Glock KaBooms

[MagKnightX]

Please... do not use this thread to insult the Glock... I just want a straight answer on this...

Are the other calibers of Glock, more specifically 10mm and .45ACP, as prone to KBing as .40 glocks? I understand that even .40 glocks don't KB very often, it's just something you hear about more than is comfortable.

P.S. If I even see the word tupperware, I'll be peeved, and then... do nothing, because I'm completely impotent (not in the Viagra sense, nor the Cialis sense) to do anything to anybody.

 

[stans]

Why do you get so angry when you hear about Tupperware. I own a whole bunch of Tupperware, actually inherited it from my grandmother. This is the older Tupperware and you cannot put it in a microwave oven, ask me how I know!

As for Glock kabooms, it is more of a 40 thing than anything else. To make the 40, Glock just simply reamed out the 9mm barrel and chamber. This quick approach had the effect of removing a lot of case head support for the 40. The 40 does not have really thick case heads to begin with, if it did you probably would not be able to load a bullet heavier than 150 grains before the base of the bullet would bulge out the brass.

10mm has little problem because the case heads are thicker to contain the high pressure of the 10mm. 45 ACP has little problem in the Glock because it is a low pressure round. The one thing that can cause pressure problems, even with 45 ACP, is shooting lead bullets in the Glock and allowing the lead fouling to build up to the point it becomes an obstruction. Then pressures soar and a kaboom is more likely.

 

[RooK]

I've only heard of two KBs in 10mm Glocks. Both were with Georgia Arms 'once reloaded ammo'. In other words, weak cases probably caused it. In the .45 I've heard nothing. If you're really worried, just buy an aftermarket barrel. They give better case support and fix the problem 100%.

 

[jc2]

Actually, the GlockBm! problem includes the .45 ACP and the 357 SIG. Remember the recent problem with PPB and two different G21s in one day. If anything, the problem with the 357 SIGs and .45 ACPs may actually be worse because proportionately there are condsiderably fewer of them in use.

 

[1911Tuner]

Kabooms

It's more of a .40 caliber problem than with the others...and it's probably more of an ammunition issue than caliber. Federal, though excellent ammo, is more prone to bulging ahead of the case head due to thinner brass in that area. This is true of any caliber, and especially so in the Glocks with the amount of case head support at the bottom of the chamber.

H&K USP is another design that has reduced the head support area, though not as pronounced as the Glock. Choose your ammo with these things in mind. Winchester USA, PMC, and Sellier & Bellot have thick brass
forward of the head, and won't likely cause a problem in the Glocks or the
USPs...Federal probably will sooner or later. Aluminum cased Blazer is
plain dangerous in a 40 caliber Glock, and ill-advised in the other calibers.

Luck!

Tuner

 

[Black Snowman]

If it works in your gun Wolf is an an inexpensive alternative to Blazer or other practice ammos. Particulalry if you don't plan to reload it. I find the steel cases don't expand as much as their brass counterparts. Doesn't mean they can't fail if there's a problem as it may be more brittle but I'd certainly trust it before the aluminum cased ammo.

 

[NMshooter]

As far as I understand it, the "KaBoom" happens because a particular pistol has fired out of battery. That means the slide is not all the way forward and the barrel not locked up completely with the slide. Not because of unsupported chambers. Since most of the components of a Glock, regardless of caliber, are identical, I wonder if perhaps with the higher slide velocity of the .40 sometimes things are not allowed sufficent time to work. Perhaps heavier springs would fix this. Only problems I ever had with any Glocks were a chipped extractor on a 21 (common) and a broken locking block on a 23 (yes, this was after a LOT of rounds, 40k to 50k ). Have no problems with my 19 or 26. YMMV.

 

[Grump]

H&K USP is another design that has reduced the head support area,

Well, not on the one I examined. The chamber supports the case wall all the way around, to at least the front edge of the extractor groove. THAT's what most people call a fully-supported chamber.

I believe in distinguishing case-failue kB!s from the more spectacular barrel failures. Some photos posted on the 'net show failure of the chamber steel at 9:00 and 3:00. I suspect bad steel for those, perhaps set off by a too-hot round.

The .45 caliber case failure kB!s, and those in any caliber using fresh factory jacketed ammo, are the most troubling.

 

[1911Tuner]

USP

Grump said:

Well, not on the one I examined. The chamber supports the case wall all the way around, to at least the front edge of the extractor groove.

Excellent! Maybe they've addressed the problem in the newer ones.
Might want to look closer though...just to be sure. The ones that I
noticed weren't bad...but it was still there. Bulged cases comin' out of my
step-son's pistol first got my attention...Federal brass.
________________________________


NMShooter said:

As far as I understand it, the "KaBoom" happens because a particular pistol has fired out of battery.

That'll do it too, but if you'll take the barrel out of a Glock and drop a round in, you can see the unsupported area. I used to see a lot of this type of
thing on 1911s that had received a "Ramp and Throat" job...complete with
bulged brass and blown case heads. It makes the pistol very feed reliable, but ammo selection gets dicey, and it's best not to reload the brass fired from such a gun.

I've bought once-fired range brass in .45 caliber that had badly bulged brass and the telltale Glock primer mark...so it's not just .40 caliber
Glocks that are affected. Pressures may make them more prone to
blowing a case, but the wrong ammo can put any caliber into the red zone.

Luck!

Tuner

 

[Grump]

The USP I examined was an early model with cut rifling.

 

[1911Tuner]

Cut Rifling

Hmmm..Interesting. The two I've looked at both have polygonal rifling.
Wonder whazzup widdat...

 

[hksw]

When the USP was first introduced, they had regular land/groove rifling. It was about a year/year-and-a-half that they eventually started producing what they are well known for, polygonal rifling. Have two land/grooves myself (both 9 mm).

 

[Chipperman]

I personally witnessed a G21 (.45ACP) kB!

Have not seen any others in person.

 

[Soylent Green]

1911Tuner said: "...Aluminum cased Blazer is plain dangerous in a 40 caliber Glock, and ill-advised in the other calibers."

Before I post one of these I will post one of these and politely ask why you would make a statement like this. I find no reason to believe Aluminum Blazer is dangerous to shoot in a Glock of any caliber and thousands of rounds of experience with it tell me it's good stuff.

 

[Clark]

The case support in a G20 10mm is much worse than the case support in a G22 40sw.

.235" vs .250" and they both have .180" thick webs in the case.

More 40s kaboom, because there are more of them, for the monkeys to misuse.

 

[jc2]

Do you consider using factory fresh Federal ammunition "misuse?"

 

[techmike]

Sorry...I had to.....I just had to...

I bet your poke bears and wave red flags at bulls too.

Seriously though. Anybody ever actually have a Glock KB themselves?? All of the ones I've heard of have happened to the friend of my cousin's uncle's brother twice removed.

 

[auschip]

Do you consider using factory fresh Federal ammunition "misuse?"

If the ammunition has been recalled I would.

 

[ckyllo]

I think some of the glocks that have KBed might of had some non jacketed RNL ammo ran through it before hand. a posting on another board some time back showed a KB on a 40 glock from some PD. turns out that there were doing quals and used RNL ammo as a cost saving, the KB came when +p loads were fired through it. maybe that is why it says in the owners manual not to run non jacketed ammo in it. local gun range has several glocks as rentals and in all the years that he has been open not a one has KB.

 

[jimmyjoebob]

FYI HK switched from traditional rifling to Poly in November of 94, also at that time there were trigger adjustments made as well. I have owned both a Pre/Post 94 40 and a new 2004 40, none of them are unsupported. What is the date code off of yours 1911 Tuner?

 

[Grump]

Time for Dean Speir to pipe up on the Portland Police Bureau thing. Just checked TGZ and there is no follow-up with this information about lead round nose being used before qualifications with the Federal ammo.

If this is traceable back to something other than someone's Internet speculation, I'd really like to know.

 

[JohnKSa]

turns out that there were doing quals and used RNL ammo as a cost saving, the KB came when +p loads were fired through it.

Lead followed by jacketed without completely removing lead from the bore first is a recipe for spontaneous disassembly. Doesn't even matter what rifling style is employed. Beretta has a warning against this practice in the new 92 manuals and their pistols use conventional rifling.

The only Glock 9mm kB! I've seen a photo of was posted on GlockTalk. The owner claimed that he shot a box of lead ammo through his G19 and followed with a jacketed factory round. The gun blew on the factory jacketed ammo...

 

[Clark]

I know where a 44 mag rifle barrel that split like a banana is hanging on the wall after jacketed followed lead bullets.

 

[Haycreek]

I have completely solved the problem of my G 22 and G 23 having a kaboom with me. I sold both of them and replaced them with a G 37. The 45 GAP will equal anything that the 45 ACP, and do it safely, because Speer designed the case with a thicker web area. Check out www.45GAP.com for more info. A compact Glock in 45 GAP is due out later this year, as is the Springfield XD and CZ with a version. The 45 GAP is loaded to about the same pressure as the 45 ACP, and the 40 S&W is loaded to 35000 psi and anything like bullet setback or firing slightly out of battery, will put it in orbit !!!

 

[stans]

Stuff enough fast burning powder like Bullseye or W-231 in a 45 GAP and you can kaboom that one too! Double charges are probably the number one cause of kabooms.