RE: Glock Help
I read about this before I started handloading for my Glock 21. The concern is due to the steeply sloped feed ramp and the unsupported area this creates at the base of the case just in front of the webbing when chambered. On new cases the case is strong enough to withstand the pressures and remain intact despite the unsupported area. With hot loaded factory ammo, people have noted a bulge in tha cases (something I've never witnessed in my Glock with standard velocity loads. I've never shot +P loads so I can't talk about those) So when the cases are resized and reloaded, the now work hardened case (if a bulge existed) is weakened and could rupture, with obvious consequences. This also only seems to be a problem with .40cal and up Glocks. The 9mm versions have sufficient support that this problem is exceptionally rare.
I personally think that this was only a problem with guys who'd reload very hot ammo. I've been handloading my Glock for several months and have had absolutely no problems with bulging brass and have seen no sign of brass fatigue on impending rupture. I am using Winchester brass and Hornady 230gr encapsulated FMJ bullets with 5.5gr of Universal Clays (0.5gr under max @ 750fps, for a margin of safety and because these are plinking rounds). The brass has been reloaded 4 times and not a single case has been bulged at the web. This load had also functioned flawlessly in my gun (100% reliability in 400 rounds fired), despite the fact that the slide velocity is obviously lower than factory ammo. I can tell both by how the gun feels during recoil and by the reduced authority with which the brass is ejected.
So from my experience, as long as loads are kept safely below max, there is no problem. If I wanted to load them screaming hot I would invest in an aftermarket barrel.
The caution about shooting lead bullets in a polygonally rifled bore should, IMO, absolutely be heeded. Polygonal rifling works by squeezing the snot out of the bullet, basically swaging it into the hexagon or octagon shaped bore. There is a tremendous amount of force involved, which is not a problem with jacketed bullets. But with lead bullets instead of just swaging the bullet the throat will actually shave off a little bit of lead with every shot, causeing extreme leading in the bore and the very real possibility of a partial bore obstruction. Now I know that somebody will pipe in saying that they've been shooting cast lead bullets out of their Glock since Christ's time without a problem, but there are many documented cases of Glocks blowing up because of this to ignore this very real danger. So just don't do it, please. If you wish to load cast lead bullets, I'd strongly advise that you invest in a conventionally rifled barrel before you do.
And as always, my results may not be indicative of ever gun and ever situation. If you handload for your Glock you do so at your own risk. (That outta make the bloodsucking, ambulance chasers happy).
Mike