Hi All,
First a big thank you to all the great info on this forum. Spent a lot of time researching here over the last few years.
Here are the problems I have had with my Gen 3 Glock 29SF with full power ammo. Not sure what to do:
1. Starting with the stock gun, Underwood ammo brass would get chopped and dinged by the slide (IIRC this was both 180 gr and 200 gr TMJ). After researching here and elsewhere, I ordered a Wolff 21lb guide rod and recoil spring, seemed to solve that particular issue.
2. Feeling confident in 10mm, I decided to reload for 10mm and bought a KKM aftermarket barrel for case support.
3. Now I have numerous failures to feed and some failure to eject issues with all four Glock magazines (10 rd with pearce extension, 3 15 rd Glock 20 mags) with Underwood 180gr TMJ, Underwood 200 gr hard cast, and my own 180 grain loads (Starline brass, 8.5-8.7 grains LongShot, 180 grain Xtreme plated bullets and Missouri coated bullets - tried both).
I just don't know what to do. Part of me wants to give up on full power 10mm and sell the gun but then I feel bad selling it with known problems (but is this a gun specific issue or a Glock 29 issue?). Should I send it back to Glock? Should I try lower power loads?
If lower power loads work, I guess I could use it for local hiking for moose and black bear and use another gun for grizzly territory.
Would appreciate any advice you might have. Thanks.
Why are you not using the factory barrel? The issue maybe with the KKM barrel.
Do you pass through size your brass?
From all the issues I read about Glock bulging the brass and the case support, I went aftermarket for safety. I use the Lee 4 set dies and use the FCD.
Do you really think the barrel is the issue?
I usually develop my loads in my Glock factory barrels, yes the brass will expand to 0.434" any more and it is a "SMILE".
Not all brass will perform the same...
I only use the LEE FCD die with its guts removed for Pass-Through sizing, this sizes brass completely top to bottom including the case rim. After this step these case will fit a cartridge case gauge.
Also I fully seat bullets without any crimp being applied in a separate step from the crimp operation, this provides for straighter seating, without and bullet material snagging on the case mouths while the bullet is moving down inside the casing.
By crimping separately the casing is closed and shaped back against the bullet to finish. This eliminates any bulging that can occur with seating and crimping in the same step.
Measure your cases in a case gauge as it is tighter than the barrels in most instances. Crimp should measure 0.42150" - 0.4225 at the most.
BTW I shoot up to 9.4 grains LongShot under the 200gr XTP's and FMJ's and 9.6 grains LongShot under the 180 grain JHP's and FMJ's. While I can go more in some of my guns I stop there for a safety margin.
Even with the use of 40S&W, 357Sig and 9x25Dillon conversion barrels and ammo I still use the Wolff non captive 21 lbs recoil setup.
Are you only having issues with the KKM barrel? What types of jambs are you seeing?
Hitting the top of the barrel hood? Catching on the feed ramp?
You mention brass denting or damage, this is usually being slammed against the barrel or returning slide. That can be a extractor issue hold the brass too tightly.
1) I need to test the ammo again in the original barrel to eliminate that as a factor
2) FTF are nose up hitting the top of the barrel hood, FTE - spent cases are in various positions
3) I do use a case gauge and the rounds pass the plunk test both factory and handloads and seeing the same malfunctions with both ammo types.
4) I would have to load up a few rounds and measure the crimp but since they are working in the case gauge and barrel, and the factory ammo is experiencing the same issues, I would assume this rules out crimp as a factor?
I have read elsewhere that it may be timing issues with the slide speed and magazine spring strength.
That is a distinct possibility as slide timing and the picking up the next round from the magazine are all to be considered!
The casing still needs to rise up and slide up the breech face and under the extractor to fully go into battery as well. Cleaning and proper lube for the extractor so it moves freely to allow the case rim to engage under can also cause stoppages.
The edge of the case mouth can also snag as it makes its way to the feed ramp and tries to enter the chamber. Tipping angles of the cartridge can be affected by tighter chamber design and also bullet nose profiles such as the Wide Flat Nose designs.
Cartridge lengths should be 1.2500" to 1.2520 however WFN may require shorter COL 1.2420".
Underwood Ammo is using a 1.25 COL for the 200 gr hardcast, that might be causing issues there. Crimp is within your stated range. My handloads were a little long at 1.253 (book value was giving 1.26 COL) so I shortened those down to the lower end. Before FCD crimp was .423 but FCD brought it down to .422 so that was within spec.
I guess I will try the shorter loads, original barrel, and cleaning and lubing the extractor and checking it for anything strange.
Wow Shadow, good stuff. I am going to print this all when I get to work. A lot of headaches could be avoided with your protocol.
Russ
I bought the gun new.
I did a 110 round test yesterday with all my mags and had 13 failures (5 FTE, 8 FTF). Mag #3 was the worst and had 10 failures. The other mags had 1 each.
I took down the pistol tonight and cleaned it again, wiped down and lightly lubed the extractor where I saw wear and put it back I thought the way it came out. I am not quite sure what you are referring to so I guess the answer is no :)
I am going to try with the original barrel and aftermarket spring with the ammo I have (Underwood and my handloads). If that doesn't work, I may try it stock with the lighter ammo you recommend. I am trying to decide how much more money I am going to commit to this thing.
I don't have a 29, but I do have a 20SF and a Gen 4 20.
My advice....as mentioned, put the stock barrel and RSA back in. Load five rounds and concentrate on keeping a TIGHT WRIST. I mean, lock your wrist and really concentrate on this. The reason I say only load five rounds in so you can concentrate and not get tired mentally / physically.
I know with even my G20's I have to concentrate on keeping a tight wrist with heavy ammo. Glocks are prone to limp wristing issues, and the smaller G29 platform with the heavy Underwood ammo may be adding to the problem.
As many know here, I am a huge Glock fan. But I know the idiosyncrasies of the design.
Good luck!
When I first shot my G29sf I was having some FTF (It had 50 rounds through it before I purchased it). I thought it was the +2 magazine extension I had installed, but it came with a Lonewolf barrel, and 21lb non-captive spring. I removed the +2 extension, and 21lb spring. Next trip to the range was better, but still some failure to feeds. I think it was a combination of ammunition and the barrel. The Freedom Munitions JHP did not want to feed, didn't matter what magazine. I didn't have my stock barrel to try, but will take it next time with the Freedom JHP ammunition. All other ammunition worked with the Lonewolf barrel(HPR, Sig, PPU, Defender, Freedom FMJ).
Some of my aftermarket barrels are very picky about coal. I find 1.250 to be the sweet spot for most of my reloads. Pass through the LFC die is a must also as mentioned by Shadow. These two things cured any feed problems I had with my 29 or 20 with aftermarket barrels.
It's already been stated but I will say it again. Shoot your stock barrel with stock recoil spring. If that works go stock barrel with after market recoil spring. The Glock 29 is a great design and my theory is its the dang aftermarket barrel. I had a six inch barrel in my Glock 20 that I could never get to work right while the factory 4.6" would eat everything.
One of the issues I had with my Glock 20C when it was new was that the factory installed the wrong spring loaded bearing for the loaded chamber indicator (LCI) extractor. The pistol worked fine for about 200 rounds, but then started to fail to feed and eject. I replaced the extractor with the older non-LCI version and the correct spring loaded bearing, and that solved all issues. Might be worth looking at after you try going back to the factory barrel. Here's a link that shows the difference between the two. The front of the LCI bearing is longer than the older version.
http://www.lonewolfdist.com/Products.aspx?CAT=175 (http://www.lonewolfdist.com/Products.aspx?CAT=175)
I guess I am lucky, I have a 29sf with a 4.6 ported from lone wolf and a stainless guide rod with 22# springs and any combination of stock and after market springs and barrels works with any ammo . I am no gun expert but the lone wolf barrel passes the plunk test with all ammo. It is the loosest feeling pistol I own but it is minute of coke can and a riot to shoot. I am a recoil where and with a magazine full of underwoods I just love the feeling of power... I find myself looking where I to put the quarter in for the next ride.
Russ
So I went back to the original barrel with the aftermarket recoil spring and shot around 125 rounds with all my mags and had only 1 FTF with 200 grain Underwood hardcast (looked like the round hardly moved up, totally horizontal. Racking chambered it.). Shot my handloads (went with a shorter O.A.L.), 180gr Underwood TMJ, and a box of Underwood 200 grain hardcast.
I need to measure the brass to see if there were any smiles.
So it does look like the aftermarket KKM barrel was causing all the FTF and FTF problems.
Question now, with the 1 FTF, is if I feel comfortable enough carrying it into grizzly land in a couple weeks.
Keep putting rounds through it and see if its a big problem or not.