Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Glock KABOOMS!

From what I've read and heard, Glock Kabooms are mainly in 40 S&W caliber guns and many times related to reloads. Am I right? Is the 40 the main culprit when reloaded or are there a lot of Kabooms in other calibers? I've got a Glock 20 in 10mm. Can I reload safely without changing barrels or some such?

I reload for several glocks including the 20. The advice is not to use lead bullets in a glock barrel. I did that for a number of years, i.e. lead bullets, with no issues, but i did switch to kkm barrels. I think from memory glock advises againsts reloads, but i never paid any attention.
I would be careful on a couple of points. One, make sure you have a good crimp. two, make sure you keep the gun clean.
most of the kabooms have been related to the .40s&w which really increases pressure with bullet setback, i.e. not enough crimp.
The other item is cleaning. I think powder/residue buildup around that square rear end of the barrel if enough, prevents full lock up and firing out of battery.
With a UNLOADED gun, put the slide back just slightly to where it will fire out of lockup and pull the trigger. it will fire.
The other issue possibly is the alloy of a lead bullet going as fast as it can in a 10mm. You want the right alloy/diameter to avoid having to clean up leading.
As to using jacketed bullets it ain't no big deal, or plated. Just remember the crimp.

as to the kabooms i personally know of two. One where a guy i am pretty sure double charged the casings.
no two was me with a squib load. I had a bullet stuck in the barrel and fired another. It was an experience. blew off the front of the slide and cracked the barrel.
bought a new slide off a guy here and a replacement barrel, and am still using the gun.
no damage to me, other than having to throw away my shorts.

I had one with a reloaded 9mm in a 34 and have been present and looking at the guns during training sessions for four more:

Glock 23/.40...factory ammo

Glock 19/9mm....factory ammo

Glock 19/9mm....reloaded jacketed ammo

Glock 21/.45 ACP...reloaded jacketed ammo.

In addition my teaching partner had one with a 23/.40 reload with jacketed ammo.

As Ron stated, Glock has a design defect that allows it to fire slightly out of battery. This allows the slide to retract too far before the bullet exits the barrel and the pressure drops. The pressure seeks the weakest link which is the unsupported part of the case head. The .40 just happens to operate at the pressure range and have the largest amount of unsupported case head to make it happen the most but any Glock is really a time bomb...

The reason Glock dosen't want lead bullets in their guns probably has to do with lead buildup just in front of the chamber...if it gets dirty the round may not seat fully..but the gun will still fire...and K-Boom...

I have one Glock...a 19...and it is fed almost exclusively factory ammo...

Bob

Thanks y'all.

I had a Ka-boom in a G20 10mm, brand new, firing Double Tap hard cast ammo. Investigation by myself and a gunsmith appeared to show the gun - with a Lone Wolf barrel - fired out of battery, rupturing the case just above the head. That barrel would also not chamber Buffalo Bore ammo. I switched to a 6" Glock factory barrel, however, and my problems went away. Double Tap did tell me they had seen a bad batch of brass go through their production, however, and asked to have the ruptured case and the remaining un-fired ammo out of that box back, replaced it with new ammo.

Glock recommends against lead bullets because of their rifling, but pretty much all manufacturers seem to be against hand loading to the point of voiding the warranty of the firearm.

this is just me, but I feel like glock barrels are a little loose in the chamber which helps in chambering factory ammo which isn't all the same. But you do have a unsupported case at the six oclock position, if you look by taking a barrel out of the gun and positioning a round in it. The aftermarket barrels are at least in the kkm camp, tighter and better supported. I also switched to a heavier recoil spring and metal guide rod.
I push 200grain at 1200fps, which is the old norma load. And haven't had any problems. But i am pretty squeamish about making sure the reloads are correct.
A case guage is your friend, or not having one, running reloads into the barrel out of the gun to make sure they fit properly.

LOL. Thanks for the wisdom...

I had a Federal factory load where the case separated. Blew gas out the side and blew the extractor off. Problem was the ammo, was a known problem with that batch. No injury, gun held up and was easily repaired.

Odds are pretty small of any issue with good loads, I don't fret over it and have loaded and had a friend load 5,500 rds for Glocks on a Dillon 650 for me and he has done a whole lot more for himself.

Mike

My G20 Kaboom also blew the extractor off. It was reloads with brass I got with the gun, so unknown # of firings. The magazine few out the bottom and I was slightly injured. I use new brass now and a heavier spring to keep it in battery longer.

I've got a Gen4 G29; the chamber support looks better than I have seen on older barrels, pretty close to a KKM I have for the same gun. I am wondering if this is going to reduce the number of kabooms (Glocks will still fire out of battery though!).

Regarding reloads; I reload exclusively for everything including the 45 Super (G21 & 1911), some of the 45 Super reloads I've seen over at GlockTalk should make even the suicidal reconsider.

Jerry

I bought one of the first Glock 20s (if I remember right it was around 1991) made available to the public and LE. I've had over 20K rounds through it. All factory or "re-manufactured (training/qualifying)" rounds. No problems at all. I carry the original Norma load: 200 grain semi wad cutter at 1200 fps. That's what I practice with too.

Consider too many agencies are on there 3rd batch, Gen 2, Gen 3, Gen 4 of Glocks and it makes for a great used gun market.


Mike

I just purchased my Para Ordnance Executive Carry, so I gotta let my slush fund build up again. When it gets close I'm going to purchase a Gen 4 Glock 20.

I had one way back there myself. I don't recall the exact year. I've had my current one about a year and a half.

My buddy blew the mag out of his G 27 several times, before I showed him the unsupported chamber and explained the "smiley face". He had 700 shells loaded and his dad wanted the components. After using a dremmel to make a relief cut he pried the bullet out and dumped the powder. Shell 170 something blew up in his hand and he went to the ER. He told me "I had several catch fire, and I just threw them on the floor, don't know why that one blew up". After healing he stuck them in a vise to finish the batch. And no a bullet puller would not get a good enough grip to pull them out. Posted this before, but it is funny enough to repost.

Forgot to mention that when I switched back to a Glock barrel, I also went to a heavier recoil spring and a stainless rod. Glock chambers ARE "loose", and I am told this is by design, so that ammo is not as critical, and should even work when dirty in the field - to build/enforce a rep as military-police capable. My only experience with an after market barrel was the Lone Wolf, and I would NOT do that again. I would expect other brands may be a lot better, but I was advised by Buffalo Bore to stick with Glock barrels in Glocks, as they did when developing their 10mm loads.

I still don't like or really trust Glocks in 10mm, and I much prefer a manual safety in any gun/caliber, but by the time I sold mine I was confident it was a safe and reliable pistol, and it definitely has some very good points such as the magazine capacity and cost compared to other types. The 10mm is a potent cartridge, and I might like to have another - but it will be a 1911 type.

I haven't taken a guage to measure the differences, but i know a glock 21 slide will fit on a glock 20 lower. And a glock 20 slide will fit on the 21lower.
Now keeping in mind psi of a .45acp at 17k maybe a little more on +p rounds, vs. the operating pressure on a 10mm which is a lot more, it is food for thought.
That barrel better be a good one. Which is the reason i went to KKM barrels.
And the heavier spring and rod.
.357sig operates at pressure levels in the upper 30k range.
and i fired a ton of .357 through a kkm barrel in the glock 23 without issue. Which gave me some feeling of confidence in the 20 with the aftermarket barrel.