Is reloading safe for .45 acp Glock?

[bootless]

I would like to reload .45 acp for a Glock. I only plan on using jacketed bullets. I've heard many arguments for doing this and also not doing this. Glock doesn't recommend reloads. If I stick to light loads and newer brass, is this safe? What do you guys think? Also, can Glock tell if the difference between someone using factory loads or reloads if the gun does have a problem?

 

[rcmodel]

No manufacture recommends using reloads.
It's just legal CYA jargon for them.

Reloading for a Glock is no different then reloading for a Colt or a S&W.

Use jacketed or plated bullets and there is no reason not to reload for a Glock.
Some of us have even been using lead bullet reloads in them for many years!

No, they can't tell what you are using unless you blow up the gun and send them the empty case and a magazine full of reloads to look at.

rc

 

[deadhawg]

rcmodel is exactly right. Reloading for glocks in no different for reloading any other pistol. I have reloaded and fired thousands of rounds through my G30, and the only problem I have had was with some minimum power loads that I put together so my recoil sensitive wife could try the G30. At starting powder levels the pistol would occasionally fail to eject. Bumping the powder weight up a few tenths of a grain cured the problem.

 

[D. Manley]

No manufacture recommends using reloads.
It's just legal CYA jargon for them.

Reloading for a Glock is no different then reloading for a Colt or a S&W.

Use jacketed or plated bullets and there is no reason not to reload for a Glock.
Some of us have even been using lead bullet reloads in them for many years!

No, they can't tell what you are using unless you blow up the gun and send them the empty case and a magazine full of reloads to look at.

What? Now you've gone & done it...bringing logic and reason here will surely have no good end.

 

[longdayjake]

Plated bullets are okay in moderation. I sell plated bullets for a living and though I believe that my products are great, I also believe that if they are to be shot from a glock they should be done in moderation. I have not personally experienced this issue, but the manufacturers of plated bullets say that the barrels in the glock force the bullets to expand a lot more than if they were just going through a normal barrel. This causes a lot more heat. Eventually, if the gun and barrel get too hot the plating can melt inside the barrel and ruin accuracy. I have been told that this only happens in rapid fire scenarios so take this with a grain of salt.

 

[freakshow10mm]

Been shooting tons of plated bullets in a Glock for years and never saw any issue with it. I shoot test rounds through a converted G19 and see no issues that would caution me.

 

[D. Manley]

Plated bullets are okay in moderation. I sell plated bullets for a living and though I believe that my products are great, I also believe that if they are to be shot from a glock they should be done in moderation. I have not personally experienced this issue, but the manufacturers of plated bullets say that the barrels in the glock force the bullets to expand a lot more than if they were just going through a normal barrel. This causes a lot more heat. Eventually, if the gun and barrel get too hot the plating can melt inside the barrel and ruin accuracy. I have been told that this only happens in rapid fire scenarios so take this with a grain of salt.

No offense but I think I'd take this one with more than just a grain. First, Glock is not the only handgun with polygonal rifling. Second, untold millions of plated bullets are ran down Glock (and similar) barrels every year in every competition imaginable, rapid fire and otherwise without issue. Lastly, like other bullet construction types, all are not created equal. There is one manufacturer whom I will not mention that markets a plated product that has a terrible reputation in competition circles. Seldom do you hear anything negative about Rainier, Berrys or the South African Frontier bullets. On a personal note, I shoot Rainier simply because, they shoot very well and are easily accessible and, I run them through 9MM, .40 and .45 Glocks. On some days using a hot-burning powder I've heated the barrel enough you wouldn't touch it without any impact on fouling, function or accuracy.

 

[bootless]

thanks for all the info. I guess I'll start reloading .45 if whenever I stumble upon some primers

 

[ranger335v]

I have little personal experience with Glocks but I THINK the "problem" with hot hand loads were in some early .40 cals that were cambered with a significant chamber cutout at the feed ramp, leaving a bit of the case unsupported at the head. Attempts to hot-rod those resulted in blow-outs.

So far as I know, that does not apply to any of their .45 ACPs, nor to any of their others in current production.

I do know that at least one Glock .45 handles full power cast bullet handoads quite nicely. As with any such, the bullets need to be hard alloy, sized for the bore and lubed with a high quality lube; I sized to .452" and used the old NRA Alox formula. Accuracy was fine, no leading.

 

[PO2Hammer]

My G-30 does not function well with jacketed semi wadcutters, other than that, everything works great.

I shoot a lot of plated bullets in my Glocks and my 1911, no signs of trouble.

No bulges on my brass from factory loads or handloads.

Load and shoot!

 

[rcmodel]

Eventually, if the gun and barrel get too hot the plating can melt inside the barrel and ruin accuracy.

Yikes!

Copper melts at 1983 degrees F.

The steel used in barrels becomes red hot and begins to loose it's strength at about 1375 degrees F.

Are you sure you aren't thinking of Lead bullets?

The very reason for plated bullets existance is to make a cheap jacketed bullet that will not melt in the bore and cause leading.

rc

 

[ljnowell]

I shoot LRNFP and LWSC through my g21 all the time. I have a lone wolf barrel, but depending on the bullet I shoot through my stock barrel too. My stock barrel is crazy accurate with a 200gr lswc and 4.8gr 700x. Never had a real leading problem out of the stock barrel as long as it was kept below 850fps. Seems a lot of guys with .45acp glocks find the same thing.

 

[NoAlibi]

Glock .40S&W & .45ACP chambers

When I got my Glock 27 somewhere around 2000-2001 there were incidents of cases rupturing in the chamber and setting off one or two in the magazine.

I personally saw pictures of this at the time on a site I believe was called Gun Zone (Hoping that memory is serving here!).

There were some that said it was using lead bullets in reloads that was the problem since this was the present factor in about all the ka-boom incidents. I can see someone coming to that conclusion because most folks use lead bullets in their practice rounds.

Others said that it was the oversized chambers, most notably in the Glock .40S&W & .45ACP chambers that was the culprit. I miked factory case heads (Right in front of the extractor cut on the case mouth side.) before and after firing and I was amazed at the amount of case head expansion that resulted. I don't remember exactly how much, but I do know if you got that much in a belted magnum rifle case you would toss the case in a heartbeat. I don't know what is acceptable, but I think that expansion on the order of hundredths rather than thousandths of an inch would not be acceptable.

I also observed that there was even greater enlargement when using second fired cases.

The oversized chambers were and aid to reliability of function and I don't know if Glock has changed their tolerances, but a recent lack of ka-booms may indicate just that or people are believing the hype about reloads in Glocks.

Count me in the oversize chamber bunch. I have shot well over 2000 rounds of stout lead reloads in my 27 without incident. BUT in deferrence to my oversize chamber I ONLY shoot reloads from once-fired cases.

My personal experience and opinion - FWIW. -- NoALibi

 

[freakshow10mm]

Bought a G30 in 2003. Shot a few hundred thousand rounds of handloads through it with no incident. Everything from new brass to brass that had been fired 15-20 times prior. Still ran fine, never had any excess expansion, etc.

I have serious doubts a ruptured case could set off the primer of the next round in the magazine. If you understand how primers work, that's impossible.

 

[rcmodel]

+1 on over-size chambers.
And unsupported cases at the feed ramp cut.

But I believe the main factor was the designed-in ability of the older Glocks to fire out of battery by as much as 3/64" or more.

My early Model 23 can still fire with the barrel partially unlocked!

So, leading & bullet lube/packed powder in the headspace shoulder of the chamber could gradually build up and hold the slide open progressively more & more, making the unsupported case even further unsupported.

I understand the newer Glocks by design or tolerance change, don't work this way anymore.
At least I hope so!

rc

 

[NoAlibi]

Perhaps a few pictures and facts might help

freakshow10mm

Bought a G30 in 2003. Shot a few hundred thousand rounds of handloads through it with no incident. Everything from new brass to brass that had been fired 15-20 times prior. Still ran fine, never had any excess expansion, etc.

Around 2003 a reloader who bought his components frugally could produce a 200 gr. .45ACP round for about 6 cents. You say you put a few (= more than one - at least) hundred thousand rounds through your G30, so you're talking at least 200,000 rounds

If they were all reloads at 6 cents each, that would have cost you $12, 000.00 and you would have shot approximately 800 rounds a week - Your dedication and commitment to mastering the G30 is impressive to say the least!

freakshow10mm

I have serious doubts a ruptured case could set off the primer of the next round in the magazine. If you understand how primers work, that's impossible.

As a matter of fact I DO know how primers work. The priming compound, usually lead styphnate requires it to be crushed suddenly against the anvil to detonate or be exposed to high heat. So you don't think that a case rupturing can't produce enough shock or heat to detonate the next round in the magazine? Ask any regular at Camp Perry if a slamfire can't ignite the next round in the magazine.

For your edification on Glocks going ka-Boom including pictures of the chambers, frames and magazines see the followiing:

The Gun Zone Glock Forum: http://www.thegunzone.com/glock/gindex.html

Glock kB! FAQ v1.35: http://www.thegunzone.com/glock/glock-kb-faq.html

Even rc's input about Glocks firing out of battery is covered:

Glocks Firing Out of Battery: http://www.thegunzone.com/glock/dimples.html

 

[freakshow10mm]

I load .45 ACP for 4 cents a round using my own cast bullets.

 

[Exposure]

freakshow10mm said-


Bought a G30 in 2003. Shot a few hundred thousand rounds of handloads through it with no incident.

Come on man. Lately your posts have been stretching the truth into the realm of wild fantasy.

I have been seeing you on almost all of the major gun forums for the last few years, you have the same user name on every board. On at least two that I can link to right now you have claimed that you started reloading 3 years ago. So have you honestly loaded multiple hundreds of thousands of rounds, and shot them all, in a single pistol in only 3 years?

The other day you also claimed you were buying primers by the MILLIONS.

I'm not the type to sling mud, but for crying out loud. The OP asked a legitimate question, and your response is ludicrous. Stop spinning these tales, it is sad to watch.

To the OP, sorry to derail your post. I couldn't watch this any longer.

 

[freakshow10mm]

On at least two that I can link to right now you have claimed that you started reloading 3 years ago.

Yeah, it's been about 3-4 now. I think 4.

So have you honestly loaded multiple hundreds of thousands of rounds, and shot them all, in a single pistol in only 3 years?

Mix of mine and my uncle's handloads since I bought it in 2003. I used to shoot a lot more than I do now. I haven't shot at all in the last 4 months save for a couple machine gun demos. Maybe a couple hundred rounds between my P7 and 1911 10mm.

The other day you also claimed you were buying primers by the MILLIONS.

Yes before the rush I'd buy a million primers and be good for several months. Problem?