Reloading for Glock .40S&W

[jblomenberg16]

Lee makes a good and inexpensive bulge buster. I run my .40 and .357 sig cases thru it. It needs a Lee seating die/ factory crimp die to work (the die actually takes out any bulges), and is easy to get set update.

 

[rvb]

I'm reloading .40 for a gen4 glock and a custom 1911. all range brass. I send it through the Dillon and shoot it. I do case gauge for the 1911 and maybe 1-2% fail. they run through the glock fine even after failing the gauge (but they won't in the 1911)

Gen 1 case bulge;

If I find brass that looks like this, I toss it. don't see much looking like that any more though... fewer early glocks getting run on a regular basis, especially at matches.

-rvb

 

[Leo]

Are there any signs before a failure, since the bulge is not from over pressure?

This is speculation on my part, but if you have the pregnant belly "glocked" brass and run it through a bulgebuster die it looks just fine when you reload it, even though the brass has been subject to extreme fatigue. Say you repeat the process 3 times, that metal is severely compromised, even if it looks pretty good coming out of the sizer die. In my opinion, that greatly increases the odds for failure.

With certain shotgun hulls, The base wads loosen pretty fast. I reload them once and throw them away, in the trash, so that the next guy does not end up with them. The problem with "glocked" range brass is that you do not know the history. I would not want to end up with a three or four time overstressed piece in my firearm.

RVB gives good advice, since .40 brass is readily available and cheap, I just pitch any "glocked" ones right from the start.

Thankfully, we do not see much of it anymore. When they first came out, ALL of the brass you saw on the ground was badly bulged.

 

[Water63]

I run all my 40 S&W brass through a redding RX die. Lee makes one that is much less exspensive but just as good as the redding. Most of the 40 load will cycle through my glocks and S&W but one of my glocks has a Lone wolf barrel and some loads won't chamber all the way if they are not run through the RX die. I don't run max loads on the 40 and have not had any issues. Like you when I first started loading the 40 I was cautious because of all the hype on the net. A gen 3 gun has the upgraded barrel in it so there will not be an issue for you. I even run cast bullets through my glocks I just monitor the barrel for leading and do a though cleaning they have had 1000's of plated and cast run through them with no issues.

 

[Expatriated]

I reload Glock .40 brass. I run it through the 4 die Lee set so there's never any problem.

 

[ilcaveman]

A+ for the Lone wolf barrel

 

[GLOCKBOY]

I could be wrong but there were no Gen1 Glock 40's.

They started on the Gen2 frames. I've had a Gen2 40 for about 20 years. Loaded at least 20,000 rounds for it. Mostly factory equivalent 180gr. No light loads. No problem. Ever. I use a Dillon 650 with Dillon dies. I also have a Gen3 and a Gen4 Glock 22. And a Gen4 g35. Oh and a Gen2 Glock 23. No issues. Ever. I like Glocks (hence the nickname) I've even loaded 4 or 5 thousand hard cast lead rounds in my 40's. (Note hard cast) no issues other than they are dirty and with coated bullets so cheap I saw no reason to continue.