Since some people think only Glocks Kaboom. Take a look.

[Firepower!]

Anyone who says that Glock KB has lost it completely. Glock never KB even when you use high pressure SMG ammo in them.

I think folks who think Glock KB should be ashamed of themselves.

[Webleymkv]

Anything man-made can fail. Since Gaston Glock is, contrary to the beliefs of some, a mere mortal like the rest of us then his handguns can and will occasionally fail just like every other manufacturer's. To say that a Glock can never KB, even with overpressured ammo, is rather naive.

[Glockeroo]

Since Gaston Glock is, contrary to the beliefs of some, a mere mortal like the rest of us then his handguns can and will occasionally fail just like every other manufacturer's.

Gaston is an angel sent here to bless us with one of the world's greatest creations. Remember his commandment - "Thou Shalt Not Steel." I follow this commandment every day and will only buy polymer/Glock.

[ElectricHellfire]

Gaston is an angel sent here to bless us with one of the world's greatest creations. Remember his commandment - "Thou Shalt Not Steel." I follow this commandment every day and will only buy polymer/Glock

Glockeroo you always crack me up.

Any gun can KB. Its usually the ammo or the fault of the shooter/reloader.
As far as Glocks just don't shoot reloads or lead and your fine. Glocks will shoot forever.

[Glockeroo]

Glockeroo you always crack me up.

Any gun can KB. Its usually the ammo or the fault of the shooter/reloader.
As far as Glocks just don't shoot reloads or lead and your fine. Glocks will shoot forever.

I hope people don't take me seriously. I'm just having fun. I'm sure there have been some issues with maybe 1 or 2 Glocks ever made.

[Webleymkv]

Gaston is an angel sent here to bless us with one of the world's greatest creations. Remember his commandment - "Thou Shalt Not Steel." I follow this commandment every day and will only buy polymer/Glock.

I'm starting to think you've inhaled too much gunpowder.

[ElectricHellfire]

I hope people don't take me seriously. I'm just having fun. I'm sure there have been some issues with maybe 1 or 2 Glocks ever made.

You keep it real lively here. Keep it up as I enjoy it.

And behold, I have drunketh of the kool aid as well and it was good. So sayeth me.

[Glockeroo]

You keep it real lively here. Keep it up as I enjoy it.

And behold, I have drunketh of the kool aid as well and it was good. So sayeth me.

I think Nostradamus even had a vision of Glocks in one of his quatrains! "The dark knight rises amongst chrome and steel to lay in the hands of many. At first some were thick, now changed to slim!"

[Glockeroo]

I'm starting to think you've inhaled too much gunpowder.

I seriously believe the doctor hit me over the head with a Glock instead of a small smack on the behind when I was born.

[ElectricHellfire]

I think Nostradamus even had a vision of Glocks in one of his quatrains! "The dark knight rises amongst chrome and steel to lay in the hands of many. At first some were thick, now changed to slim!"

LMAO!!

[Chui]

"The Old Creation staggers yet keeps his place amongst the young lions to smite the beasts of the fields and infidels at the gates in rapid succession."

I think this was on The History Channel and even they said it referred to John Moses Browning's brilliant creation!

[Clark]

CAUTION: The following post includes loading data beyond currently published maximums for this cartridge. USE AT YOUR OWN RISK. Neither the writer, The Firing Line, nor the staff of TFL assume any liability for any damage or injury resulting from use of this information.

My background in finding the threshold of Kabooms
In handload work ups I have seen guppy belly bulges from poorly unsupported chambers in 25acp, 32acp, 7.62x25Tokarev, 30Mauser, 380, 9x19, 9x23, 40sw, 10mm, and 45acp.
If I put an empty case in the barrel, when the barrel is out of the pistol and scribe a line with a needle to outline the feed ramp, the depth of the feed ramp can be measured on the case with calipers.
If I cross section an empty case, the thickness of the case web can be measured with calipers.
Taking the difference between the two measurements gives the length of thin unsupported case wall.
The chamber pressure in a pistol can make a guppy belly in the brass if there is unsupported case wall, like bubble gum can form a bubble.
In a pistol, if the bubble breaks, I have seen the escaping gas create many problems:
a) If a hole in the side of the case forms, the bottom of the magazine can be blown off, and ammo the ammo, follower, magazine spring, and mag bottom plate can hit the shooter in the foot.
b) If the case head fails, the pieces of brass come back through the slide slot for ejector and hit the shooter in the face, the red blood presentation is what is called "major face", from those who tried to make a major hand load of 180 with an inadequate pistol-load.
c) If the case head fails, the extractor can be sheared off and exit the ejection port at lethal velocities.
d) If the case head fails, the slide hold open may shear off.
e) If the case head fails, the barrel may split.
f) If the barrel splits, the slide may split.
g) If the barrel splits, the frame may split

My old Glock 40 S&W
My Glock 22 40 S&W was so old when I got it 10 years ago, the the night sights were dim.
My old Glock 40 S&W had a feed ramp intrusion of .235".
40 S&W brass has a web .180" thick.
That leaves .055" of thin unsupported case wall.
That alone should not be a problem.
I can't shoot +P++++++++++++++++ ammo, like in a 9mm pistol, but it should be ok.
The rear of a 40sw chamber is registered with SAAMI at .4284" +.004" and .4274" + .004" when .200" deep into the chamber.
My chamber is .440" at ~ .2" into the chamber.
Most chambers are cut at the small end of the sloppy SAAMI spec, my Glock was cut too big to make spec.

My testing
Cases were bulging when I put 25% more powder than Alliant's Power Pistol 135 gr max load.
I welded up the feed ramp, and now I can shoot 146% more powder than the IMR 800X 200 gr max load.
But the orifice is still .440" wide.

My conclusions
a) The Glock 40 S&W with better case support could shoot 44 mag max loads.
b) The Glock 40 S&W with original out of SAAMI spec could shoot 25% overloads.
c) If the over size chamber were to exercise the brass at each reloading, old cases that had been re used many times might have metal fatigue and produce a case failure. The reloading process involves a "sizing die" that makes the brass small. Brass firing in a large chamber and then sized in a small die undergoes much plastic deformation and if repeated, will eventually reach metal fatigue.

What does it all mean?
Newer Glock 40sw barrels have better case support, but old Glocks fed the same brass over and over might have had a brass failure.


My picture of my old Glock 40 S&W barrel that was welded up, and the chamber and feed ramp re cut for complete case support

[charles isaac]

Eeewww! This thread is old, Eeewww! wrist bent and pinky held high, eewww!

Seriously Clark, you are a man among men, modifying that Glock barrel, and blowing up guns so we know what our guns will take, someone had to take up where P.O. Ackley left off.

Thanks for the info and be safe.

[LanceOregon]

The company lawyer probably thought this statement up because it covers the company from ALL kabooms with semi-auto .40 handguns.....since there are NO .40 caliber semi-auto handguns with a fully supported chamber.

If you know of one, then please post a picture of it.

EasyG:

It appears that you are not familiar with Smith & Wesson's M&P pistols. A lot of different brands and models of guns have been mentioned here, but no one has brought up the M&P.

So here is a photo that I took of my M&P40's barrel, with a round inserted into. It sure as heck looks FULLY supported to me.

[Sturmgewehre]

Here's where the Glock most typically fails. I didn't read all 6 pages, so I'm sorry if this is a repeat.



Notice where the split in the chamber occurs. Not only is the Glock chamber unsupported (more so than any other .45 I've seen), it's almost literally paper thin on either side of the chamber.

[vox rationis]

Anyone who says that Glock KB has lost it completely. Glock never KB even when you use high pressure SMG ammo in them.

yeah but that's in 9mm, and the 9mm Glocks don't have the problems that some of the others have, namely the .40 and to a lesser extent the .45 Glocks, that no matter how you cut it, do have less chamber support than many other makes, as the excellent photo above illustrates (also refer to this picture posted earlier in this thread)

[Homerboy]

[QUOTE][I'm sorry for being such a Glock fanatic, but I agree that these are pics that definitely need to be shown to the misinformed. People against Glock will not show these pics to a person they are trying to convince to buy and H&K or XD./QUOTE]

I've done my best to steer new shooters away from Glocks, since I believe them to be a poor choice for new shooters. I have used plenty of reasons why I think they are a poor choice, but never the kaboom excuse. And those pictures really don't tell us anything, since we have no idea what the person was firing, if the barrel was obstructed, etc.

I still think glocks are far from "perfection". maybe so many kaboom because they're depressed that they're so ugly and want to end it all!

[Sturmgewehre]

The problem with Glocks is that they were designed to fire 9mm. Then they decided to rechamber it for every other common caliber out there without significantly changing the basic barrel/feed ramp design.

As noted, the most problematic chamberings are .40 S&W and .45 ACP. As you can see from my picture posted above, there's absolutely no reasonable argument to be made that the chamber is thick enough to safely handle the .45 ACP in all of its loadings. Due to the shape/design of the chamber and the diameter of the .45 ACP cartridge, it leaves the wall FAR too thin to be safe in my view. One over pressure round (yes, any given factory can screw up and often does) and you get what you see above.

I will only shoot a G17. I know from years of experience and shooting hot rounds, screwed up reloads, etc. that short of sticking a bullet in the barrel and firing the G17 again, it won't "kaboom". After all, the weapon is properly designed... as a 9mm.

[publius]

Everybody will turn out a real bad one every now and then, but a monkey with a handloader is usually the cause.

[Sturmgewehre]

Everybody will turn out a real bad one every now and then, but a monkey with a handloader is usually the cause.

...if only that were true.

The image I posted above was brought to you by Pan Metal Corporation. Kabooms happen all the time with factory ammo.

It's the "monkeys" with millions of dollars in manufacturing equipment you have to watch out for. I've seen hot loads and squibs from just about all of the major manufacturers in my 25 years of shooting. Therein lies the rub. If a Glock can't safely handle an over pressure that other designs brush off, then there's a problem with the Glock.

[Apone]

On the other hand....
My grandpa used to tell me about a young liuetenant he once saw using his 1911 as a hammer to drive nails during a base clean up after a storm. Later that month, he saw the same young officer- using the same weapon- qualify expert at the range. Go figure.
Polymers and aluminum alloys are great for weight reduction, but to stand up to true ABUSE... there's no substitute for steel. It takes torsion, tension, impact, and abrasion "all around better" than any readily available material.

Gee, I guess those of us with alloy and composite framed firearms will have to make sure we buy hammers and guns.

[chadwick76]

have carried a few different pistols(incuding glock 19) and only stopped carrying it because of the size of projectile and ergonomics. still own and love to shoot it, and ammo isnt so badly priced compared to my others. glock rocks

[HiBC]

I have never owned or fired a Glock,can't comment.

I read several posts back that folks don't usually get hurt bad.Could be true.

I don't know how to post photo,but a friend sent me a series of Kaboom photos.The language with them may have been Russian.Some of the photos showed a most incredibly destroyed human hand.I cannot imagine anything short of amputation at the wrist.

While I do not have any interest in a Glock,I am quite skeptical that a blowup is the fault of a modern firearm in good condition.

This link mught workhttp://talks.guns.ru/forummessage/52/294634.html

[Sturmgewehre]

The mangled hand in that pic is the result of someone playing with a 37mm flare launcher on an AR15. That's not to be compared to a handgun KaBoom. Not even close to the same issue.

Someone probably stuck something stupid in the tube of that toy and blew his hand off. They are just that, toys that look like 40mm grenade launchers.

[jesus5150]

You guys really think that eye protection will really stop a fragment? I would imagine that it'd have enough velocity to penetrate your glasses too (depending on what gave out)