Un-supported cases in Glock chambers causing a KaBoom

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Elkslayer

New member
I have read the threads here about KaBooms and the culprit being hot handloads and the unsupported web of the case in a Glock chamber.

After having disliked and bad-mouthed Glocks for years feeling nothing could be better (or better-looking) than a good 1911.

Good Grief, somebody stop me!! HELP!! What is happening to me?? Last year I converted to an AR15 from my loved M1A!! Now I must confess to becoming interested in Glocks to the point of pricing and trying out different models to see which one I like.

I must be going over to the "DARK SIDE"!!! :(

I have decided to stay true to my love for the 45 acp and have narrowed my choice to either the model 30 or 36. (The grip on the 30 with its double stack magazine seems to be too fat for my hands but the 36 is just right).

So,, here is my question on unsupported cases in Glocks.

Last week a fellow worker showed me his new G27 which is, of course, in a .40S&W. We dissasembled the pistol and dropped a spent case into the chamber. The spent case fit totally into the chamber with only the extractor groove and the case rim exposed.

So, where is this un-supported case web these threads are talking about? :confused:
 
I did an unscientific study over at Glock Talk where I asked people to report how many rounds they had fired through their Glocks and how many of them had KB'ed. I believe there were three reported KBs:
1 from lead
1 from a double charged handload
1 for no apparent reason
The total number of rounds that didn't KB was something in the low millions. So if you stick to factory ammo, you've got a better chance of being struck by lightning than a KB. Glock Talk is down right now, so I can't look up the exact numbers.

Let it go. A G30 will be firing rounds from it's magazine with 50% more capacity, while being lighter than your 1911 years after the 1911 is gone.
 
The kB's reported are mainly from .40's. Glock is my choice and has been for many years. I only have them in 357sig and 45, with the 357 being my favoriate. I do reload and shoot 100-400 rds a week from my 36. About 2 months ago I bought a Kimber. It shot well, a little fussy on ammo. Too high maintenance for me and I sold it and going for another Glock 32. It was a fine firearm and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a 1911 style gun.

The cases do bulge slightly at the 6 o'clock position. .45 being a low pressure round I have had no problems with some cases I have going on 15 reloads. .357sig's do the same, but I limit them to 5 reloads before I pitch them just to be safe. Other guys shoot them till the mouth cracks. The range I use is 90% Glock and they have had no problems, even the guys who load insane loads haven't blown one up yet. 90% of their rentals are Glocks. All of the "regulars" carry Glocks, 10mm and .357sig being the most popular. I switch between 357 and 45 (G36) for carry. I really believe if a Glock (or any other major brand) firearm blows, something unusal took place and it's not the guns fault. Ammo being the major cause.

Not looking to start a Glock flame, Kimber, Sig, 1991 et all, are fine guns and I would not be afraid to own or shoot one. But the fact is the the Glock kB rant is over blown and I would not let it stop me from enjoying one. Common sense should tell you that if kB's were that rampent LEO's wouldn't use them and the gun grabbers would love to sue Glock out of business if there were a case.
 
rkmstr - Good observations from first-hand experience. And everything you said is true especially about gun grabbers just waiting to sue the manufactures. But...

My basic question has not been answered.

On the G27 I examined, the ENTIRE (and I mean entire) case was supported and contained within the chamber. The only portion of the brass case which was OUTSIDE of the chamber was the extractor groove and the rim. SO,,, where is the exposed portion of the case which is bulging/rupturing during firing??

FYI - I noticed a thread in the Handloading and Reloading section entitled "Some thoughts on reloads that go Kboom". This thread purposes KBs are caused by bullet slippage under recoil and causing "setback". It is a good read for info on this subject.
 
It's true that if you drop an empty case into the chamber that it will fit all the way in. The problem is that this is not how the gun actually operates. The rounds are headspaced by the extractor. When a round is loaded into the chamber in an assembled gun, there WILL be some brass exposed at the 6 o'clock position.

That being said, if you use good factory ammunition or your own personal reloads (and you are very very careful), you should not have any problems.

Kel
 
What KelBench400 said plus the feed ramp has to be considered. There are no FULLY supported chambers except a relvolver. Some support more than others. If you look at the fired brass you will see a bulge at the 6 o'clock position.

Setback is my main concern in 357sig. That's why I cannelure all bullets I reload for that cal.
 
I would highly suggest firing a G36 before purchasing one. They are excellent weapons, but they do have some traits that may or may not be annoying, such as more recoil and the mags pinching the pinkie. Some folks are also a bit bothered by the free play the mag has in the magwell fore and aft.

As for shooting hot loads in the Glock .45's I wouldn't be worried in the least. I've put plenty of hot Corbon loads through both a G36 and G30 without a problem.

My only complaint about the Glocks is that it is not recommended that you use lead bullets extensively for shooting. I know some folks who do shoot lead, but not any great amounts before really cleaning them.

Good Shooting
RED
 
I'm going to go against the trend here and say the Glock supports the "head" of the cartridge about as well as most other designs. I think it was TFL's own Tamara who posted a picture of several major maker's barrels with rounds chambered. A couple of them showed less support than the Glock.

The problem I have found with the Glock factory chamber is that it is oversized, particularly in 40 caliber. Before I got a Dillon cartridge gage for the 40 I used my KKM barrel to check reloaded cartridges for fit. Rounds with the head area too bulged (below where the FL size die reached) that wouldn't fit in the KKM barrel would drop easily into the G23 factory barrel. Since switching to aftermarket barrels (KKM and Bar-Sto) I find the number of reloaded rounds that I have to discard for being oversized has gone way down. The brass lasts longer too. I recommend anyone who wants to reload get an aftermarket barrel for their Glock.

You mentioned liking the G36. I have a Bar-Sto barrel in my G36 and it has proved to be extreemly reliable and accurate.
 
Ditto what C.R.Sam said. I was under the impression that a properly functioning autopistol with good headspace would headspace rounds on the case mouth.
 
This whole Glock K-Boom thing is blown way out of preportion.

This is not very common and it is most always caused by reloads.

By some of the accounts you read on the internet you would think that every Glock .40 ever made is now in little pieces.

I have been shooting Glocks every since the first G-17 showed up at our local gun shop in the 80s. I have put thousands of rounds through several Glocks in every caliber except .357 Sig.

I know several IDPA shooters that fire more rounds in a week than most shoot in years.

I have never seen a Glock blown up. They have not seen a Glock come apart.

We have never seen a slam fire.

We have never seen a AD.

In my entire life I have seen two broken Glocks. One belonged to the town idiot and the other looked like it had been ran over by a semi truck.

Basically the only thing you need to change about a Glock is the plastic sights. That is the first thing that will cause you a problem.

All of mine now wear steel night sights.


I have a 26 that I have carried for about 5 years now. It has never had a jam or missfire. It is as accurate as any full size gun.
 
I "think" when the slide goes forward it picks up the cart. and the rim "slides" under the extractor. If the case is short it will space on the slide, if it is long it will space on the case mouth.

My thought anyway...
 
Here is one pic of a unsupported chamber in a Glock...

g-unsupcham.jpeg
 
I took my two .45ACP Glocks, the G21 & G30, and then all the barrels from my three 1911 pattern pistols; Kimber, Springfield, & Sistema 1927. I see at least as much exposed case base in the three 1911 pattern pistols as I do in either of the Glocks. I've also shot a lot of factory 230gr FMJ through the Glocks, and there isn't a hint of a bulge on any of them, and they've survived reloading a number of times without any problem. My Glocks won't drop the striker any farther out of battery than any one of the 1911 pattern pistols. My final analysis is that unless you're an idiot, it's pretty difficult to blow up either the Glock or the 1911, but some people still manage. I lose no sleep over shooting any of my .45ACP pistols...
 
With a rimless case, as in most autoloader cartridges, headspace is the dimension from point in chamber where the case mouth stops to the bolt face.
Or in the event of a bottleneck case, the distance from a specified point on the shoulder to the boltface.

Extractor has nothing to do with it. If a case is short but hung by the extractor, a good chance that the striker would dislodge it and thussly allow blown primer and/or head seperation due to excessive headspace.

Sam
 
If you are hesitant about Glocks, then I suggest the Colt Armourer's Course where you will find all the weaknesses of the 1911. Yikes. There is no magic sword. All weapons are a platform of trade-offs.

Nothing wrong with Glocks. A few numbn**s put hot loads in them and they blow. Boohoo. Don't do that.

Check your carry ammo, keep your weapon clean and checked by a smith (another reason to own multiple copies of the same weapon)--no matter the flavor you have.
 
I have read the threads here about KaBooms and the culprit being hot handloads and the unsupported web of the case in a Glock chamber.
Click to expand...

This also happens to 1911's, but the Old Buzzards, I mean Guard don't like to talk about that. Makes 'em look bad when they trash the Glock for the same thing that the 1911 does.:rolleyes:
 
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