Polygonal Rifling in Reloading Ammo for Glocks
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- Опубликовано: 26 авг 2024
- Glock recommends only factory loaded jacketed bullets for use in Glock pistols with the reason being that lead bullets are incompatible with the Glock polygonal rifling used in their barrels. However, some shooters go ahead and shoot lead bullet reloads in their Glock factory barrels reporting no problems, while others purchase aftermarket barrels to allow use of lead bullet reloads in their Glocks. Here is some information that may help Glock owners more fully understand the issues...
By a far margin, the most informative and intelligently constructed videos on Glocks that I've seen.
+SuperSaltydog77 -- Thanks for the kind and encouraging words...Glocks really are fine, but they were designed first for the military and law enforcement market. The sportsman's market came last and the reloader's considerations are only starting to show up now. All big companies must look to expand their markets at some point and Glock is no exception. Happy Holidays to ya.... FC
+SuperSaltydog77 -- Thanks for taking the time to post...much appreciated... Have a great day, FC
FortuneCookie45LC Any experience with BE-86? I will be running it through my xd9.
@@FortuneCookie45LC IS IT THE SAME ISSUE WITH THE GLOCK 17 GEN 5 BARREL ?
@@bryantherocker interested parties want to know
I've been reloading since the early 90's, and I've seen just about all the issues you've mentioned. That was by far the most clear and succinct explanation on the Glock barrel design and issues that I have ever heard. I went the same route with simply fitting a Bar-sto barrel and after untold thousands of rounds never experienced a feeding issue that the Glocks inferior unsupported design is supposed to address. Thank you for that outstanding video.
+Andy Grayman -- And thank you for posting - the Bar-sto was a popular mod for our 1911s back in our IPSC days... Good shootin' to ya, FC
Why does this guy keep raising his voice during this presentation?
Glock pistols “blow up”? 😳
At first I thought you were a nut... But after listening to the whole presentation, you are fricken BRILLIANT. Excellent educational video. I’m a Computer Scientist by training but a longtime student of Physics and I enjoyed the heck out of this presentation. Thank you for the time, effort, & quality!
Whoa, whoa, whoa. Did you just use solid logic to make a point? I thought that all gun discussions were supposed to be based on emotion, bias, rumors, and guesses.
+Tim Delph -- Sorry to not respond to your comment until now... Google did not post it in my inbox for some nefarious reason...I like your humor... Happy Holidays to ya, FC
Humorous response, but this man has no clue what he's talking about. He is drawing conclusions from observations about things he knows nothing about. He's comparing a throated chamber to an unthroated chamber. It doesn't even know the proper nomenclature. It is exactly the polygon bore rifling that causes Glocks to blow up when you shoot lead through them. 1911's have throated Chambers since 1911, and they don't blow up when you shoot load through them because they usually land and groove rifling. This man is drawing conclusions on things he knows nothing about. I have seen Glocks blow up. And when I look at what they're shooting I knew exactly why they blew up. The rifling of a Glock allows the lead bullet to seal so tightly to the boar that it blows the projectile out of the driving band of the lead. That leaves a barrel obstruction which causes it to blow up the next round you shoot. That's exactly why they blow up. And it's also why Glock tells you not to shoot lead through their guns.
:Facepalm!: Well, no wonder!
@@44hawk28 lots of these so called "experts"on here totally agree with you
It happened to me recently, my surprise was due to inexperience with Glock. I was observing in a digital microscope, seeing the cut and tearing off part of the bottom of the pod and came to the same conclusion. I am not an expert enough to have observed the draft, but I did find the chamber to be flat and the connection of the ramp to the barrel to be sharp. From there I could see that the brass explosion took the shape of the ramp. Thanks for your contribution, it confirmed my research!
Buddy of mine shoots hard cast lead in his Glock. He scrubs the bore every 50 rounds. Two decades later, no problems.
Thank you for taking the horse hockey out this topic.
You confirmed my thoughts exactly FC. Great video, just finished watching the new one about (NOT) trimming pistol brass. You're a hidden source of knowledge on YT that a lot of shooters and loaders just aren't aware of. Keep up the great work and thanks for your contribution!
Marc Cervantes No one should ever say never though. If you shoot a lot of high intensity 357 magnum, you might want to check your case lengths. My favorite 357 load (for use only in 357 revolvers) uses the 170 Keith bullet loaded with 12 grains of 2400 in 38 special cases (if you like this, start low and work up) with magnum primers - no need to trim these ever. Big bore revolver brass very very seldom needs trimming - so seldom, it is close to never. Have a great day
I just found this video after purchasing a Glock, and seeing your mention of this subject ina recent H110 powder video. Thank you. I learned a lot.
Please make a video about the new glock gen5 barrel.They call it marksman barrel.The rifling is slightly different.And the chamber has much more support.I think it can handle with reloaded powerful lead ammunition.
I have been reloading since I was a teenager. It is important to me to be able to assemble my own ammo for my pistols, revolvers and rifles. I own only one Glock. It’s a 21. I have thousands and thousands of 45 Auto brass that I have collected for many years. I wanted to be able to use that brass in my 21. I purchased a Wilson Combat barrel for it. I shoot a lot of lead through it now. I also shoot fmj and jacketed HP’s through it. Havnt had any issues. The Wilson Combat barrel is a fully supported chamber Glock barrel. Hasn’t blown up yet😂Great video!
I enjoy that you actually follow the precepts of the scientific method by asking a lot of questions. Rather than telling us what an expert you are, you simply share your own observations via demonstration.
I am planning to reload 9mm cast bullets for my Glock 19 eventually so this is excellent information for me to know. Bottom line is I need a Wolf barrel and will only shoot factory ammo through my factory Glock barrel. Very good video! Thank you!
CountryBoyPrepper - that's a very good Glock policy. The big majority of blow - ups with Glocks is in the 40 cal. The 40 gives a perfect storm of all the factors that tend to boost pressures, so I never bought any 40 cal Glocks...but even then, I'll shoot my Lone Wolf barrels with my reloads. Best to ya...
Reloads are fine, just change the barrel, use a 9, dont max the bullet weight or charge and keep em coated...gtg.
Thank you for the video. You explained it thoroughly.
I've shot some of my lead loads through Glocks, and despite having no problems, I still know I should've been using Wolf barrels.
So for all the Glocks designated for using reloads, gotta spend the extra money on some Wolf barrels before I get any serious problems.
The fact is that this type of lead fouling causing a fire arm to blow up has never been officially proven. They have done countless testing on the polygon barrel and never had a fire arm blow up. But your video is very informative.
By the way my friend, I haven't thought of it for years now but when I got my first glock, I looked down the bbl to see what a polygonal bbl looked like up close and real time and I was totally confused. Now I see why and I thank you for that. I thought I wasn't seeing what I was supposed to see. I see now that what I saw is what I was supposed to see.
Well done! This reloader thought I would save some money for the daughter by reloading her 40 cal range rounds. Bought bullets and die set (Lee) without having done any prior research. Why not? I've got all the data and the confidence from years of experience. Open the die set instructions and the first thing I read is: "do not use reloads in Glocks without fully supported chambers". Went online to see lots of kaboomed Glock pictures. Whew. Counted lucky stars, traded it all in on some other components.
I use to have a Desert Eagle made by IMI in 44 magnum, that was the first gun that I ever saw that had polygonal rifling. The rifling in my old Desert Eagle was nothing like the Glock barrel.... and I don't think that I ever shot a factory load in my Desert Eagle... all reloads. Never owed a Glock but if I do I will replace the barrel! Thanks for the great video!
no damn valley's here man....no damn hills there dude. On a more serious note, you clearly know what your talking about and I appreciate you taking the time to explain...I learned much watching this. Yet another reason I dont understand the infatuation with glock pistols. They blow up, they come with plastic sights and crappy triggers, they are uncomfortable and ugly and they are definitely over priced. But you can drop them in a mud puddle and they will still shoot so people buy them instead of one of the many better options out there.
Just stumbled on this video, and learned a wealth of information. I'm about to start reloading, and I will definitely pick up an aftermarket barrel before I fire reloads through my Glocks. What about purchasing reloads from companies, are those just as dangerous? Thanks for all the knowledge, and great video!
All Fort Cookey videos I've seen are Awesome I don't remember any single thing I have disagreed with him about. That is a rare thing especially considering I've watched quite a number of his videos. And further more I like this guy's Altitude & dimenor & the way he speaks with a true measure of humility. At the very least that's the way I see & hear it , much love to my fellow man F.C. if your ever in my neck of the woods Waco, Texas hit me up you have a brother here .
I know this is old but thanks for the education. We always can learn
Also consider that Glock's have an unsupported barrel/chamber. That exposes the base of the case which may lead to problems with cases splitting with the inherent pressures of the cartridge being fired. This also causes bulged cases for ammunition being fired in Glock pistols. Also want to add that Glock chambers tend to be oversized which gives them the ability to handle out of spec ammo which folks tend to think of being more reliable.
I blew up a Glock 29 from lead bullets, and it had a Lone Wolf barrel installed. I had allowed lead fouling to accumulate, and while I probably could have shot lead bullets all day, the second jacketed bullet sent down range through that fouling caused a KABOOM! The Lone Wolf barrel split into four pieces, with the piece on the upper left quadrant apparently going into orbit after seriously bruising my left index finger, as I never found it. The remaining three pieces showed significant fouling.
Lesson 1: The dangers of lead fouling are not exaggerated.
Lesson 2: Not no more lead bullets for me, but no more lead bullets in a 10mm. Jacketed bullets only.
I still have the Glock 29 factory barrel, which is just about the only thing on that pistol worth salvaging.
Expensive lesson, but I'll never forget it.
Thank you for your excellent content.
When I bought my G17 in 2003 I also bought a KKM barrel because I was told not to shoot lead in it. I had been reloading for 45acp and 9mm since 1992 for a 1911 and various 9mm pistols. At my first IDPA match one of the guys ask why I had a KKM Match barrel. He said he and many others had been shooting lead reloads through their;s for years without a problem. So I tried my reloads in it, sized to .356". So far I have shoot 170,000 rds through it as of last week. Half of those through the Glock Factory barrel. No problems so far. 147 grain Lyman #2 alloy and Lee 124 grain tumble lube bullet. I only use Winchester std primers and Tight Group or Bulleye. I have two Dillon 1050's a 650 and a 550B. Yes I shoot a lot.
Good video sir.
Khristy Stewart - As you are well aware, the 9mm is not the hotspot for Glock Kabooms - the 40 cal is the problem especially with heavy bullets and TiteGroup powder. Now with the Gen 4s,40s, reports are that the chambers are tighter in the Gen 4s giving more case support. I like my Lone Wolf barrels though because the cut rifling works better with cast bullets. As good as the Glock rifling is, that was designed to shoot factory jacketed bullets. Not many competitive Glock shooters are into using cast bullets though - the FMJs and plated bullets rule there. Best to ya and Continued good shootin' to ya... Thanks for reporting, FC
Thank you for your help I will look into purchasing a wolf barrel from my supplier I needed a 2nd opinion cheers Sam
sam agiakatsikas - A big part of the decision making is the purpose for your gun - The primary drive for the Glock design was a military and police gun = need for simplicity, reliability, durability, accuracy, ease of manufacture. The sportsman was not on the radar screen. However, the Glock design extends past the military and police, and you will note that the current Glock website features a push towards the sportsman - that is because any big free enterprise company requires market expansion to grow profits plus product expansions to maintain market share. That Glock is not producing a line of Glock cut rifling barrels for use shooting cast bullets and reloads is a shortcoming of their corporate strategy. They say do not shoot reloads in Glocks and no cast bullets (that is because all cast bullet autoloader ammo today are reloads). But with their new line of barrels - they would specify that those should be used. In one fell swoop, they could wipe out the aftermarket barrel competition. Think of all the possibilities including longer barrels, threaded and ported, barrels with compensators or mini-compensators and longer sight radius. They could have their own performance center for competition shooters. Glocks with picatinny rails on top for optics mounting. .Glocks been around 31 years now - time for them to change their thinking don't you think...?? Best to ya, FC
@@FortuneCookie45LC facts!
Id love a longer barrel for mine as well
Finally somebody has explained it intelligently... Thank you.
I swapped my mod 23 barrel for a Wolf brand barrel with a compensator. My plastic wonder can now spit lead! I also use the Lee full length sizing die to eliminate the case bulge on recycled brass. Great video, pictures say a thousand words!
I purchased a KKM precision barrel for my Glock 19 since I make reloads and use cast lead powder coated bullets, rather be safe than sorry. Fortune cookie did a great solid fact presentation on this subject, appreciate him sharing his knowledge to help keep everyone shooting Glocks safe.
I only jacketed bullets in the Glock 20. I`ve heard people say that they have had no leading using lead bullets in Glocks. But mine leads up badly.
A lot easy to just use jacketed than spending a hour cleaning the lead out of the bore.
1957Shep-That's for sure, many years ago when I first started casting for my Series 70 Colt Government Model, I casted them extra hard because leading was NOT desired. You can imagine what would have happened if I leaded my barrel…I would never have casted another bullet ever. But it shot and cleaned like a dream…and I've been casting up a storm ever since. :) Have a great day to the 1957Shepster.
the most comprehensive video on the subject out there,congatulations and keep on the good work !
arno maas - Appreciate the kind words...And every RUclips poster needs those now and agin'...Most of us do it for the sheer love of the subject and desire to see others benefit...Best Regards to ya...
Back in the day early 1990's a Glock rep told me the issue was that the Glock barrel does not get a good purchase/bite on the lead only bullet, thus causing accuracy issues. Nothing was ever mentioned about fouling or blowing up. Just that lead rounds will not always go where you aim. He joked about it being a short musket.
Highly thought provoking video... Thanks!!!
Another excellent video. A CZ 82 has true polygonal rifling. Side by side, the inside of the barrels are quite different from Glock'.
Informative but I gotta tell you. I've put about 6-7000 reloads through my glock and about half of them were lead. All in a factory barrel. No problems at all. Maybe I'm just lucky? Thanks for the info. Always nice to hear all opinions.
Michael Finkenbinder - Thanks for your comments. It's not the lead that blows Glocks up. It's the loose chamber. Glocks have blown up with factory ammo - that's not supposed to happen with the strong new brass, but there have been isolated cases. But if the factors stack up (like the planets lining up just right), the reload brass in the Glock chamber can let go and the Kabooms happen. You don't hear about as many of them now as before - and amazingly, fired Glock brass from earlier Glocks do not chamber in current Glocks - it is possible that the Glock chambers are just a bit tighter now from the earlier so that there is additional case support reducing the incidence of Kabooms...it happened much more with the 40 cal anyway... Glock would not advertise the chamber changes as that would be like admission of fault - or error...and I'm not even sure that it is error...the design was to offer high reliability - well it sure did that, and with factory ammo, it was OK...Your reloads must not have the planets in alignment factor...and that is very good... Best to ya for continued good shooting... FC
You sir are super knowledgeable. I love your channel. Please keep it up. Exceptionally thorough.
Great video - when I heard you said Glock and HK, I was worried I would not be able to use handloads on my P2000. You then explained the fully supported vs unsupported feed ramp. It really helped!
This is one of your best ever videos excellent content ! Very important information .
I'm trying to soak up all of your knowledge on reloading! Thanks for another great video!
+OneSimpleSolution -- You are a student, as are all. Who has all knowledge this side of Glory...? no one. I prefer to share what I have. If someone were to get it and not share it, what good are they? Have a great day, FC
Thank you for this. I have been a subscriber of your channel for some time and this video came up while I was looking up some Glock barrel info. I am on the fence of getting aftermarket barrel and found your video full of great info I was unaware of. Thanks!!!
Interesting vid Fortune Cookie. I am not a Glock owner nor do I like them. The one thing I do like on them though is their sights. I know a lot of Glock owners like their Glocks but do not like their sights. Anyhow, I am a reloader and have been doing it now for 49 years so I am always interested in perspectives on chamber pressure as well as all aspects of reloading. I want to relate an instance that happened to me while shooting with a friend. I was shooting my Model 88 Fabrique National chambered in 9mm and I was shooting some old factory reloads that I had purchased years ago. Well Rob, my friend, was shooting his AR and me my " Model 88 ". I do not reload for 9mm.....yet, though I have dies for it. So I'm shooting the first few rounds off the top of the mag when upon the next shot there was a very strange sound emanating from my pistol. It sounded like a kinda loud PPFFFT. Though not as loud as a normal shot. Right away my buddy said " What was that ?? " And I said " I dunno ". So I looked at my pistol and both of the beautiful new wood stocks I had purchased for this gun were split yet still attached to my gun. Fortunately I and Rob were un harmed and upon close examination of my gun in general, it too was un harmed. Although the case that had ruptured and dumped hot gas down my mag well was still in the gun, it had not ejected, but the bullet had exited the barrel. So what I believed happened was I either fired an overcharged round loaded with a fast burning powder or possibly an undercharged round that may have detonated. I think the former explanation is the most feasible. As a result I do not shoot anybody's reloads anymore, PERIOD, NO THANK YOU EMY LOU ! I have loaded 9mm in the distant past but quit doing so because of its affordability and availability. Yeah, that was a few years ago right ? So I was aware of the special considerations of reloading 9mm, namely chamber pressures specific to that particular round when a bullet is seated even just a tad too deep. As you know one has to be very aware when reloading and pay strict attention to the reloading manuals.........which is all fun and interesting to me. But you hit upon an interesting point in this vid that I want to elaborate on. I do not, never have, use the fastest powder in an effort to save money, in any caliber I load for. For one, if careless, you have a potential for a double charge. And two, typically you achieve the higher velocity with usually lower chamber pressures and much less chance of double charges and achieving that by using the medium to slow powders with a close to [ you can have a little air space in your loaded case ] full case of powder. Also, near to full cases contribute to better accuracy. Now I do not like nor do I load compressed loads. I will confess that they scare me when loading them for fear of the round getting a little too anxious to start doing its thing while I'm still seating the bullet. Anyway that's my dollar and two cents worth. Signed, Doug.
*Thank you for the demo on 45 ACP Glock chambers being OVERSIZED and NOT FULLY SUPPORTED ... Typical Sloppy Glock Chambers, even in the 45 ACP. THAT IS FINE if you run factory fresh standard pressure ammo....or NATO pressure ammo and NEVER RELOAD BRASS that was fired in a GLOCK chamber of a GLOCK barrel. Several other pistol makers copied GLOCK and I will not mention all of them. Thank you for the demo to show what we are looking for.*
I have been doing this for 16 years with lead bullets with Glock barrel's. I reload my brass 3 times then they go to my other pistols. Then I proceed to load that brass till the case splits or the primer pockets get lose. Love your videos'.
Thank you,love your Vid's. will be reloading lead for my Glock soon and will be replacing my barrel with a KKM. Great advice,always wondered what this was about,cheers.
sooner54 Good shootin' to ya - the Glock is a fine firearms platform...Best Regards
Nicely done. There seems to be a lot of debate on this topic and it is nice to see the facts laid out and compared. Very informative. Thank you for the video!
Michigun71 - And thank you for the good word...The Glock is a very fine firearm. But when they say Glock Perfection (?). Everything in life is a tradeoff including firearms - we want ultra reliability, we get loose chambers. We want light weight, we get more recoil. We want long barrels, we lose handling. We want bullpups, we lose tradition. and the beat goes on...Have a great day
This is a great service to all shooters. The gun dealers won't tell you this stuff. I sold my one & only glock because I reload all my ammo.
For the very first time have I heard such informative and educated explanation of exact reasons why we can't use reloaded ammo in glocks despite searching the web for the right answers. Yes, this channel is bringing me real fortune in indisputable knowledge, you have made youtube a real happy place to be. Thank you.
Antoua B - Your kind, generous and encouraging comment is much appreciated...my channel doesn't have much glitz or graphics. The only star is the content, topics and subjects. - All my Best Regards and admiration, FC
There is more surface contact on a polygonal which creates more heat. Also the ploygonal barrel has thinner walls at the valley’s.
False. and false
Thanks for this valuable information. You may have saved me or someone else from blowing up their Glock pistol. I like my Glocks and I want to keep them in as few pieces as possible.
Keep up you videos. You do a great job in your presentations.
BuzzardBait48 - Thanks for the good word, and yes, we all do like our Glock pistols the way they are. KaBoom mods are not indicated…Best Regards
My friend had an incident in his Glock 22 with a faulty box of federal ammo. The gun blew up, blew the magazine out of the bottom and flew out his hand about 4ft. down range. He was told that the over pressured factory ammo and the un-supported chamber on the Glock barrel caused this to happen. Exactly what you said in your video. My friend did not sue Federal or Glock. Glock replaced the broken parts, and Federal reimbursed him with extra ammo.
That must be an old glock barrel,like gen2,now they are fully supported. But now s&w shields have poor chamber support!
I agree. After watching this video, I pulled the barrels from all 4 of my Glocks. 1 gen 3, two gen4’s and a gen5. The only barrel that even remotely resembles this on is my gen3 G23, but even it doesn’t look the same. My gen 4’s and gen 5 (all 9mm) look very different, with much closer chamber tolerances. I’m sure, after close inspection, that later model Glocks use a different manufacturing process.
I have run several thousand rounds of lead both lubed and powder coated through my glock barrels and have had a problem with leading or fouling. I do run the lower pressure loads.
Excellent explanation. Well done, and with easy to comprehend logic. Thank you.
I've yet to come across a firearms manufacture that 'does' recommend the use of reloads in their guns.
Most manufacturers do that as cya, glock does it because their firearms have the potential to damage brass in a way that makes reloading unsafe. Face it, when you're reloading you usually use the brass you fired. Reloaders shouldn't get brass from stock glocks.
@@travissmith2211 you sir, are misinformed. Glocks, like most other semi-automatic pistols have a portion of the chamber that is unsupported. And it doesn't cause any greater problems in Glocks than it does in any other firearm. The problem is that they originally suffered from, was early 40 Smith cartridges where the case was manufactured and properly on the inside of its base. When you reloaded it it created piece of brass that was considerably weaker than the way standard brass is supposed to be made. That problem has since been mitigated. There were some manufacturers that were improperly loading their ammo and causing the guns to also not function properly and the 40 Smith cartridge. But that has since been mitigated as well. The only problem is Smith & Wesson has with 40 Smith cartridge anymore is the fact that the firearm is specifically designed around 9 mm and 40 Smith can cause excessive disturbances to the firearm that was not designed to handle the more powerful round. As for the boar, shooting lead through a Glock can cause it to explode within as little as 8 to 10 Rounds. What happens is that the LED seals to the Bohr so tightly that you can actually shoot the bullet out of the driving band of lead and leave the driving band of lead in the Bohr. And the next round blows the gun up. You must use jacketed ammo, or very hard cast, and usually with a gas check base on the bullet. But it's just a lot simpler to just use jacketed ammo. But not reloading ammo that was once used in a Glock has nothing whatsoever to do with it. Unless you physically see that the case is bulged and which case you probably have a bad case or it come out of a firearm that was fired in an overcharged condition.
That's true😆
If you think about reloading,you WILL get a catastrophic malfunction that at least will cause death or grave bodily harm for you and evryone in your proximity!! 😅
Som buy the ammo brand they recomend and make money of😉😆
Cz czechmates, wont cycle standard ball ammo
It's so that if you fuck up they are covered
Thank you for a clear and concise explanation of this potential danger.
I recently bought a Glock 21 in .45acp. I've already had several examples of the famous Glock Smile with my reloads. Which are not plus P or should not be over pressure at all, but most are loaded with Red Dot or the new Cleanshot powders. 5.4 grains of Red Dot is pretty much a standard load in all the sources I've got. First time I'd ever heard of it being a problem in a Glock. Guess I need to go ahead and shop for a Wolf Barrel for mine as I've got literally thousands of rounds loaded like this. Don't want to blow up my new gun but hate to have to special feed it too because of a design issue. I had no problems whatsoever with the loads seated out to standard length, but the guppy bellies happened with some Gold Dots that I had seated deeper into the cases, so maybe that was the issue. Good video, I learned a lot about Glocks, which I had little previous experience with other than my .380, which I've never had a problem with at all.
Almost all of my ammunition is reloaded ammo with poly coated ammunition and that is why I use a Wolff barrel and keep my Glock barrel in reserve. I did have a ka-boom early in my .40 caliber Glock 22 that blew out the magazine and broke the extractor claw. Switching to a wolf barrel, I also removed the projectile and powder from over a thousand rounds of .40 caliber reloaded ammunition and resized the cases and re-reloaded them using a lee factory crimp die as I found out some of my reloaded rounds were sticking (nose-diving) in the chamber. This over crimping can also cause a ka-boom. Since then I have gone through more than 5000 rounds of poly coated reloaded ammunition with no instances of a problem.
Excellent analysis and explanation! Thank you!
Cut rifling, and the sharp corners you refer to give the fouling a place to accumulate. The hammer forged Glock rifling, with its smoother transitions do not afford this space for the fouling to build up. This means it takes less fouling in a Glock barrel to cause unwanted pressure spikes, than in a cut barrel. But your right, one of the biggest reasons why using reloads in a Glock factory barrel is the partially-unsupported chamber.
+Jeremian Lastly -- Sure makes for good reliability with factory ammo though... Best to ya, FC
“Valleys and flats but no hills and valleys.”
Outstanding video. I have a Glock 27g4 in 40 s/w and have only about 100 rounds through it. Always heard "rumors" about how they blew up and was going to sell it but after your video I have decided to keep it. I only shoot factory loads and don't shoot very often (maybe 2-3 times a year with this pistol). I did buy a wolf 9mm barrel for it since I have a lot of 9mm ammo. Someone, YOU, has finally explained this so that I could understand. Thanks so much. May buy a S/W or S.A. for my next 40s/w.
frank zappa - Always good to hear from you - Your G27Gen4 is an excellent pistol. As you are well aware - the 40 S&W was developed from the 10mm that was in vogue after the Miami shootout where numerous failures to stop occurred with some of the other calibers of the day. The 10 wound up being too robust for many officers to qualify with so the reduced power (read non-magnum) 40 S&W using a shorter case came about. The 40 is a fine round in its own right. Your Glock was designed to be used with factory ammo. Many shooters have come to realize that the famed Glock reliability comes at the cost of the factory barrel gun not being suitable for use with reloads or cast bullets. You will hear of some shooters running reloads and cast bullets through their factory Glock barrels against all the recommendations with no problems. You can play Russian roulette without problem also - until your luck runs out...No thanks, whenever I pull a pistol trigger, I never have to wonder if my gun is going to dismantle itself in my hand - and I'm staying that way. Glad to hear you are of like mind. Best Regards and Happy Holidays...
FortuneCookie45LC Thanks for this and your other prompt reply. Merry Christmas and a safe happy new year.
thank you for this video. I just came across a really sweet deal on a pair of blocks and had not heard of any of the specifics about why they were not able to shoot reloads or lead bullets. It wasn't a major concern for me because I don't reload yet, but this is great information. Again, thanks for the info.
-- You'll hear a lot of stuff. Baseline - Glocks are fine pistols. But you'll hear people say that yes, Glocks have polygonal rifling - but they really don't know what polygonal rifling looks like - if they say hills and valleys, they have automatically invalidated themselves on what polygonal rifling truly is. Fact of the matter, Glock starts with polygonal mandrel, but then they start grinding on the mandrel to change the rifling. Once they change it, say you start with a circular mandrel and grind flats on it - can you still say it is a circular barrel? And you start with a polygon and grind inward reverse roundness to every corner (that's why they call it their own version of female polygonal rifling - Good grief - just call it Glock rifling - they could have and should have patented it so others couldn't copy it - what absurdity!!) And others say Glocks can blow up because of barrel fouling raising pressures because of the polygonal rifling. Anyone that does research will find out the polygonal rifling fouls less not more, so where does the fouling= high pressure go from there. Basically, Glocks are fine pistols. I don't bash Glocks because I own four of 'em. Best Regards, FC
Makes perfect sense now. Well done 👌🏻
A lot of people do shoot lead from Glock barrels because Glock saying their barrels are polygonal rifled is a misnomer. They use six land symmetrical rifling with large radii. It's basically regular rifling without sharp edged lands. It does tend to build up more lead but not as much as actual polygonal rifling. Actual polygonal rifling is used in many H&K guns.
+thallium200 -- Thanks for your informative comment...you've got a great handle on this subject. I still don't understand why Glock just didn't call their rifling "Glock Rifling" because that is what it really is - distinctive to Glocks - but as you say - calling it polygonal is a disservice and disinformative. Have a great day, FC
Seams your logic is on point. And I submit to you a statement and a question. The statement being, that the original glock barrel with minimal support has better function in regards to jamming. And the very important question I have is. Many magazines that are filled to full capacity cause the last bullet inserted to be such a tight fit into the mag, that it creates a grooves on the shell casing, of which, seams in my mind to weaken the durability of the shell. Therefore, is it a problem, is there a greater chance of the gun exploding?
I have after market barrels for the Glocks I have. I shoot factory loads with the stock barrel or aftermarket but reloads only through the aftermarket barrels.
Obviously, I found the video. What a great lesson! I am currently in the market for my EDC which will be a 9mm and was seriously considering the Glock 19. Not so much, anymore. I haven't shot factory ammunition in several years and do not intend to start now (with the exception of my carry ammo). Additionally, I do not want to purchase a separate barrel for a brand new pistol. So... *sigh..... Back to the drawing board. Thanks so much for making this in easy to understand verbiage.
Just buy a glock! I have hundreds of thousands of rounds through glocks with all types of ammo from lead to +p have never blown up a glock! Yes on occasion with multiple reloading I have had a case split but thats it
Thanks!! :D Your video clearly clarifies and educates me a lot.
What an excellent video. You might have saved my brand new Glock 22 from blowing up with factory reloads. Thank you sir.
siddharth kumar - Right you are..!! Factory reloads are still reloads of used brass - and if that brass was shot in a Glock previously (a lot of brass is), the weakened brass situation is running...The 6 o"clock brass head blowouts are classic of case failures, and if a shooter shot 100K rounds of reloads through his/her Glock without problems - that still does not OK the telling of others to take the same risks. Using an aftermarket barrel with a supported chamber gives me the confidence I'd like to have when I trip the Glock triggers...All that loose chamber and unsupported 6 stuff is fine for factory fresh new ammo... Happy Holidays to ya..!! Thanks for posting... FC
The operator's manual with my issue Glock pistol does say 'no reloads' (without qualification or exception) and does not mention 'lead' bullets of any type.
It also claims to have polygonal rifling. Which is not the case. Heckler and Koch makes some handguns with actual polygonal rifling. Glock rifling is more like Metford rifling in the 19th Century.
The idea of a regular polygon is a plane figure which is equiangular and equilateral.
I have a G 36 (45) and 23 (9) and I shoot a bunch of reloads. My 17 yr old son shot 400 rds of reloads in one afternoon (G23 (9mm). My 36 loves my 45 acp reloads. My G36 barrel favors the silver barrel insides. Make sure your reloads are sized by case length and then bullet length. Also, I just use FMJ ammo. Cool video
I really enjoy your videos thank you for taking the time to draw out the pics to show us how different barrels look and how they perform! I own a M&P 9mm and enjoy it and will shoot reloads. I do love the Glock 19 and if I ever get one a after market barrel will be used
The lip that’s at the beginning of the lands and the end of the chamber has to be there that’s how the bullets or cartridge seats. The cartridge seats on the mouth of the case that’s why that lip is there is supposed to be there. Now you can do reloads with fully jacketed bullets in your case is no different than factory ammo. And today they have coated bullets that are either coded with copper or a new plastic in which the lead never touches the lands or grooves therefore you do not have any buildup from lead. And if you choose the correct gunpowder you will have less debris as well. So you can use reloads on Glocks and the Glock barrel however I have Problems with 45 APCs from a Glock to a match grade barrel. The bulges huge however 9 mm goes through my dyes and is totally removed and I have no issues loading in my 9 mm. Remember the lead bullets have to be coated which eliminates the lead from contacting The barrel.
Great vid. Thanks clearing up all the myths about why Glocks shouldn't shoot reloads.
StealthBraid -And thank you for taking the time to post, and also for your interest in an important subject. All the enthusiasts who really analyze the events quickly notice that it is the chambers (specifically the lower back portions) of Glock barrels that are blowing down and back and out (not up). When barrels bulge or split, it's because of barrel obstructions. But the common KaBooms are the chambers. Then you hear that it is the polygonal rifling that caused it. And you will find it is pointless to argue as they have their minds made up while not even knowing exactly what polygonal rifling is ("look at the hills and valleys - that's polygonal rifling"). Have a great day.
Awesome Explanation sir!! Thank you!!!
Your video has saved me big heartaches. I have a G41 and G22 and just recently have decided to reload the .45 and .40 calibers. I didn't know why I shouldn't reload these for my Glocks. I have other 45s and .40s non Glocks.
Now I understand. Guess it's time to invest in a couple of after-market barrels.
Any recommendations?
This is a very comprehensive video on Glock barrels. Just really great. But, Fortune, I was wondering why Glock would make their chambers this way in the first place. Any thoughts?
FCL45LC...Well, I never knew. All this time going with the 'polygonal' barrel warning without thinking of why. Very good presentation...a classic reason on NOT shooting lead through a GLOCK. I think this needed to be said as everything comes to light on why GLOCK warns of shooting reloads and lead.
Congrats, Professor, on a job well done!!
Larry-Everything being said, there are still lots of shooters reloading cast lead bullets and shooting them thru factory Glock barrels. If medium - medium/slow powders are used, and maximum charges avoided, and we are not shooting 40 S&W, most of the risks are attenuated. But they are still there because of the unsupported case. If we reload for the Glock, we have to accept that. This video doesn't tell shooters not to reload/reload cast bullets for Glocks - only to understand what they are dealing with and best accommodate that, should they decide to go ahead...Best Regards
I have only used cast lead in my used polygon Omega. Of course I clean it once I get it home.
I've never experienced any issues with that.
It DOES have a very brutal extraction.
Cases sometimes get part of the head chewed off.
Thank you for this very informative video. I'm switching all my barrels now.
If your going to reload using cast lead bullets, get poly coated, load them properly, ie. have a good flair, avoid over crimping ( just enough to keep the case the same diameter ) if you use grooved bullets keep case mouth away from edge of bullet groove, don't run max load pressures ( follow bullet manufacturer recommendation) i have run tens of thousands of poly bullets through Glocks, H&Ks without issues. When I first started out using poly bullets i was making mistakes and having problems until I talked to the owner of a major poly coated manufacturer and he corrected me on my reloading practice, sence then all is well. been reloading sence early 1980s casted and reloaded bear lead , when i made the change to poly coated its been awesome, leading gone, less smoke, easier clean up. so don't fret, poly up.
Ha Re - The big problem with reloads in Glocks is really centered on the strength of the brass fired in enlarged and throated chambers of Glocks. The latest Glock gens seem to have tightened up the chambers just a bit to increase case support, but we can't get Gen 3+ in CA to really tell for sure. A cop at the range let me check out his Gen 3 and other fired Glock brass would not go back into his chamber - that same fired brass chambered in Gen 2. That gave me some evidence that Glock has tightened up their chambers a bit - but this was only a sampling of one. Otherwise, it's using brass that has been strength compromised by firing in Glocks being used again and again in Glocks that can cause kabooms especially if hot loads are being shot, bullets are too big or too hard, or any other improper reloading practices that might raise pressures. The safety margins are reduced using that weakened brass. Glock chambers were designed for max reliability using factory fresh jacketed bullet ammo for police and military, the sportsman was never in the picture until recently - that's the whole thing in a nutshell. Obviously, you know what you are doing with your Glocks, et al, and your ammo. Continued good shootin' to ya, FC Steve
+FortuneCookie45LC The key words is "knowing what you are doing "
Don't know what a SAAMI spec is, don't have case gauges, crno, calipers, multiple published reload data ect.one probably shouldn't be reloading. My main reload is high power bench rifle, 308 on up, little margin for error.
All good pistol (if not all) manufacturers SHOULD be chambered SAAMI spec. ( only way to prove the gen 3,4 is to slug the chamber or pin gauge them) you also hit on something a lot of ( cheap ) reloaders do, over use their brass. in one example 45acp i load on the lower end of the spectrum and only five times then into the recycle bucket. Most pistol kabooms point back to dubble changes ( somthing thats extremely easy to do given the case volume) Reloading is as safe as factory ammo if you use common sense, follow the rules, have ALL the proper equpment and don't take shortcuts. Manufacturers warn against reloaded ammo for the stated reasons above, do ammo manufacturers make mistakes? you bet they do, not often but it happens, so nothing is a sure bet. i have a gen 1, 3 and 4 glock in 9mm i will take a look at them.
Excellent explanatory safety education
Great information, an explanation! Thanks
wow, you're timing is impeccable. I had heard that .40 cal. Glocks were NOT reload friendly, but the 9s were okay...but lo and behold, I had a (copper plated) 9mm reload jam REALLy hard 2 weeks ago...I will look into a different barrel down the road. Tnx
20thcenturyfilmdocs-Thanks for the post...Cause was probably the plated bullet stuck firmly in the chamber throat so gun was not in battery. Probably had to push the edge of the slide back using edge of shooting bench to free it up. Cure is to seat bullets a little deeper or go to a FMJ bullet. Too deep is not good either as pressures go up and Glocks don't do well with overpressure. Best Regards
FortuneCookie45LC Yep, pretty much that, so I guess not directly related to this issue, but it enlightened me about my next steps, which are to get that Wolf aftermarket barrel LOL. Tnx
20thcenturyfilmdocs Thanks for your post. The Wolf barrels are nicely done and allow shooting all ammo, not just the reloads and cast lead loads…But you'll want to shoot the factory stuff with your Glock barrel, since that is what you would use for any serious use…Best Regards
This is probably the most helpful video I've ever watched! Thanks.
General Steven D. Lee 5683 - Your gracious comments are much appreciated...Thanks to you, As said back in the day "...and give the General, my compliments..." FC
Great video. I have had the unfortunate experience of having a blow out at the unsupported portion of the case just above the feed ramp on a G19. The bullets were jacketed factory reloads, I had never fired cast in that gun. I like my Glocks but have no intention of repeating the event and had stopped shooting reloads of any kind in them after that. Moving forward I will not be shooting reloads with an unsupported chamber. Now that I'm getting into reloading pistol calibers I got a Lee bulge buster to process my old bulged .40 and .45 brass (unfortunately doesn't work on 9mm) and had planned to get barrels with supported chambers. This appears to be the best answer to my situation because the Supported chamber helps to prevent a blowout on previously bulged brass and preserves new brass for reloading by not allowing the bulge in the first place.
AllenZombieSlayer- You have developed the AllenZombieSlayer Glock No-Kaboom Policy. These incidents have happened and will continue to happen at a high enough rate that the problems cannot be ignored. Good shootin' to ya and thanks for posting your experiences on this...
My question is if I'm reloading in accordance with a good hand load manual, with good brass and copper jacket. Not a problem in my hu.ble opinion.
I have a Springfield Omega linkless 10mm with a polygon barrel.
Hey Cookie, good to see you again. Nice vid. Agree with everything you said.
FC45LC, very fine video - one of the best if not the best I have ever seen on the subject. I do notice though that my G19 Gen 4 barrel and my Lone Wolf LWD-19N are much more similiar on the feed and support aspects than your 45 barrels. Thanks so much for the time, effort and insight you put into the video.
The same chamber constructs are there, but to a lower degree because of smaller bore and not as readily apparent - probably has something to do with the 9s not going Kaboom very often...Best Regards to ya...
Honestly I believe it's a legal thing with their warnings about reloads and lead ammo.. Your videos are awesome and very informative and this is the best description on rifling I've heard in a long time.. On a side note can you recommend another prefer for 9mm besides titegroup many something slower burning and less snappy
This was exactly what I was looking for, thanks!
TheHulk - Thanks for the good word - The latest Glock into is now that Glock barrels have their version of female polygonal rifling. They didn't say female in the past - did they do a sex change? There hasn't been any change to Glock rifling that we can pick up. I still find it immensely interesting and baffling how they can get get what we see in the Glock factory barrels to become construed as being polygonal in any way. Why they don't just call it their Glock Rifling (no trademark needed) is beyond me. 1) It wouldn't change anything 2) It would be more precise instead of inaccurate 3) It would give the rifling brand distinction instead of just plain distinction. Glock is not the only one that hammer forges barrels - The only difference is they hammer in their rounded lands and grooves and inaccurately call it polygonal rifling - the other manufacturers hammer in rough rifling and then finalize it a cutter.to get the final cut rifling. Have a great Holiday Season...
You too man, i'm picking up my first G23 on Tuesday so it will be interesting to see this for myself
Thanks again buddy for another great video, I am passing this on to all of the other reloaders I know.
zoltarp - Appreciate you passing this video on... If they have any questions, please let them know to go ahead and comment... Have a great day, FC
Super Vel did a test and found no difference in pressure between magnum and standard primers. Sound reasoning.
I use a button rifled barrel in my glock thin lands and wide grooves less pressure, I've ran bout 2000 rounds or reloads but there is always a chance,
I've shot nothing but reloads In my Glock 17 G4. I use mostly copper plated bullets but also a lot of PC lead bullets. I use faster burning powders but I always use the minimum charge to just make power factor for IDPA. I reload using a Dillon XL650 with a powder check die. I also visually inspect each powder charge before placing the bullet to be seated.Every 50 rounds I check the weight on a scale. I've never had a problem with my Dillon press throwing a wonky powder weight! So far I've put 15,000 rounds though my Glock 17 G4. On the few occasions where I've used tumble lube lead bullets, I noticed a lot of leading in the front of the barrel. I've had no issues with copper plated or PC.
And the barrel hasn't changed over any of those generations. Great customer service.
campsite a - My most recent Glock - the G20 - very interesting - picked up some Glock fired 10mm that had that bulged look and the cases would not chamber in my G20 barrel. When we pick up Glock fired brass, it usually chambers again in Glocks but not in non-Glocks. It's possible that my G20 has a smaller chamber - but no way is Glock going to advertise that Glock 20 chambers are smaller now as that would be an admission that the previous ones were too big. Then the questions of why would be asked. I like my 4 Glocks - and so do all the new shooters that I bring to the range. One of them in a group of 6 new shooters I brought to the range, shot up 400 rounds of 9mm hardball. Didn't pick up on that until I did inventory afterwards... that was an expensive range day for me, but it's all OK - I could have shot that up myself just as easily. Have a great day, FC
FortuneCookie45LC Why are you getting new shooters to shoot Glocks? Is there something wrong with you?
campsite a - Whatever we feel about Glocks, they sell well at the gun stores. I'm neither a Glock lover nor a Glock hater. I shoot them along with my 1911s, M&P, XD, Sigs...However, I do take umbrage to the term Glock Perfection...They may be good, they may even be OK, but they are far from perfect...Best to ya, FC
thank you for specific explanation of rifling
--kul3 kul3 - And thanks to you for taking the time to post comment, Best to ya, FC
You broke that down to a science. Excellent vid! Thanks!
ChroniclesofPyth - and thanks to you for the good word...Have a great day
Great video, I always wondered about Glock's recommendations and why it was. I now have a better understanding, and I thank you
+Duane Griffing -- And I'm thanking you for taking the time to post... Have a great day, FC