reloading 45acp for the Glock 21 and 30

[tercel89]

I may have made a thread on this , but I don't remember so forgive me if I did , I searched and didn't find one. I have been reloading 9mm for 4 years and started 45acp months ago. I hear people that have horror stories about blowing up there Glock 21 and 30's with reloads. Do any of you guys know if this is because of reloaders not paying attention or is the Glock chamber a lot bigger and weakens the brass quicker ? Or anything else ? Thanks for any information.

[Jamie Jackson]

Well, I was one of those that may have posted about blowing up a Glock 21 years ago. But that was totally my own fault and in no way Glock's!

I double charged a load that should have been 5.7 grs of Winchester 231 under a 230 FMJ bullet. Let me tell you, 11.4 grs of W 231 will bulge a barrel, bend the slide, crack the frame and blow the plastic parts off the trigger, and soundly eject a partially loaded magazine.... quickly and cleanly  

I suffered no injuries other than a numb trigger finger for a few minutes. fwiw Glock replaced the pistol at no cost to me, even shipping,  knowing it was a double charge handload voiding their warranty. They wanted to examine the pistol. I told them if it had happened in my 1911 I probably would have suffered some fairly significant injuries, and I believe that's so.

I mostly shot FMJ 45's in my Glock, but did run a few thousand lead bullets through it without issue. No, the lead bullets did not contribute to my blowing up that 21 (in case anyone asks).

I ran many thousands of 45 fmjs using the above recipe of 5.7 grs of 231. It was my favorite handload for 45 acp as it mimicked POA/POI and felt recoil of my then carry rounds (45 acp 230 gr Hydrashoks).

As to the brass, I reloaded it until it eventually split (8-10+) times or I lost it in the grass or sand. Glock chambers are generous aiding in their reliability but certainly not overly generous in my experience.

 

There was much internet fervor regarding "Glock Kabooms" several years back, but this revolved around 40 S&W Glocks and improperly sized lead bullets iirc.

Your Glock 21 and 30 will handle a steady diet of full power 45 acp loads for a long, long time.

Just mind the "focused inattention" that got me... 

Jamie

[Quavodus]

Yeah, always be careful. Watch powder charges, primers, and bullet diameters. Glad you didn't get hurt prag.

[Jamie Jackson]

7 hours ago, Quavodus said:

Yeah, always be careful. Watch powder charges, primers, and bullet diameters. Glad you didn't get hurt prag.

Me too and Thanks.

Good advice here. I only had it happen once out of several hundred thousand handloads...but once was more than enough.

[DaveTN]

I’m not aware of anything specifically having to do with Glocks, but we (Gun forum users) see plenty of guns damaged by reloads.  It appears to be improper loads and cracked or damaged cases. I have always assumed it’s like anything else; people not knowing what they are doing.

[Jamie Jackson]

1 hour ago, DaveTN said:

I’m not aware of anything specifically having to do with Glocks, but we (Gun forum users) see plenty of guns damaged by reloads.  It appears to be improper loads and cracked or damaged cases. I have always assumed it’s like anything else; people not knowing what they are doing.

In my case it was blatant stupidity...errr I mean Focused inattention. LOL

Complacency kills, in so many aspects of life. I learned my lesson. My Glock destruction event was in the 2000's (I've been handloading since the mid 1980's) and if I must interrupt any step in my handloading process, I clear the area and began again. Meticulous adherence to what you're doing is a small price to pay for safety. Being OCD as a handloader has it's positive elements. 

[tercel89]

Good to hear . When I reload I have to have all the kids out of the house and just me and maybe the wife at home. Kids will definitely mess you up. I reload in groups of 50 and then look don inside the cases before I put a bullet on top to be pressed. One time I saw that I had double charged one , so the fact that I take time to look down into each case paid off. So far I'm only making reloads using FMJ's and plated bullets. Later I will try casting lead ones.

[Jamie Jackson]

It sounds like a solid process tercel.

If you cast, you may want to consider powder coating. I/we have run many thousands of PC 9mm rounds through Glock barrels and I only wish I had known about the process and benefits when I was into 45 acp.