New to reloading 10mm: Newbie questions

[sammy]

Hello all,

I am new to the 10mm round and have a few questions. The gun I am using is a Glock 20SF with a KKM barrel. The Glock stock is plenty accurate and the only reason I got the barrel is to save the brass. This weekend I shot 100 factory UMC part# LC L10MMG 180g FMJ flat nose. I am using the brass + another 100 or so pieces that were found at the range. Friday I loaded my first 100 rounds with a 180g. Montana Gold HP. The load was 8.4g. of Longshot (.1 under the minimum load) and they all went off without a hitch. They felt identical to the UMC rounds I fired . Well my order of Starline should be here later in the week but I decided to start creeping up the load. I loaded 100 with 8.6 of Longshot and 50 with 8.7. The load data from Hodgdon states a stargt load of 8.5 and a max of 9.5. Some of the brass that was found has been loaded more than once and I am wondering if they are safe to shoot. Even though I am only about half way to max the 10mm is a very high pressure round and I am worried that the range brass I found is not up to the task.

I guess what I am asking is should I shoot it or pull them? Thanks, Sammy

My second question is how many times can I safely reload hot 10mm loads?



This was shot free hand at 15 yards (8.4g. of Longshot load)

 

[jfh]

I've loaded for the 10mm a lot in years past--but I've not used Longshot, so I'll make some general observations.

1. My more accurate rounds from 1911-type 10mms are typically at the lower end of a powder range, like you are finding. However, the S&W 10mm I had shot best at the max end of loads. The very early Glock 20 I had, I don't know--it blew up at about round 284, probably from the lead bullet / polygonal rifling problems back then.

2. Loaded at the mild end, my brass will typically last up to ten reloads; at the high end, it doesn't last five. For me, the failures showed up as brass splitting. You need to get familiar with the wear characteristics of brass. I don't have a link handy--but I suggest you use Google to search this forum on a subject like "split brass" or "10mm brass" and see what comes up.

3. Any of the major reloading manuals have chapters dealing with brass--including this aspect of it. If you haven't yet gotten a primary manual, I suggest the Speer 14.

I don't think you need to have any specific fears about the found brass--but I will suggest that the 10mm is rare enough now to think that perhaps the cases you found were once-fired.

I don't follow 'Glock topics' anymore--are there support issues for the 10mm barrels--i.e., is there the (in)famous Glock bulge for 10mm? You should research that as well.

BTW, your target looks fine; it's a lot better accuracy than my Glocks were capable of doing back when I shot them.

Jim H.

 

[loadedround]

I also have been loading the 10mm round for many years since I bought the first Colt Delta Elite available in this area. Back then it was a struggle to get dies, bullets, cases and especially loading information. Over the years, I have found the best powder to use was Alliant's Blue Dot topped with a very hard cast lead 175 gr bullet sized to .401" and pushed to near max. This load has never leaded up my barrel, or shown any signs of pressure. I'm sorry but I will not give you my load information since our pistols are entirely different, but I would suggest your buying a loading manual(s) and working up your own loads. I have loaded my cases 3 or 4 times w/o experiencing any problems. After that I chuck them since I have over 2500 once fired cases in my inventory





elite

 

[223man]

A good online source of loading data:

http://data.hodgdon.com/main_menu.asp

From that link, you'll have to go through a few more pages to get to the meat of it.

 

[liljohn]

You won't have any trouble with range brass. So long as they are not starting to split (usually, you'll see a crack start at the case mouth), the primer pockets are tight (you feel resistance when you are pressing the primers in), and the rims are in decent shape, you will be fine.

As handgun brass gets used over again, one of two things will usually happen: It will split along the side from the case mouth work hardening, or the primer pocket will loosen up and won't hold a primer any longer. In either case, discard the brass.

But you can reload many times before this happens. For something like a 38 special, you could get 20 loadings out of it before the neck splits. For a heavily loaded 454 in a Freedom Arms revolver, you might get 5 before the primer pockets are loose.

 

[JonB]

I load for a G20C. I use the stock barrel and have yet to see any sign of case bulges. I double check each case before loading and toss any that look suspect.

I have been using AA#7 with 165gr Speer Gold Dots which has proven to be a fairly accurate load. I also use 180gr plated Rainier hollow points which have worked well with the AA#7 as well.

I load somewhere in the middle - not light, but not pushing max loads either. I haven't reused the brass too many times so far as I have so much of it.

10mm is a great round that can be loaded fairly light for target work or load it up hot for hunting.

 

[Casefull]

I have a wolf barrel for my 20 when I am reloading hot loads and it helps a lot with the case bulging as I am sure your kkm does also. The same loads with the glock barrel bulge a noticeable amount. I love the 800x powder in the 10mm as you get a lot of velocity with out the pressure signs.