy an aftermarket barrel with full chamber support.

 

[GTSteve03]

Why not check out DoubleTap Ammo instead? Their 40S&W rounds are listed with the same velocity/energy figures as Buffalo Bore, from what I can tell, and none of their ammo carries a warning to use it only in particular firearms. In fact, their stated velocity numbers show a Glock 23 as the test bed.

www.doubletapammo.com

 

[Baneblade]

Most 40 cal pistols were never designed as a 40, they are a 9mm with a thinned barrel. Overpressure is a concern with 40 cal in all brands. I reload my own, but keep them on the lower pressure end.

 

[Sonic]

Currently all the .40 S&W ammo Buffalo Bore makes is +P rated, meaning it is loaded to pressures higher than the normal SAAMI specification for the .40 S&W, which is why Buffalo Bore has the warning about not using it in pistols without full chamber support. Glocks are the only pistols I know of that don't have fully supported chambers, so that is why a factory Glock is listed as a no-go with this ammo by Buffalo Bore. Of course if you really want to shoot Buffalo Bore .40 S&W in your Glock, you can always buy a fully supported Glock barrel from a after-market barrel manufacturer like Bar-Sto or Storm Lake.