reloads for Glock

[Love Life]

Do you have lube/gunk buildup from shooting your cast? This might be causing the issues you are having since they come later in the firing time instead of right away.

Also, measure some loaded rds to see if they are too fat. Set your crimp for .468-.470. If the barrel is too tight send it back to the manufacturer.

The fact that the KKM handles the factory 100% tells me it is an issue with your reloads.

Something I do is I trim all pistol brass that comes into my garage. This gives me consistent crimps. If your brass is varying lengths then you can have some issues there as well.

Lets say you set your crimp die to crimp and you just so happen to have used a long piece of brass. It may not crimp enough when you load shorter brass. This is why some people run into issues.

[trlcavscout]

I like a 230 gr RN over 5 gr of red dot.

i like this one also, or 200gr RN. I ran 4.5 to 5.0 red dot or promo. Depending on your recoil spring you may have to stay at 5 to make it reliable. I also use a lot of titegroup.

I don't shoot 45 ACP anymore but looking at my data I was "crimping" to .470 for my Glock 30, and 230gr RN was 1.200" to 1.210" and 200gr SWC 1.200" to 1.225". That came from a couple books. I had an aftermarket recoil spring that would cause FTF with to light of loads but I never had any other problems. Even the factory recoil springs are tight on them being double, I had loads that worked in my kimber that wouldn't work in my Glock 30 with factory spring.

[edadmartin]

Doug guy, I went to the range and with the new reloads was able to shoot all 30 without any ftf, also shot 60 factory ball ammo with out any fails. So I guess this glock is picky with reloads and the col of 1.245+- works well. I got your pm about throating thanks. What exactly does throating accomplish??? Im not sure if it is necessary or not. Speaking to the KKM of course.

[edadmartin]

This last batch I did double check and adjust FC to .468 .469, so maybe you are correct that the kkm barrel is tight, any way I believe the problem is under control. Oh-- I wonder if a .451 bullet would be preferable for the finicky glock over a .452?? thanks for the help .

[Love Life]

Maybe. Try it out and see.

[DougGuy]

It is likely a .451" will resolve the issue. However, many shooters choose to use .452" because it seals in the bore better if the bore is .451" or larger.

When you have a ftf because the slide doesn't go all the way into battery, it usually means the stoppage is because the boolit doesn't go far enough into the barrel's throat (the smooth part between the end of the chamber and the rifling). The boolit could be a little out of rounds, it could be a little tight if it has excess lube in front of the case mouth, it could be fouling build-up in the throat, the boolit may be canted a little off center in the case, or a combination of things.

Here is a pic of an SA 1911 compact barrel before and after throating. The owner had almost a thousand rounds of .452" reloads that would not chamber reliably, after throating all the rounds pass the plunk test and he has had 0% ftf afterwards. For $20 + shipping.

The left photo shows the stock barrel, with the rifling beginning almost abruptly at the end of the chamber. the photo on the right shows the rifling has been reamed away back about .185" from the chamber mouth, and there is an area of smooth bore that measures .4525" between the chamber mouth and the rifling. This is what the term "throating" the barrel is describing. The throat, is that ring of smooth bore just in front of the chamber.

It may be of note here, that a "match grade" barrel will be on the tight side of specs for the .45 ACP cartridge. They may have a throat that will only accept a boolit of .451" diameter. My Kahr CW45 is made this way, it won't begin to chamber a round with a .452" boolit. So if you order a match grade barrel, or get a .45 with one fitted to it already, chances are it won't chamber a .452" boolit until the throat is addressed.



As far as the dimensions of the throat, I like to see a .4525" pin gage go at least .125" into the throat, this will accept a .452" boolit with a little fouling, or a little lube, without causing a stoppage. I have not seen where the length of the freebore (throat) affects accuracy or leading issues, and some of them are .220" between the chamber ledge and the beginning of rifling! Apparently this dimension isn't super important as long as the boolit goes in the throat without issue.

Edit:

The KKM barrel I posted a photo of earlier in this thread was from a guy who wanted to run .45 Super through it, and he wanted to seat out long so the throat in that barrel is a full .250" at his request. He says it shoots great and it's very accurate and doesn't lead.

The photo of the boolits below are dummy rounds that people have sent me along with their barrels for a go/no-go gauge. Castboolits forum member C.latch sent the one with the Hornady 300gr XTP seated in the case, and it feeds with no issues. All these are .452" boolits, the two on the left are some that I have had forever, I used those in different competitions in years gone past. The full wadcutter was used in a T/C with a Bullberry barrel, and yes the throat in that barrel was specially done to accept the COA of the full wadcutter as you see it here.

Barrels with a throat like the SA on the right hand side of the above photo will gobble up all these rounds with no stoppages.