Glock 27 .40 Kaboom this weekend

[motosapiens]

wow rocky, i'm really glad you got lucky enough to not get injured. what a crappy way to introduce yourself to reloading.

I've only been reloading less than a year (abaout 8000 rds or so), so take everything i say with a grain or two of salt, but I am somewhat paranoid, and I am also someone who thinks alot about what I'm doing.

I do reloading stuff while watching sports on tv sometimes, but ONLY in a single-stage setup. I expand and charge 50 cases at a time, then I stop watching tv long enough to carefully examine the tray of charged cases and verify that the powder looks right. After that I can go back to daydreaming.

I started with power pistol because i read it was a pretty forgiving powder and it would be hard to blow myself up. i'm now using n320 and clays (minor only) and still haven't blown myself up.

With lee dies, I doubt setback is a problem. My 40 bullets are hourglass-shaped, even pushing as hard as i can i can't make the bullet move even a mm.

[Rocky Patel]

wow rocky, i'm really glad you got lucky enough to not get injured. what a crappy way to introduce yourself to reloading.

I've only been reloading less than a year (abaout 8000 rds or so), so take everything i say with a grain or two of salt, but I am somewhat paranoid, and I am also someone who thinks alot about what I'm doing.

I do reloading stuff while watching sports on tv sometimes, but ONLY in a single-stage setup. I expand and charge 50 cases at a time, then I stop watching tv long enough to carefully examine the tray of charged cases and verify that the powder looks right. After that I can go back to daydreaming.

I started with power pistol because i read it was a pretty forgiving powder and it would be hard to blow myself up. i'm now using n320 and clays (minor only) and still haven't blown myself up.

With lee dies, I doubt setback is a problem. My 40 bullets are hourglass-shaped, even pushing as hard as i can i can't make the bullet move even a mm.

I like your process of breaking it down into stages.. I will try that.. Thanks..

[Mbauer67]

Don't take this the wrong way, but reloading is like doing projects on your house. There are some people we need to pay professionals to do these kinds of work; because it takes a certain type of personality to do the work right, and with reloading, you will be punished if it's not perfect

[Cy Soto]

is Solo a slower powder?

Solo 1000 is even faster than Titegroup. Check out this link that shows powder burn rates: http://www.reloadbench.com/burn.html

I think that you are doing the correct thing by slowing down your reloading process and measuring often. Mistakes can (and will) happen on any brand of reloading equipment. I would just recommend that you try out a slower powder instead; at least while you familiarize yourself with the process.

There are some powders with which you can still make Major and fill the case better; making it easier to spot a double charge. When I first began reloading, I was recommended to try Winchester Super Field (WSF) and I kept using it for several years until I felt that I was confident with my loading process. These days I use faster powders (such as TG & S1000) because I like the recoil impulse they produce but I also have become more aware of the possibility of a squib load or a double charge. I avoid any sort of distraction while reloading and I make sure to only work on this when I can be fully dedicated to the process.

[Rocky Patel]

Don't take this the wrong way, but reloading is like doing projects on your house. There are some people we need to pay professionals to do these kinds of work; because it takes a certain type of personality to do the work right, and with reloading, you will be punished if it's not perfect

Not taken personally. But I do I see that. I generally always do my own work. And boy when I did it wrong the roof fell down on me in this case... That's ok, Back to the drawing board for me.. I WILL GET IT by GOLLIE!!!!

[Rocky Patel]

is Solo a slower powder?

Solo 1000 is even faster than Titegroup. Check out this link that shows powder burn rates: http://www.reloadbench.com/burn.html

I think that you are doing the correct thing by slowing down your reloading process and measuring often. Mistakes can (and will) happen on any brand of reloading equipment. I would just recommend that you try out a slower powder instead; at least while you familiarize yourself with the process.

There are some powders with which you can still make Major and fill the case better; making it easier to spot a double charge. When I first began reloading, I was recommended to try Winchester Super Field (WSF) and I kept using it for several years until I felt that I was confident with my loading process. These days I use faster powders (such as TG & S1000) because I like the recoil impulse they produce but I also have become more aware of the possibility of a squib load or a double charge. I avoid any sort of distraction while reloading and I make sure to only work on this when I can be fully dedicated to the process.

I've been reading and seems WSF and Power pistol are both good for beginners. I will most definitely switch to one of these. I forgot who in this thread mentioned that power pistol will overflow the case if charged twice. I like that. Will WSF do the same?

Edited January 31, 2012 by Rocky Patel

[Cy Soto]

I like that. Will WSF do the same?

I think that for .40 Major it will (though I am not 100% certain).

[motosapiens]

I've been reading and seems WSF and Power pistol are both good for beginners. I will most definitely switch to one of these. I forgot who in this thread mentioned that power pistol will overflow the case if charged twice. I like that. Will WSF do the same?

good question. If you look at this chart http://leeprecision.com/cgi-data/instruct/Dippers.pdf in conjunction with your handy-dandy reloading manual, you can get a good idea of how voluminous a powder is.

I look for powder where the load I want is going to be around 0.5cc (the second column), which fills a .40 case around half-way. You can see that .5cc of titegroup is around 5.9 grains. You already know that's a LOT of titegroup. That powder is not fluffy enough for my personal tastes.

OTOH, .5cc of power pistol is around 5.6 grains, well below the starting load for most bullet weights (this makes a good plinking round, although the recoil is definitely stouter than you would get with a faster-burning powder). If you look in your reloading manual, you will even see there are some compressed charges listed for power pistol, meaning you can fill the case up so far that you have to compress the powder with the bullet when you seat it, and you still won't blow up. That makes it forgiving of mistakes.

If we look at WSF, we see that 0.5cc is about 5.9 grains. Checking our handydandy load data online we see that the max load for wsf and 180 grain jacketed bullet is 5.8 grains, which tells us wsf is fluffier than titegroup, but not as fluffy as n320 or power pistol. I don't know if a double charge would overflow the case or not, but it should certainly be obvious on a careful inspection.

Conveniently enough, both n320 and clays make a decent minor load with .5cc, and since I had a .5cc dipper before i got a better powder measure, I loaded alot of rounds with those powders.

[Shadowrider]

Took me and hour and a half to make 50. so 3 hours to make 100. Measuring the charge every 2-3 maybe 4 or so.

That's alot of interaction with the press. Are you loading on a progressive press? It's really easy for a beginning reloader to screw up doing all that. If you are running a progressive I would suggest that you load one round at a time until you have everything set and have confirmed to yourself that it's good to go. Then just load and let the press do what it's supposed to do. Just take it slow and one step at a time until you understand things. Mistakes are just part of the process, just try do mitigate the damage if you do make one. Sorry you lost your gun, but glad you didn't lose more. Don't worry, in six months you will be able to do this in your sleep.

[Maksim]

I loaded on a Lee and used WSF. both good tools.

To me, sounds like a squib, or a light enough charge to cycle the slide, but bullet was not out of barrel. Next click went kaboom.

This could of happen on any machine. The "get a dillon" comments are really stupid and inappropriate here. Its like someone getting into an accident in a bmw and someone telling them to get a volvo.

I highly recommend an RCBS lock out die.

Just a note, the Lee powder measure will never double charge as it has the disc cavities, however it is prone to under charges if the disk does not cycle back and forth completely, sometimes it has a tendency to stick. when mine was new, it did not do it, after about 15k rounds, it started developing it, however it could of been that the powder measure/disk got a tad dirty and was sticking.

[Rocky Patel]

Took me and hour and a half to make 50. so 3 hours to make 100. Measuring the charge every 2-3 maybe 4 or so.

That's alot of interaction with the press. Are you loading on a progressive press? It's really easy for a beginning reloader to screw up doing all that. If you are running a progressive I would suggest that you load one round at a time until you have everything set and have confirmed to yourself that it's good to go. Then just load and let the press do what it's supposed to do. Just take it slow and one step at a time until you understand things. Mistakes are just part of the process, just try do mitigate the damage if you do make one. Sorry you lost your gun, but glad you didn't lose more. Don't worry, in six months you will be able to do this in your sleep.

No, not a progressive. A 4 station turret press. I have to load each case in there and the slug manually during the process. I look forward to the day.... I'm sure it's not to long from now where I don't worry as much as I do at the moment. A few dozen boxes with no kaboom should cure me.. You're probably more accurate.. 6 month sounds about right..

Thanks for your input..

[Rocky Patel]

I loaded on a Lee and used WSF. both good tools.

To me, sounds like a squib, or a light enough charge to cycle the slide, but bullet was not out of barrel. Next click went kaboom.

This could of happen on any machine. The "get a dillon" comments are really stupid and inappropriate here. Its like someone getting into an accident in a bmw and someone telling them to get a volvo.

I highly recommend an RCBS lock out die.

Just a note, the Lee powder measure will never double charge as it has the disc cavities, however it is prone to under charges if the disk does not cycle back and forth completely, sometimes it has a tendency to stick. when mine was new, it did not do it, after about 15k rounds, it started developing it, however it could of been that the powder measure/disk got a tad dirty and was sticking.

What is a lock out die? Will it fit on my lee turret press? I'm going to go check it out.. Thanks... BTW that was funny about the car thing. I liked the comparison..

[Rocky Patel]

I've been reading and seems WSF and Power pistol are both good for beginners. I will most definitely switch to one of these. I forgot who in this thread mentioned that power pistol will overflow the case if charged twice. I like that. Will WSF do the same?

good question. If you look at this chart http://leeprecision.com/cgi-data/instruct/Dippers.pdf in conjunction with your handy-dandy reloading manual, you can get a good idea of how voluminous a powder is.

I look for powder where the load I want is going to be around 0.5cc (the second column), which fills a .40 case around half-way. You can see that .5cc of titegroup is around 5.9 grains. You already know that's a LOT of titegroup. That powder is not fluffy enough for my personal tastes.

OTOH, .5cc of power pistol is around 5.6 grains, well below the starting load for most bullet weights (this makes a good plinking round, although the recoil is definitely stouter than you would get with a faster-burning powder). If you look in your reloading manual, you will even see there are some compressed charges listed for power pistol, meaning you can fill the case up so far that you have to compress the powder with the bullet when you seat it, and you still won't blow up. That makes it forgiving of mistakes.

If we look at WSF, we see that 0.5cc is about 5.9 grains. Checking our handydandy load data online we see that the max load for wsf and 180 grain jacketed bullet is 5.8 grains, which tells us wsf is fluffier than titegroup, but not as fluffy as n320 or power pistol. I don't know if a double charge would overflow the case or not, but it should certainly be obvious on a careful inspection.

Conveniently enough, both n320 and clays make a decent minor load with .5cc, and since I had a .5cc dipper before i got a better powder measure, I loaded alot of rounds with those powders.

Fantastic information Thanks.. Going to print this one out and stick it in my reloading book for future reference along with the dipper chart. Thanks..

[Rocky Patel]

I loaded on a Lee and used WSF. both good tools.

To me, sounds like a squib, or a light enough charge to cycle the slide, but bullet was not out of barrel. Next click went kaboom.

This could of happen on any machine. The "get a dillon" comments are really stupid and inappropriate here. Its like someone getting into an accident in a bmw and someone telling them to get a volvo.

I highly recommend an RCBS lock out die.

Just a note, the Lee powder measure will never double charge as it has the disc cavities, however it is prone to under charges if the disk does not cycle back and forth completely, sometimes it has a tendency to stick. when mine was new, it did not do it, after about 15k rounds, it started developing it, however it could of been that the powder measure/disk got a tad dirty and was sticking.

What is a lock out die? Will it fit on my lee turret press? I'm going to go check it out.. Thanks... BTW that was funny about the car thing. I liked the comparison..

Wow, I like it. I could remove the sizing die and do that seperately as a first stage. Then when I get all of my sized and primed cases ready; charge,lock out die, seat then crimp.. Pretty cool.

[motosapiens]

Wow, I like it. I could remove the sizing die and do that seperately as a first stage. Then when I get all of my sized and primed cases ready; charge,lock out die, seat then crimp.. Pretty cool.

I decap, size and prime in mass quantities (1000 or so at a time) while watching sports on tv. That is also typically when I inspect the brass for cracks or dents or whatever. So when I go to load, I'm starting with sized and primed brass, and things go pretty quickly.

[Rocky Patel]

Wow, I like it. I could remove the sizing die and do that seperately as a first stage. Then when I get all of my sized and primed cases ready; charge,lock out die, seat then crimp.. Pretty cool.

I decap, size and prime in mass quantities (1000 or so at a time) while watching sports on tv. That is also typically when I inspect the brass for cracks or dents or whatever. So when I go to load, I'm starting with sized and primed brass, and things go pretty quickly.

I like it! Will do the same. This also gives me one turret hole free for the RCBS lock out die.. Love it when a plan comes together!! Take that Mr.Kaboom!!!

[dillon]

Looking at the photo of the barrel, there appears to be a slight bulge just in front of where the bottom portion broke off. Run your fingers over it, often you will feel a bugle not readily visible to the naked eye. A bulge is always caused by a barrel obstruction. Usually in the case of a double charge, the bottom of the chamber where the camming lug is peels downward, but does not detach. A primer alone will not push a bullet that far up the barrel, but a very light powder charge will. Do you recall having to manually cycle the slide before the KB?

As far as loading on a Lee vs Dillon machine, both are capable of producing quality ammo when properly set up. In my opinion, some of the advantages of the Dillon loader are that we separate the seating and crimping into two separate steps. This makes it easier to adjust both dies. Additionally, the Dillon powder measures use a volume-adjustable powder bar, so instead of swapping discs and getting close to the powder charge you want, you use a scale to set the measure to dispense the desired amount of powder.

[Rocky Patel]

Looking at the photo of the barrel, there appears to be a slight bulge just in front of where the bottom portion broke off. Run your fingers over it, often you will feel a bugle not readily visible to the naked eye. A bulge is always caused by a barrel obstruction. Usually in the case of a double charge, the bottom of the chamber where the camming lug is peels downward, but does not detach. A primer alone will not push a bullet that far up the barrel, but a very light powder charge will. Do you recall having to manually cycle the slide before the KB?

As far as loading on a Lee vs Dillon machine, both are capable of producing quality ammo when properly set up. In my opinion, some of the advantages of the Dillon loader are that we separate the seating and crimping into two separate steps. This makes it easier to adjust both dies. Additionally, the Dillon powder measures use a volume-adjustable powder bar, so instead of swapping discs and getting close to the powder charge you want, you use a scale to set the measure to dispense the desired amount of powder.

Yes you are correct there is a bulge near the opening where the bullet goes into the block. But I did not have to cycle the slide. I will post the vid so you can see. Interesting...

[Rocky Patel]

Could not figure out how to post a video in this forum so I posted in Face book and made it public here is the link. http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=2854802941648&saved

[Rocky Patel]

Here's the barrel in a video. Better view:

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=2854872943398&notif_t=video_processed

Here's another link to the Kaboom:

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=2854802941648&notif_t=video_processed

One more Barrel vid:

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=2854884263681&notif_t=video_processed

[Radioteacher]

Rocky,

First, thank goodness that you are doing well. Second, thank you for posting about your experience.

I also use Titegroup and have for about 12 years for all of my calibers I shoot. .380, 9mm, 38 spl, 357 Mag, 40 S&W, 45 ACP and 45 Colt. For over 20 years I have had a Beretta 96 in 40 S&W, and two years ago I purchased a Glock 27 Gen 3 and have put tens of thousands of reloads through them made on my Dillon 550.

I have made one squib that left a bullet in the barrel of my Beretta 96 that I cleared with a wood dowel. Other then that I have been diligent in my reloading.

I guess I have been good or lucky.

After reading your post I will re-double my efforts in keeping safe when reloading and at the range.

Take care,

Paul

[jdknotts1]

Not sure if anyone has suggested this yet, but is there a possibility the barrel block was cracked prior to this happening? I have heard of Glock taking a 10mm and hammering it into a .40 cal and shooting it off. Never seen it but heard it (this means its true).

How old was the pistol? Any hot loads being cranked repetitively out of it?

[BlueOvalBandit]

What did the brass look like?

[Rocky Patel]

The gun was about 10 years old. I bought it used. Never did much shooting until I started USPSA about a month ago. Before that just some range shooting every year or so. I am glad this happened in a way. That it was Saturday with my Glock and not today with my STI. It would have been considerably a different outcome. Had I not decided to go practice a few drills and just waited for today to go shoot at the match. Someone up there was lookin out! Obviously as you can tell from this thread I've learned so much from all of you folks that replied. Probably would have taken quite a bit longer to learn all that I did in just 2 day from posting the experience. Thank you to all of you. I'm hoping the next new guy that stumbles across this thread and says. Holy shit really? and takes heed to all the good advise. It's not just the instructions that come with the reloader. It's all the real life instructions that don't come with it you need to know. In all honesty I went to the range feeling confident That I knew what I was doing and was excited to shoot the bullets I just made. Hell I read the instructions(First time for everything) It's amazing how much I didn't know..... that I didn't know..

FYI: today was my club match night. 2 day after kaboom. With my new STI and 100 more Rocky bullets(With all the extra care). Everything went smooth as silk. Matter of fact shot the best I ever shot with the new gun compared to nights with the Glock27(obviously not made for competitive shooting. But it was all I had). Night and day difference. And I didn't blow up. Thanks to everyone's good input. Gotta tell you I started the night with a box of factory rounds. when I ran out, it was time for the Rocky specials.. Boy was I nervous(said a prayer and everthing. Really)!!!! By the last stage I preferred my own bullets over the factory ones!!! WWooooHooo!!! SUCCESS!!!!!!!!!

[Rocky Patel]

Not sure if anyone has suggested this yet, but is there a possibility the barrel block was cracked prior to this happening? I have heard of Glock taking a 10mm and hammering it into a .40 cal and shooting it off. Never seen it but heard it (this means its true).

How old was the pistol? Any hot loads being cranked repetitively out of it?

It was about 10 years old give or take a few. Bought used from a gun store. the box, before it exploded, kicked harder than factory rounds. 4.4 to 4.5 of TG 1.125OAL 180FMJ. Other than that box just store bought white box.