Just bought Glock 20 Gen 4 in 10mm Auto hoping to have good back up and hunting gun in one. Read a lot about unsupported barrel and "Glock smile" especially with hot 10mm loads.
Does anyone have experience with how many times 10mm case can be reloaded and used from Glock with factory barrel? Any experience with full and/or mild load is more than welcome!

I have a Glock 20SF that I've been hunting with for 6 years. I can't comment on the factory barrel, as I replaced mine with a 6" KKM when I acquired the pistol.

My primary loads are 180 grain JHP's and 190 grain WFNGC's. I run all my handloads through the Lee "pass through sizing die". Never had an issue with smilies.

I've been thinking of getting a G40 so the same issue is of interest to me. If I was in the US I'd simply buy a LWD barrel and no more problem. Unfortunately export licence fees/paperwork/permits etc add several hundred dollars to the price making it impractical. Hoping someone can answer the question on case life with 10mm loads in the factory barrel.

I doubt that you will get much of a Bulge with Book Loads or factory ammunition. Loading data for the 10mm seem to have been watered down some over the last 25 years.

I also think the newer Gen 3 and 4 Glocks are better supported than the older ones. With that said.

Reloading for the 10mm in a Glock Hunting Handgun:
I would get a Lee or Redding Bulge Buster. I have the Redding version. I come up with lots of 40 S&W Range Brass fired out of what ever. I run them all through the pass through sizer to make sure they are all sized all the way to the rim. My G27 and G35 are not nearly as picky about a bulge as my 610 S&W revolver is.

I had some 40 S&W brass left over from a GEN 1 Glock 23 from the early 1990's. I checked the diameter at the base of the early brass against the newer range pick up brass. Very little bulge in later brass as compared to the old brass. I pitched some of the older brass in the scrap bucket. Some of the old brass was in the "Wow that did not look safe to shoot" category.

I am pretty sure you can still put a Bulge in 10mm with warm hand loads, or specialty hunting loads. As popular as the G40 MOS is, I would get a Bulge Buster and some Starline Brass and start loading for it and not worry a great deal. Check the cases while working up your loads. Put your (Hot Loaded)brass back in the ammo box it came out of, and keep track of how many reloadings you do with it. When you decide the brass has had enough, toss it in the scrap bucket.

I would recommend working up your loads carefully and checking the brass even with an after market hunting barrel.

When you plan to go past the posted speed limit, you need to be extra careful. Read and make notes on what others are loading with success, and work up to Hot carefully. Doing this very thing with the 357 Maximum, I found some loading information that was warmer than I was comfortable with. As in Stop Here and pull the bullets on the rest of the test batch "Not Comfortable With".

I would get a spiral note book and keep notes on your Load Work Up. You may end up with a Hunting Load, as well as a Practice Load that are different to keep wear and tear down on Brass the Gun, and You. I have Hot Loaded the 10mm for years, but in an N Frame S&W model 610. One more thing to consider would be Bullets. A Hot Loaded 10mm can drive some "Made To Expand in 40 S&W" bullets way to hard. I would put together a Fackler Water Box, and recover some bullets to have a look at. It is fun to play in the water also.

You living in Serbia, I have no idea what you have to work with in reloading components. You will have more of an adventure working up loads with powders and bullets available to you in Europe.

Enjoy your adventure.

Bob

Bob,
Many tnx for some interesting info. My idea was to develop hot hunting load (with 180grs XTP) and also some mild (practicing) load so this was the reason why I asked for more info reg. case's lifetime.
PPU factory is in Serbia so their components are easiest for me to find but I am not limited just to those. I also have opportunity to measure pressures with piezo so I can be very accurate and safe in defining hot loads.