Is hard lead cast bullets bad for glocks?

[ddgarcia05]

New to reloading and was thinking of loading up a few rounds with lead bullets I got from pay it forward. But before I do I wanted to ask id lead bullets are frowned upon in glocks and other short barrel pistols?

I also waned to keep per round cost down and was thinking of buying lead cast instead of copper plated.

 

[Steve2md]

There are differing opinions on Lead in Glocks. Most would recommend running a lone wolf barrel in your Glock if you plan to run lead. The rifling of a factory Glock barrel is a magnet for lead fouling. It has nothing to do with the length of the barrel

 

[rcmodel]

Poly rifling is NOT a magnet for leading.
They don't get no slicker then a Glock barrel.

The key is hard bullets, (Linotype) good bullet lube (Alox),
and clean the dang chamber with a bore brush once & a while!

Yes I know. You never need to clean a Glock.
But you HAVE TO clean the chamber.

I have been shooting lead (Linotype) bullets in a stock Model 23 Glock for 19 years with no leading, and no Glock KaBooms!

Not even one!

IMO: The early Glock problems were caused by the design allowing them to fire well out of battery.
Lead, carbon, and bullet lube in the chamber headspace shoulder held the slide open further & further until a case finally let go.

Very hard lead (Linotype) bullets are no different then jacketed bullets as far as polygon rifling is concerned.

In my experience, Glock barrels are too slick to collect leading.
Even with softer bullets.
But the chamber headspace shoulder isn't.

rc

 

[sexybeast]

What RC said. Mine have well over 50k through mine. About 60-40 9mm to .40.
You have to load the round for lead and use the load data applicable. Don't use FMJ data!
Didn't see RC mention it and usually it goes without saying but the bullets have to be lubed for use in any barrel, including a glock barrel. If you cast then you also have to lube.
When you buy some bullets and powder start another thread and many of us will be glad to help you with some "safe" load data.
Shooting lead through any handgun is more challenging than with either FMJ or plated but there is something really kinda neat about it. A nice, soft, and accurate load can be something you really enjoy shooting.

 

[Steve2md]

Quote from RC "Poly rifling is NOT a magnet for leading.
They don't get no slicker then a Glock barrel."

Agreed, It was late and I neglected to state that "most" people suggest that... I'm all for it, as long as you inspect your barrel and chamber regularly to ensure everything is going well.

 

[GLOOB]

The key is hard bullets, (Linotype) good bullet lube (Alox),
and clean the dang chamber with a bore brush once & a while!

You might not NEED to use lino. Harder bullets left less fouling in my G19 until I figured out that the real issue was the bullets getting swaged by the cases. Putting calipers on a pulled bullets revealed that the bases of my bullets were getting squished as small as .353"! The harder bullets got swaged less, but they were still leaving some fouling and not flying true at long distances. I fixed the problem by using a different expander. Now, my softer wheel weight alloy has gone from "scraping lead out with a brass rod" and tumbling at 30 yards to leaving NO fouling and shooting straight as far as I can see. NO fouling means exactly what it says. I don't remember the last time I cleaned my Glock bores. They go thousands of rounds (maybe even indefinitely??) without any sort of cleaning. If I want to see a spotless bore for kicks, all I need to do is push some patches with solvent to remove the powder residue. I haven't achieved that kind of result with any of my button-cut pistol bores.

Make sure your bullets are big enough (as dropped, AND after pulling some assembled cartridges), and you should be pleased with the results. Just be sure check the bore very frequently until you are sure you have a good working load. When a Glock fouls, it can get "plugged" up very quickly. With cast lead in a Glock, when it rains, it pours. But when you get it right, it's unmatched.