Glock Kabooms vs. 3rd Gens

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When I started looking for my first 10mm I was looking for a 1006 or a Colt Delta Elite. The Delta's were too expensive and I couldn't find a 1006. Glock's were still in production. I bought my second gen Glock 20 in 1996. I got into reloading soon after because ammo was hard to find and expensive. I upgraded the barrel soon after so I could shoot lead and to get rid of the loose chamber. The newer Glock barrels have better supported barrels but I would still change the barrel if I owned one. With a replacement barrel kaboom's are not very likely.
Now that I own a 1006 I love it but my Glock isn't going anywhere either. In fact the Glock gets carried more than the 1006 because 1 they are still being made, 2 it holds 15 rounds, 3 it weighs less with 15 rounds than the 1006 does with 9, 4 if something happens to the Glock I can order a new one. Not taking anything away from the 3rd gens the only thing I upgraded was the recoil springs and trigger springs but my Glock has it's place. The only thing that will get me to part with my Glock 20 would be a M&P in 10mm but Smith isn't making one.
 
"Have Glock Kabooms contributed to your love and support for Smith 3rd Gens?"

No.
 
I have been around Glock 21 and 19 since 1992. Add g32 when they came on board. The dept has bought junk reloads and a variety of ball ammo through the years. We have never encountered a kaboom. I like the 9mil glocks.
 
Here's the explanation by the author on why the Glock G27 went kaboom. It was clearly his mistake, this could happen to any gun, anytime. Both Glock, and S&W are the two companies I'd trust my life with. Nothing is 100% all if the time, but these two companies get as close to 100% as your gonna find.

"KaBoom! that I experienced with my Glock G27 (.40 S&W) with a reload of 4.9 grains of Hodgdon Titegroup under a Rainier 165 grain Hollow Point bullet fired from Federal brass (once fired) and ignited with CCI #500 primer. An event I will never forget and will forever learn from. Cause of the KaBoom! was my negligence in over-expending the case mouth and then over-crimping. This caused insufficient neck tension and also the mouth of the case to impede the barrel throat, giving the pressure nowhere to go but out the back.

I was distracted during the reloading process and proceeded to show someone how each die and station on my Hornady Lock-N-Load AP worked. In doing so, I over exaggerated the expansion and then over-crimped to compensate. I mistakenly ran 50 total rounds like this and got lucky enough to fire 9 of them. ALWAYS bench check and chamber check all the rounds in a batch until you feel that the entire run is safe to continue production. NEVER proceed to run ammo in a production during a disruption without resetting and ensure that your run wasn't compromised."
 
Can you say that???

6actual said:
Im no Glock fanboi by any stretch but if you follow the analysis of most Kabooms it usually boils down to bad handloads as was the case in both video links. Bad ammo is still bad ammo regardless of the pistol used.
Click to expand...

I agree that bad ammo is bad ammo and bad ammo can destroy a gun. Though I haven't made a study of it as much as yourself, I think the unsupported barrel is a weak link that limits the tolerable pressure of reloads. Ammo that is merely 'hot' blows out in these barrels even when nothing else is wrong. Sure the over crimp was bad ammo (to tell you the truth I don't like the badly bulged stuff either) If the unsupported barrel is replaced by a supported barrel, incidents of blow outs go way down. All of the warnings I've seen point to the notch at the feed ramp and Glock was compelled to correct it.
 
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No. I chose a Glock over the 3rd gen S&W's when they were a new thing and still do. You can destroy anything and just because Bubba was able to destroy the Glock, and get it on film no doubt, doesn't change my mind at all for what has worked well for me the last 25 years. I owned a 6906 once but I was more accurate with throwing rocks than shooting it.
 
In addition to my 19 3rd Gens, I have four Glocks, Models 19, 21, 22 and 31. I don't worry about the 19 (factory ammo only), 21 (low pressure .45 ACP, mostly factory ammo or FMJ reloads reloads in once fired brass), or the 31 (factory ammo only). As for the 22 in .40 S&W, factory ammo only.

No problems since 1992.

FWIW
 
The only Glock Kaboom I personally know of was caused by an admitted double charge of titegroup, in a 45. I have owned three 3d gen Smiths and did not like them. They were heavy and generally not very accurate.
 
I own a bunch of Glocks. They cover the spectrum:

9 mm
10 mm
357 SIG
40 S&W
45 ACP

Never had a single problem with any of them. Ever. They are sturdy workman-like guns. They are a product of modern machining/industrial output. I am not ashamed to say I love Glocks. Very reliable and robust. I would trust my life to a Glock. In my opinion, they are the AK of handguns. Ultra reliable.

I also LOVE my 3rd gennies. At last count, I own 20 of them and am always looking to buy more. Very "collectable" in my opinion. I also consider them to be ultra reliable and functional in their own right.

But do product issues with Glocks make me like the 3rd gennies more? That would be like saying "Do quality issues with Chevrolets make you like Ford more?". That's a weird way to look at something.

I favor/like/enjoy products based on their own merits, not on the problems other products have.

Strange way to decide on something.
 
I have owned every Glock from Gen 1 forward. The current herd are all Gen 4's because they fit my hands well. Several thousands of rounds, and 75% percent of them being my reloads...I never had a jam or kaboom.

I come from a strong generation that grew up fine without bicycle helmets.
 
The unsupported barrel is a horse thats been beat to pixie dust many many times on this forum and others so no need to rehash those well sifted ashes. What I take away from this is;
If you reload, RTI! (Read the Instructions)
If your even a tiny bit ADD, stick with factory loads
Dont shoot other peoples reloads.

The hand and eyes you save may be your own. :)
 
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...nothing to see here about the gun. The brand is irrelevant.

Bad reloading is what is relevant. Maybe this should be moved to reloading section. Caution: what not to do.
 
For the OP's question, no.

My 17, 20, and 21 are all still in one piece in spite of eating a lot of reloads. That being said, I still rue the day I passed up a 1006 that was reasonably priced. I have a wild hair about 10mm guns, currently owning a Glock 20, Colt Delta Elite, S&W 610, and an IAI Javelina.
 
Glocks

During my thirty years as a LEO instructor I worked with 2nd, 3rd gen Smith's, Glocks ( from 1st gen to 3rd). Sigs, HK's, Berretta's & Rugers..they were all good platforms...I have a 1st gen G-17 that has a documented 150,000 rds thru it.....it has virtually no finish left on the slide due to it being in & out of the holster a zillion times. I personally own all of the pistols I listed above, and during the past several decades have shot the different brands and models a lot....still do....I also shoot Glock's in 9, 357 sig, 40, 45, 10mm..I agree that the "Ka-boom" bizness with the Glock is pretty much nonsense...If there was any kind of real problem with Glock's it would have materialized during the past several deacdes that these pistols have been in service.....they command a huge market share of the law enforcement market......I know a guy who blew up a G-21....his fault....the reloads he stuffed into that Glock would have blown up whatever he put it into....I carried, instructed and worked on 2nd, 3rd gen Smith's from 1988-1995, they were good solid guns....training intensive due to the DA/SA mode....I own several 3rd gen Smith's...but nowadays when I carry a pistol for defense, it is a Glock.
 
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