Neither Setting sortName from python nor from GUI seems to work, the value is never saved in the font and the glyph order never changes. The glyph info dialog will show the new set name, but it will not be saved and when the file re-open it will revert back to old value.
Setting it from the UI should work in the latest cutting edge version. Loading it from file was indeed broken.
When setting it from a script, you need to first set glyph.storeSortName = True.
I have 3.0.3 (3083) and nothing is saved to the file. Originally I was saving the font as format 2, I thought it might be the issue so I switched to format 3 but nothing changes. I’m trying to use this to group a certain set of glyphs together, but I’m not seeing any change of glyph order either, so I’m not sure if this is the right way to do it.
Rearranging glyphs within a category works for me. Changing the sort name does not change the categories, so those will stay separate.
For anything more complicated, I would use a custom GlyphsData file, since that gives me a better overview of the custom changes.
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Thanks. The glyphs I want to sort are in the same category, but nothing happens when I set sort name. I’m starting to think something wrong with this font.
I created a new empty font and setting sortName changes the order there, and I think I found out what is wrong with the other font. The glyphs I’m trying to sort all have the category and subCategory manually set, if I do this in the new font the sortName is ignored and the glyphs are reverted to the default order.
Unsetting category and subCategory in the original font makes no difference 
What glyphs would you like to reorder? Are they common glyphs from the glyph info database or custom glyphs? As a workaround in the meantime you could create a list filter and put the glyphs there in the desired order.
I’m trying to sort a mix “standard” and custom glyph names.