My glock blew up
- Thread starter cbr1100
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I do load mild stuff as well!
easyrider604
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
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- Greater Vancouver, BC
IMHO Detonation is likely cause of the KABOOM
IMO, something has to go terribly wrong for a low pressure cartridge like the 45 ACP to Kaboom.
Yes, could be a double charge of low powder load. Always a risk of that happening.
Could also be out of battery, but not likely because of how the Glock is designed and also and how and where the cartridge casing fractured. The case fractured where the barrel chamber fractured and it seems the cartirdge was properly chambered.
Glock steel is strong and proper for the application for sure, but chamber walls on that barrel looks pretty thin compared to a 1911. Just guessing but there may not be enough material around the chamber to allow for material and manufacturing defects in the steel billets used for barrel making. So way over-proof pressures may cause chamber to fail. At any rate, I still believe the Glock chamber to be at least as strong as a 1911.
As well, there looks to be a lot of unsupported area under the cartridge. Normally not an issue with new ammo or fired brass with no fractures or weakness yet. I doubt this unsupported area was the cause of the Kaboom. I have dozens upon dozens, possibly hundreds of .45 casings with lengthwise splits after firing but never resulted in a Kaboom in any of my 1911s. I dont know what causes lengthwise splits though.
Nobody mentioned the possibility of propellant "detonation" as opposed to "burning". Powder should burn, not explode or detonate violently like a bomb High Explosive. From the pictures of the ruptured case, it is evident that it was excessive pressure. I have had one incident of double charge in a 1911. Boy that was loud and painful, but no Kaboom. I am assuming the Glock chamber is as strong as a 1911.
I believe it was detonation that caused the case rupture. Detonation may occur in lightly loaded cartridges and it is an explosion much stronger than a double charge. A double charge will still burn, but not explode. With a low powder charge, there is more empty space inside the casing and the burn will not happen with a flame front but will happen with the powder burning all together, a rather violent explosion. This light powder charge will not burn with a progressive flame front, but will detonate like a bomb, resulting in extremely high pressure that is more than from a double charge. Anyways, there's a lot of info on detonation.
I vote Kaboom was caused by detonation.
IMO, something has to go terribly wrong for a low pressure cartridge like the 45 ACP to Kaboom.
Yes, could be a double charge of low powder load. Always a risk of that happening.
Could also be out of battery, but not likely because of how the Glock is designed and also and how and where the cartridge casing fractured. The case fractured where the barrel chamber fractured and it seems the cartirdge was properly chambered.
Glock steel is strong and proper for the application for sure, but chamber walls on that barrel looks pretty thin compared to a 1911. Just guessing but there may not be enough material around the chamber to allow for material and manufacturing defects in the steel billets used for barrel making. So way over-proof pressures may cause chamber to fail. At any rate, I still believe the Glock chamber to be at least as strong as a 1911.
As well, there looks to be a lot of unsupported area under the cartridge. Normally not an issue with new ammo or fired brass with no fractures or weakness yet. I doubt this unsupported area was the cause of the Kaboom. I have dozens upon dozens, possibly hundreds of .45 casings with lengthwise splits after firing but never resulted in a Kaboom in any of my 1911s. I dont know what causes lengthwise splits though.
Nobody mentioned the possibility of propellant "detonation" as opposed to "burning". Powder should burn, not explode or detonate violently like a bomb High Explosive. From the pictures of the ruptured case, it is evident that it was excessive pressure. I have had one incident of double charge in a 1911. Boy that was loud and painful, but no Kaboom. I am assuming the Glock chamber is as strong as a 1911.
I believe it was detonation that caused the case rupture. Detonation may occur in lightly loaded cartridges and it is an explosion much stronger than a double charge. A double charge will still burn, but not explode. With a low powder charge, there is more empty space inside the casing and the burn will not happen with a flame front but will happen with the powder burning all together, a rather violent explosion. This light powder charge will not burn with a progressive flame front, but will detonate like a bomb, resulting in extremely high pressure that is more than from a double charge. Anyways, there's a lot of info on detonation.
I vote Kaboom was caused by detonation.
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I hope the Dad has not developed an aversion to Glocks, because it should be an aversion to reloaded ammunition.
I'm amazed that no one has asked how the OP reloads. What brass inspection, what kind of press, what kind of powder dispenser, and - most important - what safeguards are in place to prevent both undercharge and overcharge?
Clearly, it is a reloading issue.
I'm amazed that no one has asked how the OP reloads. What brass inspection, what kind of press, what kind of powder dispenser, and - most important - what safeguards are in place to prevent both undercharge and overcharge?
Clearly, it is a reloading issue.
Yup..
I received some criticism when I announced that I ensure all head stamps for every cartridge was identical. I am picky when it comes to reloading regardless if its hand gun 9mm/45 ACP or rifle brass. I go through every piece before reloading and will never ever use discarded range brass.
This post is an example of what can go terribly wrong with reloads.
Also sounds like people during elections ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Canadian_Zuk
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
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- Pickering, Ontario
I've got 45 ACP cases that have been laoded and fired so many times in my 1911 that the head stamps are gone. 45 Auto is such a low pressure round the brass last virtually forever or until I lose it.
I have been reloading since the early 90's, rifle and handgun and 99% of it is all range brass. I also shoot production in IPSC and all my 9mm ammo is reloaded range brass some of which has been loaded 9mm major, never have any problems, a few split cases every now and then but even with those the only reason I knew they had split was that I used them for practice and was picking up my own brass. Reloads are not the problem, it's people not taking the time to do it properly.
This has never tweaked your interest or raised an eyebrow?
One of these could lead to a Kaboom resulting in a loss of an eye or even worse. I don't get why reloaders continue to play "Russian Roulette" with themselves by insisting It Can Not Happen to ME.
However I will agree with your last sentence that doing it properly is critical.
Detonation? What, was he reloading with cordite?? Lol
Entirely possible it was the reloads and I don't expect Glock to cover the damage. But hope they can provide a frame for me to buy.
As for the way I reload. I use a lee press and load one round at a time and each charge was weighted. I don't reload often as this way takes me forever.
After the brass gets resized I tumble it again to make it easier to look for defects. Once I have all the cases loaded with powder I then do another visual inspection looking for any cases that look like they have more powder than another.
All the brass was also fired from this gun when it was factory rounds.
As for the primmers once they are seated I place each one on a peice of flat wood looking for any wobble because if the primmer is not seated enough it will wobble a little.
As for the way I reload. I use a lee press and load one round at a time and each charge was weighted. I don't reload often as this way takes me forever.
After the brass gets resized I tumble it again to make it easier to look for defects. Once I have all the cases loaded with powder I then do another visual inspection looking for any cases that look like they have more powder than another.
All the brass was also fired from this gun when it was factory rounds.
As for the primmers once they are seated I place each one on a peice of flat wood looking for any wobble because if the primmer is not seated enough it will wobble a little.
Many of the older powders contain some nitroglycerin content. The theory is that a hang fire causes the powder to smoulder and release the nitroglycerin as a vapour. The nitro vapour then detonates, which causes a massive over pressure.
This is not an easy effect to reproduce however I have personally inspected two revolvers that had the top of the cylinder as well as the top strap blown off. I'm not certain that even a double charge could accomplish that. Something else is at play in these very rare occurrences and the nitroglycerin theory is at least plausible.
I shot a co-workers glock 40 cal once, halfway through a mag - the mag popped out and the extractor flew out. He said it might have been an overcharged round cause he might not have been paying attention when using a dillion 550. Later he told me he cracked the frame and Police Supply didn't want to deal with it. The only bullets he shot out of it were cast bullets made from wheel weights.
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