Kaboom Panic

feelinlucky

feelinlucky

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I have been doing some Google searches. Tried "Beretta kaboom", "Kahr kaboom", "Glock kaboom", "Ruger kaboom", "Keltec kaboom", etc.. You get the idea. Even tried "Hi-Point kaboom". :D

There seems to be as much hoopla about kabooms in the forums associated with these brands as there is here about S&W's. It also seems that ammunition is often the prime suspect. One particular caliber of gun was somewhat predominant in the search results. 40 S&W.

No particular brand or model of gun seemed to stand out above the others.
 
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I think the problem is rare, and I think it is more likely with reloaded ammo. Combine a weak case with an unsupported chamber and you have the makings of a blown case. I dislike the term "kaboom" as it implies things that may not be at issue, such as an over pressure load. I think such a blown case can be the result of an over pressure load or a bigger powder charge, but these things can happen with a proper load combined with a weak case and the unsupported chamber. Be that as it may, Glocks seems to have gotten most of the press related to this phenomenon.
 
The obvious?

feelinlucky said:
It also seems that ammunition is often the prime suspect. :mad:

No particular brand or model of gun seemed to stand out above the others.
Click to expand...

Seems real hard to believe that Hoppe's #9 or your favorite gun oil causes KABOOOOOOMS (or a Dillon progressive press) :rolleyes: ;) :eek: . It's all that Glock fired brass with the Buddah Belly Bulge !
 
In most of these kaboom situations, I suspect ammo. "Bargain" ammo, such as Winchester White Box, has a reputation for lack of consistency. I've seen enough cat sneeze rounds in it and other similar brands, to figure that there are also hot shots in it too.
 
feelinlucky said:
I have been doing some Google searches. Tried "Beretta kaboom", "Kahr kaboom", "Glock kaboom", "Ruger kaboom", "Keltec kaboom", etc.. You get the idea. Even tried "Hi-Point kaboom". :D

There seems to be as much hoopla about kabooms in the forums associated with these brands as there is here about S&W's. It also seems that ammunition is often the prime suspect. One particular caliber of gun was somewhat predominant in the search results. 40 S&W.

No particular brand or model of gun seemed to stand out above the others.
Click to expand...

Very true. As a Glock fan, it usually seems to be .40, especially reloads that cause Glock kabooms. Even after Glock improved the chamber support in their weapons, you still read about .40 kabooms every now and then.
 
Witnessed one Kaboom

While are the S&W armorer's school, a Glock .40 was brought in following a kaboom and blamed on S&W ammo. Turns out, shooter had thoroughly fouled the gun shooting hot reloads with lead bullets, a no-no with polygonal rifling. He then tried to clear the fouling by firing a jacked bullet. Excessive pressure blew the gun apart.

There was nothing wrong with the gun or the ammo, it was the nut behind the grip. But then, every time something goes wrong, it's someone else's fault.
 
I agree that most of these failures are due to either reloads or poorly made ammo.

However, don't you feel that many of them could be avoided with better design?
 
That's how these things go... Billions of guns are sold each day, someone complains of an insignificant percentage of guns that malfunction, the brand is called into question, a insignificant of personal defense of their own experience is imparted and then it becomes a down ward spiral of why other guns like Glocks and Taurus are ****... Happens here at least once a week.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Rastoff said:
I agree that most of these failures are due to either reloads or poorly made ammo.

However, don't you feel that many of them could be avoided with better design?
Click to expand...

That's like trying to prevent tire blow outs by making a better wheel, the tire is still going to blow either way if you run over something just like a gun will go kaboom when the improper ammo is used or the case of a bad box or round.
 
Rastoff said:
I agree that most of these failures are due to either reloads or poorly made ammo.

However, don't you feel that many of them could be avoided with better design?
Click to expand...

You've made an alleged design defect quite an issue in another thread. Do you have a better design idea? Do you have some insight that the engineers working for the gun manufacturers do not? Seriously, if you do, it could be quite lucrative.
 
feelinlucky said:
You've made an alleged design defect quite an issue in another thread. Do you have a better design idea? Do you have some insight that the engineers working for the gun manufacturers do not? Seriously, if you do, it could be quite lucrative.
Click to expand...
No, I don't have a better design except to say that a better supported chamber would reduce the likelihood of such issues.

Every company that manufactures products has to weigh the risks of potential problems with their designs. I don't think that the Shield design is a failure, but it does increase the level of risk. Thus, when a slightly less well made case is used, we see ruptures.

Even so, there are things to try and I'm sure S&W is not sitting on their laurels. I'm sure the current chamber/feed ramp design was chosen to offer the best reliability while still making the gun safe. Is the current design unsafe? No, that's not what I'm saying. Still, I believe it could be better by being better supported like the full size guns are.

One of the limiting factors has to be the small size of the Shield and other similar guns. I wonder, could it be designed with a separate feed ramp like a 1911 rather than an integrated one? Would that facilitate a fully supported chamber and still feed reliably?

What do you guys think? Do you have any ideas or do you think there's nothing wrong with the way it is?
 
To me it looks like a consistency issue. It appears that the shields feed ramp is being modified after the fact. It does not have the finished factory look of the compact barrels that I have. From many of the pictures that I have seen, there seems to be a noticeable difference from one to the next.

This is only my perception, I have no data to back this up.
 
Keep your gun clean, including the barrel. Follow the gun's manual recommendations on ammo. Don't reload stupidly. Follow these simple rules and you will never experience a Kaboom.
 
As others have said, I'm glad those with kabooms haven't been hurt.

At this point I think the only safe thing to do is to disassemble all of my 40 S&W ammo, crush the cases, and destroy my 40 cal barrels. Of course I will wear safety glasses, gloves, and steel toed boots while doing it.

I'm just lucky I haven't had a kaboom yet.

Edmo
 
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