Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns 21 KBoom...

Running a line of tactical shooters doing some exercises today I was standing right behind one of the shooters with a Glock 21. He did a support hand one handed reload and when he pulled up on the target and fired suddenly dropped the gun holding his hand in pain.

Upon examination it was your classic Glock Boom. The magazine had been blown out of the gun, the magazine release was blown out, the trigger split in half and the gun frozen in time about 10% out of battery. Looking up the mag well one could see the bottom of the .45 case with the web blown out of it.

The shooters sustained no cuts but some blackening of the fingers and a tingling sensation in the fingers and hand.

And yes it was a handload with 230 FMJs but could not have been a double charge as the powder would have spilled over the top of the case.

This is the third Glock that I was literally looking at as it Kboomed. The first was a 19 with factory 9mm ammo and the second also a 19 with reloads. Neither were damagaed. We have also had two of our other shooters have Glocks blow, a .40 and I don't remember what the other was... They were ruined.

I didn't get any pics but some other have...will see if I can get some to post...

Bob

I would still bet it was either double charged or a primer not seated deep enough.

Dink

Personally, I think bullet setback is just as big an issue as overloads in Glock Kaboom incidents - but it's just a theory. I've seen a few Glocks blow-up and they all involved reloaded ammo.

Sounds like a double or over load to me, been shooing Glocks for years, never had a problem nor have I seen one on any of the ranges I have been at.. I work at a gun shop, and we have a shooting range, and never seen a glock blow up. People always want to blame the gun.

I've seen a HK USP 45 acp kboom. It was with reloads as well.

How do you guys explain the KaBooms with factory loads?

"factory remanufactured", IE loaded on a Dillon by some wetback who was still damp. A Glock Kaboom with Hornaday or the like? I'm waving a big bullschit flag.

It is no secret that I am a Glock fan.

That being said, there have been enough kabooms reported with Glocks that I would not just brush it off. The vast majority have been centered around the .40 and 10mm chamberings and reloaded cartridges. Most were with earlier guns.

It is not very common at all in .45s, but if you manufacture enough of them, just like anything else, eventually something has got to fail.

I have fired a substantial number of both factory and reloaded ammo out of a factory barrel in a G21 and have yet to have an issue, but that does not mean it cannot happen or will not eventually happen.

It pays to inspect your brass when you are reloading, checking for cracks and bulges and discarding anything that looks even slightly suspect.

I am not going to point a finger in regards to causation, simply for the fact that that I was not there and there is not enough info known.

I do know that I trust what info RJM presents.

From that link, confirming exactly what I predicted:

This commercial "reload" from a local firm was one of only 17 or so reloaded rounds ever fired through this pistol and examination of the primer showed a greater-than-expected flattening effect and engraving of primer metal, with a slight extrusion into the primer pin recess2. The case was a Winchester, but the 50 round pack contained mixed head stamps. The slug is indicated as "124-grain FMJ," and they appear to be noticeably less smooth/regular on the sides visible above the case neck. I do not know the primer manufacturer. I still have the remainder of this batch if the load is of interest.

Retrieved 9 X 19mm case. Examination of other cases from that batch showed evidence of similar (perhaps slightly elevated) pressures on a few other rounds. Examination of the primers of other (all commercial) brands of ammunition fired that session were unremarkable, showing flattened primers but no engraving and no extrusion. Examination of the Glock 19 after-the-fact showed that it is possible to fire slightly out of battery, which may have been a contributing factor, but this is unknown as I was doing a speed reloading and hitting the slide release, and did not tap the slide or visually confirm full lockup.


The Bullschit flag still waves

Of course you conveniently missed this from the link

Our local Glock distributor also sells Fiocchi ammo. He sells a LOT of both product lines, but doesn't recommend Fiocchi .40 ammo for use in Glock .40s.

There have been several Kabooms with this combination, just in this local area. Seen a couple of them myself.

Can't be take a knee has called BS

...the factory 9mm KBoom was with Winchester 9mm whitebox from Walmat.

...and does it really make any difference what ammo it was as long as it was not "defective". It is funny that SIG, SA, Colt, Ruger don't seem to have any problem digesting ANY factory and 99% of all reloads fed into them...except Glocks.

When you get that many problems with one brand then there is design defect that no one cares to address.

..and I like Glocks...I have three...19-21-34 and have no plans on selling them. 99% of the rounds through them have been used for training others as I am a 1911 Commander shooter and that is all I care to carry. But if I was in an out of the way place...give me a Glock any time...

Bob

...a question...anyone hear of a KBoom with an aftermarket barrel?

Bob

Everyone I've seen or heard about was in factory configuration.

Something deep down in my gut tells me that some Glocks - under some circumstances - will fire out of battery. I know, I know .... Glock says it can't happen. But, if the KB's I've seen are representative of the whole - it would explain most, if not all of them.

I have kaboombed a .45, bullet set back and warm charges was the culprit ( long story ) i will put pics of cases up tommorow (mrs will have to help me)

if an overcharge is unlikely, it would also be worthwhile to check the rest of the reloads. High Primers? Bullets push back into the case, easily?

I do have a G34, but am fairly lukewarm in my affections for it...

Bullschit, I'm the first person to tell you that a 40cal Glock will blow the [bleep] up. I'm still waitin' on someone to prove a 9mm Glock blew up with 1st rate named manufactured ammo, loaded in brand new brass, never before loaded. All the tales or "factory ammo" turn out to be bullschit, just like the one you posted that I cut and pasted from.

My Glock 19 still working great. I only shoot factory ammo in this gun.