elroyyboy Posted April 13, 2013 Share Posted April 13, 2013 Well, I started shooting Battle in the Bluegrass IV this morning, my first ever Level II match. I was doing well, slow, but getting good hits. On the fourth stage blew up my new G35 Gen4. Blew out extractor, mag release, and mag and bruised up my hands pretty bad. The slide wont even cycle now. I'm what I thought was a careful reloader, look in every case before setting bullets by hand. I'll probably invest in a bullet puller. FML. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poppa Bear Posted April 13, 2013 Share Posted April 13, 2013 Looks like what I did. Check your cases for a ring above the extractor groove because it looks like you experienced a case head separation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gng4life Posted April 13, 2013 Share Posted April 13, 2013 Would you give us some specifics? Like what was the load you were using, have you had any problems before, how long have you been reloading, what is your process for loading and how often you check powder/cases/oal/etc? Were you able to recover the case? Glad you weren't seriously hurt! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David.Hylton Posted April 13, 2013 Share Posted April 13, 2013 Wow, glad you're okay. Let us know what you find out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elroyyboy Posted April 13, 2013 Author Share Posted April 13, 2013 Ok. I've been reloading for about a year w a Pro 1000(cowboy T videos and lee thread on this forum made it work). I start a reloading session with weighing of 10 charges and checking every 15-20 charges after that. If I stop for any reason, I re weigh 10... I've been using Titegroup for 40 under 180gr Berry's FP and use Lee FCD on every round. I also measure OAL of 10 when I start and randomly measure during reloading. My intent was to develop a near minor load in order to make the gun, G35, run nice and soft in production. I've been using 4.3g, 1.135OAL, with success. Not a minor load, chrono approx 875-900 FPS, but it runs the new gun well without having to change recoil spring. I've used this recipe 3 different times with no malfunctions and no leading of the bore. Additionally, I plunk tested every round and discarded for disassembly anything that doesn't drop in easily. I have changed reloading conditions. I'm in the middle of a divorce and used to reload in my basement shop with lots of lights. Now I use a table, and have moved lights to ensure that I can look into each case prior to placing each bullet by hand for seat/crimp at position 3 in Pro1K. Reading this, it appears that my process is pretty thorough. Not thorough enough I guess... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elroyyboy Posted April 13, 2013 Author Share Posted April 13, 2013 Oh yeah, slide won't move, maybe 1/8", but looking up through magwell I can see rimless case stuck in chamber. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hi-Power Jack Posted April 13, 2013 Share Posted April 13, 2013 Wonder if you could have suffered bullet setback in the case? Can you push the bullets further into the cases by hand? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elroyyboy Posted April 13, 2013 Author Share Posted April 13, 2013 Hi Power Jack, I thought about that, too. I've checked all the ammo that didn't blow up. No setback on any others and I check for loose projectiles periodically. And I was actually loading a little long, Lee shows a lot of loads at 1.125. Will probably switch to a powder that fills the case more, Accurate #5, to prevent double charge, if I ever reload again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hi-Power Jack Posted April 13, 2013 Share Posted April 13, 2013 I don't load .40, but I've been reading re: them here for a few years - thought it was supposed to be a good idea to use a special die to slightly undersize the cartridge case, to tighten up case grip? Are you using such a die? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elroyyboy Posted April 13, 2013 Author Share Posted April 13, 2013 Yes, lee factory crimp die/bulge buster, cases before reloading and rounds afterward. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve RA Posted April 13, 2013 Share Posted April 13, 2013 How many times had the case been reloaded ??? Was it a range pickup ??? It may have been weakened prior to your loading it and suffered a case seperation as suggested above. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elroyyboy Posted April 13, 2013 Author Share Posted April 13, 2013 Yeah, I've been buying once fired locally and online. I inspect the cases after cleaning w walnut then corn. Then again at reloading. Not sure what other safeguards I can employ. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elroyyboy Posted April 13, 2013 Author Share Posted April 13, 2013 Also, I couldn't tell, but observers said it was a really big boom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poppa Bear Posted April 13, 2013 Share Posted April 13, 2013 Do any of your cases look like those in this thread? http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=170382&hl= That is the ring I am talking about above and it is a case head separation waiting to happen. Glock chambers tend to be looser than custom hand fit barrels so it is possible for a case like this to drop into your barrel. My G35 will take brass up to 0.429 or maybe even 0.430. My STI with the Briley barrel will not take anything larger than 0.427. That .002 difference is about where that ring is at so it will fit in my G35 but it will NOT fit in my STI. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaxshooter Posted April 13, 2013 Share Posted April 13, 2013 Competition is a very good powder for 40 S&W very much like N-320 for sustancially less money. Seems to be very stable as far as temperature is concerned. I use a Lee U resizing die on 9 mm and 40 S&W. Your neck tension on the cases is good if you can't push the bullets farther into the cases. May have been a bad case. You should be able to get the slide working again if you get the case fragments out of the gun. Try putting the slide up against a solid surface and try to force the slide open pushing on the grip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elroyyboy Posted April 13, 2013 Author Share Posted April 13, 2013 Thanks guys. Will try to get my gun and confidence back in order. Thank goodness the major injury was to my ego and not to me or the RO over my left shoulder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elroyyboy Posted April 13, 2013 Author Share Posted April 13, 2013 Pretty easy to see the case head separation and chamber/barrel damage when I finally got the slide open. Ugh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poppa Bear Posted April 13, 2013 Share Posted April 13, 2013 It stings when it comes apart like that doesn't it? I was indoors so I found all the pieces again and the gun functioned just fine when I reassembled it. But I was done shooting for that night. My head was out of the game big time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elroyyboy Posted April 13, 2013 Author Share Posted April 13, 2013 Yeah, Poppa Bear, you put it more nicely than I did. Once the RO, squad mates, and I figured out I wasn't too hurt , I left. About 5 minutes later I had to pull over to stop shaking. Quite a frightening experience. Really happy I didn't hurt someone else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elroyyboy Posted April 13, 2013 Author Share Posted April 13, 2013 Do any of your cases look like those in this thread? http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=170382&hl= That is the ring I am talking about above and it is a case head separation waiting to happen. Glock chambers tend to be looser than custom hand fit barrels so it is possible for a case like this to drop into your barrel. My G35 will take brass up to 0.429 or maybe even 0.430. My STI with the Briley barrel will not take anything larger than 0.427. That .002 difference is about where that ring is at so it will fit in my G35 but it will NOT fit in my STI. Poppa Bear, I finally got off the couch and looked at this pic more closely. I have a few cases that show a very faint ring, but not nearly as pronounced as the pics in your example post. So do I have to throw out ALL my brass that's got even a faint ring? I'm not going to have much left. Geeze! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poppa Bear Posted April 13, 2013 Share Posted April 13, 2013 Can you feel the ring? When you size a case you are supposed to be pushing the brass back into place. If the brass is expanded to much in the guns chamber it is possible for some of the brass to be pushed down rather than in. When the brass gets to the web (The area just above the groove) which is solid brass it cannot go down anymore so it gets forced out. Now the sizing die can push it down just a bit again and that creates that physical ring. That ring also stretches the brass in that area and weakens it. In some cases it will create a visible crack where the brass has been stretched so thin it breaks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elroyyboy Posted April 13, 2013 Author Share Posted April 13, 2013 I can feel it with my fingernail but not w the skin on my finger. Guess I'll sort some brass visually and get the caliper out. When it's a rainy day. Until then, I'm pulling bullets on about 150 rounds. I thought about trying to weigh the loaded rounds for comparison but recently found that in 45 ACP Winchester brass weighs about 4 grains more than most others, so it's probably not the safest method. I would assume there's some wide variation in brass of different makes and ages. Thanks for all your help Poppa Bear. Appreciate your comments and experience. One thing I've noticed in the shooting sport is there are very few who don't want you to succeed and learn from their wisdom. A smart fella once told me, "good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaskapopo Posted April 13, 2013 Share Posted April 13, 2013 If you reload .40sw long enough in a Glock this will happen. Generally its just a case failure and your out a magazine and the extractor if you can't find it. I am very conservative when I load for Glock 40's I generally use slower burning powder and keep things on the light side. Pat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve RA Posted April 13, 2013 Share Posted April 13, 2013 You might find that if you sort your brass by mfr it may produce more accurate loads. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elroyyboy Posted April 13, 2013 Author Share Posted April 13, 2013 I'm definitely switching to a powder than fills more of the case. And I've started sorting, somewhat. I've noticed than S&B doesn't like my priming system. I'll start sorting by brand. I don't really have a lot of brass (maybe 3k 40 and 3k 45 ACP) but will see if I can come up with enough starline and Winchester to shoot steel next month, if I can get my gun to work w out sending it to Glock. What brands do you find better than others? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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