Experience with light loads and Glocks

[Dirtlaw]

I have what is essentially a new 9mm Glock which I have been using to test my own loads. Recently I used the same gun to shoot some reloads I purchased at a local range. The reloads were professionally processed. That said, in any business, the tendency is to reduce costs where possible. That means the loads are likely on the light side. The Glock in question shows the typical symptoms when shooting a load that is too light to eject rounds smartly. The reloads I purchased exhibit those symptoms



Two questions.



[1] Do Glocks "loosen up" with age so they operate with lighter loads? Anyone have experience with that?


[2] Are Glocks "picky" towards stronger loads? (My Beretta seems to shoot almost anything with no complaints).

[rsrocket1]

[Yugo]

im only speaking from my own experience, I bought a 17L and the first hundred or less shots from manufactured reloads I had many rounds not blowback far enough to reset the slide. After that It worked fine, same ammo.

[hermosabeach]

I picked up some Perfecta Ammo that is low powered

I shoot it fine in a Glock

Most new shooters have type 2 malfunctions as they are not holding the gun firmly enough.



If the commercial reloads are too light - contact the manufacturer- they should make it right.

[FNGGlock]

Which Glock are you using?
My Glocks did loosen up a bit after a few hundred rounds and some cleaning/lube on the required parts, though they don’t need much lube at all. The slide does get easier to rack by hand.
I have only used up to +p 124gr loads in the 9s and not had issues with that or 115gr cheap ammo. Though mine are full size.

[Yugo]

I picked up some Perfecta Ammo that is low powered

I shoot it fine in a Glock

Most new shooters have type 2 malfunctions as they are not holding the gun firmly enough.



If the commercial reloads are too light - contact the manufacturer- they should make it right.

I made a post about this a few years ago and everyone thought that was my problem by not holding it tight enough but this wasnt the case.

[Sheldon]

Adding a compensator to end of barrel will bleed off gasses that otherwise would have helped power slide back too, so that may cause problems with lower powered loads.

[saki302]

Certain glocks are more sensitive to light loads in my experience.

The 17/17L seems less prone to this, while the 19 seems more sensitive to light loads.

Even well worn in, my 19 will stovepipe with all but the tightest grip with some light reloads.

[G-forceJunkie]

9mm Glocks (well maybe not the newest small ones) are designed around 124 gr NATO Spec ammo which tends to be on the hotter end. 124 grain at 1180 fps. Look up most 124 gr ammo and you will see most is loaded much lighter than this. So yes, Glocks often choke on wimpy ammo. If you want to shoot wimpy ammo for practice , an aftermarket recoil spring assembly with lighter springs are available.

[Snoopy47]

Several things.

I do shoot competitively with my Glocks, and to include the Glock sponsored matches (GSSF) where the entire fire control system has to be OEM.

I reload my own ammo, so I quite literally have gamed my ammo to be as soft as possible with the OEM configuration.

Things I've noticed.
1) the lighter the loads the more likely "limp wristing" can cause a problem.
2) not all Glock in the same caliber will handle a light load the same way. The G26 for example shares the same recoil spring with the .357 caliber version, so it's spring is a little stronger, so what works in my 17 doesn't work in my 26. So now my "Glock load" is my default G26 load.

**********
In terms of going light on powder to save money, I'm not convinced of that. Powder is by far the least costly component of reloading. 1lb will make more than 1,000 of pistol bullets for example, and depending on powder types and manufactures of power charge, if it is of concern a cheaper powder could be chosen to still get higher velocities

The probably chose a recipe that is less likely to blow a gun up (if they put any thought into it).

*********
Finally a Glock will loosen up with enough rounds through the recoil spring, but it will take quite a while.

[Trapper]

A lighter spring would be your best option for practicing with light reloads

[divingin]

Adding a compensator to end of barrel will bleed off gasses that otherwise would have helped power slide back too, so that may cause problems with lower powered loads.

As opposed to that gas going where? It still goes out the end of the barrel.

Unless your comp is located at the chamber it's not going to make a difference, assuming said comp is not attached to the slide.

[Snoopy47]

As opposed to that gas going where? It still goes out the end of the barrel.

Unless your comp is located at the chamber it's not going to make a difference, assuming said comp is not attached to the slide.

Gas will escape from the breach for lose chambers, which are what OEM Glocks are.

My match barrels will get greater velocities and kick more relative to the same load in an OEM Glock barrel.

As well, gas will pass ahead of the bullet depending on the rifling type, and bullet type. It's equally important to not generically use load data for a FMJ bullet for a Cast Lead bullet. Cast lead provides a much better seal and more gas actually pushes the bullet from behind instead of losing it down the groves.

[Snoopy47]

As opposed to that gas going where? It still goes out the end of the barrel.

Unless your comp is located at the chamber it's not going to make a difference, assuming said comp is not attached to the slide.

Compensators make a drastic difference. The OP didn't mention it, so the discussion path is probably not productive, but the below gun will not work with OEM springs and generic factory ammo.

To get this set up to work I'm loading powder loads in excess of manufacture maximums in junction of also reducing the spring rate down to 13lb's.

So I went down 4 pounds on the spring, and went up drastically on the velocity just to make the slide function with the addition of a compensator.

The best I can tell how a compensator works is like having the wind knocked out of you.


Without a compensator, the gasses are pushing the slide back via the expensed case pushing back the breach face. The only path of gas escape is the barrel and bullet itself or other leakages along the precision of the chambering of the barrel.

With the compensator that path of gas exit now includes the multiple pathways at the end of the barrel the moment the last opportunity for the exhaust can effect the spent case pushing back on the slide.

Finally.......... I was toying with minimal loads to make the gun work there there is a no mans land for building up a load, where if the load is light enough it will WORK the slide, but the moment a little bit more powder is added the gun STOPS WORKING the slide. My theory this is the gas expanse threshold just before the compensator is working. So if a load is too light it has almost no use of the compensator and all working gasses are expended before they hit the compensator. However, the moment a little more gas is added then it hits the compensator and then all the sudden the wind is knock out of the sales and it bleeds off faster that it continues to push back. This corrects itself when much more powder is added to overwhelm the gas exits.

That's the best I can make of what's going on with a compensator.

[divingin]

Gas will escape from the breach for lose chambers, which are what OEM Glocks are.

My match barrels will get greater velocities and kick more relative to the same load in an OEM Glock barrel.

That has nothing to do with a compensator.