Catastrophic Failure of Semiautomatic Handguns [Glock]

New Jersey State Police ^ | February 23, 2007 | New Jersey State Police-

[archy]

Catastrophic Failure of Semiautomatic Handguns

The following bulletin was received from the New Jersey State Police - Officer Safety Division

Date: February 23, 2007

Continuous reloading an chambering of the same round may cause catastrophic failure in semiautomatic handguns.

The Security Force at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in Los Alamos, New Mexico, recently reported on the catastrophic failure of a semiautomatic handgun when it was fired. The internal explosion caused the frame to break while the slide and barrel separated from the weapon and traveled down range. No one was injured in the incident. An investigation revealed that security personnel were repeatedly charging the same round of ammunition into the chamber.

Technical personnel at Glock Inc. advise that repeated chambering of the same round may cause the bullet to move deeper in the casing, further compacting the prpellent. When a normal cartride is fired, the firing pin his the primer, igniting the propellant. When the propellant burns, the gas pressure drives the bullet out of the case and down the barrel. However, if the propellant has been compact, the pressure may increase beyond the gun's specifications, causing the weapon to break apart. Sigarms Inc's peronnel confirm that reloading the same round five or six times will cause the problems, noting that reloading the same round even once will void their warranty. Both manufacturers stress that the problem is not with the gun, but with chambering the same round repeatedly.

The NJ Regional Operations Intelligence Center urges all law enforement officers not to chamber the same round when loading their weapons.

***For example, when you clean your weapon, most of us drop the magazine and then pull the slide back thereby ejecting the round in the barrel. After cleaning the weapon many of us will return the "same" round to the barrel that we initially extracted. Each time the slide slams forward on that same round it seats it deeper into the cartridge. Apparently, by seating the round deeper into the cartridge, it creates greater pressure when the round is intentionally detonated by a firing pin strike and is causing weaopn's to explode.

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[redgolum]

The highest pressure is typically right at the point before the bullet starts to move. Handgun powders burn pretty fast, so that pressure peak is reached rapidly. Rifles uses a slower burning powder, and tend to have a longer time of high pressure. But, since a handgun has a small barrel, you need all that pressure fast to get the bullet up to speed before it leaves.

The .40 is a "high pressure" handgun round, that is a lot higher than say a .45 ACP, so there is less margin of error. Compressing the bullet in a loading with fast powder makes the pressure go up a lot, sometimes enough that the case will rupture before the bullet has moved far enough to allow the pressure to go down. There just isn't enough room for the burning gas, so you get a Kaboom.

Glocks, it seems, are known for this, rightly or wrongly, but it can happen in any handgun or rifle. I saw a similar (but less dramatic) thing happen with a 1911 once.

[redgolum]

I agree, it does look like a squib load.

[redgolum]

As another poster pointed out, it looks like there might have been something in the barrel when the round was fired. Which is a great way to get a kaboom.

[Fido969]

reloading the same round five or six times will cause the problems

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.

[Jack Hammer]

"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.

[supercat]

I guess this is saying DON'T DO THAT.

So what is one supposed to do with a live round after ejecting it?

[Fido969]

Got me!

[Bryan24]

Thanks for the info. I've been eyeing the Glock .40 for a while, but I might just opt for the .45.

[ctdonath2]

why practice with something different from what you'll be using to protect your life?

Because if I'm just plinking or playing IPSC games I don't want to be dropping $0.60 per shot.

POI is always different, sometimes drastically. there's no way i would bet my life on the difference.

That's why you practice with the carry ammo too.

Besides, at CQB distances a slight change of POI won't matter much. At 5 yards or less, what's the difference?

i really just don't get carrying a chambered round on a glock. the lack of a positive safety would make me very nervous.

Then don't.

I do like it, as "pull trigger go bang" works every time without "oops, fergot to flip THAT switch". Keep the gun in a proper holster and nothing will touch the trigger.

[The Pack Knight]

Thanks for the info. I've been eyeing the Glock .40 for a while, but I might just opt for the .45.

I own the Glock 21 myself, and couldn't recommend it more. The only drawback is the large size which makes it difficult to conceal, and the large grip which might be bad for small hands. The 30 and 36 would be good to look at if either is an issue, though they both probably buck like mules, and the 36 only carries 6 shots. For my money, the Glock is the ultimate "shoots when you pull the trigger" pistol, and the .45 is the ultimate "kills when you hit the target" round. Practicality when your life depends on it. Can't beat that! The Glock is the ideal combat pistol, particularly for the field where pistols tend to get dirty and take a beating. The Army is criminally insane for continuing to issue that Italian POS peashooter.

As of right now, I'd probably pass on the .45 GAP and stick with the tried, true, and available .45 ACP. Speaking of which, has anyone tried the .45 GAP?

[MaxMax]

so... don't play with your weapon.

That explains the hair on my grip.

[FreedomPoster]

Sounds like a negligent discharge to me.

I hate the overuse of the term "accidental discharge", and believe that story is an example of same.

[B4Ranch]

When you say "very sensitive to the overall length" what would that be in thousandths?

[Uri’el-2012]

Bryan24

B24>Thanks for the info. I've been eyeing the Glock .40 for a while, but I might just opt for the .45.

TPK>I own the Glock 21 myself, and couldn't recommend it more. The only drawback is the large size which makes it difficult to conceal, and the large grip which might be bad for small hands. The 30 and 36 would be good to look at if either is an issue, though they both probably buck like mules, and the 36 only carries 6 shots. For my money, the Glock is the ultimate "shoots when you pull the trigger" pistol, and the .45 is the ultimate "kills when you hit the target" round. Practicality when your life depends on it. Can't beat that! The Glock is the ideal combat pistol, particularly for the field where pistols tend to get dirty and take a beating. The Army is criminally insane for continuing to issue that Italian POS peashooter.

As of right now, I'd probably pass on the .45 GAP and stick with the tried, true, and available .45 ACP. Speaking of which, has anyone tried the .45 GAP?

90 posted on 03/01/2007 1:47:42 AM MST by The Pack Knight

The Glock 30 is just the right size.

10 rounds of .45 ACP

Carries well.

Recoil is very manageable.

I would recommend the butt plug for grip comfort.

[RetiredNavy]

"And are we talking about a round chambered from the MAGAZINE by cycling the bolt, or inserting it directly into the chamber and then dropping the bold on it to keep a full mag? It seems the physics would be different for a round already in the chamber than one being stripped out of the MAGAZINE."

There, thats better.