Bulges in .40 caliber brass

RonH · February 3, 2005, 05:47 AM

I've found many rounds of bulged .40 brass, and have always attributed this to being fired in Glocks with unsupported chambers. A while back, I was shooting next to a guy at the range and the subject of reloading came up. He was not a reloader and offered me his brass. I politely declined, explaining that brass fired from a Glock was not good material for reloading due to the bulged cases. But, when we examined his spent brass cases, they were pristine! I could find no discernable bulges or distortions of any kind. Does anyone know if Glock has changed their barrels to fully support the chambers? I have seen brass with very pronounced bulges, but like I said his looked really good.

HSMITH · February 3, 2005, 08:28 AM

Glock didn't change a thing. The lack of the bulge is from lower pressure, whatever ammo he was shooting was lower in pressure than most factory 40 ammo. The bulge, unless it is a blister, doesn't affect reloadability. Typically this bulge is slight, maybe .010".

Jeeper · February 3, 2005, 09:37 AM

That or he could have been using a aftermarket barrel. I reload 40 glock brass with zero problems. You just need the right sizing die. The dillon one wont cut it but a lee die or their undersized die or the EGW die will al make glock brass fine and usable.

mete · February 3, 2005, 10:58 AM

Glock did change their .40 barrels to reduce the amount of unsupported chamber .Ammo makers also increased the thickness and hardness of their .40 cases .This was part of the learning process with the then new .40S&W. A totally supported chamber in a Glock.40 means a custom barrel.Slight bulges can be found with numerous guns and cartridges and as long as it's slight it's not a problem.

impact · February 4, 2005, 11:06 PM

I reload 40 cal cases from a Glock all the time with no problems. Hell I reload 9mm and 45 ACP cases from Glocks and shoot the 40s 9s and 45s in other guns when the cases were fired from a Glock for the first time. All I reload with is RCBS. But I'm sure there is other reloading equipment that will work just as good.

I never did understand the "You can't reload Glock once fired brass" Like I said I never had any problems.

WESHOOT2 · February 5, 2005, 08:21 AM

Some Glocks have big chambers; some don't.
Some other brands have big chambers; some don't.

What does YOUR barrel look like? That's the one that matters......unless you're a brass-rat like me

PsychoSword · February 9, 2005, 03:16 AM

Was it .40 he was shooting? .40 has a weak case for the pressure of the round.

If he was shooting 9mm that would explain it, the 9mm has a strong case for the pressure. Normal pressure .40 is not likely to bulge the brass either though, but it can. Aluminum cased Blazer .40 will always bulge when fired in a gun without a supported chamber.

Robert Allison · February 12, 2005, 06:19 PM

I long ago discovered that I couldn't shoot brass from other 40 S&Ws in my STI Edge, it seems to have a minimum chamber and resizing doesn't do the trick. In fact, to be on the safe side I run all of my loaded through a Dillon gauge to be sure it'll function. A friend has a Beretta 96 and a S&W 4001, and both render badly oversized, bulged cases. I don't know about the Glock.

charlie45 · February 13, 2005, 04:33 PM

my lee book states do not use reloads in glock or other wepons with ramp cutaways. nowhere does it say not to use once fired brass from a glock!!
other books my vary.

February 3, 2005, 05:47 AM	#1
RonH Member Join Date: April 19, 2000 Posts: 67	Bulges in .40 caliber brass I've found many rounds of bulged .40 brass, and have always attributed this to being fired in Glocks with unsupported chambers. A while back, I was shooting next to a guy at the range and the subject of reloading came up. He was not a reloader and offered me his brass. I politely declined, explaining that brass fired from a Glock was not good material for reloading due to the bulged cases. But, when we examined his spent brass cases, they were pristine! I could find no discernable bulges or distortions of any kind. Does anyone know if Glock has changed their barrels to fully support the chambers? I have seen brass with very pronounced bulges, but like I said his looked really good.

February 3, 2005, 09:37 AM	#3
Jeeper Senior Member Join Date: November 1, 2001 Location: Gilbert, AZ Posts: 776	That or he could have been using a aftermarket barrel. I reload 40 glock brass with zero problems. You just need the right sizing die. The dillon one wont cut it but a lee die or their undersized die or the EGW die will al make glock brass fine and usable. __________________ Gun control theory - A woman raped and strangled is morally superior to a woman with a smoking gun and a dead rapist at her feet.

February 5, 2005, 08:21 AM	#6
WESHOOT2 Senior Member Join Date: February 20, 1999 Location: home on the range; Vermont (Caspian country) Posts: 14,324	lotsaglock Some Glocks have big chambers; some don't. Some other brands have big chambers; some don't. What does YOUR barrel look like? That's the one that matters......unless you're a brass-rat like me __________________ . "all my ammo is mostly retired factory ammo"

February 13, 2005, 04:33 PM	#9
charlie45 Junior Member Join Date: February 11, 2005 Posts: 10	40 s&w reloads my lee book states do not use reloads in glock or other wepons with ramp cutaways. nowhere does it say not to use once fired brass from a glock!! other books my vary.

February 3, 2005, 08:28 AM	#2
HSMITH Senior Member Join Date: June 21, 2002 Posts: 2,019	Glock didn't change a thing. The lack of the bulge is from lower pressure, whatever ammo he was shooting was lower in pressure than most factory 40 ammo. The bulge, unless it is a blister, doesn't affect reloadability. Typically this bulge is slight, maybe .010".

February 3, 2005, 10:58 AM	#4
mete Senior Member Join Date: June 14, 2004 Location: NY State Posts: 6,575	Glock did change their .40 barrels to reduce the amount of unsupported chamber .Ammo makers also increased the thickness and hardness of their .40 cases .This was part of the learning process with the then new .40S&W. A totally supported chamber in a Glock.40 means a custom barrel.Slight bulges can be found with numerous guns and cartridges and as long as it's slight it's not a problem.

February 4, 2005, 11:06 PM	#5
impact Senior Member Join Date: January 8, 2005 Location: the great state of Texas Posts: 854	I reload 40 cal cases from a Glock all the time with no problems. Hell I reload 9mm and 45 ACP cases from Glocks and shoot the 40s 9s and 45s in other guns when the cases were fired from a Glock for the first time. All I reload with is RCBS. But I'm sure there is other reloading equipment that will work just as good. I never did understand the "You can't reload Glock once fired brass" Like I said I never had any problems.

February 9, 2005, 03:16 AM	#7
PsychoSword Junior member Join Date: August 11, 2002 Location: North Dakota Posts: 1,486	Was it .40 he was shooting? .40 has a weak case for the pressure of the round. If he was shooting 9mm that would explain it, the 9mm has a strong case for the pressure. Normal pressure .40 is not likely to bulge the brass either though, but it can. Aluminum cased Blazer .40 will always bulge when fired in a gun without a supported chamber.

February 12, 2005, 06:19 PM	#8
Robert Allison Senior Member Join Date: February 12, 2005 Location: NW Montana Posts: 146	I long ago discovered that I couldn't shoot brass from other 40 S&Ws in my STI Edge, it seems to have a minimum chamber and resizing doesn't do the trick. In fact, to be on the safe side I run all of my loaded through a Dillon gauge to be sure it'll function. A friend has a Beretta 96 and a S&W 4001, and both render badly oversized, bulged cases. I don't know about the Glock.