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.40S&W

tomcat_blackknights
i got a question on reloading 40 smith. i started useing lead slugs because of cost and the amount i shoot. so ive had a coupld of guys tell me that loading straight lead flat nosed bullets is bad in the sense that shooting them will lead up the barrel and eventually leed to higher pressures in my chamber thus possibly causing a safty hazard. they all tell me to always use fmj slugs/hallow points, but i find if i clean my gun with good solevnts it takes the lead out of the barrel. not to be disrespectful i dont wanna tell these senior shooters of this as to offend them. is my cleaning solvents getting the lead out or am is my naked eye only telling me the barrel looks clean?
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Comments

10 comments

Date Votes
  • midnightrunpaintballer
    i think you're fine as long as you're not shooting a glock. glocks have different type of rifling that needs jacketed bullets. i've shot lead semi wadcutters through my xd .40 with no problems. as you've already noted, your solvents get the lead out. another tip is when you're done shooting lead, shoot off a couple jacketed bullets before you leave the range. the jacketed bullets will get most of the lead out for you making it even easier to clean when you get home. hope this helps
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  • tomcat_blackknights
    it is a glock modle 27 oopps. now what? maybe i should fire em off?
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  • Nwcid
    ANY gun with Polygonal cut rifling, which the Glock has it is not recommended to shoot un-jacked bullets. The way the rifling is cut puts a tighter grip on the bullet which can cause an excessive lead build up. Excessive lead build up is unsafe.


    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polygonal_rifling
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  • midnightrunpaintballer
    in that case, i believe the senior shooters are correct this time. i wouldn't shoot them through the glock. i can't remember at the moment the proper name for the type of rifling glocks use but i'm sure someone else will be along that will know. now you have perfectly good ammo that you can't shoot through your particular gun. i recently had a similar problem and found the solution was to go buy another gun to add to the collection. good luck. [:D]

    polygonal rifling... thanks Nwcid
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  • gunnut505
    Not so sure it's a good idea to burnish the lead into the rifling by shooting jacketed bullets after shooting lead, but it's your gun; do whatever you want.
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  • midnightrunpaintballer
    quote:Originally posted by gunnut505
    Not so sure it's a good idea to burnish the lead into the rifling by shooting jacketed bullets after shooting lead, but it's your gun; do whatever you want.


    the lead is softer than the steel of the barrel and the copper jacket. it's gets scraped out by the copper jacket and i use solvent to get rid of the rest. not trying to start an argument, just wanted to clarify. of course, that's NOT polygonal rifling i'm shooting through.
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  • dfletcher
    I don't own a Glock, but have heard the case head is unsupported and using brass fired in a Glock is not advisible. I do know one of the reloading component companies sells a pass through sizer that supposedly corrects the problem - is reloading for the Glock an issue for this reason?

    I've use Berry copper plated bullets for reloading, they seem to work well and are pretty inexpensive.
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  • CapnMidnight
    Solution, sell the Glock and buy a 1911, you'll be glade you did.
    W.D.
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  • NeoBlackdog
    I've put thousands of rounds of reloads through my Glock 23, 27, and 35 shooting IDPA and haven't had any problems with the unsupported cases. The key is to watch your pressures. 180 grn Berrys plated charged with 4 grns of Titegroup with small pistol primers is a very comfy load to shoot that doesn't push the pressure envelope. You could also buy an aftermarket barrel cut with standard rifling instead of the polygonal rifling that will drop right into your 27.
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  • beantownshootah
    This argument goes back and forth.

    The thought is that the polygonal rifling used in Glock barrels encourages leading with non-jacketed bullets.

    This can ruin accuracy and may eventually (if left unchecked) lead to dangerous pressures.

    Of course its possible to clean soft lead out of hard steel barrels with enough elbow grease and/or appropriate solvents.

    The problem of barrel leading is greatly increased with high-velocity loads. Slow "target" type loads tend not to lead nearly so much.

    The easy "fix" to skirt this issue is simply to buy a replacement barrel for your Glock with traditional cut rifling. These barrels are relatively inexpensive and drop in with no gunsmithing.

    To me this is a no-brainer. If you want to shoot lots of lead, just buy one of these replacement barrels and forget about it.

    Of course over time even traditional barrels will lead up too, though not as quickly.
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