Glock and Handloaded ammo

[Keeperfaith]

I just reloaded some 40 S&W and want to shoot it out of my Glock. However I've "heard" that you should'nt shoot reloaded ammo out of Glocks.

The bullets are Rainier plated bullets (lead inside and plated on the outside with im assuming copper).


Any thoughts?

Thanks

 

[LiveLife]

Any thoughts?

Rainier Ballistics recommends that we use lead load data for their plated bullets. IME, when I drove Rainier plated bullets hard using jacketed load data, accuracy decreased. I now use lead load data.

As for Glock not recommending using reloaded ammunition in their pistols, many other gun manufacturers' also have similar disclaimers. Guess what countless Glock match shooters use for competition week after week all across the country? ... Reloaded ammunition!

For me, I use mid-to-high range W231/HP-38 load data for 40S&W for mixed range brass with unknown reload history. If you are concerned about pressure issues, use slower burn rate powders and stay under max load data charges.

I would suggest W231/HP-38/Unique/Universal or slower burn rate powders for 40S&W.

 

[ljnowell]

Reloads are perfectly fine. Most people will not shoot lead through them. I shoot it through my G21, but thats a personal decision I guess.

 

[ConcernedCitizen]

I think every manufacturer recommends against reloaded ammo. It's more of a liability issue than a safety issue, if proper reloading procedures are followed.

What you might be thinking of is that most people recommend against running lead bullets through glocks, due to the polygonal rifling. There are many here who do run lead, but that's something you'll have to research and decide for yourself. Since you're running plated bullets, this is not an issue.

A few things I would watch carefully for while shooting is any bulges in the 6 o'clock position due to an unsupported chamber, and bullet setback upon chambering which can raise pressure.

I haven't ran any plated reloads through my Glocks yet, but I did have an issue with the Federal ammo from Walmart, which uses a plated bullet. I think they weren't getting a good enough grip in the polygonal rifling, as my groups opened up to ~12" at 15 yards. As long as your accuracy doesn't suffer, you should be just fine running plated bullets at moderate loads.

 

[LiveLife]

FYI, Rainier 180 gr TCFP plated bullet with 3.8-4.2 gr of W231/HP-38 at 1.125" OAL will produce accurate loads. You can work up the powder charge to 4.5 gr to see what the shot groups do in your Glock.

 

[Keeperfaith]

Yeah, that all sounds good guys. Thanks for the repsonses. I am using HP-38 at 5.2 grains with my 155 grain plated flat nosed bullet.

I'll let yall know how it went for me.

Thanks

 

[LiveLife]

BTW, Montana Gold 165 gr RNFP/JHP with 5.0 gr of W231/HP-38 is my match load (I used to shoot 155 gr RNFP but don't have to drive 165 gr bullet as hard and felt recoil is a bit less). Very accurate, not too bad of recoil and fairly clean burning.

If your Rainier shot group accuracy decreases at mid-to-high range W231/HP-38 load data, try Berry's/PowerBond/X-Treme bullets with thicker plating that will stand the higher velocities better and still maintain accuracy.

 

[LiveLife]

If you can for your 155 gr Rainier plated bullet, make 10 rounds of 4.8 and 5.0 gr test loads for your range trip so you can map the accuracy trends for 5.2 gr load.

 

[mxjunky78]

I shoot nothing but reloads through my glock 22. My favorite is 5.0gr of win 231 under a berrys 180gr fp. Very accurate and moderate recoil.

 

[918v]

If you're just learning to reload, a Glock may not be the ideal platform for you. Glocks are unforgiving of bullet setback or rounds that don't chamber freely or leading. If you have a good understanding of how a Glock works and how a round is held together, then you won't have problems.

 

[hentown]

There's nothing unique about Glocks, other than their rifling. Glocks are not any more prone to setback, nor more sensitive to setback than any other pistol. I've fired over 300,000 of my reloads through my Glocks, and only blew up one.

 

[918v]

Glocks have less dwell time in lockup. Glocks can fire out of battery. Glocksdimly have adequate case support and a loose .40 S&W chambers. I didn't say they were prone to bullet setback, but due to a combination of the above factors they are unforgiving of mistakes.

 

[oneounceload]

It isn't just Glock - every gun maker says that for CYA purposes per their attorneys.

My Glocks haven't seen new ammo in years

 

[ljnowell]

Glocks can fire out of battery.

Early glocks would fire out of battery, but i havent seen one that would in a long time. I know my third gen g21 wont.

 

[918v]

Mine will. Pull the slide back an eighth of an inch, to the point where the barrel is about to drop. Then pull the trigger. If the gun fires in that condition, the barrel will unlock immediately and the case will let go.

 

[ljnowell]

Mine will. Pull the slide back an eighth of an inch, to the point where the barrel is about to drop. Then pull the trigger. If the gun fires in that condition, the barrel will unlock immediately and the case will let go

Mine wont. I have tried it when others said it. I know the early ones would, but I sure cant get mine to do it.

 

[Keeperfaith]

Well, I shot my handloads out of a Glock and they shot great!!!

I got my load data for that one...

Steve

 

[hentown]

I don't load .40s, so anybody's opinion about not reloading .40s probably concurs with mine. I don't believe that Glock's "dwell time" or so-called lack of chamber support is an issue for a newbie reloader, any more than for a seasoned reloader. It would be HIGHLY unuusla for a Glock to fire out-of-battery. IF there were a systemic problem with shooting reloads through Glocks, wouldn't logic have it that I'd have discovered that problem in over 300k rounds of my reloads through Glocks?

 

[Kyle M.]

I've always read not to shoot lead out of glocks due to the polygonal rifling, it seems for some reason they tend to lead up and go kaboom. I put over 10,000 rounds of xtreme plated reloads through my g34 and never had a single issue.

 

[rajb123]

I thought most of the concern was with the design of their barrels because they can lead up quickly with cast lead projectiles...

 

[rodregier]

Hard cast solves most of the leading issues in the Glock polygonal barrels. Plated avoids that issue too.

 

[Hamish]

I shoot a lot of reloaded .40 S&W out of my Glock 23 and a Sig Sauer P226 Elite. I've used Berry's and Rainier plated bullets, but now I pretty much stick to Precision Delta FMJ bullets.

After reading a lot about problems with Glocks shooting reloaded ammunition, I opted to put a new barrel in my G23. I picked up a KKM barrel, and have only shot reloaded ammunition through it. It has a much tighter chamber that offers better support for the .40 S&W case, and I have had zero issues using it - in fact my accuracy (well, the pistol's accuracy) has improved. It still feeds and shoots everything quite easily, and I feel better about shooting my reloads in the pistol.

I shoot a lot of reloads in the Sig as well, and I haven't changed a thing on that pistol. I've never had a problem, other than the fact that at first my reloads wouldn't cycle the Sig. I had to load the rounds a bit hotter to get them to cycle properly. Once the Sig broke in with a few hundred rounds, I was able to switch back down to a smaller powder charge, and the Sig functioned fine.

 

[Bovice]

Universal is way too fast for 40 S and Dubya. You should use longshot. Or black powder. Wouldn't want a case head rupture. Loading 40 is like making grenades.

In all seriousness I saw posts just like that when I started loading 40. Universal is the best powder for it. Clean and accurate at higher charges.

 

[joed]

Reload a glock at your own risk. I went out and changed the barrel for a wolfe on mine too. After about 4k i got a kaboom. I will not reload for glocks anymore.

 

[W.E.G.]

.40 on reloads

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TP7CYxvwy4k

What happen????




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TP7CYxvwy4k