blew up my sig...well kinda

[suzukisam]

I am very clear on saami and what you and 243 provided, and again I really appreciate everyone's input. I know that manufacturers deviate sometimes, such as glock cuts a recess in the unsupported part of their 40. chamber. so I was just curious since I'm only .001-.002 from sammi if that is what others are getting on their similar products. in the grand scheme of things my barrel may be within tolerance. I still don't "think" I would have bulged my chamber and only moved it .001, when in all reality being a refurb it could have .001 worn out of the chamber... I'm not being cheap or "taking any risks" I am just trying to get a confirmation as to whether this is normal or not. and since sig apparently is afraid I'll sell their secrets to the Chinese I'm having trouble making that determination. I'm not leaving out any of the advice given in this thread, I'm just starting with the gun to ensure it is safe, and working backwards.

 

[guzzi]

40 s&w

I have been reading all these posts, and am very glad you are OK.

And, I also shoot and reload 40 for two pistols. My standard load is Rainier Ballistics 165g, plated flat point, 5.0 grain Tightgroup, Federal 200 (magnum) primer. This combination has seen me through several thousand rounds and 2 years of IDPA competition.

Both my 40 pistols are S&W (M&P and 4006), and both chambers are 0.426".

I truly hope the problem you encountered is due to nothing more than chamber diameter.

Good luck.

 

[suzukisam]

so I mic'd the chamber again tonight just out of curiosity and it looks like the farther to the mouth you get the more it changes and the deeper you get into the barrel the smaller it gets.. I'm going to say it is bulged. if I hold the calipers at a certain position I can get as much as .438 as my chamber spec. the barrel is out. a new one will be ordered shortlyI checked the outside of the barrel and it appears to be very slightly wider at the back than the front, but I don;t know what it should be

 

[1stmarine]

Make sure you do not get hexagonal rifling and not faster than 1:16TOR. It will be better if you are going to continue to shoot lead.
Cheers,
E.

 

[twomack2010]

Okay I need some constructive help here! I emphasize constructive! I'm a very safe reloader spend a lot of time checking brass and charges. but the other day I was shooting my p226 .40 and i "blew up" a cartridge the case severed in half with the front half remaining in the chamber and the back half lodging in the action. The gas cracked the grips, and the extractor flew out. the gun has been checked and in no way seems to be damaged. I have purchased the parts and rebuilt the gun, new grips and all new extractor parts. I have shot hundreds of rounds of this stuff with no issues. the report seemed week, I'm assuming due to the escaping gases. in the end I spent 100.00 putting the gun back together and 5000.00 on eye surgery to remove the portion of the case that didn't stay in the gun. I've learned my lesson on safety glasses so we can leave that out of the conversation. What I am concerned about is that I haven't shot it or my ammo since this incident. I triple check everything. this batch I believe was made while first learning how to use my lee pro 1000. so I'm wondering if something distracted me and a double charge got through. It just didn't seem like what I expected out of a double charge.. could the case have been faulty. the brass was once fired. just any ideas would help I have about 2500 rnds of this stuff and I'm at a loss as to whether to shoot any more, or what. I've shot thousands of rounds of my reloads and they have always been accurate and safe. I worked this load up and I believe it was 4.5 grs tightgroup behind a 180 gr tc

Perhaps my core nature leads me to do this. I do something that to most seems very silly when I load. As a QC measure, I weigh each and every round I've loaded. For a particular cartridge, you will over a period of time, develop data that defines a standard deviation of weight variation for the cartridge combination you are loading. (Yes, large heavy bullets have more variation. This affects your end weight.) typically a doubel charge is extraordinarily easy to identify, as are squibs.

The lesson is: use the tools in your possession to minimize risk.

 

[cberge8]

Sorry to hear about your bad luck with this one.

If the info helps I was able to measure the chamber of 6 P226's chambered for .40. They ranged from brand new barrels to ones with 1000's of rounds through them. All except for one are police carry pistols that in my opinion are neglected and abused to say the least.

.4265
.4261
.4258
.4270
.4264
.4265

 

[popper]

I shoot 40SW 180 TC lead, but I use Unique. Had the back end of an FC case remove itself - went through the same worries you have. Didn't hurt me or the gun but I'm sure I had a real funny look on my face. IMHO, I'd load some with unique, see if accuracy is still good before I got a new barrel. Bores aren't perfect. You could get yours checked for cracks (magnaflux?)

 

[noylj]

FC cases are known to be bad.
If you have any, scrap them.

 

[Master Blaster]

It looks like your over charged the round with too much propellant. Its not hard to do with the .40. I would reconsider my reloading component choice, and stick close to what you find in your reloading manual. Unfortunately it doesnt take much with a .40 S&W.

 

[wally]

okay so I did a little test, and I can pull the slide back approx 1/8" maybe a little under a 1/4" and the hammer will drop

Put in a resized, primed empty case and with eye and ear protection see if the primer pops when the hammer drops. If it does when the barrel is not fully locked up, you have an unsafe gun in urgent need or repair!

 

[rfwobbly]

Sam -

Several thoughts....
► If your gun will fire OOB, then a bulged case or poor crimp could easily place it in that condition. The best thing to do is check your reloads with a Cartridge Gauge, Like One Of These.

► What kind of powder measure do you use on the Pro-1000 ? And what kind of scale do your use to check the output of the powder measure?

► Let me add my vote for getting rid of the TiteGroup. Fast powders and heavy bullets are an invitation for trouble. For general shooting, the heavier the bullet then the slower you want the powder. I see Lyman lists 800X as the most accurate 40 powder, and that's a very slow powder. As a comparison, TiteGroup is #12 and 800X is #52 on This Powder Burn Rate Chart!!!!

 

[gab909]

Here is the pic of my Sig 226 in .40 smith and Wesson. Does that mic out to .428"???? I have to admit, that is one reason I want to get digital Caliper. After reading through all the posts, did I miss anyone talking about maybe bullet setback. Also, I thought only Glocks had the hexagonal barrels. Or that was what I was told. I am currently loading 5.6 gr of Unique with the 155 gr lead bullets. Getting 1 1/2" groups at 20 yards, and I am not a pistol shooter. It could proabably shoot better with someone that knows what the hell they are doing.
Wobbly, is that 800X load for plated and Jacketed bullets only. I like to shoot lead and like to shoot cheap also. I love the fact that it costs me 5-6 dollars to reload a box of 40 and 45. I would love to burn through some of the 12 pounds of 800X I have laying around. But I just got a new jug of Unique in, but that is my 20 and 28 gauge go to powder.

 

[Fishslayer]

tightgroup

.40 S&W and Tightgroup. Sure seem to see those a lot in "interesting event" threads. Maybe because it's just such a popular combo? I've been told (I'm no expert) that TG's pressure curve is not very forgiving of error.

Glad your eye is OK. "Stuff" can be replaced.