Glock 20 SF kBoom an experience I hope never to repeat!

[Jaymo]

As far as Ruger's P series autos go, they are good guns, but never appealed to me.
The SR9 changed my mind about Ruger centerfire semiautos. At least, after they fixed the trigger and mag release issues.
The Glock I like best, is the Gen2 G19. It fit's my hands better than the later Gens.
Finding one used, locally, is very difficult. Finding one used, locally, and for a good price is a pipe dream.

 

[TAKtical]

Seriously elkins? Take a good look at that brass. The back of that casing looks like it was chewed on by an angry beaver. The kaboom didnt do that. Maybe if the kaboom happened in a moving vehicle going 700mph and the casing flew out the window and bounced along a couple hundred miles of pavement. Coincidentally, I find that to be about as believable as the claim of that casing being once fired brass.

 

[Elkins45]

Seriously elkins? Take a good look at that brass. The back of that casing looks like it was chewed on by an angry beaver. The kaboom didnt do that. Maybe if the kaboom happened in a moving vehicle going 700mph and the casing flew out the window and bounced along a couple hundred miles of pavement. Coincidentally, I find that to be about as believable as the claim of that casing being once fired brass.

This isn't a church service: what you believe is irrelevant. I'm telling you what I know. Take a good look at the rim above where the sidewall failed and you can see clear evidence of gas erosion. More importantly, the failure point is so low on the casing that it's a part that never enters the sizing die. Here's another view.



It didn't look like that when it went into the gun. If I get the chance I'll grab some of the fired brass from the same box and take their picture for comparison.

I'm not blaming the gun. I'm not blaming anything or anybody, and that includes myself and the quality of my reloads. Sometimes stuff just happens. Shoot enough rounds over enough years and the odds increasingly favor that you'll get some combination of tolerance stack, spiderweb in a case, bad moon phase, something. I've been reloading centerfire rifle for 20+ years and I had one fail on me a couple of years ago. I sectioned the case and it was not a failure at the place where rifle brass stretches. Some may say this is proof I'm a bad reloader but in reality it's proof that the numbers just might eventually catch up to you if you burn enough powder. I will find that thread and post a link so you can see that photo as well. Found it: http://www.thehighroad.org/showpost.php?p=7652377&postcount=11

FYI, the service person from Glock who called me didn't even ask if I was shooting reloads and I sent the case to them with the gun.

 

[Elkins45]

Glock specifically states no handloading

Which major firearms manufacturers specifically allow it in their product manuals?

 

[TAKtical]

Im just saying. You, me, and everyone else reading this thread knows that is not once fired brass. But anyway, sorry for your luck. Glad they replaced the frame at a reasonable price, that surprised me.

 

[cz75bcrazy]

I've reloaded brass that looked way worse than that and never had any problems though none of my brass ever dare touch a glock. It's easy to tell from the photo that the glocks lack of a full supported chamber is the problem in this case.

 

[firesky101]

I have to say I am looking at that brass, and the damage I can see sure does not look like multiple extractor marks. I don't see why that could not be once fired. No personal experience with FC brass from a 10mm, but I have from heard more than just this thread that it is not the best for reloading.

 

[HKGuns]

Which major firearms manufacturers specifically allow it in their product manuals?

You know the answer to that question! It is just the gLocKer's who've only owned one pistol in their lives that don't know that!

Not using reloads because the lawyers made them write that in the manual is ignorant. That is all I am going to say on that subject.

How many times can you reload your brass when shooting it in a gLoCk? The answer to that is not to reload brass shot from a gLoCk. I won't even pickup brass fired from a gLoCk with that little bulge, oh and it is always there....

 

[Onmilo]

"The load in question was well below loadbook max,,,"
There ya go, reload in a Glock, blame the gun and not the loader.
I blew up a 10mm EAA Witless.
Hint, don't use AA#5 in 10mm!

 

[1911Tuner]

In late.

This looks more like an over-pressure issue than one of case head support.

Unsupported cases tend to bulge and blow in the area forward of the web...usually producing the telltale "Guppy Belly" bulge as a first warning...rather than in the web itself. This one is blown in the thick web area. That doesn't happen unless there's a serious pressure spike.

 

[hentown]

How many times can you reload your brass when shooting it in a gLoCk? The answer to that is not to reload brass shot from a gLoCk. I won't even pickup brass fired from a gLoCk with that little bulge, oh and it is always there....

Susan Rice didn't write that for you, by any chance? I load a lot of .45ACP, 9mm, and 10mm for my Glocks. Never have seen a bulge, in over 300,000 rounds loaded and fired. I routinely use reloads made from Glock-fired brass in my 70 Series GC. AAMOF, fired a bunch yesterday.

 

[9mmforMe]

If this blow out had happened in a steel framed gun would the gun be ok? Or is it too hard to tell?

 

[HKGuns]

I load a lot of .45ACP, 9mm, and 10mm for my Glocks. Never have seen a bulge, in over 300,000 rounds loaded and fired.

I should have stated that more clearly. I'm referring to 9mm / .40 pistols......only. (I don't shoot or reload .40 at all btw, for other reasons.) However it appears, on the surface, 10mm might just have the same issue. Hard to tell, but that blow out looks very similar to the famous gLoCk bulge spot......I'd have to look through some range brass for gLoCk shot examples to know for sure.

Again, glad no-one was injured, this CAN happen to any pistol under the right circumstances, it just seems it happens more often to gLoCk. It may not even be the fault of the pistol and more align with it appealing more to less experienced shooters who hear the name and think that is what they "have" to have. You see it all to often in the posts right here and on other forums.

Not saying anything about the OP when making that statement either, so don't misinterpret......

If this blow out had happened in a steel framed gun would the gun be ok? Or is it too hard to tell?

Hard to tell. Given the polymer pistol cracked and didn't explode in his hand, a well designed steel pistol might have just had the magazine blow out and some minor frame damage.

 

[OilyPablo]

What's with the silly caps and no caps when you write Glock? Not impressed.

I've never seen this mystical bulge on any of my pistols. Including Glocks. Neither have any of my shooting buddies. One guy shoots only Glocks. Many, many rounds. Please don't just make stuff up. This is THR.

 

[45_auto]

Only thing I've seen similar to that in over 50 years of shooting was an H&K 45ACP.

 

[HKGuns]

What's with the silly caps and no caps when you write Glock? Not impressed.

Not here to impress you bud, get over it. Guess you need more time picking up range brass and reloading, you'll see the smiley bulge on the brass.

 

[powder]

All I see is a lack of evidence, that points to the pistol being the problem.

What I know about shooting Glocks, re-loading, and scrounging brass at the range has been completely inaccurate and should go right out the window according to a lot of you, AND I should have had several KBs by now?


Pfft.

Glocks are basic machines, built by humans, both prone to failure. However, I clearly see a load/reload problem there in your pictures.

Let's see your claimed load data, details...

 

[JROC]

That sucks.

I shoot nothing, but very hot loads with my G20SF anymore, and never had a problem. Gun has some mods,(22lb recoil spring setup, 3.5 connector, extend slide release) but I use the factory barrel. Best pistol I own IMO.

 

[Weevil]

You would think the word would be out by now.

Whether it's the polygonal rifling, the loose chambers or chamber support or the combination of all of the above, Glocks with a stock barrel are not a good pistol to use reloads in.

How many years has this been discussed?

Why do people absolutely positively insist on using reloads in a stock Glock barrel then get on the net and cry about their lousy stinkin' Glock blowing up???

The warning in the Glock manual about using reloads is not just standard legal boilerplate like all gunmakers use to cover their hind ends!

It really is a bad idea to use reloads in a Glock!


If you have an uncontrollable desire to use reloads in a Glock then invest in an aftermarket barrel with land and groove rifling, tighter chambers and better chamber support, or at least don't act surprised and shocked when you get KBs with a stock barrel and reloads.

It is a bad idea, and I don't care how many of you do it and how many thousands of rounds of reloads you've shot through your stock barrel, it's only a matter of time before you're on here howling about your Glock KBing just like the OP.


Come on already people this is a proven and well known bad idea, why are you doing it???

 

[sargents1]

You would think the word would be out by now.


....It is a bad idea, and I don't care how many of you do it and how many thousands of rounds of reloads you've shot through your stock barrel, it's only a matter of time before you're on here howling about your Glock KBing just like the OP.


Come on already people this is a proven and well known bad idea, why are you doing it???

Well, I continue hand-loading for my G20 specifically so that You can continue being surprised and pounding your head against the wall :banghead: asking "why".

Just kidding.

I likes me some 10mm Goodness and the only way to get it cheap is thru reloading.

I run an aftermarket barrel (most of the time) and I keep my re-loads at 'target' velocities. If I want full power stuff, I use new brass or factory ammo.

 

[CountryUgly]

First off glad you are ok. Now buy a LW, KKM or SL barrel and back off the Blue Dot a bit Oh and buy some new brass! I reload 10 and 40 if I run brass through the sizer and there is "a little smile" at the bottom I toss it. Just because of the overpressure issues that have popped up with these calibers I never go more than 4 or 5 loads on each brass. If I'm loading Hot on the 10mm its only with new starline brass and I never load them more than twice hot after that they become practice rounds for a few rounds.

 

[WardenWolf]

Yet another Glock kabooms. When will people realize that their chamber design makes them inherently dangerous to reload for unless you replace the barrel? Yes, plenty of people do it, but all it takes is a previously fired case getting rotated in the same orientation it was previously fired in, and you have a very good chance of a kaboom. The Glock's chamber design results in additional stress and damage to the case in that area. It's just inherently unsafe.

 

[HOOfan_1]

Not here to impress you bud, get over it. Guess you need more time picking up range brass and reloading, you'll see the smiley bulge on the brass.

Seems to me like you need more time....I've shot some of my brass through my Glock 19 at least 6 times....no bulge

Whether it's the polygonal rifling, the loose chambers or chamber support or the combination of all of the above, Glocks with a stock barrel are not a good pistol to use reloads in.

It really is a bad idea to use reloads in a Glock!

Absolutely and utterly not true.

Come on already people this is a proven and well known bad idea, why are you doing it???

And yet...it happens in guns other than Glocks....what is your explanation for that?

You don't care how many thousands of reloads, thousands of people put through their Glocks every year?

Sounds to me like you are the one ignoring evidence...not the other way around.

Reloading for a Glock is just like reloading for any other gun. You need to pay attention to the condition of your brass, and you need to work up to your loads and not go beyond pressure signs. I wouldn't shoot full power reloads in any plinking gun...what is the point other than putting wear on your gun and brass and wasting powder?

Glocks in .40 and 10mm may be harder on brass...but that is why you inspect it before you reload it.

 

[PabloJ]

This is getting bit long in the tooth by now....... let us just remember when there is kBoom it's ALMOST always caused by a reloaded ammo.

 

[Elkins45]

let us just remember when there is kBoom it's ALMOST always caused by a reloaded ammo.

I fire at least 400 rounds of reloaded ammo for every one round of factory in the variety of centerfire guns (hand and long) that I own. It would certainly stand to reason it would kB with reloads because there's a 400 to 1 chance it will have a reload in the chamber.

For the cost difference between 1000 rounds of factory 10mm (at close to $1.00 per round) and 1000 reloads it wold be cheaper to replace the frame multiple times over buying factory ammo!

The responses to this thread have been quite entertaining. Just to be clear (again), I am not blaming the gun. I'm quite please that Glock replaced the frame at such a reasonable cost.