Should I be afraid.....

Cheapshooter · December 28, 2011, 04:19 PM

Of handloading for my G20?
My loading bench has been out of order for a few years due to some basement construction. Now I have time to finish my "Man Cave", and get my gun done, and loading bench back up and running. I'm not new to handloading, at 65, and having been doing it more or less since I was in my early 20's.
My question is about the 10MM and Glock pistols. I have heard, and read so much about the Glock Kabooms, and am wondering what extra precautions I should take when I start working up loads for it?
I've always followed all reloading precautions, and have never any problems. Not even as much as a blown primer.
I'm not interested in pushing the envelope on the G20, just some reasonably powerful loads to enjoy shooting the "big boy" at the range.

DeeDubya · December 28, 2011, 04:40 PM

Does the 10mm have thicker brass (than the 40sw) at the base? I don't have experience with the 10mm but have loaded other magnums without a problem. I've pushed the 45 win mag to the max as well as the 357 magnum and 357 maximum. Lyman should have some good starting loads. I still compare the older Lymans and new because as you know they used to load hotter than today.

You might look into some Blue Dot loads for the 10mm. IMO a great powder for magnum handguns.

Now as far as the G20, if someone blows up a gun, everybody's going to hear about it. But I couldn't imagine why you would want to push a semi-auto handgun to it's limits anyway. I'd use a Contender to work up loads if there is any doubt.

Cheapshooter · December 28, 2011, 05:00 PM

I think the problems are more with the Glock pistol, than the 10MM round. Something about an unsupported chamber.

Brian Pfleuger · December 28, 2011, 05:31 PM

There are no problems handloading/reloading for either 10mm or Glock in general.

For one, VIRTUALLY all Glock KaBooms were/are with early generation (1/2) 40SW models that were rushed to market to beat SW with the first production 40 service gun.

Glock chamber support on current models and Gen3 guns is MUCH better and calibers other than 40SW never really had a problem anyway.

I load for a Glock in 357sig (same essential PSI as 10mm) and for a 10mm 1911.

Follow the rules. Inspect your cases. Understand the process and variables. It's perfectly safe.

Kevin Rohrer · December 28, 2011, 07:55 PM

Allegedly, the square rifling in Glock barrels is not conducive to shooting lead bullets. I bought a Wolf barrel w/ normal rifling and shoot lead w/o a problem.

Sevens · December 29, 2011, 12:02 AM

Cheapshooter, the only thing my Glock 29 eats is my handloads.

It definitely DOES matter if it's a newer build Glock, as Glock has improved the case support quite a bit over time but it has NEVER been squarely by generation, as far as I know. If your G20 is 10 years old, seriously consider spending ~$150 and purchasing an aftermarket barrel. If your G20 is more recent, I wouldn't worry a bit about it and start rolling some handloads.

While I have done some "testing" with cast lead 200 grain slugs, the bulk of my 10mm shooting has been with proper jacketed 180 grain bullets.

My G29 was built in 2008 and it does NOT smiley my brass and I don't run my brass through any special "bulge busting" type die, just a normal Lee carbide size die.

If you seek more tips or hints specific to my 10mm handloading, feel free to send me a PM.

kmaysob · December 29, 2011, 12:08 AM

ive never looked down the barrel of a glock for comparison, but i know my xd has rifling that seems "squared". if it is in fact the same thing, ive shot hundereds of lead rounds down that barrel without even a hiccup

farmerboy · December 29, 2011, 12:16 AM

Me and my shot our Glocks today. He has a 23 mines a 22. Shoot for an hour or two with 12 year old handloads. Shot great! These were Rainier or Berrys ( didn't look at label) anyway i use RCBS dies and they shoot great!

Brian Pfleuger · December 29, 2011, 09:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sevens

It definitely DOES matter if it's a newer build Glock, as Glock has improved the case support quite a bit over time but it has NEVER been squarely by generation, as far as I know.

It's not exactly Gen specific but some time around, probably before, the introduction of the Gen3 the problem seems to have been corrected.

There is some overlap it seems depending on which cartridge and generation but it seems to be corrected right around the Gen2/3 transition.

Cheapshooter · December 29, 2011, 12:49 PM

Mine is a Gen3 about a year old, so I think everything is cool with reloading. I know the possible problem with the polygonal rifling and cast or swaged lead bullets in the Glock. I'll just stick with the jacketed bullets. If I do get an aftermarket barrel for my G20sf I think it will be a 9X25 Dillon. Just for the heck of it! I'm a little goofy like that. I bought the G20 in the first place because I didn't have a Glock, and didn't have a 10MM. Two birds as they say!

I'm very happy with my choice.

Tim R · December 29, 2011, 08:53 PM

I've been reloading for a Glock 35 for some years. Like many things in life everyone has an opinion. I am no different. Most problems with the K-boom is reportedly Glocks in 40 S&W. 40 is a popular caliber with a whole bunch of shooters. In my opinion the problem has been because people tend to try to hot rod the .40 too much and get themselves into trouble.

I can also attest the Glock is a strong pistol. A friend of mine was working up some loads with his daughter and W231. As we know 231 is a Fast powder. After running a few on his progressive press, he noticed his daughter was making sure the powder throw dumped powder and ended up double charging several rounds. He thought he got all of the double charged ones picked out.

When he was testing, one round blew the Mag out and cracked the trigger. He did not see any other damage. I went out shooting with him and testing his loads. I was recording data. I noticed his brass looked funny and pointed this out to him. Turns out the Chamber had also cracked when the double charged case was fired. Gents, this pistol still functioned. I am impressed the Glock 35 took a double charge of 231 then only needed a trigger, mag release and a new barrel.

I was just flippin' glad my 35 was not Involved with this.

I know of one other incident again a .40 where the freeloader thought going over published data was OK because his reloading mentor said the max loads were low. He received a cracked frame out of that deal. I won’t get into lead right now.

You can reload for your Glock, just don’t build barn burners. By the way I know of another pistol designed my John Moses Browning which has an unsupported chamber too. No body blames the gun when it blows up, they blame the reloader.

Toxdoc · December 29, 2011, 10:18 PM

Just after getting my G20 I definitely overloaded some 10mm using AA9 (the Hornady 7th data is 1.4 grains hotter than what Accurate lists as max). The brass had some definite pressure signs, but the gun was fine. The brass was new and never fired, which may have helped.

Relax and follow good practices. I have also since upgraded the recoil spring and have replace the stock barrel.

Cheapshooter · December 29, 2011, 10:33 PM

Are the loads listed for 10MM closer to the lighter "FBI" loads, which most manufacturers load today, or do they list loads close to the original Norma rounds as being safe?

Quote:

In my opinion the problem has been because people tend to try to hot rod the .40 too much and get themselves into trouble.

As a side note, I have a 40 S&W too.
No reason to hot rod loads for my XD40 Subcompact, I've got a 10!!!

You guys are really giving me incentive to get my gun room done, and my loading bench back in operation!

Brian Pfleuger · December 29, 2011, 11:24 PM

One great thing about handguns is that removable barrels mean you can easily see case support at the feed ramp. Just remove the barrel and drop in a case.

The prevailing wisdom is that aftermarket barrels offer better support than stock barrels. I have no doubt that was true in the past and might still be true in some instances. However, here are two pictures of my 357sig barrels, black being stock and stainless being Lone Wolf. It's hard to see the unsupported area of the stock barrel because there is virtually none. The brass color you see the could be mistaken for unsupported case is just reflection off the ramp. The LW obviously has far more unsupported area.

Even with the relatively large unsupported area, I have loaded rounds beyond SAAMI max (to the euro standard) and seen no evidence of problems/bulge/smileys.

The advantage the LW does have is a smaller chamber, which does help the cases last longer, in theory. In reality, I lose them much faster than they wear out.

December 28, 2011, 04:19 PM	#1
Cheapshooter Senior Member Join Date: December 2, 2007 Location: Missouri Posts: 8,306	Should I be afraid..... Of handloading for my G20? My loading bench has been out of order for a few years due to some basement construction. Now I have time to finish my "Man Cave", and get my gun done, and loading bench back up and running. I'm not new to handloading, at 65, and having been doing it more or less since I was in my early 20's. My question is about the 10MM and Glock pistols. I have heard, and read so much about the Glock Kabooms, and am wondering what extra precautions I should take when I start working up loads for it? I've always followed all reloading precautions, and have never any problems. Not even as much as a blown primer. I'm not interested in pushing the envelope on the G20, just some reasonably powerful loads to enjoy shooting the "big boy" at the range. __________________ Cheapshooter's rules of gun ownership #1: NEVER SELL OR TRADE ANYTHING!

December 28, 2011, 04:40 PM	#2
DeeDubya Senior Member Join Date: November 1, 2011 Location: San Marcos, TX Posts: 114	Does the 10mm have thicker brass (than the 40sw) at the base? I don't have experience with the 10mm but have loaded other magnums without a problem. I've pushed the 45 win mag to the max as well as the 357 magnum and 357 maximum. Lyman should have some good starting loads. I still compare the older Lymans and new because as you know they used to load hotter than today. You might look into some Blue Dot loads for the 10mm. IMO a great powder for magnum handguns. Now as far as the G20, if someone blows up a gun, everybody's going to hear about it. But I couldn't imagine why you would want to push a semi-auto handgun to it's limits anyway. I'd use a Contender to work up loads if there is any doubt. __________________ DW NRA Life Member

December 28, 2011, 05:00 PM	#3
Cheapshooter Senior Member Join Date: December 2, 2007 Location: Missouri Posts: 8,306	I think the problems are more with the Glock pistol, than the 10MM round. Something about an unsupported chamber. __________________ Cheapshooter's rules of gun ownership #1: NEVER SELL OR TRADE ANYTHING!

December 28, 2011, 07:55 PM	#5
Kevin Rohrer Senior Member Join Date: May 19, 2010 Location: Medina, Ohio Posts: 1,049	Allegedly, the square rifling in Glock barrels is not conducive to shooting lead bullets. I bought a Wolf barrel w/ normal rifling and shoot lead w/o a problem. __________________ Member: Orange Gunsite Family, NRA--Life, ARTCA, and American Legion. Caveat Emptor: Cavery Grips/AmericanGripz/Prestige Grips/Stealth Grips from Clayton, NC. He is a scammer

December 29, 2011, 12:02 AM	#6
Sevens Senior Member Join Date: July 28, 2007 Location: Ohio Posts: 11,756	Cheapshooter, the only thing my Glock 29 eats is my handloads. It definitely DOES matter if it's a newer build Glock, as Glock has improved the case support quite a bit over time but it has NEVER been squarely by generation, as far as I know. If your G20 is 10 years old, seriously consider spending ~$150 and purchasing an aftermarket barrel. If your G20 is more recent, I wouldn't worry a bit about it and start rolling some handloads. While I have done some "testing" with cast lead 200 grain slugs, the bulk of my 10mm shooting has been with proper jacketed 180 grain bullets. My G29 was built in 2008 and it does NOT smiley my brass and I don't run my brass through any special "bulge busting" type die, just a normal Lee carbide size die. If you seek more tips or hints specific to my 10mm handloading, feel free to send me a PM. __________________ *Attention Brass rats and other reloaders:* I really need .327 Federal Magnum brass, no lot size too small. Tell me what caliber you need and I'll see what I have to swap. PM me and we'll discuss.

December 28, 2011, 05:31 PM	#4
Brian Pfleuger Moderator Emeritus Join Date: June 25, 2008 Location: Austin, CO Posts: 19,578	There are no problems handloading/reloading for either 10mm or Glock in general. For one, VIRTUALLY all Glock KaBooms were/are with early generation (1/2) 40SW models that were rushed to market to beat SW with the first production 40 service gun. Glock chamber support on current models and Gen3 guns is MUCH better and calibers other than 40SW never really had a problem anyway. I load for a Glock in 357sig (same essential PSI as 10mm) and for a 10mm 1911. Follow the rules. Inspect your cases. Understand the process and variables. It's perfectly safe.

December 29, 2011, 12:08 AM	#7
kmaysob Senior Member Join Date: December 9, 2011 Posts: 188	ive never looked down the barrel of a glock for comparison, but i know my xd has rifling that seems "squared". if it is in fact the same thing, ive shot hundereds of lead rounds down that barrel without even a hiccup

December 29, 2011, 12:16 AM	#8
farmerboy Junior member Join Date: May 16, 2009 Location: Central Texas Posts: 1,343	Me and my shot our Glocks today. He has a 23 mines a 22. Shoot for an hour or two with 12 year old handloads. Shot great! These were Rainier or Berrys ( didn't look at label) anyway i use RCBS dies and they shoot great!

December 29, 2011, 12:49 PM	#10
Cheapshooter Senior Member Join Date: December 2, 2007 Location: Missouri Posts: 8,306	Mine is a Gen3 about a year old, so I think everything is cool with reloading. I know the possible problem with the polygonal rifling and cast or swaged lead bullets in the Glock. I'll just stick with the jacketed bullets. If I do get an aftermarket barrel for my G20sf I think it will be a 9X25 Dillon. Just for the heck of it! I'm a little goofy like that. I bought the G20 in the first place because I didn't have a Glock, and didn't have a 10MM. Two birds as they say! I'm very happy with my choice. __________________ Cheapshooter's rules of gun ownership #1: NEVER SELL OR TRADE ANYTHING!

December 29, 2011, 08:53 PM	#11
Tim R Senior Member Join Date: November 30, 2004 Location: God's side of Washington State Posts: 1,601	I've been reloading for a Glock 35 for some years. Like many things in life everyone has an opinion. I am no different. Most problems with the K-boom is reportedly Glocks in 40 S&W. 40 is a popular caliber with a whole bunch of shooters. In my opinion the problem has been because people tend to try to hot rod the .40 too much and get themselves into trouble. I can also attest the Glock is a strong pistol. A friend of mine was working up some loads with his daughter and W231. As we know 231 is a Fast powder. After running a few on his progressive press, he noticed his daughter was making sure the powder throw dumped powder and ended up double charging several rounds. He thought he got all of the double charged ones picked out. When he was testing, one round blew the Mag out and cracked the trigger. He did not see any other damage. I went out shooting with him and testing his loads. I was recording data. I noticed his brass looked funny and pointed this out to him. Turns out the Chamber had also cracked when the double charged case was fired. Gents, this pistol still functioned. I am impressed the Glock 35 took a double charge of 231 then only needed a trigger, mag release and a new barrel. I was just flippin' glad my 35 was not Involved with this. I know of one other incident again a .40 where the freeloader thought going over published data was OK because his reloading mentor said the max loads were low. He received a cracked frame out of that deal. I won’t get into lead right now. You can reload for your Glock, just don’t build barn burners. By the way I know of another pistol designed my John Moses Browning which has an unsupported chamber too. No body blames the gun when it blows up, they blame the reloader. __________________ God Bless our Troops especially our Snipers.

December 29, 2011, 10:18 PM	#12
Toxdoc Senior Member Join Date: June 5, 2008 Posts: 106	Just after getting my G20 I definitely overloaded some 10mm using AA9 (the Hornady 7th data is 1.4 grains hotter than what Accurate lists as max). The brass had some definite pressure signs, but the gun was fine. The brass was new and never fired, which may have helped. Relax and follow good practices. I have also since upgraded the recoil spring and have replace the stock barrel.

December 29, 2011, 11:24 PM	#14
Brian Pfleuger Moderator Emeritus Join Date: June 25, 2008 Location: Austin, CO Posts: 19,578	One great thing about handguns is that removable barrels mean you can easily see case support at the feed ramp. Just remove the barrel and drop in a case. The prevailing wisdom is that aftermarket barrels offer better support than stock barrels. I have no doubt that was true in the past and might still be true in some instances. However, here are two pictures of my 357sig barrels, black being stock and stainless being Lone Wolf. It's hard to see the unsupported area of the stock barrel because there is virtually none. The brass color you see the could be mistaken for unsupported case is just reflection off the ramp. The LW obviously has far more unsupported area. Even with the relatively large unsupported area, I have loaded rounds beyond SAAMI max (to the euro standard) and seen no evidence of problems/bulge/smileys. The advantage the LW does have is a smaller chamber, which does help the cases last longer, in theory. In reality, I lose them much faster than they wear out.