# Reloading for glocks



## Mtn. Runner (Oct 7, 2009)

Anybody out there do it? I know it says not too, but I just cant imagine with as popular as glocks are that people don't reload for them. Why wouldn't you be able to reload for them?


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## Al Hansen (Sep 7, 2007)

It says your not suppose to. Has something to do with the support at the base of the case and the rifling of the barrel. You can buy a replacement barrell for about $100+ to shoot the lead. Have I done it without a replacement barrell ? Yes.


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## Narient (Jan 9, 2011)

Also, if a problem develops with the gun, I'm pretty sure they consider the warranty voided if you use handloads.


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## Mtn. Runner (Oct 7, 2009)

So what is the difference in a handload and a factory load if you are using a fmj bullet? Never reloaded just looking to get into it. mostly for a 300 wsm but also curious about pistols loads and I own a glock.


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## chet (Sep 7, 2007)

The Glock manual does contain a warning against using reloaded ammunition. However, this is generally viewed as an industry-wide practice done to prevent lawsuits:
"The use of reloaded ammunition will void the Glock warranty, due to the unpredictability of the standards (SAMI/NATO) adhered to, since reloads of poor quality ammunition may not meet (SAMI/NATO) specifications, may exceed limits, and therefore may be unsafe."

Basically, all gun mfg's will void their warranty if they know you used handloads. Especially with semi-autos.


If you use jacketed bullets and stay within sami pressure limits you can shoot your reloads all day long in your glock.

Lead (non-jacketed - cast) bullets are not recomended for glocks because they have polygonal rifling. That rifling causes excessive "leading" of the barrel. I have a few opinions about this.
1) in a 45acp glock, go ahead and use lead.... the cartridge is slow enough that leading is minimal, however you should clean the gun more often.
2) in 40 and 9mm calibers - put a jacketed cartridge in the mag first, so that it will be fired last, after all the lead rounds, and "clear out" most of the lead in the barrel. and again, clean the gun more often.
the barrel that al mentioned will work as well.


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## Mtn. Runner (Oct 7, 2009)

Thanks for the input chet. Thats Kind of what i figured but just didnt know if I was missing something


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## longbow (Mar 31, 2009)

I've reloaded and shot 1000s of rounds through my Glock 19 and never had a malfunction or any indication of one. 
I'm with Chet on his post.


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## longbow (Mar 31, 2009)

[attachment=0:1ghkr69z]DSC00362.JPG[/attachment:1ghkr69z]
Here's the reason Glock doesn't want you to shoot handloads in thier guns. The unsupported part of the shell above the feedramp could blow out and cause problems. Keep your loads in the safe zone and you shouldn't have any problems.


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## Al Hansen (Sep 7, 2007)

longbow said:


> [attachment=0:3sex55s4]DSC00362.JPG[/attachment:3sex55s4]
> Here's the reason Glock doesn't want you to shoot handloads in thier guns. The unsupported part of the shell above the feedramp could blow out and cause problems. Keep your loads in the safe zone and you shouldn't have any problems.


That what I was trying to say.


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## Mtn. Runner (Oct 7, 2009)

I figured as long as you kept it on the low to mid end of powder amount there wouldnt be any difference then factory ammo. Just no hot loads. Thanks for the help.


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## Al Hansen (Sep 7, 2007)

Just a side note: I personally know a Deputy Sheriff for Weber that had a Glock 22 go belly up on him shooting factory ammo. Be carefull out there.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

Glock 40, Be Careful folks!



















-DallanC


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## Mtn. Runner (Oct 7, 2009)

So how would glock know if it was factory ammo or not? I am sure factory ammo has a mistake every now and then that could cause a gun to go boom (and not like its suppose to)


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## longbow (Mar 31, 2009)

Al Hansen said:


> longbow said:
> 
> 
> > [attachment=0:391ny2dq]DSC00362.JPG[/attachment:391ny2dq]
> ...


I wasn't trying to undermine you Al, I just thought a photo would help illustrate our point.


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## Al Hansen (Sep 7, 2007)

longbow said:


> Al Hansen said:
> 
> 
> > longbow said:
> ...


No undermining at all. You got it across far better than I. I'm saying well done. Thanks for posting the picks. A picture is worth 1000 + words. 8)


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## Gee LeDouche (Sep 21, 2007)

one of my favorite glock pictures. lol


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## lehi (Sep 13, 2007)

Can you shoot +p or +p+ factory ammo through glocks?


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## bullsnot (Aug 10, 2010)

DallanC said:


> Glock 40, Be Careful folks!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Dallan,

Do you know if there was post mortem done in this case and if so do you know what the results were? Was this a faulty barrel or an ammunition problem? Should the barrels be replaced after so many shots due to weakening?

In other words what is the moral of the story here?


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

You google "Glock blow up" and there are TONS of storys and pictures.

Google "XD blow up" and you dont get any.

Hows that for a moral? 


-DallanC


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## bullsnot (Aug 10, 2010)

I see your point but I also come from a family full of law enforcement officers and none of them have ever had a problem with Glocks and they've carried and shot them for years.

Is this a case of there are a lot more Glocks out there than XD's so there are more incidents just due to sheer numbers? I'm not questioning you Dallan, I just like to see the big picture with stuff is all.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

I didnt mean to come off as a Glock basher, they have their place and are quite popular.



bullsnot said:


> I see your point but I also come from a family full of law enforcement officers and none of them have ever had a problem with Glocks and they've carried and shot them for years.


Its a good point. I believe virtually any firearm can fail, if its been abused, failed to be cleaned etc etc. Law enforcement personel would be among those who take very good care of their weapons vs some backwoods bubba that is shooting hot reloads through a rusty gun.



> Is this a case of there are a lot more Glocks out there than XD's so there are more incidents just due to sheer numbers? I'm not questioning you Dallan, I just like to see the big picture with stuff is all.


Could very well be true. I do believe personally that the cases arent supposed enough on a glock, but that doesnt mean one should assume its a bomb ready to go off. Like you stated, there are a tremendous number of them in operation.

I freely admit I love the XD's. I dont like the XDMs though (grip angle bugs me). If I had enough money to buy a ton of pistols just for giggles, I'd own a glock or two... but they are a bit further down the list than some other pistols I'd rather own (Kimber 1911 is #1 on my wish list).

-DallanC


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## bullsnot (Aug 10, 2010)

Thanks for the insight Dallan.

I too dream of owning a Kimber 1911. Those guns just look bad azz!


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## Wind In His Hair (Dec 31, 2009)

I had a phobia of Glocks for a while stemming from an incident back when I was a youth in the early nineties with a Glock going kaboom. It was my uncle's gun, and he and my dad ended up selling every Glock they owned because of it. We found out years later that my uncle loaded it with gun show reloads, probably got some double charges in there. 

I don't own any Glock pistols currently, but not that I never would. A few years ago I had a G22 I bought from a friend for dirt cheap. I ended up making a $200 profit on it to fund another project, otherwise it would probably still be in my safe. I want a 10mm one day, and the Glock 20 is the front runner in that category for me, unless an XD or XDM comes out in the caliber.


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## stick_man (Sep 10, 2007)

While I am not a big fan of Glocks, I must admit they are good guns. They are standard issue in the Austrian army as well as many law enforcement agencies throughout the world. They can actually stand up to a lot of abuse that many of the finer guns couldn't even dream about standing up to. They perform about as well as anything on the market. Their chambers seem to be a little looser than many, so they are a little less finicky about the ammo they shoot (as long as it is proper caliber). The factory barrels don't like shooting cast bullets. They also have the unsupported chamber, leading to deformities in the fired brass (brass often referred to as "Glocked" brass with a bulge around the base) A good aftermarket barrel for them will run about $100 and then you have a pretty good lead throwin' machine. 

Take good care of your Glock (or any other make for that matter) and it will last you for many 10's of thousands of rounds of happy shooting. Abuse it or don't take care of it and you will be lucky to get more than just a couple thousand rounds through it without problems.

Personally, my top two choices of a semi-auto handgun would be the S&W M&P and the Springfield XDm. They just feel a lot better in the hand than a Glock does and they are built to last.


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## Frisco Pete (Sep 22, 2007)

> I freely admit I love the XD's. I dont like the XDMs though (grip angle bugs me).


I've gotta admit that I find the most amazing and quirky stuff imaginable on firearms forums.
Sometimes I wonder if I live in a parallel universe...

I got out my Springfield Armory XD and my XD(M) and compared them side-by-side and stacked on top of each other with everything parallel. Just as I thought - the grip angle is IDENTICAL!
The XD(M) does give you a choice of three different interchangeable backstraps that can alter the feel and reach a bit, but with the Medium one in place, they look the same to me.

XD barrels are fully supported and conventionally rifled so they are a better choice for reloaders than the Glock barrel with the polygonal rifling (bad for lead) and a chamber that usually is not fully supported - how much depends on how old (older generations were worse), what caliber (.40 & .45 seems to be more problematical than 9mm), and perhaps some manufacturing tolerance issues. Glock wants them to feed with utmost dependability, so they go this route. They aren't really intended for reloads - mostly an American phenomenon. SA goes the other route and profits from Glock's bad word-of-mouth in this area.

Generally Glocks seem to do fine with jacketed reloads for a huge majority of reloaders. Well used cases may thin at the base and could be an issue. One time a certain Accurate Arms powder used (it had changed country of manufacturer) was thought to be an issue in .40. Gun show reloads are always suspect.
If in doubt, an aftermarket barrel for $100 will fix any chamber support and lead bullet problems or restrictions in your Glock .40 or .45.


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## bullsnot (Aug 10, 2010)

Frisco Pete said:


> If in doubt, an aftermarket barrel for $100 will fix any chamber support and lead bullet problems or restrictions in your Glock .40 or .45.


Where would one get an aftermarket barrel? Since the serial number is on the barrel and the base what are the rules regarding chaging out barrels?

On a side note just in case anyone is interested I called Glock and they will re-dip your slide and refinish the barrel for $60 and shipping one way.


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## Frisco Pete (Sep 22, 2007)

The key serial number as per the BATFE is on the frame - a metal tag under the front of the frame in the dust cover area of your G22. Swapping barrels is fine.

You will see that you can get both the compensated and standard barrels and different lengths. There are also caliber change options. You can drop a .357 SIG aftermarket barrel in with no other changes. Some people are also drop in the LW G22 (M/22) to 9mm barrel - and then you can shoot 9mm using G17 mags (fit right in).

Lone Wolf Distributors: http://www.lonewolfdist.com/Products.aspx?CAT=238
(probably the most popular aftermarket Glock barrel). I think this is the replacement G22 barrel:
LWD Barrel M/22 40 S&W Stock Length - Item: LWD-2240N

Storm Lake Barrels: http://www.glockworld.com/category/1720-Glock_Barrels.aspx

KKM Precision: http://www.kkmprecision.com/custom_pistol_barrels/home.php?cat=1


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## Wind In His Hair (Dec 31, 2009)

EFK Fire Dragon, Bar-Sto, and Wilson Combat also make aftermarket barrels for Glocks. Most of my Glock shooting buddies like the Lone Wolf because they are straight drop-in. I've been told the Bar-sto can be too tight sometimes and require fitting from a gunsmith, but sometimes they do fit as is. Same with the Wilson. Supposedly, they are going for a tighter "match" fit.


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## Frisco Pete (Sep 22, 2007)

The problem with the tight gunsmith-fitted barrels is finding a gunsmith to do it that knows Glocks. In one case I know of, a Wilson Combat barrel was "fitted" to a G22 by the gunsmith at Impact in Ogden. While the barrel fit after his work, when bullets were fed they hit on the upper left corner of the chamber where the little 'hood' curves over causing non-feeding and jams. The gunsmith certainly never fired the gun to see this. How much needs to be removed to make a smooth route into the chamber and leave the case supported would be the realm of an experienced Glock 'smith. You can't just hog the metal out willy-nilly or else the fully-supported function would be lost.
So the owner put the Glock barrel back in (_that would probably feed empty cases_) and the expensive Wilson sits in a box and he wishes he would have gone the Lone Wolf route.

Of course if anyone knows of a Glock-pro 'smith around here, let me know and I will pass on the information.


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## Narient (Jan 9, 2011)

stick_man said:


> They also have the unsupported chamber, leading to deformities in the fired brass (brass often referred to as "Glocked" brass with a bulge around the base).


Wow... :shock: This explains so much to me. A few years back, I bought a Baby Desert Eagle in .40. I bought a bunch of once-fired brass and noticed that a lot of them had the bulge. I resized them and threw out a lot that looked questionable in quality. The first time I took it out, things were fine for the first 50 or so rounds. Then I pulled the trigger once and the gun exploded. The bottom of the magazine blew out, the factory plastic grip blew off, and my face was pelted by bits of brass (fortunately, I was wearing safety glasses) I inspected what I could find of the brass that did the damage & found it had separated at the base. So, I took it into the smith, had it renovated, & sold it, swearing never to own another. The only round I would trust to not be fully supported are the .22lr, l, & s.


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## Wind In His Hair (Dec 31, 2009)

The Baby Eagle was one of the worst guns I ever had. I had it in .45. When it didn't stovepipe, it would throw the brass into my face. 

Pete, thanks for the added information. 8)


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## Narient (Jan 9, 2011)

I heard that about the the Baby Eagle in .45 which was why I got it in .40. I know this is a bit off topic, but when comparing perceived recoil & muzzle rise in the Glock & the Baby Eagle, the Glock has my vote, & I'm not much of a Glock guy.


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