[bushpilotmexico]

Any advice would be appreciated. I guess I was spoiled with my Springfield 1911 because it would digest anything, including I think the kitchen sink.

I now have two Glocks a Model 21 and a Model 35. My learning curve has been with the Model 21 in .45 ACP. Loads that my Springfield would have handle like the proverbial you know what thru a goose have caused nothing but trouble in my Glock 21. By this I mean failure to lock up, stove piping and failure to feed. The lead bullets I am using are store bought semi wad cutters, 175 grain pushed by 4.3 grains of Bullseye. All rounds are loaded on my Lee 1000 progressive press. Cases have been trimmed to the proper length and I have been experimenting with tapered and a modified roll crimp.

I have just bought some Speer 230 grain RNL bullets to improve feeding pushed by 8.0 grains of Blue Dot but still the odd failure to lock up....I have a Lee bulge buster kit on it's way from Midway USA thinking that my problem might be in the unsupported part of the case? A factory round seats into the chamber further than my reloads and with the slide refusing to lock up headspace must be nil, which also might explain the light striker tap on some of the reloads that do fire?

I should also mention that the barrel is a Lone Wolf in order that I can push lead thru it.

Haven't fooled with the 40 S&W as of yet until I get the .45 ACP figured out.

[JR]

All Glock barrels have a problem with SWC. Yes you can make them shoot but why bother. Switch to truncated or RN and be done with it forever.
I bet you have a bulged case issue. Once the brass is shot through the LWD barrel the bulge will not be an issue. Remove the barrel. Drop your reloads into the chamber and use it as a go, no-go. The round should sit just under the barrel hood. If so, it is good to go. If the load flushes up with the barrel hood you may or may not have a feed issue. If it is above the hood it is a problem for sure.
Watch your OAL. Slightly shorter is better

[bushpilotmexico]

Originally Posted by JR

All Glock barrels have a problem with SWC. Yes you can make them shoot but why bother. Switch to truncated or RN and be done with it forever.
I bet you have a bulged case issue. Once the brass is shot through the LWD barrel the bulge will not be an issue. Remove the barrel. Drop your reloads into the chamber and use it as a go, no-go. The round should sit just under the barrel hood. If so, it is good to go. If the load flushes up with the barrel hood you may or may not have a feed issue. If it is above the hood it is a problem for sure.
Watch your OAL. Slightly shorter is better

I appreciate the information. To be honest I haven't used the Glock barrel as of yet on either my Model 21 or Model 35. My concentration and learn ing curve has been with the 21.

The Lee bulge kit arrived yesterday and I used it to resize 50 cases. All cases are federal and the case thickness averages .011. I'm now loading RNL bullets with an OD of .451 I am taper crimping the necks and it measures .468. My OAL is 1.265 which is .010 shorter than the maximum OAL shown in my Lyman reloading book.

I also have reloaded 10 of the Federal cases with the SWC as an experiment just to see if the feeding problem still exists now that the cases are properly sized and taper crimped.

Interestingly enough when using the LW barrel for my go, no-go gauge the rounds drop in freely with an audible clunk but they honestly don't sit just under the barrel hood as you suggest. Most are even with it and a few a hair high. In the factory Glock barrel all rounds fit below the hood and rattle around like a glass eye in a tea cup. I had read that the Glock chamber is over size and obviously it's true.

I will be at the range tomorrow and will fire the rounds and am particularly interested in seeing if the SWC's feed properly and making sure that all rounds lock up which was amajor problem previously. I immagine that having used the Lee bulge removeal kit and with the proper taper crimp all rounds should chamber and the slide should lock.

[JR]

Reduce the OAL until the case rim fits just under the barrel hood and you will be good to go.

[bushpilotmexico]

Went to the range today and pleased to report that all went well with my handloads.

My Glock 21 digested 25 RNL 230 grainers pushed by 8.0 grains of Blue Dot. Average velocity thru my chrony was 705 fps, which works out to a power factor of 162.

I even shot 10 rounds of the 175 grain SWC's pushed by 6.0 grains of N340 for an average velocity of 849, which works out to a power factor of 149. All rounds fed flawlessly in the LW barrel, with no failures to feed as I had experienced previously. The full length resizing and the taper crimp hopefully solved the problem.

The LW barrel definitely supports the case in the area ahead of the loading ramp where the Glock barrel falls short. To do this it looks like the angle of the LW ramp is steeper so the round will enter the chamber at a high angle. This plus the previous lack of crimp and the profile of the SWC may have contributed to the feeding problem.

Kind of looks like good starting loads for both projectiles. Accuracy was so so but remember I shoot a 6 BR Norma in F-Class competition and can basically almost put them in the same hole at 100 yards.

With all my rilfe reloading experience I can honestly say that reloading for a semi auto pistol has been a learning adventure!