lifelearner84

Out of a stock Glock 23 by chance? I mean if it was out of any other barrel I'd feel better. I guess it's just the fear of a kaboom with the looser tolerances. Given I am extremely green to reloading, I'm just trying to cover all my bases. That said, I have been victim to paralysis of analysis before... It's more prevalent in this endeavor I think because the stakes are much higher, meaning the use of my hands and fingers haha. Thanks for all the replies from everyone.

Alright guys... sorry for the lull in getting back with results. Here's what I'm running into. I'll start by listing my gear so we're all on the same page. Rock Chucker Supreme Lee Deluxe Pistol Die Set 40S&W/10mm Lee Bulge Buster Okay, so I've got about 300 once fired cases in this lot. All have come from my Glock 23 Gen 4, purchased last year in November. As you've seen in the photos above, there's an obvious bulge in the cases, thanks to Glock's open barrel tolerances. (That's not a hit on Glock, just the fact.) So... what I'm posting here is the brass going through the process of: #1. Bulge Buster #2. Resizing/Decapping. I took 2 different cases through the process, switching the order. So on case #1, I first ran the case through the Lee Bulge Buster, and then did the Resize/Decap as the second step. Just because I was curious, with case #2 I started with Resizing/Decapping die first and then moved to the bulge buster. Long story short, I took measurements of each case before starting, after running each one through the first step, and after the last step. My case dimensions match exactly either way, although starting with the BB seemed to be much easier, as starting with the R/D die required significant force to get the cases through the BB. Here are some photos of the results. My apologies ahead of time for the quality, I could only get so close with my iPhone. (Spoiler alert, this brass will not be usable based on what I'm seeing.) Case #1 Before BB [url=http://s1300.photobucket.com/user/technogeek1984/media/photo1_zps638a08e0.jpg.html][/URL] Case #1 After BB [url=http://s1300.photobucket.com/user/technogeek1984/media/photo2_zps65f5efbc.jpg.html][/URL] Case #1 After R/D [url=http://s1300.photobucket.com/user/technogeek1984/media/photo3_zps9630d45f.jpg.html][/URL] Case #2 Before [url=http://s1300.photobucket.com/user/technogeek1984/media/photo1_zpsb43055fa.jpg.html][/URL] Case#2 After R/D [url=http://s1300.photobucket.com/user/technogeek1984/media/photo1_zps470b8102.jpg.html][/URL] Case#2 After BB [url=http://s1300.photobucket.com/user/technogeek1984/media/photo4_zps1aee730c.jpg.html][/URL] Final Results Case #1: Starting OAL - 0.838&1/2 After BB - 0.842 After R/D - 0.845 Case #2: Starting OAL - 0.838&1/2 After R/D - 0.844 After BB - 0.845 As you can see, the R/D die is leaving a massive crease in the case body about 1/8" above the head. Basically, there's no way I can use this brass with it being compromised this badly. So... my stock Glock barrel is to blame. For me, the only thing I know to do is buy an aftermarket barrel for my Glock, which I have been planning on doing anyway so I can shoot lead rather than jacketed bullets. The bulge is just too much for these cases to come back from the stress, based on what I'm seeing. I have one other question first though. As hard as it may be to find, will I be able to fight bulge with nickel cases rather than brass cases? I don't mind the investment in using nickel for my reloads if I could use it to get through the jacketed bullets in my stock barrel. Otherwise, I'll have to scrap the brass, unless someone here has need for it. Thanks for taking the time to review, and any input is greatly appreciated. Again, glad to be a part of the community here and I look forward to being able to contribute more here with everyone as time and experience permit. Thanks.

Thanks for the post on this OP, I will look into these on my next order of 9mm, always glad to do business at home.

Here's a random hand of cases from my batch of about 500. Again, I've inspected closely and do not see anything resembline the "smile" portrayed by red333's post. Of course if I saw something that severe I'd be scrapping them immediately, but this is what I'm getting. I just got my 23 gen 4 this year and it's manufacture is January 2013. From what I've read, Glock has made some corrections on the distance that the feed ramp is cut into the barrel on the new pistols, the photos I researched of some of the older ones kabooming were horrific. I took out my barrel and dropped a round in just to see how far down that cut out for the feed ramp goes... it's nowhere near as deep as the older barrels I've seen. Of course I could just get a different barrel, but I don't want to go that route unless absolutely necessary. [URL=http://s1300.photobucket.com/user/technogeek1984/media/photo2_zps86d5fcf6.jpg.html][/URL] [URL=http://s1300.photobucket.com/user/technogeek1984/media/photo1_zpsd15fddc6.jpg.html][/URL]

I'll post some photos of my brass and how it's coming out once fired. I have never seen any of the "smile" in any of my casing. The bulge tends to be about half way up the body of the case. I'll post some photos this afternoon when I get off work.

Thanks for all the info guys. As it turns out I will be reloading 40s&w specifically for my glock 23 gen4. It does bulge the cases a bit, and I've addressed that with the purchase of the Lee Bulge Buster Base Sizing Kit on Midway. I've read you can do the same operation with the factory crimp die by removing the crimp sleeve from the inside of the die and just pushing the brass all the way through, but seeing as that's not what it's actually designed for, I bought the bulge buster for that job. I've got the order in and should receive it next week. Thanks again for all the information.

Okay, brand new to reloading. Just got in my RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme Kit. I've been trying to make my decision about dies. I've been eyeballing the Lee Deluxe Carbide 4 Die set in 40S&W. What I'm wondering is: Is the "Powder Through Expanding Die" something that I can use without a Lee press? It's function is to "expand and bell the case mouth while charging the case with powder." Since I'll be using my RCBS powder thrower, can I use this Lee die to expand and and bell the case properly? Or does it have a function built in so it will only work with a Lee press? Secondly: I've been saving a lot of my brass from the range for the last few months, and since I'm subject to what's on the shelf and available, I have a few different brands of brass in the mix, namely Remington, Winchester, Blazer, PMC, and Monarch. I've kept an eye on the boxes these come in, but I'm concerned about quality of each brand. Is there going to a difference here? And further, if I am reloading a 180 grain mix into a case that previously held a 165 grain mix from the factory, does that put the case at higher risk of failure? (Assuming that the brass has 100% structural integrity of course, no cracks or anything.) That's my newbie question of the day. I am a stickler for details, and so when I was reading about guys just picking up once fired range brass they find at the range I thought,"That could be any brand or any grain count for that caliber... how would you know it's safe to use?" I'm well aware my need for specifics can be too much sometimes, so feel free to set me straight. The important thing is, I want to make sure I'm doing this the right way, the first time. Thanks in advance for taking the time to view or comment and I'm glad to be a member here.

Hello all, my name is Jeremy, from Chattanooga. As the name says I love to learn about pretty much anything, especially anything that involves working with my hands and paying attention to the small details. I'm a wind instrument technician at a local music store and love it. My Glock 23 Gen4 is my constant companion, and I'm a fan of any well-made firearm regardless of brand. Glad to be here and looking forward to learning a lot more about firearms and reloading right here from folks in my home state. See you around the site!