Any advice on reloading .40 S&W for a Glock? I've always shyed away from it because of reading about soo many kabooms online. I also saw one in person at the first GSSF match I attended. This guy was using factory remanufactured ammo and it blew apart in his hand. It was quite scary and not something I want to risk. Since I only shoot 2-3 boxes of ammo through this a year, I've just been shooting factory ammo. (The only centerfire caliber I shoot and don't reload.) However, recently I've been shooting the gun a lot more and the cost of .40S&W ammo is just getting to me. Is there a way to safely reload this caliber for a Glock, or is it something to stay away from? Any tips?
Reloading .40 S&W. Good Idea or Bad?
- Thread starter slowr1der
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RPRNY
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It's as easy to reload as any straight walled pistol cartridge and any loads in a published reloading manual will be safe in a functioning firearm correctly chambered for 40 S&W. I'm not sure why you have this perception.
It just seems like there are tons and tons of complaints. The Glocks obviously leave a pretty bad bulge in the case from the chamber that's not fully supported. I know that you can get a Lee Bulge Buster to resize this bulge, but I've read that the brass is weekend in that spot which makes sense. It seems like the high pressure of this round often causes blowouts on reloaded brass from the chamber that doesn't fully support the brass. This may not be a real issue if loaded with loads in a manual, I'm not sure, but seeing soo many reports and pictures online, combined with seeing one in person from factory reman ammo definitely has made me think twice about doing so. Are these guys that have this issue usually pushing max loads, or is this an issue that plagues this caliber with any load? Is it better to use an aftermarket barrel with a tighter chamber if shooting reloads?
I agree with RPRNY, 40 S&W is just as easy to reload as any other straight walled handgun cartridge. Just follow the load data in reputable reloading information sources.
I reload for a Beretta 96, S&W M&P40 and a 40 S&W M1911 and all function well with my reloads.
If you feel Glocks won't digest 40 S&W reloads without self destructing, maybe it is a good reason to move on to some other handgun. But, with proper hand loads, the Glocks should do fine with reloads.
I reload for a Beretta 96, S&W M&P40 and a 40 S&W M1911 and all function well with my reloads.
If you feel Glocks won't digest 40 S&W reloads without self destructing, maybe it is a good reason to move on to some other handgun. But, with proper hand loads, the Glocks should do fine with reloads.
ArchAngelCD
Member.
I'm fairly sure there are replacement barrels available that fully support the case.
An added bonus, you can safely shot lead bullets too.
An added bonus, you can safely shot lead bullets too.
armoredman
Member
I have loaded powder coated cast bullet loads in 40SW that have been shot out of a Glock. No issues.
ArchAngelCD
Member.
I have shot many coated 9mm bullets in a Glock too. No issues either and good accuracy.
CZ9shooter
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I'd guess most of the problems you hear about are due to people attempting to "hotrod" their load, or just plain incompetence resulting in overcharged or overcompressed rounds.
Play it safe and reload responsibly, just like you would any other cartridge and you should be fine.
If it were me I might toss in an aftermarket barrel too just for good measure.
Play it safe and reload responsibly, just like you would any other cartridge and you should be fine.
If it were me I might toss in an aftermarket barrel too just for good measure.
Hokie_PhD
Member
Odd
I do many searches and stumble across all sorts of stuff. I've very noticed any higher mention of kaboom in 40 S&W than others. That said, I haven't been looking though.
Also in all of the cases that I've come across mention of ANY kaboom it was due to someone screwing up in some way.
OP mention "factory reloads". I don't know about others but I just don't see the value in such ammo. But then again, I'm frugal (not cheap), and I also don't see the value in steel ammo. But that's leaning toward another thread.
Anyway, Like all things OP needs to decide if the risk is worth the reward. Personally, my feeling is if OP is following safe practices then the risk is low. It will never be zero as all kinds of things can go wrong, but it's OPs job to be safe and to limit the risk. If he can't or doesn't feel safe then he can choose to use factory ammo and accept the risks with that, or he can choose not to shoot 40.
I was watching a reloading video yesterday and the Youtuber seemed to be obsessed about velocity while claiming to be interested in accuracy. He didn't zero his calipers, and blew off the seating being a different length, then wile "testing" the ammo started adjusting his scope 3/4 of the way into his test,
I mention these as this isn't the first video I've seen by this person where they seemed to have sloppy practices. The person has a decent following, so if OP is one of his followers then maybe they should step back and relearn how to be safe. And not to obsess about velocity and instead focus on making good safe accurate ammo. If OP follows good practices then I didn't see an issue. But again, only they can decide.
I do many searches and stumble across all sorts of stuff. I've very noticed any higher mention of kaboom in 40 S&W than others. That said, I haven't been looking though.
Also in all of the cases that I've come across mention of ANY kaboom it was due to someone screwing up in some way.
OP mention "factory reloads". I don't know about others but I just don't see the value in such ammo. But then again, I'm frugal (not cheap), and I also don't see the value in steel ammo. But that's leaning toward another thread.
Anyway, Like all things OP needs to decide if the risk is worth the reward. Personally, my feeling is if OP is following safe practices then the risk is low. It will never be zero as all kinds of things can go wrong, but it's OPs job to be safe and to limit the risk. If he can't or doesn't feel safe then he can choose to use factory ammo and accept the risks with that, or he can choose not to shoot 40.
I was watching a reloading video yesterday and the Youtuber seemed to be obsessed about velocity while claiming to be interested in accuracy. He didn't zero his calipers, and blew off the seating being a different length, then wile "testing" the ammo started adjusting his scope 3/4 of the way into his test,
I mention these as this isn't the first video I've seen by this person where they seemed to have sloppy practices. The person has a decent following, so if OP is one of his followers then maybe they should step back and relearn how to be safe. And not to obsess about velocity and instead focus on making good safe accurate ammo. If OP follows good practices then I didn't see an issue. But again, only they can decide.
Blue68f100
Member
I think most of this hype goes back to the earlier Gen 1 & 2 Glocks. Glock has since tighten up the chamber in the newer models, grips are still bad. Also there was a lot of K-Booms when TG came out. It was due to a narrow load range and the hand loader got careless resulting in a double charge or had bullet set back causing the higher pressure. If good hand loading techniques are follower it's not any different than any other High Pressure round. HP rounds are more subjected to pressure spikes during a bullet set back than a low pressure round.
If your concern you can have an after market barrel installed that has a fully supported chamber. This would aide in processing the brass too beside you would probably get better accuracy.
If your concern you can have an after market barrel installed that has a fully supported chamber. This would aide in processing the brass too beside you would probably get better accuracy.
badkarmamib
Member
I was going to say the same thing. One of the two main reasons I started reloading was so that I could afford to shoot .40 (my favorite pistol caliber) for cheaper. One thing that helps me stay safe is remembering that plinking loads do not need to be "hot". This means that you will enjoy less recoil, less money in powder, less wear on the gun, and less chance of overcharge. Stay safe, follow published data, and have fun!
papaairbear
Member
I routinely reload .40 for my Glocks and haven't had any problems. With their wider chambers, the brass will be a tiny bit expanded ahead of the base. I measured it one time but don't have the figures with me now, IIRC the factory rounds measured .420 and a case fired through my 23 measured .422 or .423 at the same area, The "guppy belly" was corrected years ago. To resize these, I have the die screwed down to about a sheet of paper's width above the jaws on my coax and resize as I normally would, and they work fine (plunk test passes, and the rounds spin freely in the chamber). I visually inspect each case before resizing and if it appears to show anything out of the ordinary -like a lighter line around it's circumference ahead of the base, or a bulge rather than normal expansion- it's trashed. I load below max (around mid-range) and long since Glock's have a long free-bore. For my observation, rounds fired through a Lone Wolf barrel don't exhibit the expansion at the base as they do in the Glock barrel. But That isn't a big deal to me.
I have been loading 40 S&W for my G23 and a G35 and a P229 , I only have my G23's now I have loaded ten's of thousands of rounds and have never had an issue, many of these stories you read about are from early model Glocks and reloading mistakes, you did not say what glock or gen you have but the big thing is the 40 reloads the same as any other. Just pick a medium burn rate powder and do not load hot, follow the reloading data and dont pick a fast powder that is easy to double charge, many of the kabooms are from folks loading with a progressive press and a fast powder accidentally double charging and not noticing, and I have not noticed a bulge with a Gen 4 or Gen 3 , I believe Glock has correct the support issue but I stay away from max and over max loads never an issue and I get many reloads from the same brass normally loose the brass before the start to fail , the batch I am on now has 5 reloads on the and no cracks or bulges , I use HS-6 low to mid charge 
Kingcreek
Member
I've reloaded atleast a couple thousand for my gen 2 Glock with no problems. Despite all those negative reports my chamber is pretty well supported with factory barrel. I even shot 1500 cast lead reloads through mine (gasp!) with no issues. I watch for leading and clean as needed.
FROGO207
Member
I have a couple 40 CAL pistols but neither is a Glock. I have no problems with my reloads. Just make sure you are not double charging any rounds and make some dummy rounds to test the bullet for setback with your die/bullet combo in each brand of brass before you start to reload this caliber. I use Lee dies and have no setback issues, even with REM brass. YMMV
Matt Dillon
Member
if you have any concerns about Glock-fired brass, please purchase a Wilson case gauge and use it to check each reloaded round. Takes no time, and it will set your mind at ease.
I have one for every caliber I reload for well worth the money and they are fairly cheap
rabid wombat
Member
I have shot, and load for the 40. I try to standardize on one load that replicates a factory load. I got a deal on some brass, so if I lose some - no problem, cheaper than shooting factory. I use the plunk test, and have some EGW gages - try them, you will like them. One note, a round may pass the plunk test, but fail the EGW gages...
http://www.egwguns.com/6-and-7-hole-checkers/
They also have other gages - 50 count...and they are great people!
http://www.egwguns.com/6-and-7-hole-checkers/
They also have other gages - 50 count...and they are great people!
Failure of the case near the case head due to an unsupported chamber (i.e. a "kaboom") is a documented phenomenon with guns (not just Glocks) that have chambers that do not fully support the case. It is not limited to irresponsible reloaders or reloaded ammunition, but reloaded ammunition does have the potential for some susceptibilities that reloaders should be alert to.
When a round is fired in a gun where the chamber does not fully support the case, the pressure will tend to push the brass into the open area. If the unsupported area is large enough, it will create a fairly sizable bulge on the side of the case. If the bulged brass is resized in a normal resizing die, the die will not reset all of the bulge, thus leaving a weak spot. The way the resized area blends into the un-resized area is referred to as a "smile" because of its characteristic shape.
If the case with the smile is reloaded and then is loaded into a gun where the weakened area ends up unsupported a second time, there is the potential for the pressure of the second firing to rupture the weakened and unsupported area.
If this is something that concerns you, then check with Glock and see if your pistol is one that even has an unsupported chamber (not all do). If it does, then you could get a Lee Bulge Buster die to reset the bulge. You could also not reload your "Glocked" brass and simply order 40 caliber brass from an on-line seller (I see it online for 4 or 5 cents a case - plus shipping - so it would not tilt the economic against reloading) and discard any bulged brass. Once you are aware of the phenomenon and what is likely to cause it, it is not difficult to work around.
No problems loading for my Glock 23 or Beretta Carbine rifle. Neither swell or bulge brass. My fired brass is fine to reload. However, I have bought 1000 round lots of brass fired in who knows how many firearms. Some of those firearms must have large chambers and the brass from them is slightly swelled all the way around and not just unsupported chamber marks. If you should purchase once fired 40 brass then I highly recommend the Redding Carbide GR-X push through sizing die to size the entire case. Well worth the money if you purchase fired brass or your regular sizing die don't size far enough down the case. I guess there were 50-75 cases slightly swelled and 3-4 out of a thousand with bad "guppy belly" where it either fired out of battery or the possibility of an unsupported chamber. I believe they fired without fully chambering. Need to visually inspect all 40 brass all the way around especially bought once fired. Any cases that have the "guppy belly" should always be scrapped. Like mentioned, my Glock 23 and Beretta Carbine are easy on brass and if you buy once fired brass get the Redding Carbide GR-X push through die. As with other calibers like 9MM or 45 ACP make sure you have good firm bullet tension in the case and the bullets can't be pushed deeper with your thumb or pushed against the bench. Very important!
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