Recently built a PF45 frame for 10mm.

I can tell you for sure; BUY GLOCK OEM PARTS.   

Tried some others and nothing but trouble.   Stay with 5.5# connector, too!

My hog load is 180XTPs and 180 cast/powder coated.   They both do the trick.

I have a G20 and shoot 180XTPs and now cast my own 180?s.   These are running in the 1200 - 1250 range.

I surely haven?t shot a true bear, but the Texas Bear?s (hogs) seem to die just fine with these loads.

If I were going to Alaska or something like it, where Grizzly/Brownies would surely be, for an extended time, I?d load some 200 cast bullets with a hard lead mix for penetration.

Other than that, a brief period in Grizzly county in Wy some years ago, I packed some 165?s and felt fine, as my ability and confidence was good with this combination.  Glock 20 = 15+1 and an extra 15 mag.

Enjoy your trip and keep your eyes open!

I went to a local business that builds wood storage barns and they let me rob their sawdust collector bags.  I then pour the into large plastic coffee containers and place lids on them.   The clean, dry sawdust does great when needed.

I?d be more concerned about the MOISTURE popping?.

I also have a Optima V2.

I clean the rifle after a shooting session THOROUGHLY.   This includes the QRBP (quick release breech plug).   I drop the QRBP in a pill bottle with cleaner.  Place the top on and shake a bit.   I let it sit while I clean the rest of the rifle.   When the bore, breech, hammer/trigger area has been cleaned, I remove the QRBP from the pill bottle and inspect the flash hole.   I clean the flash hole with a small drill bit and a cutting torch tip cleaning tool.  I blow it out, dry it off, lube, and put anti-seize on the threads and replace in rifle.   I will visually inspect the flash hole.

When firing in the field, I can get 3-4 shots between swabbing the barrel.   I use two White Hots pellets.  I will also verify the flash hole is clear and open.  Usually when I swab, I also take the tip cleaner and run it through a few times, blow it out, and replace in the breech.

Also, using pellets, at the end of a hunting session, I can remove the primer and QRBP holding the rifle barrel down.  I can drop the two pellets out into my hand and return to a speed loader.   I can then take my rod and push the 50 cal. Hornady Bore Driver FTX out the breech, too and return to speed loader.   Next session, reload.  I have not noticed any accuracy issues in doing this.   

I had a MechTech in 10mm.  Buddy has a 40 S&W.

His 40 has been ?bullet proof? since first shots.   Not one problem.


I have a 10mm.  It has shot 180XTPs without issue.  It?s a hog killer.  But, It?s hungry.   Began casting boolits after over 40 years of reloading, mainly for this weapon.  It is my main hog killer on the ranch.

Chamber is really tight on this carbine and required some polishing to make my cast loads function 100%.   I also built a PF45 for it.   My 175 Lee TC boolits powder coat to 179gr.  They fly 1600 fps from 16? barrel.  I kill hogs out to 120 years so far. 

I have also shot 40?s through it without issue.

Quote from: FWP on November 02 2022 10:15:36 PM MDT
I have a 1988 DE. I have put a lot of 1988 vintage Norma through it with no issues. In fact the Norma ammo was all you could get in 1988.

My normal load is 10.3 grains of Blue Dot and a 170 grain lead SWC bullet. It is very accurate in all my 10MMs.

Thanks for that FWP.   
I load a Lee 401-175-tc for my Glock 20.   Glad to hear your experience.  I use No 9 exclusively for my 10mm loads.  No more than book max which is still over 2500psi below max. 

I shoot a 180gr cast powder coat bullet that?s 1600fps from the MechTech.   
I also shoot a 180gr XTP at 1510fps.

Haven?t killed a deer but they both nail hogs!

Good luck to ya!

Quote from: sqlbullet on October 31 2022 08:44:14 AM MDT
Colt proof tests every single barrel.  Those are rounds loaded to 50,000 to 54,000 psi. 

Early Delta Elite guns suffered from frame cracking where the "D" cut for the slide stop pawl to pass through the frame.  The fix was to just machine out the material above the D cut.  Can't crack what's not there.  But the bigger take away is the Colt engineers knew the frame was over-engineered enough that removing metal was no big deal.

There is much ado about nothing with the Delta Elite and pressure.  Stay close to the pressure spec and you will be fine.

Pressure Spec you state is the SAAMI max spec?

Quote from: Graybeard on October 30 2022 06:58:22 AM MDT
I have a blued DE from 1988. It was my first 10mm and I bought it new. There's a little less case head support than a lot of newer 10mm 1911s, but probably no less than your G20. I've loaded up to Underwood levels and a little beyond and fired them from this gun with no issues.

At the time these were introduced the only factory ammo was from Norma and those were some pretty hot loads. Your friends DE should handle the loads you described just fine, although I would do a work up looking for overpressure signs out of common sense. A little primer flattening is pretty normal in hotter loads, as is some slight case bulging at the case head. If you can't fix the case bulging with a pass through sizing die, you've gone too far.

Mine has served me well for many years. I hope your friend's does the same.

Thanks for the heads-up Graybeard.   Not going near Underwood, et al Nukes.  I would imagine, as some have stated, that if the cartridge has a SAAMI max pressure, the industry has to follow it when manufacturing firearms (In Merica).   

Quote from: The_Shadow on October 30 2022 12:57:32 PM MDT
Colt barrel in the rear Witness Match in the front

Wow!  Thanks Shadow!   My G20G3 looks like the one on the right, kinda.   Much more support than previous models and I?ve never seen a ?smile?.

I have yet to hold the DE, so I?m not sure what I?ll find.   He hasn?t said anything about throating/polishing in the chamber area.

My workups for G20 are listed in the OP.   After 45 some odd years of reloading, I kinda like to cover all bases and err on caution.

My loads are couple thousand less than max, I would imagine.

I?ve got a close friend that recently acquired a 1989 Delta Elite.  He?s inquired about reloading for his 10mm.

I?ve had no issues loading for my G20.   I also have a MechTech and again, No issues.  I currently load cast Lee 401-175-TC powder coat and 180gr XTP using No. 9.  I don?t load nuclear, but like a stout load for hogs.   These loads have both worked well for that purpose.  His desire is a woods gun.

XTP is 13 - 14 gr No. 9 @ 1180fps max  @ 1.257 OAL
Cast PC is 12.5 - 13.6 No. 9 @ 1250fps max and 1.245 OAL

No signs of pressure on either load.  For cast I?d slug the barrel on the DE, first.

I read some of the concerns about the DE/10mm.   I?m looking for some general insight into what to expect and barrel characteristics of the DE.  Any words would be appreciated.
Thanks!

I use a grilling mat inside my wire rack.   It?s the copper coated ones.   I stand them up using a large pair of forceps.  I also wear nitrile gloves and never touch boolits when PCing.   I get full coverage with very minimal stick.   Very minimal.

Tin is used to harden the bullet, as well as to aide in the fill out of the mold.   Tin and antimony both hard the lead, but in different ways.   Antimony can make your mix more brittle.