Need help with aftermarket barrel for cast

[wendyj]

Been looking at KKM and Storm Lake barrels for my Glock 20. Storm Lake on eBay around a $125.00. Just got off the phone with KKM and $175.00 shipped with 10 day lead time. Was going to powdercoat for stock barrel but would rather size and lube. Also factory Glock barrel bulges some if not all the time. Just something about a nice shiny bullet I've casted myself.
Would like pros and cons on either barrel. Storm Lake shows drop in and KKM assures drop in. The KKM seems to get better reviews but I trust the folks on here a lot more. Any advice before I order would be appreciated in advance.

[sutherpride59]

I’m not an expert but the KKM is well know for their match grade barrels, without being gunsmith fit you wouldn’t see a huge gain in accuracy but I would rather have a more perfectly made barrel than the storm lake which is more of a mid level barrel producer.

[wendyj]

It's not giving any accuracy with cast or powder coat so I'm going to try one for cast only. Will use factory barrel with jacketed.

[Greg S]

Bulging went away with loads in a KKM that would bulge brass in a standard G3 barrel. Don't forget to move up to a 22lb recoil sping to keep the breech closed awhile longer. Accurracy alittle better than factory. Sized and lubed boolits. I got a MiHec 220 mold I was going to get gas checked but went with water dropped. Might help having harder boolits.

[wendyj]

I've got an 18 and a 22 lb spring now. I was thinking of a mold somewhere in 200 grain range. I think husband shoots 200 gr underwood in the factory barrel now. I'm only going to use it to plink with. My lead is around 20 BHN right now. So that's a few votes for the KKM and none for Storm lake. Also thinking of a Mi Tech carbine kit for it if I spelled that right. Looks really handy. Saw a lot of videos with it this morning.

[Victor N TN]

Have I missed something...? I have had 5 Glocks in 9mm and 45 acp. They ALL ate the handloads with my cast bullets. A couple of times a year I ran my Lewis Lead Remover through the barrels. But none of the barrels burst, bulged, or swelled. What's going on? There has been talk about the rifling since they first came out. No one I know has shown me a Glock barrel that has "gone bad".

I'm not wanting to stir up a fight. I'm just curious as to what has been going on the last 10 years since I've been hibernating.

[wendyj]

You may have had good luck. I've read where several people do. I've tried bullets from .401 to. 4045 and have had leading in one mag of each. I will spend the extra money to be on the safe side. Powder coating helped ones sized at .403 but added enough size for it to be close to impossible to reload. Possible but not worth the hassle. I'm a former Tn. ridge runner myself a little closer to Va. We don't scare easy but one kaboom might be all it takes. Seriously though, I've tried super hard alloy. Medium to semi medium alloy and can't get a 15 round mag through without pretty heavy leading. As far as the barrel goes the gun is my husbands and he's pretty much said if I'm going to ruin a barrel buy my own.

[mwfoley]

I have a Gen3 Glock 20 and two Gen4 Glock 29s all with KKM barrels. In fact all of my glocks have KKM barrels and I have nothing but praise for the quality of their product.
I shoot cast boolets in all my guns.
I use 200 grain gas checked WFN for my heavy loads and 180 grain Bear Creek Supply boolets for practice.
I have 21 pound Wolf springs in my all my 10MM guns to prevent the brass from being thrown into the next county and because I was having issues with the 17 pound Glock springs getting damaged.

[Wayne Smith]

Have I missed something...? I have had 5 Glocks in 9mm and 45 acp. They ALL ate the handloads with my cast bullets. A couple of times a year I ran my Lewis Lead Remover through the barrels. But none of the barrels burst, bulged, or swelled. What's going on? There has been talk about the rifling since they first came out. No one I know has shown me a Glock barrel that has "gone bad".

I'm not wanting to stir up a fight. I'm just curious as to what has been going on the last 10 years since I've been hibernating.

I think she's talking about cartridge bulging. 40 Cal. Glock kaboom country. I think they fixed it on the Gen 3? I'm not a Glock fan, I really don't keep up.

[tja6435]

Has the factory barrel been throated for cast Bullets? Dougguy throated my SR1911 barrel and it made a huge difference, I was able to set the bullets out farther and it eliminates leading I was getting on the breech end of the barrel. I can run any lead Bullet through it now with zero lead fouling.

[fredj338]

I have several SL in Glock formats but honestly, your stock bbl should work fine. I run cast in my OEM gen3 20 & they shoot fine. I do get better accuracy with coated over lubed at the same vel, but that may be an individual bbl thing. I am running 200gr bullets, cast, plated or XTP at an honest 1200fps & no case issues. IMO, you get bulges, you are running too hot/wrong powder or soft brass. I think too many reloaders are trying to make the 10 into something it is not. It was designed around 200gr @ 1200fps in a 5" gun. You can get that in a stock G20 w/o bending anything, including the cases.

[wendyj]

KKM techs couldn't give much information on the phone. We're actually quite rude after an hour long hold. I ordered a Storm Lake threaded today and their techs knew exactly what I wanted and what might feed and some that might not. Also 30 day return if I am unhappy. Maybe a paperweight if not but I tried.

NOT STORM LAKE LONE WOLF

[dragon813gt]

[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=5]Have I missed something...? I have had 5 Glocks in 9mm and 45 acp. They ALL ate the handloads with my cast bullets. A couple of times a year I ran my Lewis Lead Remover through the barrels. But none of the barrels burst, bulged, or swelled. What's going on? There has been talk about the rifling since they first came out. No one I know has shown me a Glock barrel that has "gone bad".

You haven’t missed anything. I run full bore loads out of a G20SF w/ a stock barrel. I’ve had no issues doing this. It was one of the easiest load developments I ever did.

I have a Lone Wolf 357 Sig conversion barrel for it. That one shoots cast as well. But it took a decent amount of work. Jacketed loads were simply following the load manual.

[Walks]

I have a GLOCK 23 & a GLOCK 21. Both guns from the very 1st LOT (1990's) to come into my state.
I shot FEDERAL American Eagle Lead ammo in the Model 23 before anything was ever said about the polygonal rifling. Shot 230gr RN cast from LINOTYPE in the Model 21.
Experienced some leading from both, tried the new copper clad bullets, more expensive and less accurate.
Then WOLFE came out with their standard rifled bbl's. Worked just fine and no "GLOCK Smile".
Then I got a 9mm conversion bbl for the Model 23. With a 9mm mag it made a whole new gun.

I experienced no leading problems with any of the 3 WOLFE bbl's. Now there are are more accessory bbl makers then I can count.

Just don't buy from the GLOCK STORE in San Diego, CA. They've screwed up orders for me twice, and I PAID EXTRA TO FIX IT.

[wendyj]

I don't know why I typed Storm Lake. I bought the Lone Wolf. They were only ones that offered a 30 day no hassle return. I ordered the threaded barrel which I thought I might like later on. I had one years ago to convert my Glock 27 to shoot 9 mm. It outshot my Glock 19 all day.

[wendyj]

Well after all that hassle my barrel drops in but slide won't go on. Back to Lone Wolf and see if they stand behind their refund policy.