Lone Wolf Barrels

dbach · 05-29-2012, 06:01 PM

I bought a Lone Wolf replacement barrel for my Glock 23 (.40 S&W). Its supposed to be an exact replica. However my .40 reloads will not chamber in the LW barrel? They get stuck about half way down and will not seat properly. I tested this by attempting to drop a reload into the LW barrel while removed from the gun.

Has anyone had any dealings with Lone Wolf? I have not contacted them .. yet.

I bought the barrel so I could start shooting lead cast bullets.

My reloads chamber in my Glock factory barrel. No problem.

soundguy · 05-29-2012, 06:35 PM

have you tried chambering a factory load in it?

is it a bbl like a glock that has an unsupported section of the case? if not.. perhaps there is a clearance issue with the reloads that is not experienced in the bbl with the 'relief'?

dbach · 05-29-2012, 09:01 PM

No I have not tried a factory load. I don't have one at the moment. I'm moving and things are scattered all over the place. I will try one as soon as possible.

soundguy · 05-29-2012, 09:21 PM

i think it would be a good comparison between factory and relaod.. plus some measurements with a caliper.. might have case deformation tha tis imperceptable to the eye.. but when you are putting something into a near interference fit chamber.. it makes a difference..

312shooter · 05-30-2012, 08:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dbach

No I have not tried a factory load. I don't have one at the moment. I'm moving and things are scattered all over the place. I will try one as soon as possible.

Dbach,
Please get back to us on the LW barell for the glock. I am looking at these as well as Storm Lake and would like to hear what you have to say.

Hammerslagger · 05-31-2012, 12:10 AM

I have owned several LW 40 S&W to 9x19 mm conversion barrels for various Glocks. They are CNC machined (in Korea?), likely 416 heat treated SS, button rifled, LH twist.

Have only good things to say about Lone wolf and its people and Barbecue sauce.

Their brand of barrel appears well made and performs well out to 50 feet; but not as well as an original Glock barrel for grouping accuracy with full power jacketed bullets. I opine that this is likely because of the shallow button rifled grooves not letting the lands get a really good purchase on the jacketed bullets. Have not tried cast lead alloy bullets.

Have never had any issues with LW chamber dimensions; and suspect that thread starter may have resizing problems with brass fired in a typical loose Glock chamber.

steve4102 · 05-31-2012, 07:23 AM

LW barrels are cut tighter than the loose sloppy Glock chambers. If you can't fix the problem they will open it up to Glock dimensions for you if need be.

I had a 23 with a LW barrel a few years ago. It had no troubles getting all of my handloads to feed and fire, both jacketed and lead, but I use the Lee Factory Crimp die for all my handgun ammo.

It is possible that you have a reloading issue that does not show up in the Glock barrel due to it's sloppy chamber, or it could be the barrel.

How is your crimp? To little can cause problems like this and so can to much. What does it measure?

soundguy · 05-31-2012, 07:33 AM

can't wait to see the outcome here..

The Count · 06-02-2012, 04:42 PM

I think it says somewhere on the LW site that their dimensions are a little bit tighter than factory. I ran into a similar issue with a LW barrel for my Glock 30. What solved the problem is that I used a Lee factory crimp die. This die will taper crimp and resize the round once more. I can almost guarantee that with this die the round will just drop in with a 'plink' sound. If you already have a crimp die increase the crimp. If you have not been taper crimping at all then thats the problem right there.

1in9twist · 06-02-2012, 05:29 PM

Here's the deal. If your reload brass was fired from a standard glock barrel, they will expand a bit and conform to the ID of that "looser" barrel. Your problem is that you are now trying to stuff that larger OD piece of brass into a tighter barrel. If you first run your brass thru the Redding GRX die, you should be GTG.

dbach · 06-03-2012, 09:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1in9twist

Here's the deal. If your reload brass was fired from a standard glock barrel, they will expand a bit and conform to the ID of that "looser" barrel. Your problem is that you are now trying to stuff that larger OD piece of brass into a tighter barrel. If you first run your brass thru the Redding GRX die, you should be GTG.

I thought I used the Redding die, and thats a definate maybe.

We have finally landed in the new home. Moving is a b^%#@. I have to admit .... I hated it. There is still a great deal to move and setting the reload area up. We are pretty far out in the country and trips to town must be planned in advance.

I too think it's a problem I may have created. I was using a gutted Lee .40 factory crimp die to resize .40 brass prior to buying and using the Redding. I switched to the Redding because the Lee just didn't seem to be getting the job done. The Redding seems to behave much better. I had a bunch of brass that was resized with the Lee die and some set aside that had been run through the Redding. I could have mixed them up. In all the packing and confusion I wouldn't be surprised.

If there was a mix up and my problem is already solved, it'll show up in the next reloading session, in a few weeks. If I still have problems I'll get some emory cloth and a dowell and open her up a bit.

By the way, this is not meant as a slam to Lee manufacturing. I have several Lee tools and for the most part, they perform well.

I will post the results.

JLA · 06-03-2012, 09:23 AM

Sounds to me like you just need a bulge buster.

1in9twist · 06-04-2012, 02:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JLA

Sounds to me like you just need a bulge buster.

+1

As mentioned above, I think this will take care of ya.

Bud0505 · 06-04-2012, 04:27 PM

I bought an LW barrel for my Glock 17. Reloads would not feed because of the Glock bulge. My Dillon resizing die does not eliminate the bulge. Bought a Lee resizing die and am now GTG.

aa1911 · 07-11-2012, 10:57 PM

I use the Redding GRX push thru die and my reloads will not chamber at all; put a factory load in there and it took way more force than the slide could produce to get it to fit (G23 also btw....)

have not fired mine yet, I'm also curious to see what you come up with. hopefully it works out for you, not looking good for me

dbach · 07-12-2012, 09:12 AM

Here is what happened.

I made a few reloads and drop tested them in the Lone Wolf barrel, a side note here is that when I ordered the LW barrel I told them I'd be shooting .40S&W cast bullets sized at .401

All brass was sized with the Redding GRX die, prior to reloading. They would not drop into the LW chamber. Only an uncomfortable amount of force would have shoved them in. On the other hand they would drop into the factory Glock chamber, and feed reliably.

I tried some measuring but to be honest my cheepo Harbor Freight digital caliper readings were like a shotgun blast. The results were all over the place. Nothing reliable there, but the few measurements that felt accurate showed that there was very little difference between the two barrels chamber openings. Maybe .001 or .002. Not much.

I read where a guy used very fine emory cloth and a dowel to open the LW barrel up a bit. He described the procedure with clarity and I decided to give it a whirl.

To make a ling story short, I followed his recommendations using the same tools and was able to modify the LW barrel enough to accept the reloads with no problems.

It worked like a charm. Now I can swap to the LW barrel and shoot cast bullets with no concerns about leading, which I hear is way over exagerated anyway. It shoots and cycles as well as the factory barrel with no problem. I like it.

soundguy · 07-12-2012, 01:08 PM

i own a couple of those cheapy hf digital calipers. I have some NICE machine shop quality dial calipers too. I can assure you.. if you have the pair that are .001 calibrated, and have not used them as wrenches.. they are .001 precision capable. I've measured some cases with a set of mcs and then good dials.. and the cheapo 10$ HF.. and can get duplicate readings.

problems arise on measurement devices when you try to measure an item in a non repeatable way, or in a way that introduces error or variables into the measurement area ..e tc.

aa1911 · 07-12-2012, 01:19 PM

anyone have a link to the emery/dowel method?

I've been toying with buying a chamber reamer (which cost more than the barrel) and opening it up that way but if yours is working with a little fine sanding then I'm game to give it a shot.

The whole point of me buying this barrel was so that I could shoot reloads anyway, it's not doing any good sitting in the safe by itself so might as well start cutting.

soundguy · 07-12-2012, 02:05 PM

i've reamed a few spindle bushings to fit for an antique tractor by taking a dowel rod and chucking into a drill.

you use a saw and cut a slit/slot into the dowl at the top.. then take a strip of whatver paper or tape you are using.. fold it over and slip into the groove.. and wind away from the direction you will be spinning.. kind of like a rotary flap disc..

aa1911 · 07-12-2012, 05:31 PM

sounds good, I might give her a try if I don't buy a reamer. I wonder if Glock would put my barrel through their chamber cutter to match dimensions, probably not.

I will post up what I do, going to give it another shot with this fresh batch of reloads I'm working on, plan on buying some factory ammo also to try again.

Thanks! Glad yours is working out for you, I'm hoping to accomplish the same before long

05-29-2012, 06:01 PM	#1
dbach V.I.P. Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Trinity, TX Posts: 163	Lone Wolf Barrels I bought a Lone Wolf replacement barrel for my Glock 23 (.40 S&W). Its supposed to be an exact replica. However my .40 reloads will not chamber in the LW barrel? They get stuck about half way down and will not seat properly. I tested this by attempting to drop a reload into the LW barrel while removed from the gun. Has anyone had any dealings with Lone Wolf? I have not contacted them .. yet. I bought the barrel so I could start shooting lead cast bullets. My reloads chamber in my Glock factory barrel. No problem. __________________ David Bachelder Trinity, TX Rookie Reloader but learning fast 9mm, 40S&W, 45ACP, 45 Colt, 38 Special, .357 Magnum, 38 S&W, .243, & 30-06 CHL ~ Texas -->

05-29-2012, 06:35 PM	#2
soundguy Advanced Senior Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: florida Contributor Posts: 4,405	Re: Lone Wolf Barrels have you tried chambering a factory load in it? is it a bbl like a glock that has an unsupported section of the case? if not.. perhaps there is a clearance issue with the reloads that is not experienced in the bbl with the 'relief'?

05-29-2012, 09:01 PM	#3
dbach V.I.P. Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Trinity, TX Posts: 163	Re: Lone Wolf Barrels No I have not tried a factory load. I don't have one at the moment. I'm moving and things are scattered all over the place. I will try one as soon as possible. __________________ David Bachelder Trinity, TX Rookie Reloader but learning fast 9mm, 40S&W, 45ACP, 45 Colt, 38 Special, .357 Magnum, 38 S&W, .243, & 30-06 CHL ~ Texas

05-29-2012, 09:21 PM	#4
soundguy Advanced Senior Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: florida Contributor Posts: 4,405	Re: Lone Wolf Barrels i think it would be a good comparison between factory and relaod.. plus some measurements with a caliper.. might have case deformation tha tis imperceptable to the eye.. but when you are putting something into a near interference fit chamber.. it makes a difference..

05-31-2012, 12:10 AM	#6
Hammerslagger Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 1,099	Re: Lone Wolf Barrels I have owned several LW 40 S&W to 9x19 mm conversion barrels for various Glocks. They are CNC machined (in Korea?), likely 416 heat treated SS, button rifled, LH twist. Have only good things to say about Lone wolf and its people and Barbecue sauce. Their brand of barrel appears well made and performs well out to 50 feet; but not as well as an original Glock barrel for grouping accuracy with full power jacketed bullets. I opine that this is likely because of the shallow button rifled grooves not letting the lands get a really good purchase on the jacketed bullets. Have not tried cast lead alloy bullets. Have never had any issues with LW chamber dimensions; and suspect that thread starter may have resizing problems with brass fired in a typical loose Glock chamber.

05-31-2012, 07:23 AM	#7
steve4102 Former Guest Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Minnesota Contributor Posts: 2,760	Re: Lone Wolf Barrels LW barrels are cut tighter than the loose sloppy Glock chambers. If you can't fix the problem they will open it up to Glock dimensions for you if need be. I had a 23 with a LW barrel a few years ago. It had no troubles getting all of my handloads to feed and fire, both jacketed and lead, but I use the Lee Factory Crimp die for all my handgun ammo. It is possible that you have a reloading issue that does not show up in the Glock barrel due to it's sloppy chamber, or it could be the barrel. How is your crimp? To little can cause problems like this and so can to much. What does it measure?

05-31-2012, 07:33 AM	#8
soundguy Advanced Senior Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: florida Contributor Posts: 4,405	Re: Lone Wolf Barrels can't wait to see the outcome here..

06-02-2012, 04:42 PM	#9
The Count V.I.P. Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 264	Re: Lone Wolf Barrels I think it says somewhere on the LW site that their dimensions are a little bit tighter than factory. I ran into a similar issue with a LW barrel for my Glock 30. What solved the problem is that I used a Lee factory crimp die. This die will taper crimp and resize the round once more. I can almost guarantee that with this die the round will just drop in with a 'plink' sound. If you already have a crimp die increase the crimp. If you have not been taper crimping at all then thats the problem right there.

06-02-2012, 05:29 PM	#10
1in9twist Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Posts: 22	Re: Lone Wolf Barrels Here's the deal. If your reload brass was fired from a standard glock barrel, they will expand a bit and conform to the ID of that "looser" barrel. Your problem is that you are now trying to stuff that larger OD piece of brass into a tighter barrel. If you first run your brass thru the Redding GRX die, you should be GTG. __________________ 1in9twist Reloading should be enjoyable. www.inlinefabrication.com

06-03-2012, 09:23 AM	#12
JLA TFF Moderator/Host Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Heart Of Texas Contributor Posts: 17,280	Re: Lone Wolf Barrels Sounds to me like you just need a bulge buster. __________________ It takes 43 muscles to frown, 17 to smile, and 3 for proper trigger squeeze. The latest caliber or gear is no substitute for experience and skill. Rifles and cartridges don't make hits -- shooters do. Fact of life: After Monday and Tuesday, even the calendar says WTF!

06-04-2012, 04:27 PM	#14
Bud0505 V.I.P. Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Florida Posts: 60	Re: Lone Wolf Barrels I bought an LW barrel for my Glock 17. Reloads would not feed because of the Glock bulge. My Dillon resizing die does not eliminate the bulge. Bought a Lee resizing die and am now GTG. __________________ R/Bud

07-11-2012, 10:57 PM	#15
aa1911 Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Pacific Northwest Posts: 3,110	Re: Lone Wolf Barrels I use the Redding GRX push thru die and my reloads will not chamber at all; put a factory load in there and it took way more force than the slide could produce to get it to fit (G23 also btw....) have not fired mine yet, I'm also curious to see what you come up with. hopefully it works out for you, not looking good for me __________________ "Loud noises don't end gunfights.... well placed shots do."

07-12-2012, 09:12 AM	#16
dbach V.I.P. Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Trinity, TX Posts: 163	Re: Lone Wolf Barrels Here is what happened. I made a few reloads and drop tested them in the Lone Wolf barrel, a side note here is that when I ordered the LW barrel I told them I'd be shooting .40S&W cast bullets sized at .401 All brass was sized with the Redding GRX die, prior to reloading. They would not drop into the LW chamber. Only an uncomfortable amount of force would have shoved them in. On the other hand they would drop into the factory Glock chamber, and feed reliably. I tried some measuring but to be honest my cheepo Harbor Freight digital caliper readings were like a shotgun blast. The results were all over the place. Nothing reliable there, but the few measurements that felt accurate showed that there was very little difference between the two barrels chamber openings. Maybe .001 or .002. Not much. I read where a guy used very fine emory cloth and a dowel to open the LW barrel up a bit. He described the procedure with clarity and I decided to give it a whirl. To make a ling story short, I followed his recommendations using the same tools and was able to modify the LW barrel enough to accept the reloads with no problems. It worked like a charm. Now I can swap to the LW barrel and shoot cast bullets with no concerns about leading, which I hear is way over exagerated anyway. It shoots and cycles as well as the factory barrel with no problem. I like it. __________________ David Bachelder Trinity, TX Rookie Reloader but learning fast 9mm, 40S&W, 45ACP, 45 Colt, 38 Special, .357 Magnum, 38 S&W, .243, & 30-06 CHL ~ Texas

07-12-2012, 01:08 PM	#17
soundguy Advanced Senior Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: florida Contributor Posts: 4,405	Re: Lone Wolf Barrels i own a couple of those cheapy hf digital calipers. I have some NICE machine shop quality dial calipers too. I can assure you.. if you have the pair that are .001 calibrated, and have not used them as wrenches.. they are .001 precision capable. I've measured some cases with a set of mcs and then good dials.. and the cheapo 10$ HF.. and can get duplicate readings. problems arise on measurement devices when you try to measure an item in a non repeatable way, or in a way that introduces error or variables into the measurement area ..e tc.

07-12-2012, 01:19 PM	#18
aa1911 Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Pacific Northwest Posts: 3,110	Re: Lone Wolf Barrels anyone have a link to the emery/dowel method? I've been toying with buying a chamber reamer (which cost more than the barrel) and opening it up that way but if yours is working with a little fine sanding then I'm game to give it a shot. The whole point of me buying this barrel was so that I could shoot reloads anyway, it's not doing any good sitting in the safe by itself so might as well start cutting. __________________ "Loud noises don't end gunfights.... well placed shots do."

07-12-2012, 02:05 PM	#19
soundguy Advanced Senior Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: florida Contributor Posts: 4,405	Re: Lone Wolf Barrels i've reamed a few spindle bushings to fit for an antique tractor by taking a dowel rod and chucking into a drill. you use a saw and cut a slit/slot into the dowl at the top.. then take a strip of whatver paper or tape you are using.. fold it over and slip into the groove.. and wind away from the direction you will be spinning.. kind of like a rotary flap disc..

07-12-2012, 05:31 PM	#20
aa1911 Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Pacific Northwest Posts: 3,110	Re: Lone Wolf Barrels sounds good, I might give her a try if I don't buy a reamer. I wonder if Glock would put my barrel through their chamber cutter to match dimensions, probably not. I will post up what I do, going to give it another shot with this fresh batch of reloads I'm working on, plan on buying some factory ammo also to try again. Thanks! Glad yours is working out for you, I'm hoping to accomplish the same before long __________________ "Loud noises don't end gunfights.... well placed shots do."