On 12 December 2006, at 0845, at Technical Area 72, Firing Range 1, a Glock 22 handgun exploded in the hands of a Protective Technology Los Alamos (PTLA) firearms instructor as he fired the handgun.
The firearms instructor was not injured, but felt some soreness in his right hand. He noted that the force of the handgun pushed his right thumb back. The handgun shattered into several pieces; the pieces flew everywhere and eventually landed on the ground. He safed the remaining box of ammunition and then reported the event to his management. As a precaution, the firearms instructor was taken to the Laboratory's occupational medicine facility for evaluation. He was evaluated, released to return to work with no restrictions, and scheduled for a follow-up evaluation the next day.
The instructor was preparing for a training exercise and was the only person on thefiring range at the time of the event. He wore the prescribed personal protective equipment for firearms use (safety glasses, armored vest, head and hearing protection, nomex gloves, a long sleeve shirt, and safety boots.)
The handgun has been secured in the PTLA armory. PTLA management has initiated an internal investigation.
Subsequent preliminary PTLA review indicated that a possible combination of excessive pressure and a bore obstruction contributed to the explosion.
The rounds used during this training event were duty rounds recently removed from service that had been used in a magazine containing a single round by PTLA forces. The single rounds of ammunition designated for initial loading in Glock 22 handguns are used on a daily basis and the one round of ammunition is typically loaded 45 times over a 30-day period. The frequent loading of the rounds continually pounds the ammunition into the chamber, which in turn recesses the bullet further into the casing. Over time and use, the projectile is seated deeper into the cartridge case contributing to an increase inpressure upon firing.
Because the event revealed lessons learned that may be pertinent to the DOE complex, the Institutional Facilities and Central Services Facility Operations Director deemed the event reportable as a management concern.
Background:
The firearms instructor had used the handgun for about five years.He noted that the last time he used the handgun was on 7 December 2006, and had cleaned and secured the handgun that same day. Before the event, the instructor had fired the handgun five times. After the event, the instructor noticed that one bullet remained in the handgun. Other PTLA firearms instructors noted that this is the first time this type of event has occurred with Glock handguns at PTLA.
Cause Description:
Operating Conditions:
Training Exercises Activity Category:
Training Immediate Action(s): As a precaution, the firearms instructor was taken to LANL occupational medicine for evaluation. He was evaluated and released to return to work with no restrictions. He returned for a follow-up evaluation on 13 December 2006.
The handgun has been secured in the PTLA armory.
PTLA management has initiated an internal investigation.
The remaining box of single round loading magazine ammunition has been removed from service and will be properly disposed of.
PTLA will not use defective rounds for training and will dispose of them.
FM Evaluation:
DOE Facility Representative Input:
DOE Program Manager Input:
Further Evaluation is Required:
No Division or Project:
Protection Technology Los Alamos Plant Area: TA72, Firing Range 1
System/Building/Equipment: Glock 22 Handgun Facility
Good Lord....
This just a guess on my part,
but if you practice with "defective" rounds, as they do a PTLA
sooner or later a defective round will squib then someone unfamiliar with a squib will
then clear the action and not take note of a empty shell casing ejecting
and thus leaving a barrel with a round in it.Then the next person loads a round and fires, the barrel will expand exactly like the picture.
Another reason to like the tried and true 1911 A1?
Holy cow!
This could happen easily if you tended to carry one in the pipe. Every time you cleaned, or even cleared that gun, you would pull the magazine and eject the round. Then, when you take the weapon again, you would put the same round onto the magazine and chamber it.
I guess this is saying DON'T DO THAT.
It seems too easy to create this condition in normal usage. They may want to do something to the architecture of that round to prevent the bullet from seating deeper.
"The single rounds of ammunition designated for initial loading in Glock 22 handguns are used on a daily basis and the one round of ammunition is typically loaded 45 times over a 30-day period."
Forty-five times???
I have the feeling that the majority of Glock owners have nothing to worry about.