ANOTHER GLOCK KABOOM

[roundgunner]

A friends Glock 9 detonated at a IDPA match today. It didn't sound like a double charge, I think it might be case failure or a bit out of battery. Cut his face some but nobody else got hurt.

He finished the match with his duty gun, Glock 40

 

[Etemmu]

You say "Another Glock ...." Is this a rare thing with Glocks? I dont own one or know much about them, but a couple friends are looking at getting one. Gonna have them check out your pics!

 

[Malamute]

Any idea what ammo or load he was using?

 

[roundgunner]

Ammo was W-W whitebox.
Early Glock 40s had a reputation for blowing up. Unsupported cases. Google Glock kaboom.

It also gives me an outlet for humor.

There is a saying that goes like this; Friends don't let friends buy Glocks.

 

[redlevel]

I love it!

 

[girvin02]

Glocks work just fine. Idiot + reloading press = kaboom in any gun.

 

[redlevel]

Glocks work just fine. Idiot + reloading press = kaboom in any gun.

Ammo was W-W whitebox.

 

[roundgunner]

Glocks work just fine. Idiot + reloading press = kaboom in any gun.

Idiot is probably not the word to describe my friend, a master class IDPA shooter & owner of a Bailbond company who probably shoots more ammo in a year than most forum members shoot in 10 years.

I'm sure you meant idiot in a good way.

 

[girvin02]

Idiot is probably not the word to describe my friend, a master class IDPA shooter & owner of a Bailbond company who probably shoots more ammo in a year than most forum members shoot in 10 years.

I'm sure you meant idiot in a good way.

You're right, idiot is harsh. He obviously realised the gun failure was a result of his own mistake. Why else would he have finished the match with another Glock? I just don't like all of the Glock bashing that I see on here lately.

 

[redlevel]

If factory ammo really blew up 40 caliber Glocks, do you really think there would be so many in use by military and law enforcement? The ammo used to blow up the gun in the photos above were unsafe handloads, despite the OP's claims that they were factory loads.

You mean to say roundgunner is a rank liar?

It could be true, maybe probably is, that the pictures shown that are available on the net resulted from handloads. But the first gun shown in roundgunner's original post was one he knows about first-hand. If he says it was loaded with WWB, then I believe him.

 

[roundgunner]

If factory ammo really blew up 40 caliber Glocks, do you really think there would be so many in use by military and law enforcement? The ammo used to blow up the gun in the photos above were unsafe handloads, despite the OP's claims that they were factory loads.

The Ops (me) first photos were of the gun that blew today. W-W white box.
The photos posted later were stock pix to show the person asking questions what unsupported chambers were.
W-W white box is known to be shaky quality and could very well be a double charge, I WAS THERE don't tell me what ammo was used.

Glocks are OK, I owned one for a while and it was flawless. I don't like the way they point and I like the Glock humor.
Google Glock Kaboom.

 

[girvin02]

You mean to say roundgunner is a rank liar?

It could be true, maybe probably is, that the pictures shown that are available on the net resulted from handloads. But the first gun shown in roundgunner's original post was one he knows about first-hand. If he says it was loaded with WWB, then I believe him.

I don't know many competitive shooters that use factory ammo in competition. Call it what you wish. I think the ammo that blew up that gun was not factory. You are entitled to your own opinion.

 

[girvin02]

The Ops (me) first photos were of the gun that blew today. W-W white box.
The photos posted later were stock pix to show the person asking questions what unsupported chambers were.
W-W white box is known to be shaky quality and could very well be a double charge, I WAS THERE don't tell me what ammo was used.

Glocks are OK, I owned one for a while and it was flawless. I don't like the way they point and I like the Glock humor.
Google Glock Kaboom.

Very well. We have different senses of humor. I don't think that it is funny to put out information that leads people to believe that Glocks are faulty in construction. You seem to be blaming the ammo, factory or not, great. Your original post lead me to believe that you were blaming the gun. I don't need to google Glock Kaboom. It is discussed on every gun board that I've visited. A lot of mis-information out there, due to posts exactly like yours.

 

[roundgunner]

Actually I'm not blaming the ammo.

I'm open to the possibility it was the ammo, look at the chamber, a double charge would normally blow the chamber too. A weak case, maybe, a bit out of battery, maybe, it was not loud like a double charge, I have seen them too. Believe what you want, I really don't care.

PS I shoot and RO/SO a lot of IDPA matches including over 7 national matches, many people shoot factory 9mm because the cost is not that much. Fact.

 

[billdeserthills]

Glocks work just fine. Idiot + reloading press = kaboom in any gun.

While I agree, this time it was the Winchester White Box ammo. I have met many people who claim their gun blew up from using this same ammo. I cannot believe they are all lying...

 

[gizamo]

In the last month I have seen two similar Glock Kabooms at steel plate shoots. Both caused by what appeared to be case head seperations.

I now refuse to shoot to the right hand side of anyone bringing a Glock to the line. I take the left lane.

 

[oldman45]

Glocks work just fine. Idiot + reloading press = kaboom in any gun.

OK, then why has a local PD lost 5 Glock model 22 in the last three years when they only use factory ammo on both the range and in the field.? Never has reloads been allowed.

The flip side is Glock has always replaced the guns free of charge.

 

[oldman45]

If factory ammo really blew up 40 caliber Glocks, do you really think there would be so many in use by military and law enforcement? The ammo used to blow up the gun in the photos above were unsafe handloads, despite the OP's claims that they were factory loads.

Anything can fail. The failure rate of Glocks is small in the overall scheme of things. They do go BOOM but 99.9999% of the time they go bang as designed. Departments buy them due to budget constraints. Glock was practically giving away their first guns to get agencies to use them. WHile safety and dependability was a concern, price and functional abilities were more important. Fewer departments are now using them and have gone to other makes.

Maybe this place should become a Glock forum since so many people want to own and glorify them. Please do not get me wrong, I own several of them and only had a few very minor problems personally. I carried one daily for about five yrs and qualified with it five times. But it is not my desire to carry one again. I keep one in my range bag so others can shoot a Glock if they care to do so but I do not shoot it anymore. My refusal to shoot it has nothing to do with their failure rate but more to do with the uncomfortable grip angle and the lack of them being what I would consider to be a nice looking gun. Functional? yes. Reliable? Yes. But not ergonomically comfortable and not a nice looking gun.

 

[JcMack]

Please forgive my ignorance here. Can you shoot IDPA with an aftermarket barrel? As in, a barrel with standard lands n groves. It seems polygonal rifling is a contributing factor to Glock failures. The only Glock I have left is a G23 with a spare 9mm Lonewolf barrel. I don't read of any problems with Glocks with replacement barrels.

 

[bitstream]

If it's the ammo, then it should occur in other brands of handguns. Even allowing for the popularity of the Glock, all other brands should statistically have kabooms in proportion to their numbers in circulation.

I've not heard of any other brand having these issues. Does anyone else know of any other brand with occurrences of this?

The Sigma is a clone of the Glock. I haven't heard of this happening on any Sigma. Shouldn't a clone have the problem too?