[QNman]

I didn't think Clay's had a listing anywhere for 9mm... I use 4.0 grains for 230g .45 ACP.

 

[QNman]

Added info:

Yes, Hodgdon DOES list Clays for 9mm... 3.5-3.7gn - something's wrong.

 

[QNman]

Is it every round blows the base, or just intermittent? Any bulging on rounds that don't blow apart? Any cracking?

 

[QNman]

that "narrow window" is exactly why I stay away from Clays. It gets too spooky too fast. I use Universal and Titegroup

I started with Clays... switched to Titegroup. Same reason.

 

[QNman]

Maybe at the very least, try running a small batch with known good brass. I also no longer use range brass (except my own) - too many unknowns.

 

[QNman]

Using a case length gauge? Bullet seating depth? Check everything.

All good points... A drop test would help, as would OAL, Trim length, etc.

 

[QNman]

Probably true. I reload for rifles/revolvers but shoot nothing other that factory in my Glocks. I've heard of others having issues so I just avoided it altogether. Plus, my Glocks are used for carry and I don't wish for any legal issue over carry ammo.

I shoot my .45 reloads out of my 21SF all the time. Thousands and thousands of rounds, no blown cases. Two squibs (my bad), but no blown cases.

 

[QNman]

I've shot thousands of rounds of 45acp using range brass loaded and loaded again. There is nothing wrong with range brass. A visual inspection prior to loading is all I do. I surmise 9mm isn't much different. It's not like its rifle cases which should get a specific number of reloading because each firing requires trimming the neck.

Except 9mm, per SAAMI specs, can produce nearly twice the pressure of standard .45 ACP... but hey, it's all the same, right?

 

[QNman]

I own nine Glocks. Except for my SD ammo I don't think seven have ever had factory ammo put through them. I also load brass I find all the time. I'm not pushing the limits with my reloads though. Only guns I have loaded hot for are 10mm.
Good information in the replies. I would double check everything. Also running some factory ammo through is a good idea.

Would you ignore range brass as a possibility if you were blowing cases?

 

[QNman]

If you're loading within spec, why would it matter?

OP, maybe try posting in Reloading forum.

And with range brass, you KNOW they were loaded within spec because....

 

[QNman]

When you find a pile of brass by the 50's or 100's with same headstamp, one could surmise its once fired factory ammo, GTG for rotation into reloading.

If they're the same headstamp, you're probably right. No mention of that in the OP. In fact, the OP suggested the opposite - that it was a pile of mismatched brass. And if then proceed to have blown cases....

 

[QNman]

You can usually judge the suitability of range brass by the clarity of the headstamp.

You guys judge and use whatever you like... but if you start blowing cases on mixed range brass, do us all a solid and check that, would you?

 

[QNman]

For all you range rats out there, scavenging and reusing whatever you find in the dirt at your local range - more power to you.

However, in THIS CASE, that's an easy enough variable to remove for testing.

Personally, the best solution is to fire some factory ammo and see if it repeats. Barring that, I'd switch up and reduce as many variables as possible from the equation and see what solves it.

 

[QNman]

Being a reloader sometimes I leave my brass when I know that batch as been reloaded a dozen times, is beat up, primer pocket is sloppy loose, etc, etc. Then I see somebody picks up my trash brass and figures the old timer is not keeping it.

I do the same. The range rat who sweeps my brass is getting recycle fodder.

 

[QNman]

Loose pockets, worn/beat rims get tossed. Not hard to spot decent brass and junk.

As I said - more power to you.

 

[QNman]

I shoot my brass until it splits or has some other visible defect. So far no problems. I wonder whether the OP is getting blown cases because he's 2/10s of a grain light on his load. Couple that with a cold day shooting Clays and you could have a problem.

I wondered the same.

 

[QNman]

There's your problem. Lee does not make a bulge buster for 9mm. 9mm is a tapered round; bulge busters are for straight walled rounds.

https://leeprecision.com/bulge-buster-kit.html
** Will only work with the following cases: 380 ACP, 10mm, 40 S&W, 41 AE (Use 40 S&W Factory Crimp Die), 45 ACP, 45 GAP, and 45 Win Mag.

From the link:

Glock Cases: We do not recommend "fixing" cases fired in pistols with unsupported chambers, because there is no way to make them safe once they have bulged. The case wall is thinned where it bulges, and resizing the outside of the case back down to the correct diameter does not restore the case back to its original thickness. If this case is fired in a pistol with an unsupported chamber again, and this thinned section of brass happens to line up with the unsupported part of the chamber, there is a high probability that the case will rupture.

 

[QNman]

Again, the bulge buster is for straight walled calibers and specifically to address case swelling from Glock's generous chambers in their straight walled calibers (380, 40, 10mm, 45 Auto).

Glocks 9mm chambers are on the tight side compared to many other manufacturers guns. Anyone pointing to Glocks "unsupported chambers" in their 9mm guns should be ignored as they are a storehouse of bad information.

I've been reloading for over 10 years, and until this thread, had never heard of a "bulge buster". Granted, I only load four calibers, and quit reloading 9mm after maybe 1,000 rounds; too inexpensive in factory loadings.

 

[QNman]

In general, the bulge buster (and Redding's G-Rx) can serve a valid purpose for reloaders shooting mainly 40S&W (I have found my Redding G-RX very helpful with hot loaded 10mm shot from my OEM barreled G20/G29), it returns the bulged case down by the head where a sizing die die doesn't reach back to starting SAAMI spec.

It really only matters if you are reloading cases shot from a Glock and want those cases to chamber after reloading in a tighter non-Glock chamber. Glock fired cases from say a G22 will reload and chamber fine in any other Glock 40S&W chamber without any bulge buster required.

Again, only the straight walled caliber chambers in Glocks are looser for feed reliability. The 9mm case being tapered, doesn't need any help with feed.

That's good to know. Two of the four calibers I load are .40 and 10 mm. I load them light as possible (more fun to shoot hundreds of them). I shoot both exclusively out of Glocks.

I learn stuff on this forum all the time. One primary reason I keep coming back!

 

[QNman]

I will gladly admit it may be my fault. I just wonder why this gun is the ONLY gun I have with this problem? My Gen2 G19, Gen3 G19 and my Gen3 G34 all have more rounds through them than this G17 yet, only the G17 has had not one, but three case failures..

That can't be answered directly... first, determine if it is the gun or the reloads. Try some factory ammo through it.

HAVE ANY OF THE RELOADS FED OK, OR HAVE ALL OF THEM BLOWN THE CASE?? If some were OK, what to THEY look like?

Lots of good suggestions in the thread. We ALL want to help you solve this, but you are the one with the gun and the ammo.