Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns 10mm Glock Problem

I'm talking about the glock 20 and the unsupported case. Buying an aftermarket barrel does not cure the problem. When you handload the 10mm hot you should only use the brass once. If not, you WILL eventually have a problem. Also when you're shooting full house loads in a glock, there is a very good possibility of a case rupture do to the chamber. Those loads I took pics of were not overly hot and that brass was junk with 1 firing. You can see how a load that is a tad too hot can blow and make bad things happen. That is what I'm refering to. Water down the 10mm a touch in the glock 20 would not be a bad thing. I'm sure there are guys who put many "hot" loads through their 20 and it has worked so far, but that doesnt make it safe.

gun champ, is spot on

I'm pretty much leaning the same way. Don't need max loads, won't shoot them again. I basically prefer 1911's to other semi-auto pistols, just because I LIKE them, but there are things to like about the Glock, also. I'll fix it, (try) to shoot it, and if I decide I don't like it, let someone else have their turn. I'm learning that my "Problem" was probably a convergence of "hot" ammo that would not feed, not fully supported barrel that was not well suited to the ammo - lot's of "Nots". Also several things I'm "Not" going to do again.

On the maybe plus side, I HAVE now experienced a cartridge blow-out it a Glock - and lived through it. I can discuss it first hand, 'cuz I was there..

agreed.
I have a 6" compensated LW in my G 20 now ( after I kaboomed the stock barrel)
10mm is pushing limits of case strength.
I have seen it in my hand loads.
I always shoot jacketed slugs. And after 2-3 reloads, the cases are reserved for .40 S & W level loads only.

Take a wooden dowel into your gun and knock it open. May take 4 hands. You will see what the caase did.

I'm thinking for me, SAAMI-spec loads for Colts, or other pistols wth unsupported barrels, are the best choice (and most likely to function 100%). That will include Glocks. The gun might be mechanically durable, but too many people have kaboomed them, for me to get very adventurous.

From what I have seen in limited testing, you might get 100-150 fps more out of a supported barrel - like the Kimber above, without getting smiles on the cases. If I plan to really push things, then I'll turn to the revolver. Even the 5" S&W barrel gave higher velocity than any of the 5" 1911's.

S&W made 610's with 6.5" barrels, and Ruger made a few Blackhawks in .38-40/10mm Convertibles. I reckon one of them would give your highest velocity out of a 10mm. The S&W's are spendy, the Rugers a little less.

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=342874553

I just primed around 850 cases that had all be shot through a stock Glock barrel and all had been loaded close to top of modern reloading data probably 3 or 4 times at least. I typically find the best accuracy near the top. All the primers seated tightly. Nothing slid right in. I'll probably use these for lighter loads.

After getting 1K of new Starline brass upon buying a Storm Lake barrel, I was going to pitch my "old" brass, but in going through them, I could not find one with a case bulge. I would have noticed anyway, because I handload everything for my centerfires, and always look at each case I pick up for primer issues or splits and bulges. So after reading a lot of the recent posts on here I went and looked at my stock Glock barrel. It seems to support the case about as well as the aftermarket barrel. I can't visually see any difference and I would think that the only portion in the web portion of the case not supported is around .0020 or thereabouts. Not much, and nothing nearly like some case bulges I have seen in pictures. I'm guessing they must blow out like a balloon.

Not sure if that is because it is from a mid-90's G20, or if age would have anything to do with it.

I just picked up on this thread... Don�t know why i didn't see it before. I have a G20 that i have just switched to a LWD barrel. I have been shooting the DT hard casts(I think 230grn). I have gotten about 2 boxes through with no misfire or jamming.

I shot about two boxes through with me stock barrel to and haven�t had a failure.

I use this as a primary back country side arm and don�t shoot it recreationally. I do shoot it but i don�t pound boxes through it. I have read that people in my instance should replace the spring for a heavy duty spring and replace the guide rod. Does anyone have any recommendations for one?

Also i was saving all my brass from it to reload.... Now I�m getting kind of scared reading all the above posts. I have never looked at my cases that close. Should i be worried? Maybe only reload twice and then toss the cases?

I use the 24 lb in my Glock 20 SF

I've had a Glock 20 for a number of years with no problems. I put a 22 pound recoil spring in it and a steel spring guide. I only load new Starline brass and don't bother to pick it up. I use enough 2400 to get an even 1200 fps from 180 grain XTP's. This satisfies, for me, what I want out of an auto pistol for carrying around in dirty conditions (tractor, horseback, ATV, etc). If I want more horsepower in a handgun I go to a revolver. If I want to carry a fighting pistol concealed I go to a .45 or a .40. Just my $0.02

I spent some time on the phone with an "industry insider" who told me to stay away from ANY aftermarket barrels for Glocks. He said that the cause of "Kabooms" had little to do with chambers being tight, but that ALL aftermarket barrels, in his experience, were out of spec on locking lug placement and shape. He says the Glock will fire out of battery (test by pulling the slide back when cocked and UNLOADED and pulling he trigger), and the out of spec barrels make this almost a certainty, rather than a possibility.

I m going to handle cycle some of the DT and BB rounds, just to see if they will feed with the Glock barrel in place, but will probably not fire them in this pistol.

My replacement mag release arrived, and when we put it in I also removed the 6" LW barrel and put the stock 4.6" Glock barrel back in. I then shot two magazines through it - one of American Eagle 180gr FMJ, the other PMC 175gr JHP - with no problems. Accuracy was not as good as the few shots I had gotten out of the LW barrel, but I may have been "overly cautious" after what had happened the last time I fired the pistol. I bought a new magazine to replace the one involved in the "accident", but mistakenly loaded the injured one - and it fed and functioned fine. Nothing was cracked except the plastic coating, and once home I trimmed that piece and super glued it in place.

Plan to approach the Glock Store about giving them back the LW barrel because it does not feed well. Would like to swap it in on the Glock 6" "Hunting" barrel, but will just use the stock barrel if necessary.

I think the Glock will work for me now, even though I would still prefer a 18911.

I shot my stock Glock barrel with lots of reloads and never had any issues with the gun or the brass. I bought a Storm Lake barrel due to the kaboom issues I became aware of a short time before that purchase. I've not had any issues with the Storm Lake barrel, either but I don't think it's as accurate as the original, but that is not by a wide margin.

I previously said the stock barrel did about as good as the Storm Lake for supporting the case. I believe it must have been late that night. I just took a pic of both barrels, side by side, and the Storm Lake easily bests the stock Glock in case support. I believe I will keep using it, plus the Glock has a rep for problems due to their polygonal rifling with lead bullets. Having recently "seen the light" regarding hard cast bullets, the aftermarket makes even more sense.

I just tested the chamber on the Lone Wolf barrel, by dropping loaded rounds in with no pressure applied. Had previously done this with the Glock barrel, and all the ammo I had "passed". With the LW, the two factory loads from PMC and American Eagle also passed, as did the few hand loads I had worked up, but not yet shot that were full-length sized.

The Double Tap 230gr HCL loads did not fully chamber without pressure, and of course would not fall out, even when simply dropped. The Buffalo Bore 220gr HCL barely went half way in! Barrel problem, or ammo problem, or some off both?

According to Buffalo Bore and others, Hard Cast Lead - which is of course not pure lead - does not lead to "leading" problems in Glock barrels, for whatever that is worth?

Did you test the DT or BB ammo in your Glock barrel or try taper crimping? It sounds like neither has sufficient crimp. Odd, coming from two different mfrs.

For me, I'm just going to continue using my handloads. I test each round for sizing issues, using the barrel as the gauge. I think another poster called it the "plunk" test. I like that , even if it is more a "clink" metallic sound.

Actually, both the DT and BB ammo fed through the Glock barrel when I cycled them manually this morning. For my hand loads, I am using a Lee Factory Crimp Die, and those pass the "plunk" test in the LW barrel. Some of the BB rounds when dropped into the LW barrel barely make it halfway before sticking. The action of the slide would probably force them in, and the extractor will probably pull them out, but since the Glock will fire when out of battery, and considering the problem I had, I'm giving up on this barrel. My Glock has the factory recoil spring, but I think I will replace it with a 22# spring and a stainless or tungsten rod.

One of the reasons I do not like Glocks~

Buy a Tangfoglio and be done with it.

Here is my 15 Shot 10mm Tang.

Well there goes my plan to get a G20.

It started like this... buy a G20. Wait and get an aftermarket barrel to shoot heavy handloaded hardcast bullets. Until then, shoot heavy jacketed handloads in factory barrel. Wait... smileys come with a factory barrel and heavy loads.

Ok, shoot warm, not-so-heavy loads with factory barrel and get aftermarket barrel. Aftermarket barrel should take care of smileys, but might not feed as well. Wait, feeding could definitely be compromised and smileys still exist. WTF? Brass only good for 1, maybe 2 loadings?

Now what?

Sounds like I'm right back to where I started... heavy .357 loads in a revolver. Or back to .429, or .452 in a revolver.

Or a Tang, like Fotis has. Weren't there issues with these or was it the EAA Witness?

Or a RIA 10mm but now it weighs as much as a big-bore 6-shot revolver (S&W 629).

10mm's will do that to you...



FWIW the 5" 610 S&W shown, gives higher velocity than any of those three 1911's...

The only issues with the Tang was a brain fart they had to produce the polymer series which sometimes cracked the slide.

This model is all steel balls to the walls tough.

It's certainly a lot prettier than a Glock.

How does it feed and group for you?

That is a VERY nice looking pistol!