[thor]

Hello all,
Can anyone recollect / cite for me any incident(s) -- OR sources of information on same -- in which continuously reloaded .40 cases "ruptured" while being fired in a Glock?
(I'm not inquiring about KB's resulting from using cast or lead bullets.)

Over the past 9 to 12 months I clearly remember getting at least 3 such posts in which the writer either witnessed the "failure" +/or knew the shooter / gun's owner very well. (I believe the last I got was John Farnam but, for some reason, cannot bring up the DTI website this a.m.)

Anyway, this info is NOT being requested for any "this gun vs. that gun" topic but rather, for a friend and fellow IDPA shooter who's repeatedly reloading the same .40 cases for a G22.

He respects the concerns I expressed but, understandably, would like something more than just my "memory of hearing" about such incidents.

Thanks in advance for any reply (no flames, please) "THOR"


-----Original Message-----

>To: "Thorsen, Thor" <[email protected]>
>Subject: Glocks
>Date: Sat, 18 Aug 2001 07:40:40 -0400
>
>Hey Bud
> Sure hope I didn't come across to you as a smart ass when we were talking about the glocks at the range yesterday. If I did I apologize.
> I have been trying to find some info on the Glock .40 and reloads but have been unsuccessful so far. If you can identify some sights or address for me to send emails to I would certainly appreciate it.
> I went back through the Glock owners manual and the only thing I found there is the standard , Don't use reloads that all the manufactures put in there owners manuals to help hold off the suit happy lawyers.
>Thanks
>Royce
>

 

[DblTap]

I used a G35 in IPSC competition for about 2 years. During this time I loaded and shot many thousand rounds. I learned very early on that some brands of brass are thinner than others. Once when using a 180PF reload in Speer cases (junk IMO) I noticed a fired case that had a sharp ring/bulge right where the feed ramp had been. This was a very close call! It was then that I began to weigh different brand cases and even sectioned a few to veiw the web thickness for myself. The bottom line in all this is that the Glock 40's have huge, oversized chambers and unsupported feed ramps. Not only does the case have to be stressed just to expand to the chamber dimensions, it also is unsupported in the feed ramp area after the initial stress. I'd recommend REDUCED loads in anything but once fired or (preferrably) new brass.
My theory as to why Glock uses such chamber dimensions is to prevent out-of -battery firings (which they will do) with extremely dirty weapons. This said, an aftermarket barrel is another option for the use of reloaded ammo in a 40 Glock. Hope this helps.


<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: DblTap on 2001-08-18 11:10 ]</font>

 

[bill cameron]

No experience with reloads. However, a friend and I purchase some 155 gr federal hydra-shok from Gil Hebard. My friend was shooting some of this new ammo in glock 27 next to me. I heard a noise and turned out he had case failure. This was about 2 years ago and ammo was manufactured maybe another 2 years prior to incident. Turns out Federal put out a bad/marginal batch of ammo. Hebard took it back in exchange. I understand Federal beefed up their ammo because of incidents like this with glock. Marginal ammo since corrected, I hope. However, I would personnally never reload 40 for use in glock with original barrel. I have reload 45 cases up to three times for use in glock 30. With these have never had case failure - did with prior cases loaded many time. Problem I did had with cases loaded no more than three times was failure to fire. I think case expanded so much that I was not able to completely resize and therefore piece did not go completely into battery and so click not bang. Just my speculation, but as result of these incidents I do not reload for any of my three glocks.

 

[BretShooter]

I had a KB due to .40 cases being reloaded multiple times after being fired in a Glock 23. The cases started getting too fat at the base to chamber after several reloadings (reloading dies just don't get down far enough), so I bought a roll sizer advertised in AmHG 5 or so years ago. The cases were returned to spec and even fit case guages after reloading. I was back in business. I fired these for another few reloadings, expecting to exentually retire the brass when I got some neck cracking, like on .45 ACP brass after many reloadings.

Then the last round in a steel match had a total head separation. It blew my mag partially out of the well, and blew the extractor off the range. My hand stung a little. I found the base and it had sheared clean off. The rim, extractor groove were one the back piece of the case, and the entire case wall was the front portion. Additionally, just forward of the extractor groove was a disk of brass about 2/3's the diameter of the case (a bit larger than a large primer in diameter, and half as tall)

It appears that the roll sizing caused a circular crack in the base of the case about halfway between the edge of the flash hole and where the case wall starts to extend from the web. Several other cases from that session had partial cracks. I remember that they were of the same headstamp, but not what the headstamp was. The affected cases had a slightly different case geometry. They had a flat area around the flash hole, then a distinct change in contour as the base slightly angled to meet the case wall. This This circular contour/transition line is where the cracks appeared. The other cases (different headstamp) had a larger flat area and larger transition radius to meet the case wall.

I may still have the damaged case, but I have moved since and all my reloading stuff is still in boxes.