Lead in Glocks

R

renaissance7697

New member
What is the latest (current) opinion of reloading in Hard Cast Lead
for GLOCK Pistols ???

I have a chance at a GLOCK Model 36 (in .45 acp) at a good price
but........
I HAVE to Reload (Economics)
and I prefer to load the less expensive Hard Cast Lead (more economics)

What about GOOD QUALITY "plated" ? (ie West Coast)

I will be reloading "light" (Minimum velocity for reliable function and reasonable accuracy)

Gun is to be used for mostly for sport
and occasional carry.
 
If I was going to shoot lead through a Glock (or H&K) I'd drop in an aftermarket barrel. Some people might be quite comfortable shooting lead in a barrel with polygonal rifling - I am not.
 
I tried commercial reloads in my G-26 they severly leaded the barrel in about 25 rounds, this is with soft swaged lead bullets.

I then reloaded my own using Berry's copper plated and had no leading and good accuracy.

I am now about to try GOOD hardcast lead bullets, after talking to a HK owner at my club who shoots nothing but the good hardcast bullets in his HK .45 (polygonal rifling) with no leading.

The Berry's copper plateds work great.
 
For master Blaster

I would be real interested in your experience when you try the "good Quality" Hard Cast Lead..... (in your Glock)

Do you load "Hot - Medium or Lite" ?

What brands fall in to the "Good Quality" category in your opinion?

How about "National" for one?
 
I've loaded both hard-cast lead and plated bullets for both of my Glocks (9mm and .40), and haven't had any problems with leading as long as I use HARD bullets; the one time I tried to use relatively soft swaged bullets, they leaded the bore so badly that the bullets wouldn't stabilize. When I first started to load plated bullets, I had a hard time finding a load that would properly stabilize the bullets I was using (180-grain West Coast plateds), but I tried a couple of different loads, found one that worked, and haven't had a problem since.
 
renaissance7697:

The main problem is not so much leading of the barrel, but leading of the chamber. Leading in this area causes the cartridge to chamber progressively further back in the unsupported chamber. At some point, there is not enough support for firing the round, and a case rupture results, KABOOM!

One solution is the aftermarket barrel. Another is using the Lewis lead remover between 3-5 magazines, and regularly checking the chamber.

If you use a copper wash, and/or high brinel bullet, and keep your loads moderate, and check the fired cases for bulging, and regularly check the chamber for leading, you should have no problems.

Regards, Shoney
 
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