excessive lead bullets --> exploding gun?

He IS full of misinformation. ALL barrels will get lead (and copper) build up over time. It can be cleaned out. It needs to be cleaned out. If you let it build up to the point that your barrel blows - you are an idiot. For the people who think that Glocks are perfect and polygonal rifling is better than traditional rifling (it's not) then they should not shoot lead bullets. In fact they should only buy and shoot ammunition made by Glock with a headstamp that says "Safe for Glock firearms".:rolleyes:
 
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I have a friend who inherited a Norinco 1911 from his brother a couple years ago. He took it to the range and found that he couldn't hit anything with it. His brother told him that the barrel was "shot out", no rifling left, and would need to be replaced.

He was asking me where he could get a new barrel for the 1911, how much would it cost, etc. Sounded odd, so I asked him if I could see it. He brought it to the range next week. I broke it down, took a look down the barrel, and it was definitely a smooth-bore.

Took a bit of cleaning to get all the lead out, but once done, it shot quite well. Turns out there was some rifling left after all. :) His brother later admitted that he had been shooting nothing but lead through it for "quite some time" and never cleaning it. He actually thought it was "shot out" and gave it away because of that.

That was by far the worst fouled barrel I have ever seen. If it didn't ka-boom, I find it hard to believe that anything would.

I shoot lead exclusively (aside from the occasional mag of carry ammo), but I clean my guns after every range session...so I don't worry a bit about it.
 
I know that shooting a LCR 38 with about 20 moderate lead wad cutters then moving to a previously reliable oh so lightly loaded jacketed soft point will cause the first jacketed round to stick in the bore.

This is a extreme case but illustrates that lead in the bore will cause more friction to a low power round.
 
Yup, keep your barrel clean and you won't have any problems. The people having the problems are invariably the same people who don't believe that firearms really "need" to be cleaned.
 
My Glock 17 shoots lead 125 hard cast round noses VERY well. No issues as long as the load is light and clean the barrel every 200 rounds or so. Been doing it for years.
 
I think in most pistols it's very unlikely that leading ALONE will result in the gun exploding.

However, shooting a jacketed round down a heavily leaded barrel can cause issues. Beretta warns in their pistol manuals against shooting lead bullets and then shooting copper jacketed bullets without THOROUGHLY cleaning the barrel of lead first. (Their emphasis.)

Polygonal barrels, especially the "flavor" of polygonal rifling that Glock uses can be an issue with lead bullets.

The book, The Glock in Competition contains a chapter that explains how shooting lead in Glock barrels can cause dangerous pressure increases. The author of that chapter, Mark Passamaneck is a forensic engineer who blew up his Glock using lead reloads. Since he had the specialized equipment and expertise to thoroughly research the problem he did so. He no longer uses lead bullets in his Glock pistols and recommends only plated or jacketed bullets for use in Glocks.
 
Using Proper Caution Lead Can Be Used In A Glock

Shooting lead in a non-polygonal rifeled barrel causes no problems. Shooting jacketed bullets does not thouroghly clean out the lead but will swedge lead into the bore.

Lead bullets is considered a no no in Glocks, as post # 25 poins out lead can be safely. I consulted my gunsmith on this matter and was told to clean it every 100 rounds.

I havs shot thousands of rounds using the middle load in a Manual with no problems.

I plan on continuing to do so with every confidence that no K-Booms will occur.

If youre' not comfortable with this, then use jacketed bullets.
 
I can't get my 21sf's barrel to lead, no matter what powder charge I use. Every time a simple swipe of a barrel mop reveals a shiny, mirror shine like nothing every touched it. I was all geared up to buy a Lone Wolf barrel after I got the Glock, but discovered it wasn't necessary.

Now the Kahr and CZ are a whole different story. Gotta watch those like a hawk and clean after a few mags.
 
lead

My 1911 Colt has shot only lead bullets - over 60,000 of them (and counting) - and it hasn't blown up, the barrel isn't leaded.


The book, The Glock in Competition contains a chapter that explains how shooting lead in Glock barrels can cause dangerous pressure increases. The author of that chapter, Mark Passamaneck is a forensic engineer who blew up his Glock using lead reloads. Since he had the specialized equipment and expertise to thoroughly research the problem he did so. He no longer uses lead bullets in his Glock pistols and recommends only plated or jacketed bullets for use in Glocks.
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Nice to see that. I have read through that info and he is convincing. Nevertheless, shooters continue to argue the point - some of them are convincing with arguments on the pro-lead side, though I have never seen any data about safe lead bullet use in Glocks other than "I have never had a problem" or "the bore is still shiny". No measurements or pressure readings from shooters who say that it is safe.
I continue to wonder.
Pete
 
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I have never seen any data about safe lead bullet use in Glocks other than "I have never had a problem" or "the bore is still shiny". No measurements or pressure readings from shooters who say that it is safe.
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This is part of the problem with this topic.

It is true that many people shoot lead bullets in Glocks without incident. No one is denying that is possible, the problem comes when one tries to come up with a general rule that will insure a person can shoot lead bullets in Glocks without incident.

Passamaneck's testing revealed that even "identical" Glock pistols being shot with identical loads leaded at dramatically different rates. One gun would start showing dangerous pressures after only a couple of boxes while another Glock, that was apparently identical to the first, shot several hundred rounds and still wasn't showing enough pressure increase to be problematic.

So the first thing people want to know is can it be done without blowing up the gun? The answer is "Yes". People do it all the time. The problem is the answer to the next question.

The second thing a prudent person will want to know is "HOW can it be done safely?" There is no definitive answer to that question for those of us without pressure measuring equipment and that's where things start to get wrapped around the axle.

After thoroughly investigating the phenomenon, Passamaneck declined to give any advice on how to shoot lead bullets through a Glock bore and stopped using lead bullets himself. My understanding of his comments indicate that he avoided trying to come up with a "safe formula" because he didn't feel that there was rule or set of rules that one could follow to insure that a problem could be avoided.

I don't presume to step in where Passamaneck feared to tread, but I think there are some rules that can be followed to REDUCE, not eliminate the chances of an incident.

Don't push the length of your practice sessions with lead bullets and frequently check for leading, especially anytime you try a new pistol or a new load.

Don't use maximum loads.

Don't EVER put ANY jacketed rounds through a Glock barrel that's had lead bullets shot through it until the bore has been thoroughly cleaned and all leading removed from it. I read a posting on another forum many years ago by a person who blew up his Glock 19 with 51 rounds. 50 lead rounds followed by a single jacketed factory round. The gun came apart spectacularly when the jacketed round tried to fit down the constricted bore. This practice can cause damage even in standard rifling. Speer's ballistics expert, Allan Jones, recommends against the practice in all firearms citing his examination of several firearms damaged by the practice and as I mentioned above, Beretta includes a warning against it in several of their pistol manuals.

Don't assume that just because you've never had a problem before you're home free. Little things can make a big difference. If you change loads/load components or start using a different Glock pistol or replace a barrel, don't assume that everything will still be the same. As mentioned above "identical" Glock pistols can behave very differently in terms of leading.

Finally, be aware that given the unusual nature of Glock rifling, leading may not be easy to detect. One shooter on another forum bought a Glock 17 for a pittance (under $200) because the barrel was "shot out". I suggested that it wasn't shot out that it was merely badly lead-fouled. He checked again and was certain that it wasn't lead-fouled. It wasn't until I convinced him to carefully test the inside of the bore by trying to gently scratch it with a small screwdriver that he verified that the smooth interior of the bore was actually the result of lead fouling. This story, by the way, is a testament to the sturdiness of the G17 and how overbuilt the original 9mm Glocks were. I do not believe that a .40 S&W Glock would have stood up to being shot with that much lead fouling in the bore.
 
I wonder if Glock barrels are made by using EDM or regular machining?

From what I've read, EDM leaves a slightly rough surface that would be more likely to lead. A machined would likely be smoother.

If a gun has been shot with jacketed bullets, the roughness wears down making lead less likely to stick.

Of the guns that went bang, how many had very few / no jacketed rounds before lead and how many were shot with lead after many jacketed rounds smoothed the bore?
 
Keep your barrels, chambers and forceing cones clean and free of lead build up and you will be allright. Allow lead to build up and there may be problems. Pay attention to your guns and clean them regularly.

Not all lead bullets are the same. Bullet mixtures vary. What is fine in a .38 may lead fiercely from a .357.

tipoc
 
Your instructor is wrong.

Glocks and other polygonal rifled barreled guns say right in the owners paperwork to not use lead bullets.

But there are dozens of other standard rifled semi auto's that have no such problems.

Unless you reload,it should'nt be a problem.

Most commerically availble rounds are fmj or hollowpoints-both that have metal jackets on them.

The key thing to do is to make sure the gun you are using is safe to shoot with lead bullets if you decide to start firing them.

And obviously,if someone offers you a box of reloaded rounds with lead bullets in them politely say,"Thank you but I'd rather use metal jacketed rounds,but thanks anyway."

Frankly,there is probably only one or two people on earth I'd trust to give me rounds they reloaded so for me,that's not a problem anyway.
 
Ive shot lead through glocks never had a problem. But i clean the bore atleast every 100 rounds after doing so just to be safe. Most of the ka booms with lead in glocks are from people reloading to hot or improper crimps and not cleaning the gun often enough. From what i was told glock says not to shoot lead because of the few people who dont know how to take care of there gun and has a ka boom. It is easier for them to say not to then to teach people how to do it safely.
 
Glock and other polygonal barrels are known problems with lead.
Standard rifled barrels aren't as hundreds of millions of lead bullets shot through 1911 target pistols proves.

Over the years, I seldom saw an automatic barrel with standard rifling that tended to lead.
Most just don't seem to do so unless some really soft or unsized bullets are used.
I can only think of one case where a 1911 was wrecked by lead bullets.
I was on the phone with another gunsmith and he happened to mention he had a 1911 in the shop that had been damaged by leading.
He said the customer had some home cast lead bullets and they leaded his bore.
He decided to "shoot the lead out" by firing a few 230 grain full metal jacketed rounds.
First round, the barrel bulged about half way down and when the slide attempted to open, the barrel bushing was distorted and pushed partially out the front after trying to ride over the bulge.

The only real caution I give people about leading in autos or the more leading prone revolver, is to not try to shoot a leaded bore clean.
The real danger is a bulged or ringed bore.

When the manufacturer of a pistol says "DO NOT shoot lead bullets in our gun" and you decide to ignore the caution, you're on your own.
 
I load bullets made of poop

EDM bores are smoother.

Any lead, any bore; clean at appropriate intervals.

Guns can blow up; it isn't a 'brand' thing.
 
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