Reloading .40 S&W brass from stock glock bbl

BOB_HOWARD_13 · 08-03-2009, 06:42

Can this be done? I noticed that the cases that I have are bulged, they were factory loads to begin with. Can I reload them and fire them in the stock bbl again?

Thanks in advance!

Jumper · 08-03-2009, 06:54

Absolutely not! You are risking a catastrophic failure of immense proportions if that brass even gets near your reload bench! I recommend you box up all the .40S&W brass you have and ship it to me for proper disposal. Please include a postal money order for $25 for the hazmat disposal fees I will incur on your behalf.

Seriously though, there is zero problems reloading glock fired .40S&W brass. Just be sure to re-size it completely to the rim. Dillon dies are notorious for leaving this portion of the case unsized. Lee carbide dies, among others, will resize the case completely.

88_gurgel · 08-03-2009, 06:57

I have been reloading some .40 (and by some i mean very limited due to shortages in the area) and have not had any trouble in my g27. The cases usually clean right up with the sizer die but the more pronounced the bulge, the harder it is to re-size.

BOB_HOWARD_13 · 08-03-2009, 07:42

ok then, thanks. I am new to reloading, and didn't want to die or lose an eye. just noticed case bulge, which I have in my reloading reading found is a bad sign. I figured I would ask people who knew something about it!

Thanks so much!

Colorado4Wheel · 08-03-2009, 08:14

How old is your gun? Glocks have a looser chamber then some guns (even in other calibers). Is it bulged on one side? Just larger then your used to seeing?

bohoki · 08-03-2009, 14:45

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-PszuLwEu8

Jumper · 08-03-2009, 19:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by bohoki

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-PszuLwEu8

Lee Dies accomplish the same thing without all the drama

BOB_HOWARD_13 · 08-03-2009, 22:50

So I should be ok with my lee pro 1000 just resizing them in the first stage?

shotgunred · 08-03-2009, 23:19

I shoot a lot (several hunderd a week) of 40 through my glocks. once I adjusted my dillion die all the way down it worked fine.

dsmw5142 · 08-04-2009, 02:33

I've resized and reloaded a bunch of .40 brass with bulges without any issues. I check them visually and in a lyman cartridge gauge when I'm done loading them up. I have seen a few that had pretty big bulges though which I have tossed in the scrap bucket. I have two 5 gallon buckets of .40 brass though, so why take chances?

Jumper · 08-04-2009, 06:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by shotgunred

I shoot a lot (several hunderd a week) of 40 through my glocks. once I adjusted my dillion die all the way down it worked fine.

AFAIK, there was never much of an issue resizing .40 shot from glock barrels with dillon dies that were then re-fired in Glock barrels. The problem was re-firing dillon sized cases from glock barrels in tighter chambers like those from LWD or KKM.

Bob Howard - With properly adjusted dies you should be fine.

CTSixshot · 08-04-2009, 06:58

You'll notice the die specifically for this on Grafs (probably others, too):
http://www.grafs.com/product/249748
You'll have to determine which brass deformations are too great and cull bad brass at your own judgement.

Jumper · 08-04-2009, 07:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by CTSixshot

You'll notice the die specifically for this on Grafs (probably others, too):
http://www.grafs.com/product/249748
You'll have to determine which brass deformations are too great and cull bad brass at your own judgement.

Look this is really simple, get a die that re-sizes all the way down - Lee. These push-through dies are to compensate for dies with too great a flare at the base. The flare makes it nice and easy to use, especially on a progressive press, but that wont matter much when your ammo wont chamber in your match barrel.

Colorado4Wheel · 08-04-2009, 07:31

This guy is worried about safety and you guys are arguing about dies.

DustyDawg48 · 08-04-2009, 08:19

I have an older G35 and I had the same issue with my brass. I opted to go the more expensive route and bought a KKM Precision aftermarket barrel. No no more bulging brass and it looks sweet, too.

Colorado4Wheel · 08-04-2009, 08:33

And thats what I am talking about. Is his brass really bulged to the point of non-use. All brass bulges. My 10mm, 9mm even my buddies .38 Super Comp bulges a good amount. Is it bulging more on one side then the other? Thats the real question. Drop the bulged brass in the barrel, Spin the brass in the barrel. What happens?

Jumper · 08-04-2009, 13:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by Colorado4Wheel

This guy is worried about safety and you guys are arguing about dies.

Because the die's are the solution to his safety concerns.

Colorado4Wheel · 08-04-2009, 14:51

Not if he has a older barrel that guppies his brass badly. Then I wouldn't want to load the brass no matter what dies you use. In fact no dieset is any safer then the other. That doesn't make any sense to me at least. They all resize the brass and if they pass the chamber check will shoot about the same.

D. Manley · 08-04-2009, 17:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by BOB_HOWARD_13

Can this be done? I noticed that the cases that I have are bulged, they were factory loads to begin with. Can I reload them and fire them in the stock bbl again?

Thanks in advance!

All brass bulges when fired, that's why cases must be resized. Unless some are severely bulged (especially, at the feed ramp position on one side), you'll be just fine. A concentric bulging of the middle part of the case is no issue and normal sizing dies should do an adequate job. Always make it a practice to run loaded rounds through either a case gauge or do a barrel test...whichever, is tightest.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Colorado4Wheel

This guy is worried about safety and you guys are arguing about dies.

Good point and talking about "bulged brass" as a generalization IMO, serves no purpose. There's "bulged" brass and then, there's "BULGED" brass. If it's "guppied" at the 6-O'Clock position, I'd consider that far more suspect Vs. a normal, concentric, swell toward the middle which poses no problem with either reloading or as a safety issue.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jumper

Because the die's are the solution to his safety concerns.

I have Dillon dies, Lee Dies, EGW U-Dies (made by Lee) and the Redding GRX die .40 push-through die. I make it a habit on all range pickup brass to run them through the U-dies before use. I have never found a case (out of over 30,000 so far) that failed to gauge or chamber. On loads fired in my guns, the Dillon dies have always done just fine as have, the Lees.

The Redding GRX gives me pause, though. I got one to experiment with more than anything else and although it seems to work as advertised (reduces the diameter near the case head), I'd have serious reservations using on brass that was significantly bulged in that area. Working the brass in the area it is hardest (and, was never intended to be ductile) just don't seem like a wise decision.

As an experiment, I took about 50 .40 caliber cases & lubed them, ran them through the U-Dies. As always, every one just cleanly dropped straight into my case gauge, rim first or mouth first. I then took the same resized cases and ran them through the GRX die. What I found was, it took a surprising amount of effort (same as un-sized brass) and, although the cases were already within SAAMI spec, the GRX still sized them down. It does do what it advertises but after using it, I don't think I'd feel comfortable recommending one for correcting serious bulges near the case head which, is it's intended purpose. On those cases, I think the safe thing is to toss 'em. Head separations have long been considered more prevalent in case-rolled brass and I would'nt be surprised if it isn't the case with the GRX once it's out there long enough to acquire a track record.

Jumper · 08-04-2009, 19:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by Colorado4Wheel

Not if he has a older barrel that guppies his brass badly. Then I wouldn't want to load the brass no matter what dies you use. In fact no dieset is any safer then the other. That doesn't make any sense to me at least. They all resize the brass and if they pass the chamber check will shoot about the same.

If its guppied too bad to resize then it can never be reloaded. If its capable of being resized without wrinkling or gross distortion then why isn't it safe to reload? I assumed the OP possessed ordinary common sense and I didn't feel it was necessary to state the obvious.

If after resizing the brass springs back too much to hold a bullet, then it is work hardened and should be discarded. But this goes beyond the OP's original question.

BOB_HOWARD_13 · 08-04-2009, 19:30

Question answered, thread closed.

Thanks guys!

Colorado4Wheel · 08-04-2009, 21:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by D. Manley

Good point and talking about "bulged brass" as a generalization IMO, serves no purpose. There's "bulged" brass and then, there's "BULGED" brass. If it's "guppied" at the 6-O'Clock position, I'd consider that far more suspect Vs. a normal, concentric, swell toward the middle which poses no problem with either reloading or as a safety issue.

Which is why I suggested he take some fired brass, drop it in his chamber spin it and see if it's guppied or just bulged. I would load bulgied brass but not brass that did not pass the test above. If I got all that type of brass I would get a new barrel.

bno762 · 08-05-2009, 01:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by BOB_HOWARD_13

Question answered, thread closed.

Thanks guys!

Ohhhh its not that easy here MR. Bob Howardifthatsyourrealname!! We will disect this problem for you and give you 1001 different reasons why your brass is bulging. Then and only then will we start working on whyat you should do about it. Then you will be required to post pics of said offending bulged brass w/pics of fixed brass. Then we will go into totally unrelated issues of why we all reload and why people that do not suck. So stick around for a bit.

dsmw5142 · 08-05-2009, 02:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by bno762

Ohhhh its not that easy here MR. Bob Howardifthatsyourrealname!! We will disect this problem for you and give you 1001 different reasons why your brass is bulging. Then and only then will we start working on whyat you should do about it. Then you will be required to post pics of said offending bulged brass w/pics of fixed brass. Then we will go into totally unrelated issues of why we all reload and why people that do not suck. So stick around for a bit.

Yeah!!

GioaJack · 08-05-2009, 09:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by bno762

Ohhhh its not that easy here MR. Bob Howardifthatsyourrealname!! We will disect this problem for you and give you 1001 different reasons why your brass is bulging. Then and only then will we start working on whyat you should do about it. Then you will be required to post pics of said offending bulged brass w/pics of fixed brass. Then we will go into totally unrelated issues of why we all reload and why people that do not suck. So stick around for a bit.

Damn, I hope healthcare reform passes really soon... you need to be on meds... or a 5th of something strong.

Jack