G23 how worried should I be about KABOOM?

[Dak]

I just purchased a Glock23 almost two weeks ago and then after I bought it I started hearing about Kabooms.I've did a bit of reading since then and read most of Dan Spier(may have the name wrong but you probably know who I mean) articles and it seems they are almost always from reloads,except that batch of Federal Hydra-shoks.I doubt I'll be reloading anytime soon if ever.Most everything I shoot will probably come from Wally-world.Is this something to be that concerned about or has it been blown out of proportion?Thanks

 

[rock jock]

No more so than being savaged by Bigfoot.

 

[JohnKSa]

You're pretty safe already. If you want to reduce the chances of problems to virtually non-existant, then here are some suggestions.

Read the manual.

Glocks are hard on cases--if you reload you will need to be very careful about case inspection. Don't push maximums especially with the heavier bullets and make sure your crimp is sufficient to make sure that bullet setback is minimized. Don't use unjacketed bullets.

If you don't reload then avoid lead bullets, aluminum cased ammo with the heavier bullets, poor quality ammo and commercial reloads.

Issue 1:
It turns out that the .40S&W cartridge is unusually sensitive to bullet setback--especially with the heavier (180gr) bullets. Even a relatively small amount of bullet setback can cause chamber pressures to skyrocket.

Issue 2:
The Glock chambers are cut on the generous side and put more stress on cases as a result.

Issue 3:
Glock barrels are polygonally rifled which is much less tolerant of leading than other rifling styles. Even a lightly leaded bore can cause much higher pressures than one might expect. Shooting a jacketed bullet down a leaded Glock barrel is an excellent recipe for disaster.

The combination of these issues results in the cautions I gave above. Reading it all at once makes it sound a lot worse than it is, but most of these cautions are either in the manual or are fairly commonsensical...

 

[George Hill]

Don't panic.

 

[GLOCKT]

I've shot nearly 40k through my 3 Glocks (G-27 and 2. G-22s one is a G22c)
I shoot from 135 to 180gr all factory ammo,Fiocchi by preference.
I have the Glocks inspected every 6 months by the local Glock armorer.
Fires and functions flawlessly,in all elements of weather.
Now if my Walther P99 was this reliable.

 

[cratz2]

I think you have a far less than a 1 in 10,000 chance of having a problem.

And if you 1. Don't shoot reloads, 2. Don't shoot lead from the factory barrel, and 3. Don't chamber the same few rounds several times over and over again, probably less than 1 in 1,000,000.

 

[jc2]

Make sure you keep the chamber clean.

 

[Phantom Warrior]

I...might have shot a case of round nose lead reloads through my Glock before I knew better. It's still kicking today. Except I'm wise enough to only shoot FMJ now.

Like everyone says, shoot good factory ammo, don't shoot lead bullets, you'll be fine.

 

[valor1]

Don't worry just shoot them a lot. If they go KB, call their customer service. If they don't replace it, get another. You won't enjoy any guns if you think of any other KB issues. Glocks have already shown a good record. I'll worry if I buy any of those Lorcins or Jennings.

 

[HD]

just had g30 kboom tonight ...

had a g30 being fired with a-merc ammo let go at our indoor range tonight ...
damaged the mag , hurt the guys hand , every glock fired case showed signs of casehead seperation starting...
same ammo functioned just fine in a 220 and a 1911a1...
this is the 5th kboom i've seen in 5 years ...
9mm/40/10mm/45 it doesn't matter they all do it...

 

[pauli]

If they go KB, call their customer service. If they don't replace it, get another.

if they don't replace it, buy something else. and write them a letter about it.

anyway... if you're worried about a kaboom, buy an aftermarket barrel.

 

[JohnKSa]

a-merc ammo

...is almost certainly THE worst quality new commercial ammunition currently on the U.S. market. The general consensus is that it is not only very poor quality, it is very likely dangerous in many cases. The number of "incidents" that involve this brand of ammunition is very high--especially when you consider that it's not a particularly common brand.

I mentioned that the Glock chambers are harder on brass--that means that if the ammunition uses really poor quality brass, a case failure is much more likely. American/A-merc definitely fits the bill in that respect.

 

[Jeepin' Lawyer]

a-merc ammo. . .

We accidently got a quite a few a-merc (s) in our reloading brass recently. Well, the result was lots of training at a match. . .HOW TO CLEAR A FTF.

The a-merc brass would expand in the chamber and cause a failure. Pistol was a Kimber 1911.

a-merc should be bannned, I believe it is worthless and dangerous.

Just my .02

 

[jrpeterman]

I have owned 2 Glock 23s that I bought 3 years ago. Both guns have had aproximately 2,000 factory rounds fired through them. Never had a problem with either one. Another thought on bullet set back, if carrying on a daily basis and unloading the weapon daily, you may want to rotate the chamber round so the same bullet is not being fed in the chamber numerous times over.

 

[jc2]

I think HD and Jeepin' Lawyer may have hit on the real problem with Glocks--ammo (in this case a-merc) that another design (1911) could handle caused a kaboom in a Glock. There seems considerably less tolerance (margin of error) in the Glock than in other designs. I wonder how many times when a Glock kabooms (particularly with factory of ammo) that another design would have shrugged it off and kept going--a whole lot more than a few I'm sure.

 

[Edward429451]

If you had bought a 1911 or a Sig you wouldn't be on here asking if it might KB.

Like they say...If you gotta ask, you already know (you shoulda bought a different pistol)

All this stuff about don't use this ammo in Glocks, no reloads, etc is disconcerting in this day & age. No magnums in Streetsweepers, no silvertips in seecamps, no lead in Glocks. BS. We want guns that will shoot anything, especially with SHTF looming on the horizon.

Glock Perfection is a lie for these reasons. My Colt will gobble up anything that the Glock gags on.

 

[CZ52GUY]

Glock Perfection is a lie for these reasons. My Colt will gobble up anything that the Glock gags on.

Respectfully, the marketing gimmick is just that.

"Sig Perfection" would be a lie
"Kimber Perfection" would be a lie
"Springfield Perfection" would be a lie

and so on, and so on, and so on...

Glocks don't react well to certain ammo'. If you are going to use a Glock...then don't use ammo' that has been reported to cause problems and expect good results.

Because of this "dietary sensitivity", some won't buy a Glock, and that's fine. I have 3-40's. I keep them clean, feed them nothing but factory ammo', and watch my cases for signs of issues.

I also have other platforms that I enjoy, some signficantly more than the Glock line. It's a tool, it performs within its design limitations and I set expectations based upon that. Overall, I've been pretty happy with mine, but if you want to shoot lead, reloads, or very cheap brass...maybe you should be looking at a different autoloader.

An aftermarket barrel can be a good investment if in all other respects, you like the Glock line. KKM, for instance, makes a barrel that several THR members have had good luck with. Drops right in, reliable, and you can expand your Glock's diet.

Safe shooting,

CZ52'

 

[walking arsenal]

we'll this another post thats got me all concerned

i put up a post on corbon ammo and found out that corbon isnt all that great. solution: bought gold dots

so i shouldnt rechamber the same round like ive been doing for year. solution: i leave that round in the barrel

dont reload the mags over and over. solution: i leave em all loaded

Glocks are ammo sensitive and blow up?!?!?

ok, now i carry this thing every day every where, am i carrying a weapon i can bet my life on or am i carrying a self triggered grenade. should i be concerned about this? Or are the glock haters just waving their flags.

IMHO i think it'd be a step backward if i pulled my g33 on a bad guy and promptly blew my hand off. just a thought.

 

[auschip]

I always get the defective products, at least I suspect as much because my Glock never blew up (and it is a .40!) my Beretta 92 never shot the slide through my brain, and my 10/22 functions flawlessly. What am I doing wrong?

 

[jc2]

We can probably safely say the Glock is a little more ammo sensitive than many competing models, and that careful ammo selection is more important for Glocks than for many competing models.

 

[Redlg155]

I'd venture to say that the millions of rounds shot through glocks by Military, Police and Civilians can attest to their safety record. You would be hard pressed to find very many handguns that have been issued as widely or tested as much as the Glocks are. A second close runner would be the Beretta, and there are even naysayers about that model.

I'd suspect that the vast majority of KBs reported are from users using reloaded ammunition or second rate ammunition. No handgun ever designed would be immune to this problem.

Again..look at the sheer numbers of Glocks that are currently in service by police agencies as well as individual owners. If a few incidents are enough to make you lose confidence in carrying the weapon, then by all means, get a different model.

I almost came home with a G19 at this weekends gun show but instead got a sweet deal on a HK USP 9mm Compact.

Good Shooting
Red

 

[CZ52GUY]

Glocks are ammo sensitive and blow up?!?!?

737's sometimes crash...perhaps as often as a Glock goes KB

Ford Explorer's had tire issues, people still drive them

It's about risk acceptance and confidence. Many folks drive Explorer's without dying. Many get on 737's without crashing. Many carry a Glock with confidence.

If you fear a Glock KB, don't buy it or carry it. A CCW that you are afraid of makes a better paper weight. I carry my Glocks routinely because my research says that if I keep them clean and use good ammo', they will treat me right. After sending several thousand combined rounds through 3 of them this year and using them in multiple competitions which are likely to stress them beyond simple indoor bench shooting, I am more confident in them than I have ever been.

That being said, I don't expect to impose that view on anyone else. I wouldn't urge a squeamish THR member to carry a piece they aren't comfortable with. I can only post my experience and rationale...each THR member reading threads like these will need to draw their own conclusions.

Safe shooting,

CZ52'

 

[magsnubby]

Glock .40's are very dangerous guns. They'll blow up if you use anything but factory hardball.

Send it to me postage paid and i'll make sure it's disposed of properly.

 

[walking arsenal]

magsnubby- very funny, if im going to get rid of it ill trade it off and let someone else blow themselve up.


so what brands of ammo are no no's then and what ones are quality carry brands?

 

[9x19]

Over-pressure blow outs and detonations happen in more than just the Glock line, such as...