Glock NOT fully supported chamber & can't shoot 40 S&W +P?

[DefConGun]

I'm still learning about ammo and am not all the way in the know when I hear you guys talk about SAAMI/NATO "approved" rounds, etc. I read a thread on here last night that was talking about shooting 9mm +P in a Glock and if it was safe to do so? Basically what was said is that the Glock is NATO approved and NATO deals with higher pressure than SAAMI so if its NATO approved, then a +P SAAMI would be good to go. At least this is what I took from it.

Tonight I decided to do some brief research on Buffalo Bore ammo given that its mentioned on here and receives good reviews/testimonies.

In my search I found the .40 S&W +P ammo that BB sells. I know that some of you say that there is no such thing but BB sells it just the same.

When you read the description for this product, it has a warning for Glock owners;

40 S&W WARNING

"This data is intended for use in firearms which fully support the cartridge in the chamber. Use of this data in firearms which do not fully support the cartridge may result in bulged cases, ruptured cases, case head separation, or other conditions which may result in damage to the firearm and/or result in injury or death of the shooter or bystanders."

Glock happens to chamber their 40 S&W pistols without a fully supported chamber and both of those above safety notices are likely aimed at Glock. I know of no other 40 S&W handguns being sold in the US that don't have fully supported chambers. If you really want to shoot our 40S&W ammo in your Glock, have an after market barrel that uses a supported chamber, dropped into it. This is a fairly common practice and will give you the safety margin needed to fire our ammo in your Glock. It will also likely give you more velocity than the factory Glock barrel. I personally own two Glock Model 23's. Both of mine are going to get after market barrels dropped in so that I can use this excellent ammo in them.

Check out the velocities below that I shot with these loads in several modern pistols that I own. We don't believe that test barrels are a very real way of determining real life velocities out of real life guns that you will be using. So, as with all of our ammo, we use real firearms to determine real velocities."
Heavy .40 Smith & Wesson +P Pistol & Handgun Ammunition

My questions are;

1. What does "supported chamber" mean?
2. What kind of aftermarket barrel would I have to get in order to satisfy this "supported chamber" requirement?
3. From other discussions about ammo, would some of you say that it would be better to go with a less powerful round using a heavier grain? Wouldn't it accomplish the same task, without having to change the barrel?

Any help you may provide to shed some light on this issue for me is greatly appreciated.

Thank you,
DCG

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[TheRogue]

I don't have the pictures that show the Glock barrel vs. aftermarket, showing the differences in chamber support, but just google "glock barrel chamber support" and click images.
You'll get a visual demonstration that helps answer your question #1.

Lone Wolf brand barrels have better chamber support, compared to the Glock stock barrel.
You can order them minus the wolf cartoon, for an additional fee.

Question #3 is entirely up to you. Looks like a good defensive round. 155gr./1300fps - That's something!
I don't personally use Buffalo Bore as my carry round, but I have switched out the barrel on my Glock, and use the Lone Wolf brand.

[razor02097]

There are very few +p cartridges that SAMMI lists I believe one is 9mm the other is .38 special. There are companies that market "hot" rounds and slap +p on the box. Just be vary careful because you are basically buying a cartridge intentionally over charged with powder.

If you are talking about the same NATO I'm thinking of I believe they standardize cartridges used in the armed forces.

[Bubbiesdad]

There are very few +p cartridges that SAMMI lists I believe one is 9mm the other is .38 special. There are companies that market "hot" rounds and slap +p on the box. Just be vary careful because you are basically buying a cartridge intentionally over charged with powder. If you are talking about the same NATO I'm thinking of I believe they standardize cartridges used in the armed forces.

Which is why I only purchase +P in 9mm and .38.

[Sleipnir]

There are very few +p cartridges that SAMMI lists I believe one is 9mm the other is .38 special. There are companies that market "hot" rounds and slap +p on the box. Just be vary careful because you are basically buying a cartridge intentionally over charged with powder.

If you are talking about the same NATO I'm thinking of I believe they standardize cartridges used in the armed forces.

http://www.saami.org/specifications_...wnload/205.pdf

Page 1 & 2

There are four rounds designated +P:
9mm
38 Special
38 Super
45 ACP


As for the OP's question, any newer generation glock barrel is good to go so long as you don't use fully lead ammunition UNLESS it's gas checked. The hexagonal (and octagonal in the case of the .45 caliber glocks) barrel "rifiling" is prone to having lead depositing in it eventually leading to a kB!

One other thing that must be checked is the cartridge OAL, as setback can send pressure in the breach into the 6 digit figures leading to a kB!


Here is an old DC post about this very topic: The legend of the Glock 40 caliber kBoom

[jem102]

There is no +P for .40 S&W... So, if they truly are loading beyond SAAMI specs. (which they have "legally" stated they are if the +P designation is on the box as the spec. does not exist) if someone has a kaboom, no matter the brand of firearm, no matter the mechanical reason...BB will own it. I don't believe they are that foolish so it's a max SAAMI round.

I don't know about the very early Glocks but my Gen2 G27 and Gen3 G23 appear to be supported to me and before I spent the money on a "better/tougher" after market barrel for the "purpose" of shooting +P .40 S&W ammo I would ask for a written gurantee...I don't believe you will be receiving that letter anytime soon.

As to hot ammo, see if you can get your hands on some WW 155gr. Silvertips. I consider myself a fairly accomplished shooter but that round was all I could handle in the G27 for 50 shots and not much more in the G23. I understand both CorBond and DoubleTap make some .40 rounds that are potent to say the least and some departments issue the CorBond 140gr. for their Glocks

Feed your Glock good brand name ammo and place your shots. IMO a poorly placed round @1,300 fps. will not stop any better than one @ 1,150 fps...Depending on bullet construction the 1,150 may do better.

[beni]

If you want to shoot a +P in .40 S&W, just get a gun chambered in 10mm.

[DefConGun]

Thanks for the replies. I'll check out the SAAMI reference as well.

[QKShooter]

There are quite a few excellent aftermarket Glock barrel makers.

Off hand I can think of some but, not all.

WILSON, KKM Precision, Storm Lake, EFK Firedragon, Briley.

You'll need to go onto their respective web sites to see which ones have supported chamber mouths.

[TedBeau]

I actually email Buffalo Bore and asked them if they had any plans to supply "standard" Sammi pressure 40 calibers. They replied back that it is on their list of things to do, but that there are several other loads in other calibers that they are working on first. I think they said it might be a year or more until they have the std 40 caliber available.

[TheRogue]

In regards to supported chambers, I believe the order from least support to greatest, for these 4 barrel choices - would be...

Original style Glock barrel, newer Glock barrel (2003 and up?), KKM, & then Lone Wolf/Storm Lake tied for the most support.

[Ragin Cajun]

The difference is the case is looser in the Glock chamber then the Lone Wolf barrel's chamber. A lot of people think the "unsupported" part is the top of the feed ramp. The portion of the case you see that looks "unsupported" is a solid part of the case behind where the powder is. That part doesn't expand when shot.


glock lonewolf barrels.jpg

[Ragin Cajun]

I should add too that I bought the lone wolf barrel to shoot reloads. It definitly extends brass life not having to resize the brass as much. Also, I find it a little more accurate then the Glock barrel so I carry my 23 with the Lone Wolf barrel. Since everything is tighter on the Lone Wolf, I did have to do some sanding and polishing to get it to eat everything I run through it. It did take some work and a lot of rounds before I was comfortable with using it for CCW.