Glock 22 Cowboy Action Loads

What? I hear you say. Well, it’s like this. I’ve decided to actually join the IDPA after some 15 years of shooting their matches just for the fun of it and that involves upsetting the established order of things. To start I picked up the Glock 22 I mentioned here earlier. Whole new gun from my little CZ, so there’s a learning curve involved. Also a bunch of accessories.

Picked up 2 new magazines which true to predictions, have springs in them suitable for a jackhammer. I’m told that loading the mags as far as I can and letting them sit for a while will soften the springs enough to let me get that last round in so they’re sitting.

Also found out that my Magloader thumb ring which worked so well on the CZ doesn’t work as well on the larger Glock mags. A nice replacement will cost me.

I got a .40 because it was on sale, and because I’m already set up to load that caliber. Yes, I have dies for 9x19, but I worry about keeping the 9x18 and 9x19 properly separated. It’s easier to stick with what I’ve got. The problem is that the .40 Soft and Weak still has a pretty good kick to it which my arthritis magnifies. Bicycling gloves with gel pads should help, along with figuring out what load will cycle the action reliably without cycling my thumb.

 Power factor should not be a problem as the 165gr .40 bullets will make the 130 minimum P.F. at 790 fps which is mighty slow. Cowboy Action shooters are famous for down loading their ammo as it allows them to get back on target more quickly which is fine, but some of them seem to put so little powder in their cartridges that snide remarks are sometimes heard about the ability to knock over the cardboard poppers.

Laugh all you like, I’m beginning to see the wisdom of very light loads.