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Thread: Glock Bulge?

  1. #1
    Boolit Master Grapeshot's Avatar
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    Glock Bulge?

    What problems are Glocks, or brass fired from Glocks, showing? FIrst time I've heard about this and have no idea what you are talking about. Please excuse my ignorance. A clear concise answer will enlighten me.

  2. #2
    Boolit Man
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    I shoot and reload .45 brass that has been shot through Glocks and have never come across this bulge that people have talked about. I wouldn't worry about it to much. The vast majority of the .45acp brass I get is from range pick-ups from Glocks. If you run into this problem, buy a barrel that offers full chamber support and maybe a heavier recoil spring.

    This is my limited knowledge on the subject and I'm sure someone with extensive knowledge of Glocks will be able to elaborate.

  3. #3
    Boolit Buddy Daywalker's Avatar
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    Most of the Glocks that I have seen a bulge around the head of the case comes from the 40 Smith and Wesson. It is said the reason is due to a non supported head when chambered. While I have been swaging with the 40 smith and wesson brass, I have came across quite a few with a bulge at the head of these brass. They swage out no problem when making them into jackets.

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    Grape,
    Here is an article I read last year, describes it pretty well.
    Jon
    http://www.gundigest.com/article/sho...fixglockbulge/
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  5. #5
    Boolit Master Grapeshot's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Daywalker View Post
    Most of the Glocks that I have seen a bulge around the head of the case comes from the 40 Smith and Wesson. It is said the reason is due to a non supported head when chambered. While I have been swaging with the 40 smith and wesson brass, I have came across quite a few with a bulge at the head of these brass. They swage out no problem when making them into jackets.
    I have been getting my .40 S&W brass from a local indoor range and I haven't see any evidence of over expansion due to an unsupported case head.

  6. #6
    Boolit Buddy Daywalker's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Grapeshot View Post
    I have been getting my .40 S&W brass from a local indoor range and I haven't see any evidence of over expansion due to an unsupported case head.
    That is just what is being said. Let me go through more of my 40 cases, I have a couple thousand more, I know I will find more bulged and I will take some pics and post them for you. Like I said, I don't know if these came from a GLOCK or other 40 S&W, I don't own a Glock and probably won't, for personal reasons not a hate or like thing, just passing along info you asked for..

  7. #7
    Boolit Master
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    I've seen a lot of them, the worst ones get thrown in the box for swaging, the rest go through
    the Lee Factory Crimp die, same concept as the Redding mentioned in the link.
    Cases don't go far enough into a regular sizing die to slim the bulge.
    I just got the Bulge Buster kit (from Azshtr here), makes it easier. A little case lube helps.
    If they are bulged they sometimes won't even chamber.


    I read somewhere that it's a tradeoff between short action and feed ramp.
    Trying to make a short gun, feed ramp is already high angle so
    they cut it into the chamber a bit making the overall action just a bit shorter.
    When chambered a small part of the case hangs over the feed ramp instead of being supported by chamber wall.
    Glocks are a little loose by design anyway for functional reliability (all rounds WILL chamber kinda thing).
    So you get a bulge in the brass that is discarded on the battlefield, who cares?
    They didn't figure on us reloading the stuff!
    Last edited by a.squibload; 08-11-2010 at 04:23 AM.

  8. #8
    Boolit Buddy
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    Bulge schmulge - Buy a 4 piece set of LEE dies and be done with it. They will size all the way down and remove the dreaded bulge.

    jonblack

  9. #9
    Boolit Master
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    Most all semi-autos have unsupported areas in the case head area. Low pressure numbers like the 45 acp cause no problems. Higher pressure and the notoriously loose chamber of the glock (one of the reasons it feeds so well) often cause bulges in 40 S&W cases. Usually these are ironed out by the reloading dies. Of a bit more concern is whether the structural integrity of the case has been compromised. I personally load a little less than maximum for my 40's and pitch them after 3-4 loadings. Why take any chances when 40 brass is so plentiful and cheap.
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  10. #10
    Boolit Bub gunsablazin's Avatar
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    I use a Lone Wolf barrel in my Glock 35 for shooting reloads, it has much more support in the chamber than the stock barrel. As others have posted the Glock feeds very reliably because it is loose, when my pistol is used as a carry/home defense gun, the stock barrel goes back in the gun. Brass fired in the Lone wolf barrel will drop right in my chamber gauge after firing, brass from the stock barrel will only go about half way in. I reload light loads only and use the lone wolf barrel as insurance against a case failure, if you are only going to reload your brass 2-3 times you will likely do fine with the stock barrel. I use the Lee FCD, and have never had feeding problems with my ammo.
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  11. #11
    Boolit Master


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    Daywalker,

    It's easy to identify brass from a Glock by the rectangular firing pin mark on the primer. Almost all of the bulged brass I see was from Glocks. My basic rule is that all range brass goes through the CaseMaster Jr. before the first loading. (Push-through full length sizer by Magma Engineering.) It's set up to feed from a Dillon casefeeder so I can size 1,000 or more in an hour. I give the brass a light shot of Dillon Case Lube even though the die is carbide. I don't try to lube every case- just 1 in 8 or 10 is plenty to smooth out the operation.

    After full length sizing in the CaseMaster Jr and loading the brass, I mark it in a little jig that holds a Sharpie so I can put "my" stripe around the brass. Everyone that marks their brass has their own mark/color/combo. At that point I don't want anything but the brass I fired so I don't have to do the full length sizing again.

    Most IPSC shooters shoot .40 until it cracks. My buddy Sam said, "and then you load it one more time." I hope he was kidding but I've actually found a loaded cracked case a few times after running them through a case gage. They will often pass the gage if not cracked at the mouth. Sometimes they just crack lengthwise between the head and where a cannalure would be. I've never seen or heard of any problem in .40 caused by a cracked case. It's easy to identify once cracked by the ususual ring it has. You can hear one piece of cracked brass tumbling in a load full in a media separator. They go in the recycle bucket when I find a crack. Wouldn't do that with rifle brass, though.

    David

  12. #12
    Boolit Bub
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    Quote Originally Posted by a.squibload View Post
    I've seen a lot of them, the worst ones get thrown in the box for swaging, the rest go through
    the Lee Factory Crimp die, same concept as the Redding mentioned in the link.
    Cases don't go far enough into a regular sizing die to slim the bulge.
    I just got the Bulge Buster kit (from Azshtr here), makes it easier. A little case lube helps.
    When is the best time to use the bulge buster? Is it best use before de-capping or after?

    Does it matter?

    Thanks

    200swc

  13. #13
    Boolit Master Grapeshot's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by 200swc View Post
    When is the best time to use the bulge buster? Is it best use before de-capping or after?

    Does it matter?

    Thanks

    200swc
    Might be best to use the bulge buster prior to removing primer to prevent the primer pocket from being reduced in size as the case is drawn thru the die.

  14. #14
    Boolit Master 7of7's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by 200swc View Post
    When is the best time to use the bulge buster? Is it best use before de-capping or after?

    Does it matter?

    Thanks

    200swc
    I wouldn't think it would matter at all. Normally the primer cup isn't affected by any sizing. If it were, firing would have some affect on it too. The bulge is also in the sidewall just where the base thins into the sidewall... I have had some pretty heavy bulges in some cases I have processed. They were 45 cases, and they resized just fine..
    With all that said, I have done some that were decapped, and some that weren't, and didn't notice any differentce in them at all....
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  15. #15
    Boolit Bub
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    Thanks for the help. I'll try them both ways.

    Next question:

    Once these are complete, how do you keep them seperate from others (since I am shooting them in a 1911)? There's no real need to resize them (at least a full length resize.)

    Thanks
    200swc

  16. #16
    Boolit Master
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    I don't understand the question.

    The Lee FCD basically puts a full-length resize on the cases.
    For 45 unless you notice bulges you probably don't even need to do it.
    If you're asking about resized vs non-resized cases? I would probably treat 'em the same
    until I noticed a problem.
    Like 44 cases, I don't count the number of reloads, just watch for ones that are wearing out.

    Disclaimer: I'm new to auto pistol reloading and don't do 45acp (yet!).
    Maybe some 45 nut here can help you better...

  17. #17
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    JonB_in_Glencoe's Avatar
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    I think it's been stated previously, but I'll rephrase it.
    the 40 is the most suseptable to the glock bulge
    due to the combination of it's power range and case design.

    the bulge is difficult to see, I do have a ruptured case from this,
    I should post a photo sometime...no time this morning,
    Jon
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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  18. #18
    Boolit Bub
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    Quote Originally Posted by 200swc View Post
    Thanks for the help. I'll try them both ways.

    Next question:

    Once these are complete, how do you keep them seperate from others (since I am shooting them in a 1911)? There's no real need to resize them (at least a full length resize.)

    Thanks
    200swc
    I will be shooting range pick-ups that I process, which are .40 S&W cases. After I shoot them in the 1911, I shoud have to do a full re-size, should I? If not, what is a good way to keep them separate?

    Thanks

    200swc

  19. #19
    Boolit Grand Master

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    I brought the question of the Glock bulge up here quite a few months ago, and most said the cases would be over worked (unsafe) if I ironed (sized) it out.
    I had ask LEE and several other die mfg. to make such a die and was told it wasn't practical. Then I had a forum member make a push through .423 die, exactly like a LEE Boolit size die, to remove the guppy belly shape. It worked great without any problems.
    A couple months later Lee advertised the "Bulge Buster die" . Funny how much a few months can change opinions and create new tools.
    Now I just save the .40 guppies for swagging .44 Mag and .45 ACP Boolit jackets with range lead. The Glock shape doesn't hurt, since the brass must be expanded there anyway. I'm not trying to make competition grade ammo, and any tiny imbalance isn't going to shoot worse than these old eyes can see.

  20. #20
    Boolit Grand Master
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    The later-series Glock 40 S&W pistols don't have as egregious a "Bulge" as earlier variants had, but the OEM barrels seem to have a bit more radial clearance in their chambers than do other makes/models of 40 S&W.

    There is a bit of confusion on my part--are you planning to fire the 40 S&W cases--or are these to be used as jackets for swaged bullets?
    I don't paint bullets. I like Black Rifle Coffee. Sacred cows are always fair game. California is to the United States what Syria is to Russia and North Korea is to China/South Korea/Japan--a Hermit Kingdom detached from the real world and led by delusional maniacs, an economic and social basket case sustained by "foreign" aid so as to not lose military bases.

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