Glock 20
- Thread starter Red_Eagle
- Start date
That's a call you will have to make on your own. The problem with a Glocked case is that you will have a bulge in the case where it was unsupported. It is not recommended that these types of cases should be reloaded due to POSSIBLE case failure. New cases should not be a problem and the purchase of a after market barrel will correct the problem. I do not know what a new barrel will cost or if that would be cost effective.
10mm is a fairly hot round, so I would check all cases coming out of the gun to see the condition of those cases. You may want to just shoot commercial ammo for a while before you decide what to do.
Good luck
Jim
10mm is a fairly hot round, so I would check all cases coming out of the gun to see the condition of those cases. You may want to just shoot commercial ammo for a while before you decide what to do.
Good luck
Jim
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Wild Zebra
New member
sorry to jump in but I have a G17 and just reloaded 50 rounds of 9mm I was going to test fire this weekend, I guess I should be heeding your warnings as well? Bummer
Glock has "evolved" over the years, so to speak, with regards to just how much case support they have in their 10mm pistols.
I have a Glock 29, Summer of 2008 build and it offers very good case head support and I have no problem resizing my brass, and my cases last a long time. I'm not loading nuclear loads, but they are loaded to a decent level, certainly above FBI Lite specs (like you get from Federal Hydra Shok 10mm or Remington UMC 10mm)
You will always be better off with an aftermarket barrel but YES, you can reload 10mm from a G20 or for use in a G20.
The key is to inspect your brass and pay attention to your loads. Look for the warning signs and use your head.
Wild Zebra -- if your ammo is built under published max (as you should if you are just starting in reloading) then you have no worries about shooting your new rounds this weekend just because you have a Glock.
I have a Glock 29, Summer of 2008 build and it offers very good case head support and I have no problem resizing my brass, and my cases last a long time. I'm not loading nuclear loads, but they are loaded to a decent level, certainly above FBI Lite specs (like you get from Federal Hydra Shok 10mm or Remington UMC 10mm)
You will always be better off with an aftermarket barrel but YES, you can reload 10mm from a G20 or for use in a G20.
The key is to inspect your brass and pay attention to your loads. Look for the warning signs and use your head.
Wild Zebra -- if your ammo is built under published max (as you should if you are just starting in reloading) then you have no worries about shooting your new rounds this weekend just because you have a Glock.
Wild Zebra
New member
thanks much, yes I loaded up some 115 gr FMJ to min powder specs and used WWB for OAL since they function fine in my glock, They ended up being right in the middle of the min and max OAL. thanks for the info
Thats a relief
I ordered some Hornady XTP 155 gr HPs. I'm planning on loading them to mimic a 158gr 357 load. I realize that's not quite loading to it's "full potential", but if I can get 357 ballistics out of a Glock and a Delta elite, I'll be pretty content. I'm planning on using 800X.
I ordered some Hornady XTP 155 gr HPs. I'm planning on loading them to mimic a 158gr 357 load. I realize that's not quite loading to it's "full potential", but if I can get 357 ballistics out of a Glock and a Delta elite, I'll be pretty content. I'm planning on using 800X.
I probably would not be very motivated to try reload/load on the 10mm G20 IF there was a good enough supply on factory loads, but the fact is it has become very difficult to find 10mm factory loads and dealers are marking up huge when it is available. One gun range even had no luck in finding factory and went to selling reloads, so that is when I decided to try it myself. I got some starline brass, 180gr copper plated RNFT bullets and some 231 (dude at shop suggested I start with this). Lymans has it listed as a possible powder to use. I use the Lee hand loader for .223 and am successful with that, so I got the .40/10mm dies and began learning. The info with the lee .40/10mm dies is just for the .40 case so it took some time to find the values for 10mm but I've done enough dry test loading to arrive at a well formed cartridge that specs out so I plan to start adding powder next week. One thing I notice is the starline bass (new) has about the same slight *wobble* in the chamber as the factory loads but the resized from the range is slightly tighter. The shells from the range did have slight bulge but was able to be resized ok (I think) with the hand press. I wish I had one of those pistol bench rest/vise thingies that would hold the glock while fired so if it does blow it won't take my hand or eyes but I don't. I'm sure I'll have a slight bit more anxiety than normal when it comes time to fire those reloads.
This bulge you are talking about...I have a bunch of 10mm brass I got from a local shooting range and they all have that spot near the head where the radiused lip on the carbide resizing die doesn't reach. A lot of the brass I got there appears to have been fired from a Glock from looking at the firing pin marks on the primers. I haven't seen any abnormal bulges near the head on any of the nearly 1000 or so cartridges I got from the range though. Most of the bad cartridges I did find were easy to spot, being completely blown out with a .500 to .750" long split down the length of the case wall. Is that bulge you were talking about something other than what I'm seeing on my cases after I run them through the resizer die? My understanding from what I've read so far, my cartridges can be straightwalled the full length of the case using the factory crimp die to taper crimp them. But if I'm missing something important here I'd sure like to know, as I'm pretty new to reloading and I don't want to be taking any unnecessary risks if possible. Definitely would like some more info/advisement on this bluged case thing if possible. Right now I'm just loading factory spec loads and not having problems but I plan to step it up a bit soon with some hotter loads.
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I went ahead and ordered an aftermarket barrel (lone wolf) for the g20. I decided with all the unknowns (for me, at least) about reloads and glocks and then I later discovered some rather large variables in powder loads depending on *type* of bullet, not just weight of bullet I came to the conclusion that the tighter chamber the lwd barrel has is probably a plus until I work out all the kinks. I did begin loading powder and have 5 each in a range of 5.2 to 5.9 grains of powder (231). I need for it to warm up outside before I go to the range. no sense fighting the weather along with the other issues. I've read a bit about crimp on loads and although it was in reference to 9mm I guess it relates to 10mm as well and that is I should be looking for taking out the bell expansion created for bullet insertion and not much more. however, the 10mm is a hotter load so anyone have thoughts or experiences on crimping when dealing with the 10mm for the g20? thanks.
A couple observations about the information you gave:
You didn't list a bullet weight but your powder charges sound reasonable for W231 in 10mm loads... depending (obviously) on the bullet weight.
But what jumps out at me is your choice of powder. While it will work, it's not a great choice in 10mm. Sure, it'll make working, safe loads. But it's a faster burning powder than it needs to be for this application. The bottom line is that you will get all the pressure of a max load without the performance that you actually hope to get from using a 10mm in the first place.
Doesn't mean you can't use it to get started. But it's not the best choice. You can get more velocity at a lower pressure with a more appropriate powder. Velocity certainly isn't everything, of course, and isn't always needed. But in a "niche" caliber like 10mm, it's often half the point of using it in the first place. Otherwise, we'd just shoot .40 cals.
I highly recommend Alliant Power Pistol and have also gotten fine use from AA#7 and Blue Dot. And there are other better choices, too.
As for crimping, not too much to worry about here. On all semi-auto pistol rounds, your "crimp" is basically a taper crimp that removes the case mouth flaring that you mentioned in your post. If you are loading jacketed bullets, you needn't flare the mouth a whole lot in the first place. If you are loading lead, you flare a little more because the slug is a bit fatter.
You aren't using your "crimp" to hold that bullet in place -- it's case mouth tension that gets that job. Use enough crimp so that your loaded round will fall easily in to, and then out of the chamber. Keep your pistol barrel right on your load bench (field strip the pistol) and drop a few rounds in the chamber and then tip it back to see that they fall out freely.
You'll quickly find that the OEM Glock barrel is much more generous in chamber room, and the LWD barrel is a little more snug. You need NO MORE crimp than that which makes the loaded rounds slip in and out freely.
Remember that most semi-auto rounds head space on the case mouth, so a ridiculous "crimp" tries to corrupt that head spacing.
You didn't list a bullet weight but your powder charges sound reasonable for W231 in 10mm loads... depending (obviously) on the bullet weight.
But what jumps out at me is your choice of powder. While it will work, it's not a great choice in 10mm. Sure, it'll make working, safe loads. But it's a faster burning powder than it needs to be for this application. The bottom line is that you will get all the pressure of a max load without the performance that you actually hope to get from using a 10mm in the first place.
Doesn't mean you can't use it to get started. But it's not the best choice. You can get more velocity at a lower pressure with a more appropriate powder. Velocity certainly isn't everything, of course, and isn't always needed. But in a "niche" caliber like 10mm, it's often half the point of using it in the first place. Otherwise, we'd just shoot .40 cals.
I highly recommend Alliant Power Pistol and have also gotten fine use from AA#7 and Blue Dot. And there are other better choices, too.
As for crimping, not too much to worry about here. On all semi-auto pistol rounds, your "crimp" is basically a taper crimp that removes the case mouth flaring that you mentioned in your post. If you are loading jacketed bullets, you needn't flare the mouth a whole lot in the first place. If you are loading lead, you flare a little more because the slug is a bit fatter.
You aren't using your "crimp" to hold that bullet in place -- it's case mouth tension that gets that job. Use enough crimp so that your loaded round will fall easily in to, and then out of the chamber. Keep your pistol barrel right on your load bench (field strip the pistol) and drop a few rounds in the chamber and then tip it back to see that they fall out freely.
You'll quickly find that the OEM Glock barrel is much more generous in chamber room, and the LWD barrel is a little more snug. You need NO MORE crimp than that which makes the loaded rounds slip in and out freely.
Remember that most semi-auto rounds head space on the case mouth, so a ridiculous "crimp" tries to corrupt that head spacing.
as for the 231 powder, when I made the decision to start loading and went to the closest local shop that handles reloading stuff it was the only powder he had in stock that he suggested. so I took it. I've had others (different forum) mention about the same thing you have and have written it down for future reference. the bullet is an X-treme 180 RNFP plated. Since the 231 was listed in lymans and I was trying just to get started with minimum wait/cash outlay and the fellow at the shop told me it would work to make a decent range round, I went with it. all the loads I've made I have used the glock & the lwd to check and they go in and out just fine. the glock is a tad more wobbly fit, as expected. maybe sometimes clerks take advantage of newbies to offload product.
THAT picture doesn't even look real. (yes, I'm sure it's a real picture, but I seriously question what event took place to make the brass look like that.)
Honestly, I don't even think that picture is quite on target in this context -- "Glocking" up brass and bulging brass is bad and dangerous L-O-N-G before it looks like that.
Your picture is almost like showing a scrapped pile of metal in a junk yard, so bad that you can't tell who built the car, in a discussion where the topic is pulling dents from a fender!
No offense intended, I just think that picture is way over the top.
If one of my handguns ejected a piece of brass that compared to those two, I would probably break down every piece of ammo I had on hand and turn in my reloading gear.
Honestly, I don't even think that picture is quite on target in this context -- "Glocking" up brass and bulging brass is bad and dangerous L-O-N-G before it looks like that.
Your picture is almost like showing a scrapped pile of metal in a junk yard, so bad that you can't tell who built the car, in a discussion where the topic is pulling dents from a fender!
No offense intended, I just think that picture is way over the top.
If one of my handguns ejected a piece of brass that compared to those two, I would probably break down every piece of ammo I had on hand and turn in my reloading gear.
I used to own a Glock 20. Factory loads were very costly (about a buck a round) and learned to reload. Initially, I loaded FMJ's then went to cast bullets. I loaded and fired a couple thousand rounds with no ill effects. I preferred AA#7 and fired with a muzzle velocity of 1200 fps.
I wouldn't worry about purchasing another barrel.
I wouldn't worry about purchasing another barrel.
I have a Glock 20 that is ~ 10 years old.
The case support is good enough for published loads or factory ammo, but not good enough for hot handloads.
The stock barrel has .250" of feed ramp intrusion, but the 10mm case web is only .180" thick.
I got a Bar Sto aftermarket barrel, and the support is not all the way to the case web, but much better. I have done the hot handloads with the Bar Sto.
You can put a case in your barrel and scribe a line with a needle along the feed ramp. Then you can, under magnification, measure the line to case head distance with dial calipers.
The case support is good enough for published loads or factory ammo, but not good enough for hot handloads.
The stock barrel has .250" of feed ramp intrusion, but the 10mm case web is only .180" thick.
I got a Bar Sto aftermarket barrel, and the support is not all the way to the case web, but much better. I have done the hot handloads with the Bar Sto.
You can put a case in your barrel and scribe a line with a needle along the feed ramp. Then you can, under magnification, measure the line to case head distance with dial calipers.