Bulge in 40 S&W

[ACC]

Can you reuse .40 S&W cases that have a bulge in them?

ACC

[Taterhead]

How do you define a bulge?

Anything with a "smile" should be tossed.

If you're referring to brass that has been shot in generously-sized chambers, then those are totally fine. Like cases shot from my Glock 23, the bras will expand the the shape of the chamber.

No biggie. I get many, many reloads from a case. Some of my ammo is loaded to max effort too. Quick mist of Hornady One Shot then through the RCBS sizer. 'Kerplunk' it goes into the gauge.

In my experience, there is nothing special about reloading 40 S&W, despite all the internet lore about bulged 40 cases.

[tazman]

Yes. If your standard dies won't take the bulg out, Lee makes a "bulge buster" that will.
https://leeprecision.com/product.php?productid=6407&page=1

[onelight]

Yes but depending on how bad the bulge is thy may have to be run through a bulge buster die.
If the brass is once fired it would not concern me to much to size it through the bulge buster but it would seem to me that at some point it would be stressed to the point of failing near the case head with repeated bulge sizing.
Some of the Glock 40s were bad about bulging the brass .
Was it bulged in your gun ?

[Taterhead]

Gents, I think we need to define what we mean by "bulge".

On one hand, there are "Glock smiled" cases that have been over-loaded and have started to shear along the smile and expand down the feed ramp. Those shouldn't be reloaded. A sectioned case will show that a pass through sizer doesn't correct that problem.

If it is the typical "bulge" from Glocks or other guns with generous chambers shot at normal pressures, then those are ok. Personally, I would not want to add a pass-through step, so I use a sizer that gets down low enough on the case to gauge properly.

I do have a Redding carbide G-Rx die, but it is used primarlily to clean up nicks on 10mm rims. The Glock 20 can be hard on rims at full power. So once in a while I'll run a batch through.

The bottom line is that 40 should be able to load like any other service cartridge without special shipping and handling.

[onelight]

Gents, I think we need to define what we mean by "bulge".

On one hand, there are "Glock smiled" cases that have been over-loaded and have started to shear along the smile and expand down the feed ramp. Those shouldn't be reloaded. A sectioned case will show that a pass through sizer doesn't correct that problem.

If it is the typical "bulge" from Glocks or other guns with generous chambers shot at normal pressures, then those are ok. Personally, I would not want to add a pass-through step, so I use a sizer that gets down low enough on the case to gauge properly.

I do have a Redding carbide G-Rx die, but it is used primarlily to clean up nicks on 10mm rims. The Glock 20 can be hard on rims at full power. So once in a while I'll run a batch through.

The bottom line is that 40 should be able to load like any other service cartridge without special shipping and handling.
Good post !
If I had a 40 that bulged with standard or factory loads that would not size with standard dies I would replace the barrel or trade it off to someone who does not reload . But occasionally I get brass from a buddy with an older Glock that bulges factory loaded cases close enough to the head they will not size properly with a standard die and shell holder .

[Walks]

I have after market bbl's for each of my Glocks in 9mm, .40S&W and .45ACP, none of which leave the cases with a " Glock Smile".

The cases Do Not have any problem dropping into a S&W 4006 or Ruger SR40.

[FLINTNFIRE]

Yes clarify the bulge . I bought some used brass 40 s&w and when loading missed one with the smile , which did not leave a smile when the smile let loose , Bulge buster dies being used to iron out the smile is accidents waiting to happen , it weakens the case and with the pressure of a 40 or 9 it can rupture in that area . All I find with the smile are smashed and tossed into scrap bucket , please do yourself and others a favor and weed the weakened cases out of circulation.

[wnc435]

I use just about everyone of them to make jacketed bullets for my 45's The smile doesn't seem to affect the finished product. Fully anneal cases and swage to desired bullet size and weight. As far as to reload for use again Not a chance.

[W.R.Buchanan]

Yes clarify the bulge . I bought some used brass 40 s&w and when loading missed one with the smile , which did not leave a smile when the smile let loose , Bulge buster dies being used to iron out the smile is accidents waiting to happen , it weakens the case and with the pressure of a 40 or 9 it can rupture in that area . All I find with the smile are smashed and tossed into scrap bucket , please do yourself and others a favor and weed the weakened cases out of circulation.

Flint: Was the case that blew up head stamped "FC" or "FC10"? Those are the only cases I have seen that have blown up. They were early cases made by Federal and the web of the case didn't extend far enough up the inside of the case to reinforce the unsupported portion of the case where the feed ramp was on the Glocks (Gen 1 and 2) and many other guns of the time as well.

Any other newer .40 S&W cases that have blown up have been attributed to gross over loading.

I run all my .40 cases thru a Bulge Buster Die ( Lee Factory Crimp Die with the innards removed ) before the first loading. After that they usually don't need further attention because I am Reloading to reduced pressure and it doesn't distort the cases like heavier loads would.

Usually they are a one way trip anyway, and I won't see them again.

The idea of max reloads in .40 S&W concerns me greatly. Of all the pistol cartridges out there this one is the MOST LIKELY to bite you with hot loads. It runs the same pressure as 9MM (35,000 psi) but is the same wall thickness as the 9MM and thus weaker by design. New currently made cases are much stronger than the first ones that came out in the 1990's.

Why anybody needs Max Loaded Reloads is beyond me. The only logical reason to shoot heavy loads is for shooting people or animals. And since you aren't going to do that very much, why not just buy a box of Factory Loaded Defensive ammo for that purpose?

And then you can load your practice ammo down a little and be safe, and well equipped with Safe Hot Factory Loaded Ammo in reserve at the same time.

Makes sense huh?

Please note: The case in the picture was not a Reloaded Case. It was a Factory Loaded Round shot by a Santa Barbara Police Officer in 2006 using Department Issued Ammo that had been purchased in bulk years earlier.

It blew the magazine out of the gun but nothing worse happened and the gun was still serviceable.

Randy

[onelight]

Thanks Randy for the 40 case history , good information .

[FLINTNFIRE]

Well it has been a few years and doubt I looked at the case for headstamp , but I can say it was a case of all things coming together at once , bulge area was where it blew out , I checked rest of brass and found more of the bulge busted smiley faces , tossed those to , was not a case of max loads , was a case of a bulge weakened case and not catching it in the loading process , your photo of a factory new fc headstamp with a blow it bad brass , a smiley face in a 40 or a 9 or in fact any other is trash and should not be passed on , keep a better eye on brass in that caliber with brass that was not mine now and do not go for high end loads in rifle or pistol. Do yourselves a favor trash brass that has a weakened spot in it , by the way did not blow magazine out but when that happens it gets your attention .

[ioon44]

If my standard dies won't size the 40 S&W, I just pitch them into the scrap bucket. No need to use over stressed brass when there is so much laying on the ranges and can be bought cheap.

[1hole]

[URL="https://tinyurl.com/v***wfs"]Shooter fires 300 Black Out Through a 5.56MM

I don't know the truth of that photo so I won't run up the B.S. flag on it but, if it's true, putting a .308" bullet into a .223" chamber must have taken some determined effort.

[Lloyd Smale]

I run all the once fired 40 brass I get through a bulge buster. Some with pretty good bulges. Ive yet to have a case blow out there. Ive had them split like normal work out brass but never had a case head separation of a blown out case right above the rim. Granted when I load its with cast bullets and probably the middle ground load out of a book. Back off that much and you wont have bulges again. Even most factory 40s aren't loaded to as high of pressures as they were 20 years ago. I do the same with my 10mm. In all actuality you do as much brass flowing in a rifle cartridge at the shoulder then the bulge in a 40 and those are loaded to almost twice the pressure and hold up just fine. Personaly I wouldn't even worry about a bulge buster if they chamber as is in your gun. Me? I have quite a few 40s and some of them on the tight side so brass with larger bulges don't chamber. But like I said once there done the first time and not loaded to hair standing pressures they will run in any of my guns when reloaded again. Also some think this is a glock problem. Even heard it called the glock bulge. In fact many guns have unsupported chambers and will bulge brass to some extent. Even 1911s. For the most part much to do about nothing.

[ACC]

Flint: Was the case that blew up head stamped "FC" or "FC10"? Those are the only cases I have seen that have blown up. They were early cases made by Federal and the web of the case didn't extend far enough up the inside of the case to reinforce the unsupported portion of the case where the feed ramp was on the Glocks (Gen 1 and 2) and many other guns of the time as well.

Any other newer .40 S&W cases that have blown up have been attributed to gross over loading.

I run all my .40 cases thru a Bulge Buster Die ( Lee Factory Crimp Die with the innards removed ) before the first loading. After that they usually don't need further attention because I am Reloading to reduced pressure and it doesn't distort the cases like heavier loads would.

Usually they are a one way trip anyway, and I won't see them again.

The idea of max reloads in .40 S&W concerns me greatly. Of all the pistol cartridges out there this one is the MOST LIKELY to bite you with hot loads. It runs the same pressure as 9MM (35,000 psi) but is the same wall thickness as the 9MM and thus weaker by design. New currently made cases are much stronger than the first ones that came out in the 1990's.

Why anybody needs Max Loaded Reloads is beyond me. The only logical reason to shoot heavy loads is for shooting people or animals. And since you aren't going to do that very much, why not just buy a box of Factory Loaded Defensive ammo for that purpose?

And then you can load your practice ammo down a little and be safe, and well equipped with Safe Hot Factory Loaded Ammo in reserve at the same time.

Makes sense huh?

Please note: The case in the picture was not a Reloaded Case. It was a Factory Loaded Round shot by a Santa Barbara Police Officer in 2006 using Department Issued Ammo that had been purchased in bulk years earlier.

It blew the magazine out of the gun but nothing worse happened and the gun was still serviceable.

Randy

Federal has always loaded their .40 S&W hot. The Federal 180 FMJ in my SD40VE hits at 1100 FPS. That is hot. Most other brands just barely get up to 900. I tell my self that the Federals are +P although they are not marked that on the case. I don't shoot that many Federals through my gun.

ACC

[HATCH]

I purchased a Case Pro 100 several years ago.
I run all my 40 brass thru it.
I was lucky and picked up 100K pieces of once fired police range 40 brass.
So I size them, load them , fire them and forget them. I don't pick up 40s that I fire.

Now prior to getting all that police brass, I puchased several thousand processed brass from a VS on here.
I can tell when I get into a bag that I loaded with that brass. I get cracks and even the occasional case separation which is NO fun at all when firing out of a UMP 40.
This happens with multiple fired 40 cal brass only. I never have that issue with any other caliber.

[Ed_Shot]

After resizing/depriming I check every 40 SW and 10MM case holding it by the mouth and inserting the head-end half way into a Lyman 40 SW case gauge. For me this is faster than bulge busting every case. Only those that fail or fit tight get bulge busted and any smiles get tossed.

[W.R.Buchanan]

In fact many guns have unsupported chambers and will bulge brass to some extent. Even 1911s. For the most part much to do about nothing.

I had a Para 16/40 that had a chamber that was .005 larger than my G35! It bulged cases severely. But I never reloaded any of them as that gun was only shot at a range that wouldn't allow brass retrieval.

Randy