OUCH, that hurts !

[Sorcerer]

You have checked the barrel to make sure there are not two 40 cal. bullits stuck in it.

[Seismic Sam]

Well, that first picture really is weird, because the head of the blown case looks substantially larger than the head of the unfired case. I'm not sure if that's because of the photography and the cases not being the same distance from the lens, but please give us the diameter of both case heads in mils, and/or another picture where both case heads are lined up and touching so we know they're the same distance from the lens.

Second picture is pretty clear, with the portion of the case not in the chamber grossly expanded along with the rim. While this might indicate a round that fired with the gun not fully in battery, that by itself wouldn't give you the pressure signs that this case is showing.

Which brings us to the dilemma of: if you send this in to CCI and they offer you a free case of ammo to say they're sorry, should you take it or not?? KB me once, shame on CCI. KB me twice, shame on you...

Very disturbing pictures...

[clemmac]

You have checked the barrel to make sure there are not two 40 cal. bullits stuck in it.

Thanks for the thought, but I did check the gun right there on the spot for a barrel obstruction. In fact, after I did inspect the gun, I went back to shoot up the rest of that box of ammo.

[clemmac]

but please give us the diameter of both case heads in mils,

Brand new cartridge from another box measures .420"

The case rim in the pictures measures something like .435" x .460" and is distinctly an oval shape.

Which brings us to the dilemma of: if you send this in to CCI and they offer you a free case of ammo to say they're sorry, should you take it or not?? KB me once, shame on CCI. KB me twice, shame on you...

There's no "dilemma" here for me, I'm not seeking revenge on CCI and I don't expect any compensation from them. I try to remember that we're human and we make mistakes, we aren't perfect. I don't believe that there's a person at CCI who would intentionally send a bad round out the door if they knew about it.

I DID send an email to CCI with information about the incident and I hope to hear back from them. I'll share what information I do hear from them.

Very disturbing pictures...

Indeed ! A disturbing happening also

[clemmac]

There MAY be a few new thoughts here at The Gun Zone. Here's The Gun Zone's FAQ:

http://www.thegunzone.com/glock/glock-kb-faq.html

Gotta study this page after we get back from town today, I still need to feed cows and get saddled up for the drive to Gillette.

Clem

[Seismic Sam]

but please give us the diameter of both case heads in mils,

Brand new cartridge from another box measures .420"

The case rim in the pictures measures something like .435" x .460" and is distinctly an oval shape.

OMG!! That's gotta be some sort of record for case head expansion. I think it's fairly safe to say that you had a high pressure detonation without a doubt.

Considering the pictures from the website you posted, you should feel lucky that you got away as good as you did. And that, unfortunately, brings up the point that it probably wasn't the best idea to keep shooting that gun without a full strip and close examination of all the parts with a strong pair of glasses. If you had an incipient crack in the chamber from the KB, the next round you fired could have blown the gun apart.

The part about the AA#5 powder is interesting in the article, and when I first got my 440 Corbon magnum barrel for my Desert Eagle the guys at Corbon told me that AA#7 powder had produced some significanly higher velocities that the usual caseful of 296. I found that to be true, but the AA#7 loads were somewhat twitchy and cases sticking in the chamber were not uncommon, along with case rims damaged by the extractor hook. These are two entirely different rounds, but my experience with AA#7 sounds VERY similar to what this article is saying about AA#5. (And this is not a slam on AA powder in general - AA#9 is THE powder for the 357 SIG, and performs very uniformly and delivers maximum velocities.)

In general, I think this article says something I have stated here quite a few times. Watch your butt if you start reloading 40 S&W, particularly if it's for a Glock. Use only pristine components and don't be picking up miscellaneous headstamps from the range, and make sure your powder charges are RIGHT and your taper crimp is strong enough. If a 40 S&W bullet gets set back in the case, you could wind up in a world of hurt. Starting out handloading with a 40S&W is a BAD idea. 9mm is fine, as is 45 ACP, 38 Spl, and 357 mag.

[Seismic Sam]

.

[timwarner]

Reloading .40 is perfectly safe, as long as you don't use the super fast powders.

But, reloading ANY caliber with a real fast powder can be dangerous. RTFM and work up.

Stop scaring people Sam.

[Seismic Sam]

Reloading .40 is perfectly safe, as long as you don't use the super fast powders.

But, reloading ANY caliber with a real fast powder can be dangerous. RTFM and work up.

Stop scaring people Sam.

But that's my job around here, particularly today!!!


BOOGA BOOGA BOOGA!!!

[tullibee]

Reloading .40 is perfectly safe, as long as you don't use the super fast powders.

But, reloading ANY caliber with a real fast powder can be dangerous. RTFM and work up.

Stop scaring people Sam.

But that's my job around here, particularly today!!!


BOOGA BOOGA BOOGA!!!

this would have been much scarier if you included a picture of yourself!

[clemmac]

Stop scaring people Sam.

"Sam" hasn't scared this person ............... yet Although he does sound as if he gets excited easily

By the way, I quit reloading 40 S&W years ago, much easier and less stress to simply write a check and have FedEx bring it out to the place.

And yes Sam, I did inspect the gun and was satisfied that it was/is safe to fire.

Clem

[Seismic Sam]

Glad to hear it!!

[gyrfalcon]

Being a Glock armorer, have you tested the pistol to see if it will fire out of battery? I'm also wondering if there are any non-factory modifications to the gun.

[clemmac]

Being a Glock armorer, have you tested the pistol to see if it will fire out of battery? I'm also wondering if there are any non-factory modifications to the gun.

There is no "out of battery" test in the armorer's manual. As I mentioned above, I did clean and inspect the pistol. I did not mention, but did perform all the safety and functional tests that Glock teaches.

No modifications to this pistol, it's as it came out of the box with maybe a thousand (trouble free) rounds through it

[JoeH]

No modifications to this pistol, it's as it came out of the box with maybe a thousand (trouble free) rounds through it

Minus one