The Truth about Glocks and Cast

[yondering]

I'll find a different bullet. Can't see what good the pistol is if it won't shoot cast. I think Yonderling nailed it for me, most probably excessive pressure from the Lee RN bullet seated deeply.

Tom, a couple suggestions for different bullets - my favorites are the Mihec 452-200-HP, the Lee 200gr SWC (not the TL version), and a hollow pointed Lee 230 TC with the bevel base milled off. These three shoot really well in my Glock 45 factory barrel, and are the best of any designs I've tried.

[FergusonTO35]

I think the .40 cartridge is often loaded too hot from the factory. Couple that with the fact that many/most of these pistols are just adaptations of existing 9mm designs and a higher than average number are going to fail.

[Walt]

I would like to report that another great cast bullet shooting Glock is in my stable. I made my first trip to the range today with my new long slide G41 45. First, the gun ran like a top and put four different hardball loads into a 20 round 2 1/4" group at 50'. A load with a 235 grain H&G #34 and WST went into a 3" 10 shoot group but the star for me was a commercial 200 LSWC over 4.3 WST. First, 5 shots with the gun rested over my range bag formed a nice round 1 1/4" group. Shooting offhand, again at 50', the remaining 45 rounds of that load went into 2 7/8" with no signs of leading. I'm a happy camper .

[Love Life]

I want a G41 REAL bad.

[Walt]

I want a G41 REAL bad.

I understand.........but you can't have mine .

[Love Life]

Can I just borrow it for about 20 years?

[Walt]

Can I just borrow it for about 20 years?

I'm sorry, but no. There's another one at my buddies gun shop though.

[FergusonTO35]

Another good Glock report!

Finally got a chance to shoot the 19 today. From the first round I was shooting it as well as my Ruger SR9C. The adjustable sight is a good addition. I had to adjust it a fair amount over to the right to compensate for my usual habit of pulling my shots to the left. I'm still not used to the football goal post style rear sight. It's certainly minute of bad guy accurate but if I don't make the front dot sit right on the bottom of the goal post I shoot high by about two inches. I have the elevation all the way down too. Maybe more practice will cure that. As strange as it sounds the Glock 19 reminds me alot of the Ruger P95 I used to have. Both are "compact" but still wide as an aircraft carrier.

Function was 100% save for a couple of FTE's from the very mild ammo I was using, 4.6 grains of IMR 4756 with a 124 grain FMJ. I'm going to try a heavier charge next time, it seems that's what the pistol wants. I did try a handful of my standard lead bullet load, 3.5 grains Bullseye under a .357 lead truncated cone. Accuracy was at least as good as jacketed, function was perfect, and I observed no obvious leading. Upon cleaning the barrel seemed to have less fouling than is usually present in my other pistols. When the Storm Lake barrel shows up I will use it for high volume boolit shooting but it certainly seems that lead bullet use is ok in this paroticular factory barrel. The Glock and KCI mags both functioned the same, 100%. Very pleased with this pistol so far!

[Love Life]

Glock barrels are mirror smooth and the polygonal rifling is easy on the boolits. Yes, if you take 5 bhn boolits and fire them at full house 9mm, 45 acp, 40 s&w, and 10mm velocities then you will have mucho leading and possibly issues.

If, however, you use a quality boolit cast of good alloy with good lube then you will have magic. Additionally the polygonal rifling give a better seal which can prevent gas getting by the boolit and causing gas cutting on the boolit.

It's right there in front of our eyes and nobody utilizes it because some people had kabooms (I honestly attribute 99% of those stories to mouth breathers doing the wrong thing and blaming the gun).

I'm glad to hear of your success with your Glock and I'd love to hear a comparison report when you shoot your new barrel.

[yondering]

I think you nailed it, good post. Truth is, factory Glock barrels are much higher quality than most aftermarket barrels, but a lot of people are more willing to buy into the hysteria instead of figuring out how to make cast work in the stock barrel.

[Walt]

I think you nailed it, good post. Truth is, factory Glock barrels are higher quality than most aftermarket barrels, but a lot of people are more willing to buy into the hysteria instead of figuring out how to make cast work in the stock barrel.

After 20 years as a confirmed Glock looney I also think the current barrels are the best they have ever been. This is particularly true of the 9mms. Less effort is taken to find a great cast bullet load in the new guns compared to the 1st and 2nd generation. I currently have five 4th Gen guns and with the exception of the 31 (it may never see a lead bullet) they all have been very easy to work with.

[Love Life]

I think you nailed it, good post. Truth is, factory Glock barrels are much higher quality than most aftermarket barrels, but a lot of people are more willing to buy into the hysteria instead of figuring out how to make cast work in the stock barrel.

I never could bring myself to shell out the extra cheese for an aftermarket barrel. So I used the factory barrels with nary an issue. It wasn't until I started coating my boolits that I looked more closely at the whole barrel thing.

Fact is, polygonal rifling (I fired quite a few brands with polygonal rifling) is much easier on the boolit (as shown by recovered boolits) and accuracy is on par with the cut rifled barrels. Sights seem to make the biggest difference there.

Cut rifling, the edges of the rifling actually cut into the boolit itself. That's a condition that's ripe for failures and issues. I've still got more testing to do...

Sorry for the thread drift.

[FergusonTO35]

No apology needed, the additional experience is most helpful. I've always found that many, maybe most, commercial cast boolits for 9mm will lead in some or all guns regardless of the rifling. They tend to be the same size as j-words and use a hard, crayon like lube that doesn't coat the bore hardly at all. If you're just making mild target loads they are usually ok but push them fast and/or use a gun that is somewhat overbore and instant leading.

Come to think of it I haven't had any leading problems since I started pouring my own boolits. The worst I ever get is an occasional sliver dislodged by the cleaning brush.

[FergusonTO35]

Fired the 19 some more today at 20 feet. The pistol groups well but is hitting about 2" high at that distance. Is that common? I have the factory adjustable rear sight turned down to the lowest level and am aiming with the front dot sitting on the bottom of the goal post. The load today was 124 grain FMJ over 4.0 grains Accurate #2. Hopefully can try it with boolits again tomorrow.

[Love Life]

Fired the 19 some more today at 20 feet. The pistol groups well but is hitting about 2" high at that distance. Is that common? I have the factory adjustable rear sight turned down to the lowest level and am aiming with the front dot sitting on the bottom of the goal post. The load today was 124 grain FMJ over 4.0 grains Accurate #2. Hopefully can try it with boolits again tomorrow.

Still shooting the 124 gr FMJ? If so, and if it's safe to go up in powder charge, I'd give it some more juice.

[FergusonTO35]

I can, although this is the sort of load I normally shoot in 9mm. My usual do everything 9mm load is a 122 grain LTC over 3.5 grains bullseye and Remington primer for a chrono'd 985 fps. Do you think that the pistol would shoot POI with a stronger load? I suppose I could just get some of the plastic fixed sights and trim the notch to suit my needs.

[Walt]

I would shoot your 122 LTC and 3.5 Bullseye load (I like that load) using the sights as any other post and notch sight when shooting for accuracy. Most of my 9mm Glocks shoot about 2" high at 50' with the standard rear or the adjustable set low. The dot has use at in your face distances where precise point of impact means very little but speed is important, other wise I pay no attention to it.

[Love Life]

My full size Glocks hit POA at 25 yds, but things fluctuate a bit with shorter and longer distances.

20 ft is what...7 yds? Try sooting at 15 and 25 yds and see where the POI is.

[FergusonTO35]

Hmm, good idea. If the weather cooperates I should be able to try it again tonight with boolits.

[Love Life]

Did you get a chance to shoot? I think my favorite boolit for the 9mm was the RCBS 115 gr RN lubed with Speed Green. I then switched to the 124 gr GC boolit since I was shooting it in several 9mm pistols at the time.