[Reloader54]

Hello group. I'm new to this Forum. I got a Glock 23 used Police gun in .40 S&W. It shoots great when I shoot store bought ammo. But I also reload my own ammo for all of the center fire guns that I own. I've found out that the Glock23 that I have the barrel is non-supportive and when I fire the ammo in it I get what they call a Glock Bulge. What I'd like to find out is there a way to correct this issue other that replacing the barrel with a supportive one? Is there a way to reload ammo for it so that it will chamber and not cause a jam in the chamber? Any help would be great. Thanks for any help.

[firedawg60]

I'd be real cautious about shooting re-loads in your Glock. There have been lots of kabooms with them and other makes/models of guns. I'd just stick with store bought, but that's just my opinion. Good luck.

[hmh]

If it is just for plinking I would load as low of a load that would still cycle.

[JonM]

Only two fixes. Sell the glock buy a different gun. Or replace the barrel with a better one.

[canebrake]

It's NOT the pressure levels of the powder charge, it's the weaken brass from multi-use AND the fouling a lead round will deposit on the gun's polygonal rifling.

You have done the MOST IMPORTANT step in the prevention of glock issues being a problem.

Awareness!

Forewarned is forearmed. Read, read, read!!! Google KB, glock kbs, glock problems, G23 KBs, G23 issues..............

The more you read, the more you will find out what the real issues are with your specific gun.

NOT ALL glocks are bad! But all glocks are glocks. (I had to say that!)

Also read these posts and threads:

http://www.firearmstalk.com/forums/f15/first-guns-13423/index2.html#post101126

http://www.firearmstalk.com/forums/f56/gold-dot-123gr-p-glock-19-a-10704/#post69586

http://www.firearmstalk.com/forums/f56/gold-dot-123gr-p-glock-19-a-10704/#post69653

You need to do one of two things,

1. Educate yourself on every bit of information you can get on the G23 including a call to glock customer service. Have them tell you about any and all things you need to know as a G23 owner. Do this after you have done your reading so you can ask questions arising from your research.
2. And, if you can not eliminate all doubts about your handgun, sell it or retire it as your night stand gun.

Here's a good read;

To understand why it's generally not a good ideal to shoot non-jacketed lead bullets out of barrels with polygonal rifling, it's first necessary to understand how a bullet passes down the bore. All bullets are slightly larger in diameter than their nominal caliber, which is defined as the distance between opposing lands. The bullets are larger in order to provide the "extra" metal that gets squeezed into the rifling by the propellant's expanding gases as the bullet travels down the bore; this extra metal fills in the grooves to provide a purchase for the rifling, thus allowing it to spin the bullet down the bore. Conventional rifling, developed when lead bullets were the norm and muzzle velocities somewhat lower, has grooves deep enough to accommodate the buildup of lead deposits caused by the friction between bore and bullet. Regular cleaning removes the deposits before they become constrictive.

However, because more of the bullet's bearing surface is in contact with the bore in polygonally rifled barrels, lead bullets, especially when pushed at high velocities, are literally squirted down the barrel, "smearing" the bore with a lead veneer. As this veneer builds up and fills in the gap that normally exists between the bore and bullet, it causes pressure from the expanding gases (now less able to pass through the gap) to increase dangerously. This is not a problem with jacketed bullets because the jacket material is a copper alloy that's much harder than lead and resists shedding.

In fact, the ability to use cartridges with non-jacketed lead bullets may be the greatest practical benefit of conventionally rifled barrels. If ammo is scarce and you can only buy or barter for cartridges with lead bullets, or you're a reloader who uses lead bullets to keep costs down, conventional rifling is an asset. Also, conventionally rifled barrels made of stainless steel, or that have been chemically hardened or plated with hard chrome, will have good usable barrel life.

[Dragonheart]

Don't sell the gun and don't not reload if it suits you. I am continually amazed and those that speak with great authority on subjects they know nothing about.

First, for those that reload, the bulge in cases is just above the rim where a reloading sizing die does not reach far enough down because the case is held in a shell holder. The bulge can happen over time not just in a .40, but also in .380, 9mm, 45, etc. It just happens sooner in unsupported chambers like the Glock and sooner shooting maximum loads. The fix is simple just buy a bulge buster die from Lee or Hornady and run your cases through the die, which re-sizes the bulge back to factory specs making the cases re-loadable again.

As far as the second part reloading. Every handgun manufacturer, not just Glock, that I can recall says if you shoot reloads they void your warranty. I have been reloading for over 50 years and it is completely safe provided you have the proper equipment, training and mental attitude. Reloading is not for everybody and I definitely know some careless individuals that should never attempt it. If you shoot far less than 4 to 5 K rounds a year then it probably will not be economical with the initial cost of the equipment and assuming you value your time worth something. However, if you want custom ammunition and want to get the best performance and accuracy out of each firearm then your might consider reloading.

[firedawg60]

I know everyone likes to point their fingers at Glocks and kabooms, but view these.

[canebrake]

Originally Posted by Dragonheart

Don't sell the gun and don't not reload if it suits you. I am continually amazed and those that speak with great authority on subjects they know nothing about.

First, for those that reload, the bulge in cases is just above the rim where a reloading sizing die does not reach far enough down because the case is held in a shell holder. The bulge can happen over time not just in a .40, but also in .380, 9mm, 45, etc. It just happens sooner in unsupported chambers like the Glock and sooner shooting maximum loads. The fix is simple just buy a bulge buster die from Lee or Hornady and run your cases through the die, which re-sizes the bulge back to factory specs making the cases re-loadable again.

As far as the second part reloading. Every handgun manufacturer, not just Glock, that I can recall says if you shoot reloads they void your warranty. I have been reloading for over 50 years and it is completely safe provided you have the proper equipment, training and mental attitude. Reloading is not for everybody and I definitely know some careless individuals that should never attempt it. If you shoot far less than 4 to 5 K rounds a year then it probably will not be economical with the initial cost of the equipment and assuming you value your time worth something. However, if you want custom ammunition and want to get the best performance and accuracy out of each firearm then your might consider reloading.

I hope that comment isn't directed at me. Not that I give a ****, but most people join this forum to share in our knowledge transfer and when I post, it's from experience, NOT bravado.

To get-along here, you need to know the membership and listen to what is provided as a response to questions submitted. If you disagree, file your protest with facts, not indignation. You will last much longer here if you follow that rule. NO, that's not a threat, it's just an observation I have made over the years here as a moderator,

The bulge in my post (G22) is from an unsupported case because of excess throating in the barrel. (And re-used brass.)

As far as your statement "Every handgun manufacturer, not just Glock, that I can recall says if you shoot reloads they void your warranty. [sic], call this number (Colt CS) 800-962-COLT (2658) and ask the nice girl what Colt's requirements are with respect to using re-loaded ammo in their firearms. I have, along with calling Gaston's CS and got two diametrically opposed answers. We know what Gaston's answer is, you do the math on Colt's answer.

And as to reloading, many of us do not reload for economic reasons. First to mind is pride in doing it. Second is matching ammo to your firearm's idiosyncrasies.

Should you take offense to my post, please PM me with your retort. If you must publicly respond, do so with facts.

cane (with NO emoticons)

IIRC, not to drift this thread, in my experience, glock bulge refers to the piss poor structure integrity of the glock's poly dust-cover.

[junior2009]

Originally Posted by Reloader54

Hello group. I'm new to this Forum. I got a Glock 23 used Police gun in .40 S&W. It shoots great when I shoot store bought ammo. But I also reload my own ammo for all of the center fire guns that I own. I've found out that the Glock23 that I have the barrel is non-supportive and when I fire the ammo in it I get what they call a Glock Bulge. What I'd like to find out is there a way to correct this issue other that replacing the barrel with a supportive one? Is there a way to reload ammo for it so that it will chamber and not cause a jam in the chamber? Any help would be great. Thanks for any help.

Don't shoot reloads unless the are factory reloads. I'm in LE and the state police here inidana were shooting reloads and they were blowing up in their hands.

[willfully armed]

I've run over 20,000+ reloads through my glocks with zero KBs.

including some in 10mm that would equal +p+.



I've never used a bulge buster die or small bases when sizing.