LiveLife
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- CASE WALL FAILURE/RUPTURE - BULLET SETBACK/POWDER COMPRESSION
Follow up post - http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?p=10123284#post10123284
As to 40S&W Glocks going KaBoom all the time ... well, A LOT of 40S&W Glocks have been sold over the decades and if a KaBoom occurred every X rounds of reloads (due to double charge/bullet setback/compressed powder charge/thinned case wall/weakened case wall/etc.), you are simply going to see more Glock KaBooms reported as there are more 40S&W Glocks than other brand 40S&W pistols reloaders are shooting.
While I would agree Gen1/Gen2 Glock 40S&W barrels had more generous chambers with "less" supported case base, by Gen3/ Glock had significantly tightened up the chamber and increased the support for case base. Believe it or not, when I compared my Gen3 Glock barrels to other brand 40S&W barrels (M&P, XD, Sig, etc.), Gen3 Glock barrels had comparable case base support and actually more than some of other brand barrels - But don't take my word, check it out for yourselves and be prepared to be surprised/disappointed.
My decision to use Lone Wolf 40S&W barrels in my Glocks were many but when it comes to case base support, Lone Wolf barrels win hands down. Pictures below show comparison of Lone Wolf 40S&W barrels with Gen3 Glock barrels. You cannot see the forward part of the Glock chambers which are tighter than Gen1/Gen2 chambers but the case base support of the chamber mouth is comparable to most other brand factory 40S&W barrels. However, the Lone Wolf barrels provide more supported chamber mouths to insure against case base blowout and it is one of many reasons why I use 40S&W Lone Wolf barrels in my Glocks.
Close up of Glock vs Lone Wolf barrels at chamber mouth
What I found using Lone Wolf barrels with tighter chambers is that my brass don't expand as much and resizing them takes less effort (see comparison pictures below). This tells me that I am working my brass less/reducing work hardening thus keeping the brass malleable longer. When other reloaders compare my brass from Lone Wolf barrels to their overly expanded brass, they get alarmed with worries of thinning of case wall. I tell them if they are concerned, to reduce the powder charge or change powder and the case expansion decreases.
Picture shows expanded case shot in a non-Glock chamber as indicated by non-Glock primer impression
While this is a picture of a resized brass, brass shot in Lone Wolf chamber resemble this brass with flat case base that takes less effort to resize indicating less case wall expansion (perhaps less case wall thinning) and result in less working of brass to extend malleability and case life.
Follow up post - http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?p=10123284#post10123284
I have reloaded/shot several hundred thousand rounds in Gen2 and Gen3 40S&W Glocks and have seen plenty of KaBooms (KB) personally. I started USPSA match shooting in mid 1990's and when a 1911 KaBoomed, many seasoned match shooters talked about KaBooms predating Glocks by decades and talked of various 1911s/High Powers/Berettas blowing up. Several KaBooms I have seen with damages to pistols and shooters have been with non-Glock pistols. Yes, reloaders have been blowing up pistols long before Glocks as double charges existed long before Glocks.Jlr2267 said:internet folkloreCoThG said:40 Glocks go kaboom all the time. Unsupported chamber.
As to 40S&W Glocks going KaBoom all the time ... well, A LOT of 40S&W Glocks have been sold over the decades and if a KaBoom occurred every X rounds of reloads (due to double charge/bullet setback/compressed powder charge/thinned case wall/weakened case wall/etc.), you are simply going to see more Glock KaBooms reported as there are more 40S&W Glocks than other brand 40S&W pistols reloaders are shooting.
While I would agree Gen1/Gen2 Glock 40S&W barrels had more generous chambers with "less" supported case base, by Gen3/ Glock had significantly tightened up the chamber and increased the support for case base. Believe it or not, when I compared my Gen3 Glock barrels to other brand 40S&W barrels (M&P, XD, Sig, etc.), Gen3 Glock barrels had comparable case base support and actually more than some of other brand barrels - But don't take my word, check it out for yourselves and be prepared to be surprised/disappointed.
My decision to use Lone Wolf 40S&W barrels in my Glocks were many but when it comes to case base support, Lone Wolf barrels win hands down. Pictures below show comparison of Lone Wolf 40S&W barrels with Gen3 Glock barrels. You cannot see the forward part of the Glock chambers which are tighter than Gen1/Gen2 chambers but the case base support of the chamber mouth is comparable to most other brand factory 40S&W barrels. However, the Lone Wolf barrels provide more supported chamber mouths to insure against case base blowout and it is one of many reasons why I use 40S&W Lone Wolf barrels in my Glocks.
Close up of Glock vs Lone Wolf barrels at chamber mouth
What I found using Lone Wolf barrels with tighter chambers is that my brass don't expand as much and resizing them takes less effort (see comparison pictures below). This tells me that I am working my brass less/reducing work hardening thus keeping the brass malleable longer. When other reloaders compare my brass from Lone Wolf barrels to their overly expanded brass, they get alarmed with worries of thinning of case wall. I tell them if they are concerned, to reduce the powder charge or change powder and the case expansion decreases.
Picture shows expanded case shot in a non-Glock chamber as indicated by non-Glock primer impression
While this is a picture of a resized brass, brass shot in Lone Wolf chamber resemble this brass with flat case base that takes less effort to resize indicating less case wall expansion (perhaps less case wall thinning) and result in less working of brass to extend malleability and case life.