Reloading .40s&w and "Glock bulge"

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SuedePflow

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I recently dove into the world of handloading. I just bought my first press and 3 books and I've been reading daily. I recently read about the phenomenon called "Glock bulge" and being that I shoot alot of .40 and only through Glocks, I figured it was worth asking some questions about.

I just dug through a bag of fired brass and many are bulged. Some worse than others. The S&B and PMC cases seem to be worse off than the Federal and Winchester cases. The bottom of the bodies are measuring in the .430-.432 range. These are multiple brands of brass fired from 3 different Glocks. After resizing these, they measure in at .422-.423.

* I currently have a RCBS carbide 3-die set. Will it be sufficient for resizing lots of these bulged cases, or should I buy something specific to fight against the bulge? The book specifically recommended a Redding push-thru sizing die, but didn't really say why.

* I read that most people don't need to use case lube for sizing straight wall cases with a carbide sizing die. But given the circumstances with the bulge, would it be worth lubing these cases?

* Do some barrels allow for more case bulge than others? Glock, Lone Wolf, Bar Sto, etc... Or are they all about the same in regards to strength/support?
 
There are a gazillion threads on Glock bulge in the 40 SW. I believe the newer Glocks do not bulge as much as the earlier ones.

On the question of barrels, the aftermarket barrels like Lone Wolf are fully supported so there is not bulge issue. Plus they have regular rifling so you can shoot lead bullets (yes I know folks shoot lead in Glock barrels)

The bulge in 40 SW is more pronounced if you load max or high end loads, If you keep them low to middle there is less, You can resize them and they will work, the problem is after repeated reloading, the brass gets weak in the lower area and can cause problems.

They sell special dies that remove the bulge, but it still gets weaker iver constant reloading.

If you do not want to worry or have issues get an after market barrel,
 
If you shoot nothing but Glocks,you don't need any special dies. Your carbide dies will resize the case just fine. I've resized quite a few cases that were either mine (G23 Gen 4) or once fired,and I've yet to find any that won't gauge properly.:)

Greg
 
Thanks guys. I noticed that the rounds that I fire from my LW barrel aren't bulged like the rounds my father fires from his factory barrel. I wasn't sure if that was due to the barrels or the difference in brand of brass. Good to know about the LW barrel.

I won't be loading anything crazy. Just general, lower-end plinking stuff for now.
 
I use the Lee Bulge Buster kit and run all the 40 S&W brass through the sizing die. Works really well and costs a lot less than the Redding version.
 
billybob44 & flashhole - What do those dies do that any standard carbide sizing die won't do? I'm just trying to figure out why anyone needs or would want a specialized sizing die instead of using the sizing die that comes in any regular die set.
 
They push the case clear through the die and out the other end.

That sizes the part of the case head a standard sizing die can't reach.

However, I have reloaded for a Glock 23 for 18 years using standard RCBS carbide dies.

There is no need for a push-through case sizer unless you have an after-market barrel with a really tight chamber, and shoot reloads that came out of a very loose Glock chamber.

rc
 
I've been shooting 40 out of 2 Gen3 G22's for years and more recently a Gen4 G23. I've never had a problem with case bulge.
 
I resized 500 pieces of brass last night. Lubed and through my RCBS carbide die. Of those 500, 14 pieces of heavily bulged S&B brass didn't fair well enough to be used again. I guess this is where the push-thru die would have been handy. But as long as I can get that percentage of glock-fired brass to size up again in the die that I have, I'm happy.

20131022_001418_zps05aae6df.jpg

20131022_001418cropped_zpsd3bf7b6b.jpg
 
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I would just toss any that were bulged and not attempt to use them. I load 40 s&w for an older G2 Glock and I keep the loading at mid-range or lower. Even with my loose chamber my brass does not bulge unless I fire factory.
 
Most of my Glock brass isn't bulged at all. And most of the stuff that is really isn't too bad. I can tell how bad it is just by how much resistance there is when resizing. Most of it sizes with minimal force. The ones that resist heavily, end up looking like the ones in the image above. So, it seems safe to just judge by feel and toss the ones the resist heavily.

The S&B brass is the worst. Coincidentily, those were all fired from my father's Glock. I'll probably do a test soon to see if they bulge primarily because of his barrel or because they are inferior brass.
 
Most of my Glock brass isn't bulged at all. And most of the stuff that is really isn't too bad. I can tell how bad it is just by how much resistance there is when resizing. Most of it sizes with minimal force. The ones that resist heavily, end up looking like the ones in the image above. So, it seems safe to just judge by feel and toss the ones the resist heavily.
Click to expand...

I thought all Glocks bulged the case. What are you shooting that doesn't bulge the case?
I have a G23 Gen 4,and even with a very minimal load ( 180 gr. Berry FP,4.4 gr. of 231,and a OAL of 1.125) I will get a bulge.

Just curious.:)

Greg
 

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Last week I was loading 10mm, the .40s Daddy, and was having issues with the dreaded Glock Bulge. The brass was once fired I bought at a gunshow so most likely was shot in a G20.

Folks here recommended the Redding die and the Lee equivalent. But what worked for me was making sure my resizing die was all the way down on my Dillon.

Also was told that using Hornady One Shot would help. That made a huge difference in the ease of reloading. I plan on using it in all future reloading endeavors.
 
glc24 said:
I will get a bulge.
Click to expand...
That's not a bulge that a normal resizing die will not return to normal.

Unless you get a bulge so big next to the case head the resizing die can't touch it?

You don't have a Glock bulge.

Your cases are perfectly fine.

And will be resized to factory case dimensions when you resize them in a standard resizing die.

rc
 
rc,would I expect a more pronounced "bulge" if I loaded towards the maximum PF? Or is the Gen 4 really that much better when it comes to "Glocked" cases?


Greg
 
I use this one:
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/35...e-sizing-die-kit-40-s-and-w-357-sig-10mm-auto

A little less money. I run all of my 40's thru it. I even have a Lone Wolf barrel and it shows a slight bulge.

Sometimes the brass sails thru the die, sometimes it takes a little effort, sometimes it takes a lot of effort.

I run them all for peace of mind.

The standard resizing die will not reach the bottom of the case. Shoving the brass all the way thru a resizer does a better job.

I do not use case lube on my 40's. There would be no harm done if you did.

Yes, there is a difference in barrels. Glock chambers are notoriously loose. Lone Wolf barrels are notoriously tight. I used Emory paper to loosen my Lone Wolf Barrel a bit, just a smidge. Worked like a charm.

If what you are doing is working for you, keep it up .... you're doing fine.
 
glc24 said:
I thought all Glocks bulged the case. What are you shooting that doesn't bulge the case?
Click to expand...
Most of my brass came from my guns. And almost all of my .40 shooting is with my G24 with a LW barrel, shooting factory ammo. Like I said, most of my brass is just slightly expanded and my RCBS die cleans it up with ease. And yes, One Shot does make it easier yet.
 
glc24 said:
I thought all Glocks bulged the case. What are you shooting that doesn't bulge the case?


Just curious.:)

Greg
Click to expand...

No, 9mm does not bulge the cases. It's factory barrel is better supported.

Browning HP in 40 SW also can bulge brass.

The bulge in Glocks is also one of the reason they are so reliable . The chamber is not as tight (spec wise) so they feed anything, function when dirty etc.

I recently posted a thread on the SW 9MM Shield which severely bulges +P 9 mm brass. I removed the pictures. Starline brass even warns against using their brass in the Shield due to poorly supported chambers.
 
The term Glock Bulge does not refer to normal case expansion due to having been fired. It refers to excessive case expansion where the lower part of the case wall starts flowing down the feed ramp. Those cases should not be reused. Glock fired cases that do not have the Glock Bulge are fine to reload, although many sizer dies will scrape brass off the wall and deposit it at the bottom of the case near the extractor groove. That is the main reason bulge busters were invented- the brass is too big for the sizer die and needs to be sized incrementally in two steps.
 
Note that the Redding or Lee bulged case setups can be used on loaded ammo or on cases that were already sized and exhibit a rim at the web. Already primed works too.
 
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