RELOADING FOR A GLOCK 40 S&W

[1GLOCK]

Im thinking of reloading for my 40 S&W glock model 22. Does anyone here reload for the 40 s&w automatics? If so what problems have you had if any and is there anything out of the ordinary I should look for?

[John Traveler]

My friend with the .40 Glock reloading experience tells me that the early Glocks with polygonal rifling experienced some gun blowups from excessive leading from lead bullets.  He stated that product service brochures have come out advising to be sure to clean barrels thouroughly of leading, and not to let it accumulate.

The same fellow advised that the cartridge is a bit touchy for powder/bullet combinations when pushed to max.  He said that when hot loading, cases seemed to give ittle warning before over-pressure indications.

The newer Glocks come with conventional cut-rifling I'm told, and no longer have the lead buildup problem.

Other than those little details he said it was an easy caliber to load for.

[Black Jaque Janaviac]

YESS there IS!!

I have no personal experience, or even second-hand experience with Glocks.  But I'm in the process of researching reloading for my brother's 9mm Ruger semi-auto.

I ran across a warning in my Lee Modern Reloading manual for the .40 S&W.  "Do not use reloads for Glocks or other guns that do not fully support the case."

The "other guns" part had me worried so I've been doing more research.  So far it looks like my brother's 9mm Ruger is OK to reload for.  

Check out this address, explains a lot:
http://communities.prodigy.net/sportsrec/glock/gz-glock-kb.html

[1GLOCK]

yeah same old kaboom story but any improper load can blow up and why glocks ?? a lot of autos have unsupported cases and pressed to the max with bad brass or other things such as improper seating or crimping is gonna gennerate excess pressures thus causing the mythical kaboom. So far though ive yet to talk to anyone first hand that this has acctually happened to or anyone that even knows someone that this has happened to. Besides, lee makes the cheapest POS equipment in the world so i have a hard time taking their manual too seriosly. Btw 40 s&w is already a hot load and loading to the max is just not nesessary for paper punching, pushing a high pressure load to the max is just insane anyway, your just asking for trouble

[Black Jaque Janaviac]

Yeah, I understand other cartridges have the same unsupported case even in Glocks.  Yet according to that (as well as the Lee Manual) the 9mm is OK to reload for Glocks.

So if an unsupported case is the problem, why don't we see similar problems in other guns and other calibers?

I don't know.  I'm glad my brother has a Ruger in 9mm though.

You're certainly entitled to your opinion of Lee equipment, but the warning just sent me on a researching campaign that lead me to the website I posted.

[The Shrink]

I load for the .40, but in Sig.  If you do a search for 'kaboom" you will find numerous stories of Glock .40's blowing.  It may well be multiple iterations of a single incident, I don't know.  The report said that Glock had to cut away more of the barrel that supports the cartridge to chamber the .40 than other manufacturers.  I have no experience, no personal knowlledge, but I wouldn't take the chance if I had a Glock in .40.

[HBL]

My brother has a .40 glock and was made aware of the same warning regarding unsupported case, when he purchased the pistol.

It is evident when he picks up his spent brass.  

Look at the buldge on one side of the brassin the web area. This is the problem.  :shock:

Just seeing the way the brass bells out a little on one side is enough for me to not mess with reloading for this cartridge.

HBL

[John Traveler]

My friend is a Glock dealer here on the West coast, and he has personally seen, examined, and documented several Glock .40 blowups.  they are not simply repeated tellings of the same incident.  He stated that several of the ka-boom incidents have been from large law enforcement users of the Glock .40 pistols.  Most of the rest are from private owners using handloaded ammunition.

I don't mean to critisize an otherwise outstanding pistol design, but the number of incidents of .40 blowups can not simply be ignored.

[securitysix]

Besides, lee makes the cheapest POS equipment in the world so i have a hard time taking their manual too seriosly.

The Speer #13 manual has the same warning, and only in the .40 S&W section.  It does not specifically mention Glock (to the best of my recollection), but does state to that there are known problems with reloads in guns that don't fully support the cartridge.

That said, yeah, if you have a Glock with polyagonal rifling (or any pistol with polyagonal rifling), it's not advised that you use lead bullets.  Some folks use plated bullets instead, with no ill effects, some just stick with straight jacketed bullets.

Just be careful in your process and you should be OK, even if you use the cheapest POS equipment in the world.  Be safe.

[Mikey]

Guys:  I have read a couple of articles on blow-ups with the 40 S&W and although the Glocks are the usual victims, my readings indicate it is not the pistol but the ammo.  I understand that most of the blow-ups occurred with reloads.

The issue written up is that the 40 S&W is a pretty high intensity cartridge all by itself - that in order to get any velocity out of that shorty fourty it has to be loaded up somewhat.  If you do that with reloads and an unsupported chamber you are likely to get accidents.  Think of it this way:  the 40 is a 9mm opended up to 10mm with attendant bullet weights.  If you want those bullets to clock out there with any authority from that short case they will have to be loaded up.  My understanding is that the 40 is just about at max with factory loadings.

I wonder is any of the Glock 'mishaps' occurred with new factory ammo?  

I may be wrong and will gladly stand corrected, but I hope this helps.  Mikey.

[jamie]

The KABOOM problem was an early production type of thing.  From what I understand, and no I'm not an expert, is that Glock was using the same steel blanks for their 9's and there 40's.  With the 40 being a bit larger and a bit more pressure some failed.  Now they use different blanks and it is no longer a problem.  ALTHOUGH, you should not use lead bullets in a Glock.  I do have first hand knowledge of how long it takes to clean that stuff out of the rifling.  

1GLOCK, I wouldn't say too much about LEE equipment, you do own a GLock.

[Slim Chance]

I have put over 5000 lead bullets through 40 caliber Glocks. Use a soft bullet or try to push it too fast and it will lead badly. Under 1000fps with a good hardcast bullet causes no problems.

[JBMauser]

I have read a bunch of responses.  The fact is that the Glock and some other weapons were designed with generous and not fully supported chambers so that they never jam.  It's a trade off.   A gun that will feed every time or a gun you can reload for.  Take the barrel out of your gun and drop a round into it and look at how much brass is seen.  The brass bulges there and when you resize it you work the brass.  When you work brass it gets brittle.  Then it splits and where it splits is where you see all that exposed brass. Kaboom down the mag!  Even the powder Manufacturers tell you not to feed Glocks reloads.  You can put in an after market barrel with full support if you don't you will have a problem it is just a matter of when.  Brass is Brass and you are playing with differing batches and you are hanging your gun and well being on 34 thousands of an inch of soft metal that gets brittle each time you work it.  Remember that it is not the hot loads that split the case it is the working of the bulge! Some guys buy new brass and toss it after a few loadings and start fresh.  They are just dancing close to the flame.  I hope you understand that the danger is real and make decisions accordingly.  JB