Catastrophic Failure of Semiautomatic Handguns

[GreenBeret1631]

VERY important information regarding your auto loading pistols:

Catastrophic Failure of Semiautomatic Handguns

The following bulletin was received from the New Jersey State Police - Officer Safety Division

Date: February 23, 2007

Continuous reloading an chambering of the same round may cause catastrophic failure in semiautomatic handguns.

The Security Force at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in Los Alamos, New Mexico, recently reported on the catastrophic failure of a semiautomatic handgun when it was fired. The internal explosion caused the frame to break while the slide and barrel separated from the weapon and traveled down range. No one was injured in the incident. An investigation revealed that security personnel were repeatedly charging the same round of ammunition into the chamber.

Technical personnel at Glock Inc. advise that repeated chambering of the same round may cause the bullet to move deeper in the casing, further compacting the propellant. When a normal cartridge is fired, the firing pin hits the primer, igniting the propellant. When the propellant burns, the gas pressure drives the bullet out of the case and down the barrel. However, if the propellant has been compact, the pressure may increase beyond the gun's maximum specifications, causing the weapon to break apart.

Sigarms Inc's personnel confirm that reloading the same round five or six times will cause the problems, noting that reloading the same round even once will void their warranty.

Both manufacturers stress that the problem is not with the gun, but with chambering the same round repeatedly. The NJ Regional Operations Intelligence Center urges all law enforcement officers not to chamber the same round when loading their weapons.

***For example, when you clean your weapon, most of us drop the magazine and then pull the slide back thereby ejecting the round in the barrel.

After cleaning the weapon many of us will return the "same" round to the barrel that we initially extracted. Each time the slide slams forward on that same round it seats it deeper into the cartridge. Apparently, by seating the round deeper into the cartridge, it creates greater pressure when the round is intentionally detonated by a firing pin strike and is causing weapons to explode.

[VoTrooper99]

I'm going to look, but is there an official release for this. If so, I would really like to bring it to the academy this week.

[ShortBusDriver82]

Yep.. that info was passed around last year... the case gets dinged up and causes problems..

[smokn38]

I'm going to look, but is there an official release for this. If so, I would really like to bring it to the academy this week.

It was a nation wide LEIN broudcast on 2/26 or 2/27.

[LRS Guy]

If the weapon is always HOT, ie a round in the chamber.........you will never have this problem.

When I worked at the frigging embassy if I downloaded my weapon once........I did it 10 times a day. It was assinine IMHO. Of course thats why our clearing barrels had scorecards on how many time a field grade O' or Sr NCO who should have known better let a round go.

Its just my opinion a carry weapon should always have a round in the chamber and treated that way. I believe all weapons should be treated as loaded as well. But I KNOW that my handgun and M4 always have a round in the chamber when I'm at work and off duty as well.

[shqipe]

With most pistols it is fairly easy to re-chamber a round without a magazine. The following is written in the first person as I am merely accounting what works for me. I am not liable in any way for any damage, whether physical, emotional, or material, that may come as a result of this practice.

1. Manually insert the round:
If I have to re-chamber a round, I manually insert a round in the chamber while the magazine is out and the slide locked to the rear.

2. Release the slide:
I then grab the slide with my left hand, actuate the slide lock to release the slide, and slowly ride the slide forward. The slide must not hit the round lest the extractor jumps over the case rim; this damages the case and could break the extractor.

3. Allow the round to be partially extracted:
When the slide nears the round--which is fully chambered--I slowly raise the front of the pistol, where the muzzle is pointing up and the barrel forms an approximate 45 degree angle with the floor, until the round starts to slide out of the chamber.

4. Re-chamber:
As gravity is unchambering the round, I manipulate the slide and the angle of the pistol to where the extrator will naturaly go around the rim. Once the extractor has a grip on the case, I let it slide forward until home.

[sota]

With most pistols it is fairly easy to re-chamber a round without a magazine. The following is written in the first person as I am merely accounting what works for me. I am not liable in any way for any damage, whether physical, emotional, or material, that may come as a result of this practice.

1. Manually insert the round:
If I have to re-chamber a round, I manually insert a round in the chamber while the magazine is out and the slide locked to the rear.

2. Release the slide:
I then grab the slide with my left hand, actuate the slide lock to release the slide, and slowly ride the slide forward. The slide must not hit the round lest the extractor jumps over the case rim; this damages the case and could break the extractor.

3. Allow the round to be partially extracted:
When the slide nears the round--which is fully chambered--I slowly raise the front of the pistol, where the muzzle is pointing up and the barrel forms an approximate 45 degree angle with the floor, until the round starts to slide out of the chamber.

4. Re-chamber:
As gravity is unchambering the round, I manipulate the slide and the angle of the pistol to where the extrator will naturaly go around the rim. Once the extractor has a grip on the case, I let it slide forward until home.

Holy shit. That sounds like a pain in the ass.
I read the original post up there and just told my guys when they clear (for cleaning, maintenance, the fobbits who freak out because you actually carry hot) don't put the same round straight back in the chamber, M9 OR M4. Last time I was in the dirt I put the same round back in the top of the magazine every time I cleared, obviously I was lucky and didn't have a failure.

[Bell]

I really wasn't gonna say anyting on this thread. But after reading all of the posts I'm wondering who taught...damn. See? Maybe I shouldn't say anything.

The truth is, I read the first post and thought ok, cool, keep em up. Then the following posts made me realize something. I think I'm the only guy that never chambered a round the second time.

It's like putting on yer pants every morning. You don't even think about it. It's something we all do. That's how I am about chambering a round. My Grandad and my Dad both taught me that you NEVER use that round again. You always fire it. It's not even a thought in my head. If I chamber a round I'll fire it before I get home. On rare occasions I have been known to toss the round in the brush before getting in the truck. Uuuuhh...didn't wanna clean the weapon again for one shot. In the military we always fired all our rounds anyway. I've always discarded a chambered round.

So, reading this thread makes me wonder what happened to the lesson? Dad, who was a DI in WWII said they taught that in basics. Never!!!! Load a round twice. Once it's chambered it's fired. I've always done that. NOW I know why. I never thought about it before. Just did it.

RLTW
Bell

[SpongeBob]

I am a Signal TURD so they don't even give me blanks...

[skyshark91]

I'm going to look, but is there an official release for this. If so, I would really like to bring it to the academy this week.

Where can I find the Release? Like to show this at work and will need official information. Is there any OE's out on this?

[Feetasshead]

I am a Signal TURD so they don't even give me blanks...

Thats because the grunts know you are behind them and they don't want you to put one in their backs.
Stick to your smoke signals and fancy radio magic.

[gunsmittys]

this is especially true with the 40 short and weak. By design the case is not as strong as a 9mm...the case is a straight wall...not tampered like 9mm or even 10mm. This means the web of the case is left unsupported in most duty guns...hence the failure when the case pressure goes up from this unintentional shorting of the OAL. Making this issue even worse is the high CUP that the 40 S&W works are...nearly 3X that of a 45ACP and over half again as much as a 9mm.

Have seen the results first hand in a Glock 35 that only had duty ammo shot through it...gun was trashed. Fortunately no one was hurt. Glock and Federal fought over who was at fault for nealry a yaer before the officer got a new pistol....Both assumed blame