Glock 30s .45 FTE problem (Sort of...)

[gbw]

I have a new Glock 30s, that I like very much. Light, accurate, nice trigger for a Glock. About 300 shots fired through it so far.

HOWEVER, shooting it with a Lone Wolf barrel and lead swc ammo, I'm getting FTEs at least once per mag.

The fired case is left partially in the chamber, of course the next rd. is jammed up underneath. I'm wondering if there have been any reports of out-of-spec extractors? Unlikely but possible, I suppose.

These are of course reloaded cartridges, well used brass, and 185 and 200 gr. swc cast lead bullets. Loaded to around 900 fps measured in 1911s. I've fired many many thousands of these without any problems in other pistols, mostly 1911 types.

Not limp wristing the pistol, and it's clean, barrel looks fine and extractor is not in contact with barrel when in battery. If anyone has experienced similar problems or has any thoughts I'd like to hear them!

Thanks,

 

[NorthGeorgiaHunter]

I had a similar issue with a lwb in a G20. I removed it and the issue went away. I don't care for lone wolf stuff. Reliability suffers. Go back to the glock barrel and throw the LW away.

 

[71velle]

Try the pistol with factory barrel and ammo first, if good then try the LW barrel with factory ammo.

That is not a new model and out of the box problems are not very common.

 

[ChanceMcCall]

I have, and carried for years, a Glock 30 and put over 10,000 rounds through it. All factory and never a failure with factory ammo, even very old WWII surplus ball ammo. Yes I have changed guns, to a Glock 36 for easier discrete carry, then to a Springfield Armory XDs, but the Glock 30 enjoys a prominent place in whatever vehicle I'm driving.

 

[railroader]

I was shooting my Glock 30 today with the stock barrel and I had the same issue. I was using my 1911 reloads and they are not hot enough. I have found that if I run loads similar to factory velocity the gun runs fine. My gun also doesn't like SWC profile bullets.

 

[gbw]

The point of using this barrel is to safely fire this cast lead swc ammo, which is cheap and accurate. These are loaded to be at least as hot as factory fmj. As I understand it, shooting cast bullet reloads from the stock Glock barrel instantly causes the gun to explode. I'm skeptical but that's the company line on their polygonal rifling, hence the LW barrel.

In any case, it's hard to see how the ammo or barrel would cause this particular malfunction, in which either the extractor jumps over the rim or never fully engages it, or both. I guess it also could be that in the geometry of this particular gun, swc bullets still in the magazine 'strip' the empty before it gets to the ejector. I'll have to test that theory. If so, there may be no fix.

 

[45Frank]

I also have a Glock 30 and when I first got it I had the same issues with reloads.
Do a search with my name and Glock in the reloading section and u will find your answer. They are very picky of OAL.....
I will look up my OAL and post it if ya don't find it. Shoots great I just have other issues.

Here's the Link
https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/45acp-hollow-points.715635/

 

[WYO]

I have a Glock 30SF. The 30S is built on an “SF” frame. As I understand it from the web, the slide to frame geometry is a little different in the SF models than the regular 30 in order to accommodate the shortening of the frame. In any event, my gun will not function with lead SWC rounds. The rear of the fired case hits the flat part of the bullet of the top cartridge in the magazine and leaves a half moon mark and hangs up. Apparently, at least the 30SF versions need a curvier bullet for the spent case to ride over and eject properly. I have never experienced a malfunction with a round nose or hollow point round in the gun.

I tried numerous variations of seating depth and crimp with SWC bullets and just could not make it work. I decided that it was not worth it to me to bother trying to make special ammo for one type of gun. It kinda detracts from shooting it because component prices go up as the weight of the bullet increases.

Others report that this problem does not occur with Glock 21 models. I can’t speak to the regular Glock 30 in Gen 3 or Gen 4.

 

[DT Guy]

The point of using this barrel is to safely fire this cast lead swc ammo, which is cheap and accurate. These are loaded to be at least as hot as factory fmj. As I understand it, shooting cast bullet reloads from the stock Glock barrel instantly causes the gun to explode. I'm skeptical but that's the company line on their polygonal rifling, hence the LW barrel.

In any case, it's hard to see how the ammo or barrel would cause this particular malfunction, in which either the extractor jumps over the rim or never fully engages it, or both. I guess it also could be that in the geometry of this particular gun, swc bullets still in the magazine 'strip' the empty before it gets to the ejector. I'll have to test that theory. If so, there may be no fix.

And yet, changing the barrel and ammo did; there's no other variable. And while Glock might shudder at the idea, I'd try to run a couple mags of the reloads through the stock barrel, and isolate the variable further.

Larry

 

[71velle]

Try one thing at a time and find the problem. Its the fastest way.

On different note are lead bullets any cheeper to load? When I started to load I found lead was the same price as plated.

 

[gbw]

This will take some work to find the cause, no problem. Whether it's correctable is another story, I was hoping someone else had already solved it.

It is a shame Glock didn't consider we hobby shooters when they designed these guns, but I suppose they've their own priorities. I've always liked the 185-200gr SWC bullets for .45s the best, fired well over 100,000 of them over the years.

Yes, shooting cast lead reloads is cheaper - much cheaper, if you shoot much, and cast your own bullets (the guys over at Cast Bullets call them 'Boolits'). After the first few thousand bullets, which amortize the cost of the casting equipment, molds, &etc., the bullet cost depends only on the cost of scrap alloy lead, and your time. Once you know what you're doing it's pretty quick to get a few thousand very high quality bullets ready to load. But you must also have an inexpensive reliable source of lead.

.45 ACP, for example, extremely accurate and reliable, can be loaded for between $.06 and $..09 per cartridge, depending primer / powder costs, and available lead. The brass lasts so long it's nearly free if you take care of it. Years ago lead was used far more than it is today and scrap was easy and cheap to find. Not so anymore, but I still have a good bit.

 

[ChanceMcCall]

I have a Glock 30SF. The 30S is built on an “SF” frame. As I understand it from the web, the slide to frame geometry is a little different in the SF models than the regular 30 in order to accommodate the shortening of the frame. In any event, my gun will not function with lead SWC rounds. The rear of the fired case hits the flat part of the bullet of the top cartridge in the magazine and leaves a half moon mark and hangs up. Apparently, at least the 30SF versions need a curvier bullet for the spent case to ride over and eject properly. I have never experienced a malfunction with a round nose or hollow point round in the gun.

I tried numerous variations of seating depth and crimp with SWC bullets and just could not make it work. I decided that it was not worth it to me to bother trying to make special ammo for one type of gun. It kinda detracts from shooting it because component prices go up as the weight of the bullet increases.

Others report that this problem does not occur with Glock 21 models. I can’t speak to the regular Glock 30 in Gen 3 or Gen 4.

Interesting point. My Glock 30 is a very early one (first year production) so there well could be a difference.