The Truth about Glocks and Cast

[Hanzy4200]

I have a G-17 with well over 10K Lee 124 gr. bullets through it. Very minimal leading, almost nonexistent. Only lube I use is LLA(White Label). When I got the gun, I also purchased a aftermarket Lone Wolf barrel. I bought into the hype. I had significant leading issues. Switched back to the factory barrel and the problem was solved. I also own a G-30 in .45 ACP that has been fed nothing but cast from day one. Zero leading, excellent performance.

The only Glocks that have cast bullet issues are owned by inexperienced reloaders, or are chambered in .40 S&W, or both.

[FergusonTO35]

I have finally discovered how to make the POI coincide with the POA on my Glock 26 with factory barrel, both boolits and jacketed. The answer is the Glock steel front and rear sights, the rear being 6.1mm. The plastic sights would not lower it enough even with the 6.1 rear, neither would the Glock adjustable rear sight. I put a set of these on it, figuring I would at least try all the OEM options before spending $$ on aftermarket sights. The rear did require a fair amount of filing to install, no big deal as I've been fitting sights to dovetails for years now. Unlike the imprecise original plastic sights these have a great sight picture with the front dot being perfectly proportioned to the rear notch, and you can aim with the top of the front even with the top of the rear. Point of impact is dead on with the front dot every time, or just add a bit of extra black between the dot and the rear outline for a six o' clock hold.

What a great upgrade, well worth the modest price of $25.00 dollars or so. Hope they come out with a steel rear for the Glock 42, fortunately the plastic rear is awfully close to correct on this pistol.

[pcmacd]

So we can actually settle this debate and I can sticky a thread can someone[s] chime in with facts from personal experience[s] with their Glocks and cast.

Notice I asked for facts, not hearsay, not factory advertisements, etc.
For the record, I do not own a Glock and have no dog in this fight.
No digging in other's experiences for sake of an argument are needed, please keep it civil.

I've a G19 with approximately 20K rounds thru it (!) 99% of rounds have been home cast lead, either pure range salvage or perhaps bumped up with ~2% lead and ~3% antimony added (from foundry type) to the range salvage, by weight. It is the current Magma Engr. 147 gr flat point bevel base. I try to run a jacked bullet down the G19 tube every 100 rounds or so to blow out the lead, but I'm not religious about it. Oh, and, the G19 looks like it did in the dealer's showcase -- "as new."

I've a G22 that I've shot (almost) exclusively with a LEE 180 gr TL bullet run thru a 0.401" sizer after the TL treatment with Lee's lubricant. I would prefer a conventional lube groove, but this bullet is soooo accurate that I've not really considered an alternative. I've no idea how many rounds this pistol has eaten.

W231 be the propellant of choice for both 9mm and 40 cal. loads; a little smokey but very accurate. I took a friend's recipe for the 40 cal and never looked back -- never tweaked it at all.

One day I was shooting the G22 offhand, 25 yards, at an outdoor range with a serious quantity of 10s and Xs on paper, everything in the black on target. An observer asked me who had tricked out my pistol, because he'd never seen a Glock shoot that tight. The answer was... IT IS TOTALLY STOCK.

The only failure I have ever had on any Glock is what is likely the Trigger Spring (find 25 in the Glock Armorer's Manual, 2009 -- it's the coil spring with loops @ both ends that would be the spring closest to the web of your thumb/index finger at the rear of the frame when the slide is removed and the frame gripped).

This spring failed on my G19 right around 10K rounds. If my memory serves me correctly, that is about the time it is spodabe replaced. I now keep a dozen or so of the springs around. I believe this spring is common across all Glocks, but I could easily be mistaken. I know this spring works for both the G22 And G19.

Keep a few on hand; they are cheap, and Glock techs will likely send you a couple for free is you ask nicely. It is easy to replace but will require some pin punches or a nail with the point ground off.

Find the armorer's manual here:

• http://www.mediafire.com/view/zebv196mo4xbp90/glock_2009_armorers_manual.pdf
  
  
• Note that the file has been upgrade so that the text is searchable in Acrobat.

2 different times I accidentally dropped the G19 into the sand out in the desert. Both times, I just blew the **** out of the ejection port area and unloaded (shot) the entire 15 rounds or so into the dirt, just to see how dependable a dirty Glock is. Never a burp or fart; both times the pistol performed just as it would have after a very deep cleaning and oiling.

~~~~~~~~~~
The only handgun I own that I won't submit to cast bullets is the Desert Eagle in any caliber; it is said that lead vapor burned off the rear of the bullet will compromise the gas system, and that they are very difficult to get right if that happens.

[Catshooter]

pcmacd,

Welcome to the forum.

You are correct, that is the trigger return spring. The newest triggers from Glock have changed where the spring attaches to the trigger bar to help solve their breaking. It's a worthwhile change in my opinion and I have changed all my Glocks over to it.

They are tough pistols ain't they. There's a 37 sitting on my lap as I type this.


Cat

[FergusonTO35]

Colt is what you show your friends, Glock is what you show your enemies!

[Tom W.]

I've gotten over the "low and left" syndrome, and did put some different sights on my G-30, but my G-19 is stock out of the box and shoots really well, as does the G17. I shoot cast exclusively at the range, and seldom if ever have any problems, Absolutely no leading in any of the pistols.

[pcmacd]

Glock will usually ship you a new set of rear sights if you can tell them the range and offset from point of aim. They got it dead on for my G19, and it was free. The sights are easy to push out with a nylon rod and hammer.

[FergusonTO35]

Or, you can get the OEM adjustable rear sight. I have it on my 19 and it works great.

[RJH]

Glock 35 about 15000 rounds of major power factor ammo with the lee 175 tc boolit. Checked for leading for a while but it never happened. Lee liquid alox on some boolits and star lube on others.

[Catshooter]

RJH,

Factory barrel?

Welcome to the forum.


Cat

[Tom W.]

Cat, didn't you know that you can shoot cast in a factory Glock barrel? Mine get a steady diet of cast in both .45 ACP and 9mm, with no signs of leading or any other of the imagined goblins that are purported to appear..... A pistol that can't shoot cast needs to be left in the display case.

[Catshooter]

Sure do Tom. Started using my cast boolits in Glocks in '92. I agree, if I can't shoot cast in it, well, why would I want it?


Cat

[sandman228]

ive been a firm believer in lone wolf barrels I put them in my 19 and my 22 and also have the lone wolf 9mm conversion barrel for the 22 . I just a couple weeks ago picked up a used gen 3 glock 21 sf I decided to go ahead and give it a try with lead with the factory barrel I took it to the range with 100 rounds of 230 lrn(lee 6 cav tl mold) over 4 gr of bullseye it seemed to shoot well I also took my bore light with me and checked the barrel every few mags full . it seemed to crud up a bit but I didn't see any leading , I brought the gun home took it down ran a patch through the barrel ,cleaned the crud out and there was some leading right in front of the chamber in the first inch or so of barrel but not really a big deal imo. I sold my 1911 a while back this was old ammo I had laying around for a few years I have been shooting a box or so of it here and there from my Blackhawk 45 convertible the lube on the bullets don't really seem very tacky anymore like it use to be . I relubed the 1500 bullets I still have left and im gonna try them and see if the small amount of leading I get in the glock goes away . I still haven't been brave enough to try lead out of my g43 yet though its seen nothing but factory ammo or plated bullet reloads since new .

[Ric-san]

I personally just bought a Wolf branded barrel for my Glock 27 to shoot lead bullets...no issues.

[FergusonTO35]

I really like the 1:16 twist of my Storm Lake tubes. They always give me better accuracy when shooting boolits.

[GONRA]

GONRA noted long ago that hammer forged barrels with polygonal rifling
are really "shiny mirror smooth".
I NEVER shoot my case boolit handloads in these.
Fear an odd bit of abrasive will scratch the shiny bore!
So, shoot jacketed boolits ONLY in these pistols.

[robertbank]

GONRA noted long ago that hammer forged barrels with polygonal rifling
are really "shiny mirror smooth".
I NEVER shoot my case boolit handloads in these.
Fear an odd bit of abrasive will scratch the shiny bore!
So, shoot jacketed boolits ONLY in these pistols.

You really believe a lead bullet is going to scratch your shiny bore. Tell me you mean this as a joke.

Take Care

Bob

[Grapeshot]

GONRA noted long ago that hammer forged barrels with polygonal rifling
are really "shiny mirror smooth".
I NEVER shoot my case boolit handloads in these.
Fear an odd bit of abrasive will scratch the shiny bore!
So, shoot jacketed boolits ONLY in these pistols.

So you think that shooting only jacketed bullets will keep your barrel mirror like? Maybe. Soft lead, well any lead is softer than steel, will not score your barrel. However, any crud that might get mixed in the boolit lube, like dirt that gets trapped in the lube if you drop the boolit on the floor, is more likely to score your nice shiny mirror smooth bore.

[dkf]

I like shooting cast in polygonal hammer forged barrels. They are easy to clean and if you get some leading it is easier to remove.

[Catshooter]

Gonra,

You need to read the thread before you post to it. It's like spell check: makes you look smarter.


Cat