40 S&W KaBoom

[MarksGlock22]

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[JnJSpdShop]

Okay guys I would appreciate if you let me handle this one because the whole Kb thing is starting to piss me off too.
First off I will say you made an excellent decision choosing the Glock .40 cal pistol. I myself have a G23 and I enjoy it very much and would trust my life to it any day. I know that it WILL NOT jam and will fire weather it is hot, cold, dirty or clean. It just doesn't matter the glock will keep rockin. I will help you out here a little:

FACTS:
* any semi automatic pistol can kB, not likely but it can happen, if you are that worried get a wheelgun
* Most state, local and federal agencies carry glocks chambered for the .40 S&W

OPINIONS:
* I personally think many kB's stories are just that stories, and most of them are probably sensationalized
* The internet has given everyone a voice, so someone who doesn't like glock is at a range when a glock has a case failure. He is shooting his Sig or whatever and decides to smear the glock over the net because he saw one blow up at the range and take the owners hand off or some ****. So this happens in California and later that night people in Maine are reading about it on Glocktalk thinking this guy lost his hand, "WOW aren't glock dangerous, shouldn't I sell mine and get something else?" I also think everyone always states it is factory ammo, when it probably isn't. I mean honestly if I was at the range and had a case failure on a reload and someone asked me if that is new factory ammo I think I would say yes to save myself the embarrasment of looking stupid because it was my fault.
* ANY semiauto pistol can kB so think of it this way. In terms of cars. Cars A & B. Both manufactures have figured out that 1 car in 100,000 goes bad and has a tranny failure. Now car A is the popular car that everyone in the US has (aka Glock), and car B is the trendy import which is just not so popular. They stay in business but certainly aren't selling like hot cakes. So last year car manufacture A sells 1.5 million units, and car manufacture B only sells 50,000. Now there isn't a doubt that you are going to hear of car A breaking down more than car B, but does that mean that car A is less of a vehicle or has less quality. The answer is absolutely not, but you are going to here about it more just because of the numbers game.

* If you are still worried about the whole Glock .40 cal thing then take some paxil, and if you are still feeling a generalized anxiety call a doctor who can help

Thanks for your time, and I am personally sick of hearing all the kB stories on here

[jimco]

Here's a link complete with pictures of kB!'d G35 (with Federal--not FC marked--ammunition) and a good discussion. It does happen. It does happen more frequently with Glocks (even with LE Agencies). Should it influence your decision? That's up to you. FWIW, I've yet to hear of kB! effecting the outcome of a gunfight (and many--not most--LE Agencies at all levels carry Glocks in .40 S&W)

http://www.pistolsmith.com/viewtopic.php?topic=5241&forum=14&40

[WESHOOT2]

I am called on to investigate KB's.

Glock 40's are over-represented in this category.
Reloads, handloads, high-quality store-bought, L.E., whatever.

However.......H&K's, SIG's, S&W's (rare), 1911's, all KB.

Ammo, not Glocks.
(Opinion here; believe feed angle is problem. Causes set-back. Your opinions may vary.)

IF YOU ARE WORRIED, e-mail direct for load discussion.


By the way, Glocks jam. See it often during USPSA matches held in bad weather. Limp wrists..........

(Of course, every other brand jams for the same reason LOL.)

Glock makes a fine gun. Don't worry, be happy.

[akapennypincher]

Kabooms have been discussed many times, and have happened in All Firearms since the day of the Wheel Lock Muskets, and will continue to happen as long a people are using Firearms.

If you had the time to research that Kabooms Factor, and Why Kabooms Happened I am sure you would fine one contributing factor to Most Kabooms. It is called The Human Factor

I seen Muzzleloaders, Smith & Wesson “K” & “N” Frames, that have Kabooms, but have personally never seen a Glock Kabooms, or a Kaboomed Glock.

Glock is good stuff, and work well as long as you shoot High Quality Ammunition in them, and do a degree of Cleaning to them.

Also consider the fact that 70%+ of some 500,000 L.E.O. is the U.S.A. carry Glock as Duty Firearms. Reason is Glock is Good Stuff, Dependable & Work When Needed.:rolleyes:

[DannyR]

In the 1997 FBI testing, six Glocks ( 3-G22's and 3-G23's) were each fired 5,000 times per day for four days. Thats 20K rounds apiece using full power service ammo without a KB. What more can you expect from a pistol? As you know, Glock was awarded the contract.;e

[akapennypincher]

Originally posted by DannyR
In the 1997 FBI testing, six Glocks ( 3-G22's and 3-G23's) were each fired 5,000 times per day for four days. Thats 20K rounds apiece using full power service ammo without a KB. What more can you expect from a pistol? As you know, Glock was awarded the contract.;e

Heard the F.B.I. is Now Switching to 1911 Style .45 Calibers. Anyone know if thios is true & why???;a

[JnJSpdShop]

This is untrue the FBI is NOT switching to 1911 style pistols. As of last month the FBI was still issuing the G22 & G23 pistols. However the FBI special response teams do use .45ACP 1911 style sidearms, but they are mostly backups to the H&K MP5's and or tach shotguns

[jimco]

Also consider the fact that 70%+ of some 500,000 L.E.O. is the U.S.A. carry Glock as Duty Firearms.
Let's keeps some reason in the discussion. The 70% of LEOs is figure is at best a wild guess and cannot be supported in any reasonable manner (albeit a large number of LEOs do use Glocks). The other factor to consider that is left out of that statement is that those Glocks come in all flavours (calibres) not just the .40 S&W--it would probably be optimistic to assume even half the Glocks in service are .40 S&W.
If you had the time to research that Kabooms Factor, and Why Kabooms Happened I am sure you would fine one contributing factor to Most Kabooms. It is called The Human Factor.
I just don't see it this way. There are too many .40 S&W kB!s with factory ammo
Kabooms have been discussed many times, and have happened in All Firearms since the day of the Wheel Lock Muskets, and will continue to happen as long a people are using Firearms.
Proportionally, you see more in Glocks and .40s in general, but what is really telling is the number you see involving factory loaded ammo. Blowing up a handgun (or any gun for that matter) with a reload is one thing. To consistently self-destruct with factory ammo is another.

I think we'd do better to pull our heads out of the sand and ask what's going on rather than staying in the denial/defensive mode that seems to be the most commonly adopted.

[BAT GUN]

I am by no means a munitions speacilist or a metalurgist. However, I have a hard time believing factroy 180 rounds can do that to a barrel. I know pressures are very high rapidly expanding, etc. But man that's one hell of a blow out in that link.

Is this mainly happening with Federal Eagle stuff?

[marvin]

i've seen the photos of the kb and federal ammo. i just don't believe it. i've had a kb with my bad reloads and i know how much you have to hot load them. that was a double charge with a fast powder if there ever was one. loo at a bullseye surprize, in a 38 or 45. totally gone.

[mini-marine]

thank you JnJSpdShop. i agree about this starting to aggrivate me. what man makes, breaks. deal with it people. also, if this were any other type of pistol board, i have a feelign there would be posts there on kb's in every mjaor caliber used too. just happens to be a glock board, so people fixiated on glocks. cut and dry.

[WESHOOT2]

Brand new Glock, first shot. (Operator is not putz; 'smith and FFL, ex-mil. Also NOT ammo maker; ammo was someone elses'. No, not mine:-)

Blew slide completely off frame.
Barrel and slide came off together.

[Chuck6420]

My Glock23 Fired in half battery with federal 180gr hydroshocks

cleaned after everytime I shot it...
only about 1500 rounds

stay away with 180gr bullets and you should be ok


-Chuck

[Fireglock]

Originally posted by jimco

Let's keeps some reason in the discussion.

Proportionally, you see more in Glocks and .40s in general, but what is really telling is the number you see involving factory loaded ammo. Blowing up a handgun (or any gun for that matter) with a reload is one thing. To consistently self-destruct with factory ammo is another.

I agree, let's keep some reason in this discussion, are you saying every time some one has their brass vent it should be considered that the firearm has self destructed? Which is more likely, a weak barrel or weak brass? The only Glock I have personally been made aware of was a 21. It was a range gun treated like all range guns, shooting reloads the range sells. Was it the guns fault, was it the ammo a double charge or did we have a squib go off and someone treat it like a dud and cycle the slide and fire a live round down the barrel? Who knows, you will never get the straight info because every body immediately starts posturing. I personally treat Kbs as an urban myth until I have one or see one. After 28,000 rounds of reloads through a 23 and 35 last year it must not be that common an occurance.

[WiskyT]

IPSC shooters were routinely getting case failures with 38 Supers that made major before they lowered the power factor. Everyone of these rounds was loaded past max as per load data in order to make major. Grips would crack, hands would get bruised, and mags ruined, but it was routine and these guns never blew up like we see in these pics over and over again. Ruger used to demonstrate thier P series 9mm with the barrels plugged with a screw in plug. And these guns never blew up like that. These KB's must be the result of severely overloaded ammo. Do I think Federal would consistantly make ammo this far out of spec? NO! These KB's must be the result of idiots jamming as much powder as they can into there RELOADS and not wanting to admit it. If McDonalds had to pay out 3mil for a hot cup of coffee, do you think Glock and Federal could continue to produce products that wreaked this much havoc? I have over 10,000 rounds of home made 180 LEAD reloads through my G27 and all I have to show for it is a little holster wear. No law enforcement agency would continue to equip its members after they had 5 guns explode like what as mentioned in some threads. Millions of Glocks in service all over the world function as designed. I'll take the whole KB thing with a large chunk of road salt. If I had $500 to play with, I'd plug the barrel on my G27 and let a round go. Something would probaly fail, but not like that. Put 10 grains of Bullseye in it and I bet it would.

[Citori]

I think using the phrase <i>to consistently self-destruct with factory ammo</i> and keeping reason in the discussion are incompatible goals.

If this were indeed happening with any regularity most people on this board would either be dead, or would have a very difficult time typing.

[WiskyT]

Citori:
Reasonable, incompatible. What's your point. People are constantly refering to Glocks, and almost exclusively Glocks, exploding with enough force blow open a bank vault and then say it was brand new, shot 6 rounds before the KB, factory Federal ammo, 180 bullet, it happened to a LEO friend of mine, it's the 5th one that blew up in the last year for his agency, he was a Marine.... Then everybody starts talking about how you can't use Federal ammo, you have to get a $200 aftermarket barrel because the Glock doesn't fully support the case head....NO AUTO PISTOL BARREL FULLY SUPPORTS THE CASE HEAD. Federal does not charge the occasional round with Cemtech. Another great theory is that the inch caliber (like 40) Glocks blow up because the barrel walls are thinner! Try putting a 40 cal barrel into the slide of a 9mm Glock. It doesn't fit because the outside diameter has been increased. These guns blow up because there isn't as much margine for over-pressure loads like in a stronger wheel gun. Other theories that have everybody obsessing are bullet setback and COAL. I chamber and clear the duty ammo out of my guns often and the rounds don't get set back. Guys obsess over fluctuations of .003"in COAL when they reload and their press can't make ammo within that kind of tolerance. Factory ammo is loaded with COAL variations commonly in the .005" range. All these theories can account for an increase in pressure, but nothing like the KB's we have seen. These guns blew up because people hot rod their reloads. With this many blown up guns to examine, why haven't we seen a documented failure analysis as to what happened? Why haven't the FBI or some other major agency set about finding out what happened? Why haven't any police unions or other whistle blowers demanded to know what the problem is? Because there is no problem.

[badbilly429]

as of last nite, about 6000 rounds through my glock 27 and not a single ftf, jam of any kind, stovepipe, or a kb. i have only shot about 200 rds of reloads through it, at a speed steal match, other than that all blazer, lawman, win white box, corbon, hydrashok, triton, ranger sxt, black talon never had a problem yet.

anyone who is so worried about their .40 glock blowing up, or beleives all the stories, should go join dean speir's groupies over at the gun zone.

[Ookster]

My G22 goes KABOOM!! every time I pull the trigger.;h


And shortly thereafter it sends 165 grains of lead down the range at a cool 1100 feet per second.;)

[hercules]

As of today I've got about 10000 rounds through my G27, all reloads 180 gr GD's, all loaded with "dreaded" AA5 powder. Not a single malfunction, and yes, it goes KaBoom every time.