I've been working up loads for some Lehigh 115's for my G29 but I can't get anywhere near the Underwood or Lehigh velocities!  Ok, 1550 isn't bad but it's not the 1700 they list (I do get 1700 in my G40 but it's a bit big to carry... of course, the G40 gets nearly 1800 with factory loads!).  I pulled an Underwood 115 (and a 100gr - both appear to use the same powder.  Unfortunately the 100 gr. bullet is no longer made) Xtreme Defender and have no idea what powder they use.  Since they advertise it as flash suppressed, it likely isn't even offered to us lowely reloaders.  I know AA (now Western Powders) says the AA powders are "reduced flash" but they certainly are *not* flash suppressed!  Especially AA#9, which generally flashes almost as bad as 296 or H110 (or Blue dot, or 2400, or HS6... etc, etc).  I've seen the results of these little pills hitting flesh and I have them in all of my carry guns now!  These things are often called a gimmick but they are not!  Those flutes fling flesh out of the way like little daemon saws and the damage they cause is simply amazing.  A u tube guy posted an autopsy of a (I think) 150 lb pig he'd head shot with a rifle.  He then propped the pig up and shot it in the shoulder with a 90 gr. 9mm XD bullet.  Once cut open, the bullet had passed thru both shoulder plates and stopped just under the hide on the off side,  and everything in between was... probably mush is the best way to describe it.  It was simply devastating!  (Of course, u tube pulled the vid).  That vid and my own testing has turned me into a convert!  I believe the Lehigh (now owned by Bill Wilson of Wilson Combat fame) Xtreme Defender bullet is the best self defense bullet money can buy and will probably remain so until they come up with disrupters or phasers... or something nuclear!
Cheers,
crkckr

If you're putting "smiles" on your Glock brass, your load is too hot.  Period.  End of story.  Unless there's something wrong with your barrel, which is very unlikely, or you're using funky brass - more on that in a bit - your Glock should not damage the brass  Glock chambers tend to be somewhat closer to maximum size to make the pistols more reliable.  However, the chamber over all length shouldn't ever be an issue unless your brass is too long, which with 10mm is pretty unlikely.  The only time I've ever put bulges on brass out of a Glock pistol is when I was pushing the limits of pressure.  Not good for the long term health of the pistol but a few aren't going to do any damage.  Do it consistently and you might end up breaking something.  Of course, you can always go buy an aftermarket barrel that has more chamber support but your loads are still going to be generating a higher than normal pressure and you're going to wear the gun out sooner.  How much sooner?  It's pretty unlikely anyone can answer that without some pressure testing equipment and a bit of engineering knowledge... which ain't me!  I just know I want my guns to last a long time so I don't get too crazy.  Well, not too often, anyway.  With that said, there are some brands of factory ammo that are known to, at least sometimes, put a bit of a smile on the brass.  CCI and Fiocchi come to mind off hand.  Having never personally tested either one, I can't say if they're loaded hot (probably not) or if their brass is funky (likely).  So if you are getting those Glock smiles, first off check the head stamp.  If it's one of the two mentioned, or maybe an off or odd brand, it might be the funky brass, especially if the brass with Sig or Starline head stamps are ok.  Personally, I've put together some pretty hot loads using Starline brass and never put a bulge in the brass.  And I know they were hot loads, somewhat over what the books called for.  I generally take hunting and SD loads up as far as possible, then back off some to provide a bit of leeway for temp changes and such.  My 2 Starline cases got 15 and 19 reloads during load development and none of them were 40 Short & Weak type loads! 

As to discarding brass, if I'm loading target loads, I will use a cracked case as long as, 1. The case holds the bullet tight and 2. The crack doesn't extend below the bullet.  I shoot it, then I toss the cases in the scrap bin.  Every pistol is at least a little bit unique, even Glocks.  Some might handle a half or even a full grain of powder better than the next serial numbered pistol in line.  Or vice versa.  You can't know for sure without trying.  One thing is certain, if you're getting 1600 fps with 180 gr. bullet, no matter how good the case looks, it's an overpressure load!  To be perfectly honest, having been in the upper pressure ranges with 10mm, it is one instance where the casing is not always a reliable indicator of pressure!  Loads can be pretty hot and still not show any obvious signs of pressure!   Just use common sense when loading 10mm... and a chronograph!  It's really the best indicator pressure without actual pressure test equipment. 
Cheers, 
crkckr

The differences in mrrevolverguy's and CTYankee data might be type of bullet or powder.  Some powders can vary a lot in how they burn after they are ignited.  Even things like total charge and percent of case filled can have an effect.  However, there shouldn't be any huge differences.  In some cases the use of magnum primers might be called for but I would be at least cautious if using rifle primers simply because the cups are generally thicker and might hide pressure signs.  Maybe.  I don't know they would for certain and if they do, how much pressure they might mask.  Personally, I would stick with magnum pistol primers and save the rifle primers for the AR!
Cheers,
crkckr

I will agree with James, the HAP bullet is strictly produced as a target bullet and is not designed to expand at all.
Very likely it will act more like an FMJ than a hollow point.  Expansion is always possible, it is a hollow point, but there will be nothing reliable about how the bullet reacts.  The XTP is designed to provide specific expansion and penetration, which I would trust more than the HAP bullet, especially the 200 gr. XTP.
Cheers,
crkckr

Shadow said: "crkckr, with the soft loads you are using which are well under the upper 10mm pressure limits is why you are getting great case life."

Oh no, Shadow, I believe you misunderstood me or more than likely I just wasn't clear.  The 7.0/231 165 PHP loads are just my practice loads.  The loads I was using in my test cases were mostly starting at, or very near to, max levels for the various bullets I'm going to load!  These cases were, in essence, seriously abused!  I wouldn't admit in public to going over the published maximum figures stated in the manuals but let's just say I'm pushing things a bit.  If I had wanted 40S&W levels I'd a bought one!  Most of the loads were tested in my Glock 40, which I find to be a very smooth shooting pistol even with max loads.  I do have a few factory loads, mostly Underwood with the Lehigh bullets, which tend to be lower recoil than most bullets due to their low weight (100 and 115 Xtreme Defense).  I have fired a few out of my 29 which brings the fun meter up a notch or three.  Truth be told I haven't even sighted either pistol in as yet because I want to settle on a defense load first.  They both hit close enough not to shoot my chrono but that's all so far.  Due to the lack of available Speer 165 Gold Dots I'm loading some 180 gr. factory reject bullets (I've yet to figure out what brand they are, thanks Midway!).  I also broke down and bought a couple hundred 180 XTP's to load.  I figure just about any 180 gr. bullet should be a decent defensive load but I would much prefer tge Gold Dots, my favorite "second string" bullets.  The Lehigh's just went up at Midway, too, dang it!  Sigh, I shpuld have gotten into this 10mm stuff 30 years ago instead of waiting as long as I did.  Rats!
Cheers,
crkckr

Just curious as to what others are getting in the way of case life with their reloads.  My practice ammo is 7.1 gr. of WW231 under a Berry's 165 plated FP.  My other loads are all self defense max loads, although I haven't settled on any particular load as yet.  My first choice bullet is the Lehigh 115gr Xtreme Defense (oddly, their loaded ammo is called Xtreme Defender) bullet.  My second choice is the 165 Speer GDHP, although I haven't even seen any in stock with *anyone.*  my 3rd choice is the Hornady 180 XTP - mainly because I was able to get a couple hundred!

I bought 2k rounds of new Starline brass and before that arrived I bought 1000k nickel plated, once fired cases from Capital Cartridge.  They were mixed brands and included a few that are small primers as well.  The cases were in good shape and cleaned up nicely.

During load development I used the same new Starline case and got 19 loads out of the first case and 20 out the second case.  I'm impressed as usually I only get numbers like that out of .45 ACP cases!  This loading a test shot, shooting it (I can literally shoot out my basement door), cleaning up the case and reloading it again.  In general these were *not* lite loads either.  I have not tested the life of the nickel cases which I assume is going to be shorter.  Both of the Starline cases cracked at the case mouth.  I trimmed one a bit but not the second.  I fihure if I can get that many reloads out of a case, I have no complaints.  Ok, sometimes I lose one in the rocks but so far none of the 10mm's.  Just lucky so far!
Cheers,
crkckr

Speer doesn't list BE-86 in their data so I would use caution as the Gold Dots have a longer bearing surface and can raise pressures compared to other JHP bullets with the same loac.  "Can" is the operative word here! I have had instances where the chro data turned out the same with XTP's and Gold Dots (115 9mm) but in other instances where it was quite different.  Just use caution.  All the data I have been able to find for BE-86 says 8.2 is max for a 180 JHP.  I would guess that as long as you're not getting much higher velocity figures than what Speer says, and as long as you don't any pressure signs (which can be elusive in 10mm!  There's more than a little voodoo when it comes to using brass to read pressure signs!) then you are probably ok.
Remain cautious!
Cheers,
crkckr

Pressing LR  primers into a pistol case has more potential problems beyond getting a potentially high primer!  If you press a rifle primer into a pistol case hard enough to keep it below the level of the case head it is possible to crush the cake (priming compound) which could make it fall out of the cup into the case with the powder, turning your cartridge into an instant dud!  If you could get everything to work without causing problems the rifle primers would work - with mid range loads!  However, if you are working with top end, max pressure loads (and who loading for 10mm isn't?) you must start at those mid range loads and work up very carefully towards the top end.  If you take a previous max load with a standard or mag pistol primer and suddenly substituted a rifle primer it could very well drive the pressures over max!   It might not be noticeable without a chrono until you start getting case bulges or difficulty with extraction... or until things break.
Cheers,
crkckr

You might also give Silhouette a try.  Barnes lists 8.2 - 9.2 gr with a max velocity of 1442 fps.  I have not tested this load myself as I am concentrating on the 115 Lehigh XD bullets.  So far it looks like CFE-P is going to be the velocity winner with Power Pistol 2nd and BE-86 3rd for the 115 bullet.  None of these are as close to Underwood's 1700 as I would like but there are limits with what we have to work with!  At least, not without exceeding common sense pressures!  I sure would like to get my hands on a few pounds of whatever it is Underwood (and Lehigh) is using but after pulling a facory bullet, I have nothing that matches even close to theirs... and other than the VV powders, I think I have most of them!  Plus UW says they're using flash suppressed powder and the only thing we reloaders can get is the "reduced flash" of the Accurate powders.  Weeell, sometimes that's true and sometimes not!
Cheers,
crkckr

It is likely that the latest batches of LS & AA9 have changed, something that happens over the years.  If you've been loading at the older levels without problems and you have a stash of older powder I would continue using it.  However, if you have a new batch of powders, I would tend to use the new max charges.  That said, I would guess that if you were to call Hodgdon they would tell you to use the new figures for all powders!  I don't know if that's just a "CYA" move or if they actually screwed up on the first figures, something I find hard to believe since they are so cautious to begin with! 

Much of this depends on your experience in reading pressure signs and the use of a chronograph.  For instance, I generally dont3have much trouble going over the book max... by a little bit!  For instance, if the book max is 9.8 gr. of XYZ powder, I generally don't have trouble going to 10.0 gr, as l9ng as the 9.8 was ok.  I would also look for a slight increase in velocity.  How much?  Maybe 25 or so fps but certainly not much more.  However, going from 9.1 to 10.0?  Nope!  Not without very careful work up, anyway.  For instance, I am currently working on 10mm 180 gr loads.  I was, in fact, using a relatively new batch of Longshot.  My load data shows a max of 9.6 gr. and a velocity of 1275 fps.  This load worked just fine in my Glock 40 (most other data shows 8.2 or even 8.0 as a max.  Honestly I don't remember where I got the 9.6 figure and I can no longer find it!  I'm usually pretty good about my sources but this time I failed).  At any rate, the brass looked good at 9.6 so I pushed it to 9.8 and then 10.0 and again the brass was fine, so i loaded 3 and shot them over my Pact chrono.  Imagine my surprise when they clocked in at 1597-1690 and 1716!  Egads!  Something is way, way off and I was fairly certain it was not my chrono!  So, I am dropping way down and starting over.  Lessons:  Anytime you get chrono results that are way over what you expect it is NOT your lucky day.  The same applies if you get erratic chrono readings!  Reading pressure signs from your brass is as much voodoo as it is science and putting too much stock in what you think is a good load based only on what you think the brass is telling you is foolish!   When dealing with maximum charges in any caliber requires maximum caution.  A little luck doesn't hurt either!
Cheers,
crkckr