Glock 34 Kaboom

[Fried Chicken Blowout]

When I blew up my first Glock over 20 years ago, I hit the target, got a chrono reading and did not drop it...YMMV.

Hitting the No Shoot does not count as hitting the target though...

[ltdmstr]

Not trying to be a jerk, but dropping the gun is absolutely not cool. Maybe the point would be more clear if the thing had gone off and hit someone. I've had 1911s grenade in my hand, had brass bounce off the wall and land between my glasses and my eyeball, and plenty of other "stuff" happen. But I always controlled the weapon and secured it in a safe manner. Even with something like this, the first priority is safety and to avoid potential for further injury to self or others. Wounds from the Glock self-destructing were superficial. Wounds from a round flying when the gun hit the ground could have been fatal.

[toothguy]

Not trying to be a jerk, but dropping the gun is absolutely not cool. Maybe the point would be more clear if the thing had gone off and hit someone. I've had 1911s grenade in my hand, had brass bounce off the wall and land between my glasses and my eyeball, and plenty of other "stuff" happen. But I always controlled the weapon and secured it in a safe manner. Even with something like this, the first priority is safety and to avoid potential for further injury to self or others. Wounds from the Glock self-destructing were superficial. Wounds from a round flying when the gun hit the ground could have been fatal.

It's hard to know what you would do in that situation. Hot stove type reaction. I might have crapped my pants. I saw something similar once with a guy that was shooting Berry's and was afraid to crimp to tight. Later we found we could push the bullets in with light thumb pressure. Sounds like a young man, glad he wasn't hurt.

[Religious Shooter]

... Wounds from a round flying when the gun hit the ground could have been fatal.

How does that work? Gun blows up and the shooter drops the gun. How could a "a round flying when the gun hit the ground could have been fatal" because the shooter dropped the gun from the explosion?

[ltdmstr]

Maybe it wan't possible considering what the cause turned out to be. But if the facts were different, it might have been. Didn't sound like he took the time to assess the situation before he dumped it. Maybe I'm just a safety freak, but that doesn't seem like a smart thing to do. If he did that at a match do you think he'd be DQ'd for a safety violation?

[Sarge]

If he did that at a match do you think he'd be DQ'd for a safety violation?

Absolutely.

[Religious Shooter]

As I mentioned my friend's glock blew up on him and he dropped the gun.

It happened during Ironman. The RO stopped him to see if he was alright. They did not DQ him but they didn't let him continue with the rest of the stage either.

[Nik Habicht]

Not trying to be a jerk, but dropping the gun is absolutely not cool. Maybe the point would be more clear if the thing had gone off and hit someone. I've had 1911s grenade in my hand, had brass bounce off the wall and land between my glasses and my eyeball, and plenty of other "stuff" happen. But I always controlled the weapon and secured it in a safe manner. Even with something like this, the first priority is safety and to avoid potential for further injury to self or others. Wounds from the Glock self-destructing were superficial. Wounds from a round flying when the gun hit the ground could have been fatal.

A fried of mine once dropped a ka-boomed Glock at a USPSA match, several seconds after the round detonated. He could have, as he later acknowledged, set the gun down -- clearly it's painful when that happens.....

That was a match DQ I hated to issue....

[Sarge]

Had a very good friend who is also a member here have a detonation with his 2011 which resulted in a flight to the hospital. He did not drop his gun! We stepped in to help him and he handed off the gun to us.

That is how I would hope to react if it ever happens to me.

[JimmyZip]

I was shooting my Glock 34 yesterday and after about 15 rounds, it blew. My dad was right next to me and said it didn't sound any different from the previous shots. He only knew when I dropped the gun on the ground. It felt like my hands were on fire and all dirty from the powder burns and I was left with some nasty blood blisters. They were reloads. The upper seems completely fine except the extractor was ripped out. It cracked the frame, blew out half the trigger, blew the mag and grip plug out.

Any ideas of what could have happened? I don't think it was a double load because the upper was fine. Could it have been a case blow out?

So what were you reloading on again? I reload all my pistol ammo on an SDB. I have yet to have a double charge, but I did once have a round I caught without powder as I went to put the bullet on. I was tired and had run out of powder. I had to pull the bullets on the rounds in the tray, about fifteen to twenty, to find if I had any others. Nope, and they all weighed within spec. Guess I opened my eyes at the right time.

[skeeter]

Maybe it wan't possible considering what the cause turned out to be. But if the facts were different, it might have been. Didn't sound like he took the time to assess the situation before he dumped it. Maybe I'm just a safety freak, but that doesn't seem like a smart thing to do. If he did that at a match do you think he'd be DQ'd for a safety violation?

at a match back in 97 or 98 my glock m24 kaboomed on the forth stage of the match. i dropped it like it was a snake that had bitten me. at the time my hands stung like someone had hit them with a 2x4.

and yes i got a DQ for dropping a loaded gun, although the gun had done a pretty good job of unloading it's self. it was the right call.

i've seen 4 differnt guys blow up their guns and they all dropped them execpt one guy and his was the worse one by far, he got a good superface out of it, thank god for good glass's

[rjstubbl]

I'm not debating a DQ here and I'm not interested in any arm chair quarterbacking. I just want to figure out what happened.

I am loading 3.4 gr of titegroup with a plated 147 gr bullet. I talked to some people at my local club and some of them seemed to think the gun fired out of battery. I was shooting a dueling tree when it occured so I was shooting fast. The upper had no damage except the extractor was gone, which makes me think it wasn't a double. There was also part of the brass stuck in the chamber and the head of the case was gone.

Edited December 28, 2012 by rjstubbl

[MarkCO]

The brass stuck in the chamber tends to be more an indication of overpressure than out of battery.

Any pictures of the brass?

[rjstubbl]

I don't have any picutres of the brass. But it was maybe a 1/4" section of the neck, jagged on both ends.

[MarkCO]

Any of the case mouth still there? A picture would really help.

[skeeter]

I'm not debating a DQ here and I'm not interested in any arm chair quarterbacking. I just want to figure out what happened.

I am loading 3.4 gr of titegroup with a plated 147 gr bullet. I talked to some people at my local club and some of them seemed to think the gun fired out of battery. I was shooting a dueling tree when it occured so I was shooting fast. The upper had no damage except the extractor was gone, which makes me think it wasn't a double. There was also part of the brass stuck in the chamber and the head of the case was gone.

with most of the gas's going down the magwell and out the extractor it's not all that common for the slide to be alright. although take a real good look at the outside of the chamber, mine had real small cracks on both sides.

tightgroup is a fast burning powder that doesn't take up very much room in the case, can you get a double charge in the case? with that much damage done to the frame it sure sounds like an overload.

[glockdude1]

I just had my Sig 1911 blow up....I reload also, and I was in a competition when it happened....every round sounded fine, but I must have had a squib (probably from not having any gunpowder in the casing) and then I fired a round right after the squib and it blew my barrel up ($300 mistake)...after this happened, I bought a cheap 'snake light' from the dollar store and I now reload by sitting up high and the light shines into each casing to verify that I have gunpowder in each one before I set the bullet on the casing....haven't had a problem since..

[9x45]

Bullet setback is more common than a double charge, especially on an auto progressive, like a Dillon 650. When the overall length goes down from 1.170" to 1.000", the pressure goes up about 3.5 times, much greater than SAAMI specifications. Lets say you had some rounds with insufficient crimp loaded near the bottom of the mag, each time you pull the trigger, the bullet setbacks more, by the you get that one chambered, it could be dangerously short.

[vluc]

I'm not debating a DQ here and I'm not interested in any arm chair quarterbacking. I just want to figure out what happened.

I am loading 3.4 gr of titegroup with a plated 147 gr bullet. I talked to some people at my local club and some of them seemed to think the gun fired out of battery. I was shooting a dueling tree when it occured so I was shooting fast. The upper had no damage except the extractor was gone, which makes me think it wasn't a double. There was also part of the brass stuck in the chamber and the head of the case was gone.

with most of the gas's going down the magwell and out the extractor it's not all that common for the slide to be alright. although take a real good look at the outside of the chamber, mine had real small cracks on both sides.

tightgroup is a fast burning powder that doesn't take up very much room in the case, can you get a double charge in the case? with that much damage done to the frame it sure sounds like an overload.

FWIW I also use 3.4g TG and 147 grain, but not plated. A double charge takes powder up high in the case and would be noticeable if you are looking. The bullet would definitely feel resistance when you went to seat it. I've made doubles just to see if I can detect them in the process and I can on my 550 and 650. Not sure what press the OP was using.