Hot Handloading

[soberguy63]

I have a Glock 17L that's slowly becoming a race gun. Among other things, I've added a threaded barrel and compensator. It has the lightest spring available but I'm still having ejection and feed problems. I tried a heavier grain bullet and solved the ejection problem, but the slide didn't come all the back so my feed problems persisted. I tried +p ammo and the gun fed pretty well until I shot too fast. I'm guessing +p+ would solve that problem. But the cost and availability of 9mm +p+ is a problem. I am starting to handload this week, mainly for the savings. I've searched for +p+ recipes and everyone seems against them. I was wondering if there is a powder or a powder/bullet weight combination that would kick the slide back far enough without having to load to excessively high pressures?

[idek]

I can't answer that question, but there is a forum here specifically for handloading/reloading. You might ask this same question there.

[Brian Pfleuger]

You won't find +p+ recipes because there is no such animal.

There is no designation for +p+. It literally means "beyond SAAMI limits".

I'm confused by your description of the problem. If the gun has "the lightest spring possible", it should not need ultra high-powered ammo to eject properly.

I have 3 recoil springs for my G33, one light, one stock and one extra power. Every load I've ever tried will eject cleanly with any of the springs, even loads WELL below starting loads.

It's hard to imagine a compensator could make that dramatic of a difference.

[JohnKSa]

I have a Glock 17L that's slowly becoming a race gun.

It sounds like you have a Glock 17L that's slowly becoming more and more non-functional as you try to improve it.

Ok, on a more serious note, you've increased the barrel/slide mass with the addition of the compensator which reduces slide velocity. The compensator is also probably slowing the slide velocity as a function of how it works. The gun is designed to operate properly in a fairly narrow range of slide velocities.

Trying to push the slide velocity back up with hot loads is one approach, but I think you'd be better off trying to come up with a solution that doesn't involve dramatically changing the slide velocity to begin with. Maybe a slightly extended barrel with porting instead of a thread-on compensator. Or maybe you could lighten the slide to balance the additional weight of the compensator and extended barrel if you really want to use the thread-on compensator.

I am starting to handload this week, mainly for the savings. I've searched for +p+ recipes and everyone seems against them.

I would not recommend starting out your reloading career by loading +P+ 9mm rounds. That's not really a way to save money, it's a way to cost yourself more money--when you have to buy a replacement gun. There's not a lot of case capacity to play around with in the 9mm, particularly if you want to go with the heavier bullets. That makes it a little touchy when you start pushing the limits.

[zxcvbob]

I tried a heavier grain bullet and solved the ejection problem, but the slide didn't come all the back so my feed problems persisted. I tried +p ammo and the gun fed pretty well until I shot too fast.

How much heavier? Have you tried 135 grain bullets yet? (I know it's an unusual weight) Or did you stop at 124 grain, or jump all the way to 147's?

[Misssissippi Dave]

Before going to hot loads, Have you tried different lubrication? Remember to lubricate the outside of the barrel as well. Sometimes this is all it takes to get the slide moving better. It is probably one of the easiest and cheapest things to try. Some very tight pistols will only work using a quality oil. Many semi-auto pistols work better with a light grease. I have at times put some grease in my range bag and then applied some to others pistols that had problems the they seemed to go away. My prefered grease is Brian Enos Slide Glide Lite. TW-25b also seems to work well.

Most people run Glock pistols pretty dry. When this is the case some good lube can do wonders.

[Stressfire]

As an aside, with a very light recoil spring combined with hot loads are you not going to be battering the ever-loving bejeezuz out of the frame?

I'd be against using anyone else's "+p+" recipes as well - too many variables. How much over recommended specs are you already? Tried steadily increasing charge? Or tried faster (or possibly slower) powder? Magnum primers?

Not advocating any of the above as good ideas - just brainstorming

[serf 'rett]

My Baby Eagle, in 40S&W, has a weak spring, as it throws brass a country mile; however, it will sometimes fail to bring the next round into battery. Instead of increasing powder charge, I'm going to try heavier spring. My current theory is to much of the light spring energy is being used to strip the next round out of the magazine. Field testing in near future.

[oldpapps]

" soberguy63
Hot Handloading
I have a Glock 17L that's slowly becoming a race gun. Among other things, I've added a threaded barrel and compensator. It has the lightest spring available but I'm still having ejection and feed problems. I tried a heavier grain bullet and solved the ejection problem, but the slide didn't come all the back so my feed problems persisted. I tried +p ammo and the gun fed pretty well until I shot too fast. I'm guessing +p+ would solve that problem. But the cost and availability of 9mm +p+ is a problem. I am starting to handload this week, mainly for the savings. I've searched for +p+ recipes and everyone seems against them. I was wondering if there is a powder or a powder/bullet weight combination that would kick the slide back far enough without having to load to excessively high pressures?"

OK, what are you trying to accomplish?
Possibility 'A' - you are trying to cycle a 9MM that is suppressed.
Possibility 'B' - you are trying to switch back and fort between a weapon that is setup to be ran suppressed to non-suppressed.

IF possibility:

'A' - I don't do suppressed weapons but would think that the weapon would need to be completely set up for sub-sonic loads, springs included and used with loadings that don't bust the sound barrier. That is not +P or +P+ loads.

'B' - If you have spend all of that money for the tax stamp and jumped threw all of the paper hoops to be allowed to have/shoot a suppressed weapon, just shoot it suppressed.

If I have missed the original point, please explain. What is a 'race' gun?

My views on "Hot Handloads" is simple. Start loading at a good published 'starting load' and slowly work up till you find; what pleases you the shooter, or functions the weapon the best, or run into pressure problems. If the current components don't meet the desired results, start again with different stuff. Need/want more energy, get a bigger gun. Need/want greater velocity, get a faster round.

I'm proud of myself for not saying anything about glocks.


Be safe,

OSOK

[soberguy63]

No suppression just a compensator to hold the muzzle down. The gun has the kick of a 22lr with the compensator on when I shoot standard 115gr. The sights never leave the target. I'm hoping to compete in an open class at the local gun club if I can solve my feed problem. I've tried 147gr with no change. The only thing that worked at all was +p. I will try to lube the gun better see if that helps. Maybe that and loading a stronger charge within the SAAMI limts will do the trick. I also have a ported barrel but it doesn't shoot anywhere near as nice as the compensator. Thanks everyone for all the help.

[oldpapps]

soberguy63,

Did the weapon come with the compensator or was it added? Has the weapon ever functioned properly?

I AM NOT a glock person, so from here on, I have no input for trouble shooting (pun) your glock.

I wish you well.

(shoot competition with a 9MM and a glock to boot, boy that is some tuff competition if others are using real weapons....... no, no, I must not rant about glocks...... it is hard not to.... I should apologies to those who have glocks, well I should, humm, I'm thinking about it, no it would be condescending... maybe the competition is only among people with glocks in 9MM..... I shouldn't be this way, everyone can like anything they want and I shouldn't impose my views on them, that's a good out, live and let live..... lots of people seem to like them, they must have gotten better since those two that blew up in my hands that week)

Take care and be safe,

OSOK

[Lost Sheep]

What is the weight of the slide, barrel and compensator in the combination that fails?

What is the weight of the slide, barrel and thread protector in the combination that works?

Do you have any intermediate weight compensators (or some way to add mass) you could try?

Does the compensator direct gasses up (to suppress barrel rise) or also back (to reduce recoil)? Up should not affect cycling overmuch, but back could make a significant reduction in slide velocity.

If the lightest spring you can get is still too strong to allow full cycling, you might get an extra one and clip one coil off it's length and another coil until it works. If the spring winds up too weak to chamber the next round, then, you have ruined a spring.

I assume you have already tried tightening your grip? When I am target shooting, I tend to grip my guns less firmly. "Limp wristing" is usually the cause of this type of failure. I had one gun/ammo combination that was so finely balanced on the edge that I could induce failures at will just by how firmly I held my 1911 45 ACP. Great for practicing clearance drills.

Lost Sheep

[Misssissippi Dave]

I wonder if adding a booster normally used with suppressors would help the cycling?