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Explosion at Glock Facility in Smyrna, GA

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farscott

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There has been an explosion today at the Glock facility in Smyrna, GA. Three people have been reported injured. The link for the article on the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's web site is http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/cobb/0703/14glock.html .

As of now, details are sketchy, but there has been some supposition about powder residue being a possible cause.

This may impact the supply of Glock pistols in the near future.
 
What a dumb story, they didn't even mention that Glock makes a .45 caliber pistol, and I guess they don't know the difference between a .38 and a .380. I hope everything is ok there, and I bet it wasn't a kB that caused the explosion.
 
I'm still a little confused why someone would want to buy a 17 shot .380 full size pistol (beyond those that cant buy a bigger caliber). :scrutiny:

Kharn
 
"RESIDUE FROM SPENT AMMUNITION"?????
I guess that this is Glocks latest explanation for why some of their guns go "KB".
OH WELL !!
I suppose flying metal from an exploded gun could be classifed as "residue from 'spent' ammunition".

Sorry about the mishap and the injuries. I possibly know/have met the people invloved. Hope their injuries are not serious or permanent.
 
I bet the explosion was on the line for .40 production. I hear the equipment on that line has some support problems...

;)

- Gabe
 
3 hurt, 1 critically, in blast at Glock facility in Smyrna (GA)

URL: http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/cobb/0703/14glock.html

3 hurt, 1 critically, in blast at Glock facility in Smyrna
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
7.14.03
MIKE MORRIS and DON PLUMMER

Three people were seriously burned late this morning in an explosion at a Smyrna gun manufacturer. The blast occurred in the facility's test-firing range area shortly before 11 a.m. at the Glock Inc. facility at 6000 Highlands Parkway.

Smyrna police Chief Larry Williams said one person, a male, sustained "very serious" injuries to the hands, face and arms, and described the injuries to the other employees, a male and a female, as "serious but not life-threatening."

He said the cause of the blast had not been determined, but added, "it appears the explosion was residue from spent ammunition."

All three of the injured were taken to the burn unit at Grady Memorial Hospital, the most seriously injured man by helicopter. Authorities would not release their identities.

Williams said there was no fire when firefighters arrived. He described the incident as a "flash" explosion.

"If there was any fire it was controlled by the automatic supression equipment," he said.

Glock said it would have no comment until Tuesday.

Firefighters called the fire marshal, OSHA and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobba and Firearms to the scene.

Glock manufactures 9 mm and .38- and .40-caliber handguns. The weapons are used by many police departments. The Smyrna facility is in an office park.
 
According to the AJC article, it was at the "test firing facility" meaning the "firing range".

What you want to bet it was a new .45 GAP under going testing and evaluation of an "off spec." batch of ammo???

Couldn't have been "bad reloaded ammo" this time !!!!

OH, MAYBE IT WAS SOME OF THAT GA-ARMS AMMO THAT's "BAD FOR GLOCKS"!!!!
(Yes, I've seen a Glock blown up by Ga-Arms ammo, one of my co-workers was holding it when it let go! Glock blamed .40 S&W ammo, Ga-arms blamed Glock pistol- they were both right, BTW)


What with the lack of support for the case head of the .40 S&W, enlarging it to .45 could leave a lot of room.
Wonder if we'll ever find out what "REALLY' happened.

I've had some "wonderful" discussions with some of the Glock employee's through the years. "Wonder" what the fall-out from this will be.

Shooter and 2 bystanders hurt. That was a "real" "KB" !!
Again, I hope they make out OK !!!
 
I really do hope nobody was seriously injured, but I find it funny (funny ironic not funny ha ha) that the GLock factory went kaboom :D
 
No fooling. I looked there and didn't see it. Got a link? I really need to find out how "residue from spent ammunition" can explode! :rolleyes:
 
I really need to find out how "residue from spent ammunition" can explode!
Click to expand...

When the powder doesn't completely burn, it just comes of the barrel and/or the chamber and accumulates on the ground (or other surface). After a several thousand rounds, it can build up enough to make a nice kaboom. Similar to never sweeping/vacuuming around your reloading bench and spilling small amounts of powder in the area for a few months/years.
 
I agree this is totally possible. At one base I was at, we were testing a new Frangible round for the AF. One fo the things we noticed was that there was a lot of un-burnt gun powder left on the range floor after firing the rounds.

Now I know someone will ask how we noticed, so I will say that smoking on the line is not a good idea...and yes one of my instructors did! wow was that an awesome fireworks presentation...burnt 1/3 of the range from floor to ceiling!
 
OK, Hkmp5sd, that sounds reasonable. You'd think that people working for a company like Glock might be more careful about something like that, but "accidents happen" I suppose.
 
Folks have had problems from firing through homemade "suppressors" made of a series of barrels or tires - the powder builds up, and will eventually catch fire.

But from the injuries described, they had a kaboom.
 
Another possibility is that maintenance personnel were cleaning the residue by vacuum. A vacuum canister full of airborne powder residue would be pretty nasty if ignited. If you've ever used a shop vac you know that it creates a pretty intense static charge, so ignition by static spark is not out of the question.

Brad
 
Powder residue...

is a fire hazard, but not explosive. To explode, gunpowder has to be confined in some manner.

Unburnt powder laying on the floor or counter of a range might give a pretty impressive (and brief) flash fire. Might even set a wooden counter or floor on fire. But no amount of powder on the floor is going to "explode", or cause a firearm to explode.

Article says one man had "...very serious injuries". All three injured were taken to the burn ward. That does not sound like a firearm detonation. Usually, when a gun blows up, one goes to the ER for removal of fragments.

I would really like to hear the rest of this story. Wonder if we'll ever get the real scoop?
 
People don't forget that three people were burnt very badly. The jokes are in very poor taste.


Norm
 
There is nothing funny or humorous about anyone getting hurt, especially in the industry that we all enjoy so very much no matter what the name of the company is. :mad:

It sounds like, and I don't want to speculate, what they term "range flash". As said above, it's an accumulation of unburnt powder that exits the muzzle when the firearm is fired.
Not cleaning up on a regular basis can be very dangerous especially on an indoor range.
 
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