G21 reloading woes

[Edward429451]

What am I doing wrong here trying to feed this Glock? I use mixed brass, 6.0 gr ww-231 behind a 225 gr cast lead TC flat point, and it been frustration from the get go. CCI primers gave alot of light strikes, switched to WLP (the gold ones), the problem got worse. Switched to FLP primers, OK now on the light strikes, but about 6 to 10 per hundred will not go fully into battary, hard to extract, leaves rifiling marks on bullet and sometimes brass. The lead bullets (yes I know about the KB's with Glock and lead, I clean the pee out of it, and have ran a few thousand thru it with no KB's) are a flat point, size .452 and are seated to 1.220 to start and I now got em all the way down to 1.190 with no improvement. My series 80 GVT. MDL. gobbles em up like theres no tomorrow, 100% I've tried everything except going to a .451 bullet, which, I heard if you load lead, go .001 larger. I barely bell the case mouth and use absolutly no crimp. I'm pulling my hair out trying to get it smoothed out and am wondering if I shouldnt just sell the G21 and buy another GVT. MDL>>>>>>>>>>>advice? THANKS!! BTW, my G21 has never malfunctioned with any factory ammo.

[solo]

I reload for my G21 and have experienced some of the problems that you have but have fixed them.

PRIMERS
Use Federal Primers because they are one of the softest primers on the market and the glocks internal striker can easily punch them. I used to have the same problem with light primer strikes, but since switching to federal I have had none.

BULLETS/ CRIMPING/ETC.....
First off you should not shoot lead through the glocks octagon barrel, you need to buy a after market barrel from ACE or Lone wolfe distributors. The octagon barrell is made to squeeze the bullets out, you will have severe leading and deposits. You should use jacketed bullets with the octagon barrell.

If the bullets are not feeding right you may be using too much bell. You only need just enough to where the bullet will barely fit into the case, and I mean barely. I used to bell too much and had the same problems as you.

You need to crimp regardless. Also get a case gauge which will tell you that the round you have just loaded is within SAMMI specifications.

[Edward429451]

Thanks for your reply, I do just barely bell the case mouth. I do have a Dillon case gauge, thats what made the problem readily apparent. I sized and tapercrimped my loads to where I could set them on the table and set the case gauge over them and pick it back up off the rounds with no sticking. Finally heard that case gauges are manufacured to minumum SAMMI specs, and Glock chambers are at maximum specs so no more case gauge. barely belling the cases, no crimp, then testing neck tension by cycling a couple rounds thru gun by hand, then remeasure OAL to see if any bullet set back has occured, none has. miked the outside of case below mouth and compared with various factory rounds, always within .001 of factory, should be good. My Colt likes em'

[zanthope]

1) Don't shoot lead out of a Glock barrel...you'll end up cleaning your face/fingers up off the floor. Get an aftermarket barrel, like the poster above suggested.

2) Get a Lee Factory Crimping die from Midway (or any reloading supply) and run all your ammo through it AFTER its been loaded...you'll be surprised. They cost about $20.00.

I've loaded about 4,000 rounds of 45 ACP this year using Lee dies...no problems.

[WalterGAII]

Ditto on the Lee FCD. Also, if you haven't detail stripped your slide and cleaned all the gunk out of the striker channel, you'll continue to have misfires. I use brake cleaner, but others use alcohol or Gunscrubber. Be sure that no oil at all gets into the striker channel.

[dick w. holliday]

i had a g21 and to my knowledge never shot a jacketed bullet out of it..i don't recall readingproblems with kabooms of the g21s...,i think those arelimited to the 40 cal guns...i still have 2 g17s and shoot exclusively lead in them also. i have had the same problem you describe with most all autos if the bullet is seated too long--if you're shooting truncated cones and have part of the bullet below the cone hanging out of the case-i suspect that's your problem....i've got a les baer that will do the same thing as well as having seen friends kimbers do it..this may cure your light strike problems also as the gun will go into full battery every time with the correct seating depth on the bullets..i shoot a lot of H&G 68 SWC 200 gr and i cannot have any of the shoulder exposed for 100% reliability....Good shooting ....Dick...email me if this works.

[solo]

After some thinking it may be the shape of the bullet that is causing the problem. Glocks aren't the best with SWC and may not be to good with Flat Pointed bullets either.

[Edward429451]

You guys must be right about the bullet. I took the last batch of these FP loads down to 1.190 OAL, and it still was failing to go all the way into battary. I still have about .060 exposed lead above the case mouth below the cone of the bullet. It hadn't occured to me that it might be the bullet, probably because I've been using that bullet in my GVT. MDL. for years with no trouble. Duh! seems obvious now! (Everything else works in my G21, factory, jacketed reloads, etc.) I guess I'll look around for (another barrel) an acceptable mould that will allow me to shoot my reloads in either pistol. you guys got any suggestions on moulds?
Thanks alot for all of your input!

[solo]

Get a mold that is round nose in shape and that should solve the problem.