Glock Brass...

[ExtremeX]

Are there some dies that are better than others to use when sizing glock brass? Do some get that bulge out better than others?

[shooterbill]

Redding has a die that gets the bulge out of the cases. The cases pass through the top of the die after being sized and are collected in a catch bottle. I have seen the die at Midway and Cabela's.

[CalTeacher]

I don't have any bulge problems with my brass that comes out of any of my Glocks. My Lee dies work just fine.

[dkthree]

If its going back in a Glock, Lee. If its going into a 1911, possibly an EGW undersized die. I won't know this first hand until my 10 day is up on the 6th

[Bill Steele]

For conventional sizing (that is the case is not passed through the die body), Lee is one of the best dies as it has a fairly tight mouth. Many dies that are made by companies that sell progressive presses have a radius at the die mouth that aids in cases not hanging up when the shellpate is moved up to the dies. The radius makes getting the Glock bulge out less effectuve.

The EGW U Die (undersized) is a Lee die that EGW has made for them by Lee. It is undersized in diameter, so has no more effect on a Glock bulge than a standard Lee die. The EGW undersized die is great for sizing headstamps that use thinner brass when loading jacketed bullets (bullets that are nominal diameter to the caliber). The undersized die cuts down on the occasional round with insufficient neck tension.

Redding and Lee both make a pass through die that will iron out the worst Glock case bulge, but I have never seen a need for either, including my Nuke 10mm loads I shoot out of my G20 and G29. My plain old Dillon die gets enough bulge out and this is on a 10mm case that has a head diameter of .434" after firing.

[ExtremeX]

I am asking since I have a bunch of random range pickup for both 9mm and .45 ACP.

Friends shoot glocks too, and I take their brass.

I am reloading for my XD 9mm and .45 ACP 1911.

I have a set of RCBS .45 Carbide dies, but I have not used them yet. Still need to get dies for the 9mm.

[DRAB_81]

I load pretty much nothing but Glocked brass, and I don't use a pass-through die. I have a Lee Bulge Buster Kit, but it's collecting dust right now. All my reloads in 9, 40, 45, 10mm & 9x25 Dillon (using Dillon, Lee & RCBS dies) feed flawlessly in my Glocks. I have stock barrels, one KKM & a couple polished up LWD barrels. Before you spend the money on a fix you might not need, give them a try first.


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[Bill Steele]

Oh, and never "iron out" a piece of Glock'ed brass that has a smile. Brass with smiles are scrap.

[DRAB_81]

Oh, and never "iron out" a piece of Glock'ed brass that has a smile. Brass with smiles are scrap.

Great point Bill, here's a thread that illustrates a couple cross-sectioned "Glock Smiley" cases. One as is, one was sent through a pass through die before the cross section. Eye opening stuff.

http://glocktalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1403261

[ExtremeX]

Are the "smiles" on the inside or outside of the case?

Still not sure what I am looking for. Is that pretty much a crease caused by the sizing die due to the buldge?

[MIAMIbaseballer]

Dillon dies work just fine for my Glocks, S&W, and Sigs....

[Bill Steele]

Are the "smiles" on the inside or outside of the case?

Still not sure what I am looking for. Is that pretty much a crease caused by the sizing die due to the buldge?

Smiles are on the outside, they are caused by the break where the feed ramp enters the chamber. You will likely never find a smiley in range pickups. They usually occur from an over pressure situation with reloads.

[DRAB_81]

Here's a few examples of what Glock Smiles look like (although just about any semi-auto can have similar issues):







Again, bulged brass is not an issue. As long as there is absolutely not even a beginning sign of Smiles, even a hairline without a ledge, they're good to go.


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[WoodrowShootist]

I load 40sw for glocks and 2011. I use Lee dies and it's fine. I use the same brass for both platforms. Never had an issue with the buldge. I'm loading minor and major with 155's - 200gr so I'm subjecting the brass to some good pressures. Some people told me to get a Udie. I got one a couple of years ago and still haven had a need for it. Never found a need for the huldge buster kit either.

[Lead Waster]

I bought the Lee Bulge Buster (for .40). I probably didn't need to because I use the FCD in the 4th stage. I've not tried it yet, but I'll keep an eye out for that smiley on my range brass. I picked up a bunch at a USPSA match (I picked it up). USPSA shooters tend to be reloaders, but with .40 I'm not sure how many people really push pressures, since they want lower recoil and load to "just" major. 9mm is another story when they push the load UP to meet major power factor.