My Glock and I Are on the Outs

[SuckLead]

I can't believe I keep doing this to myself, but I went to the range today for a little quality time with my Glock and I almost left it there.

It isn't the gun's fault, I don't think, I think it was the ammo. Here's what happened. I got my first jam in the gun. I'm not sure what the heck happened, the round chambered, but the gun didn't appear to cock. It felt that way, anyway. It may not have fully chambered. So I dropped the magazine and ejected the round (it didn't eject right, it sort of plopped down the mag well instead). I inspected it, it looked fine, so I put it back in the mag and decided to try it again. That apparently wasn't a good idea. It fired that time but the explosion that came out of the gun threw the gun clear out of my hands and into the wall behind me and knocked me off balance. I picked it up, dropped the mag, cleared it, and walked off the range leaving the gun in the stall (with the rest of my belongings).

When I got out into the store, one employee and both owners were standing there looking at me. "What just happened?!" So I explained and the two owners went out to have a look at the gun.

They came back a few minutes later and didn't seem too concerned. I gave myself a few minutes to breath then went back and decided I had to shoot the gun again or I was in for the months and months of rehab like I had with my Sig. I didn't want to start over again. So I loaded it up, aimed, and stood there with the gun aimed for ten minutes because I was convinced if I pulled the trigger the gun would explode. So I finally squeezed the trigger, but shut my eyes when I did.

By the time I left I was shooting one handed and back in the game with an actual group. But now tonight I was cleaning it up and everything I looked at I couldn't remember from any other time I'd opened up a Glock, so I was thinking something is wrong. I think this whole event messed with my head pretty badly. I'm going to ask a Glock armorer tomorrow to inspect it so I can hear from someone who knows better that the gun is fine. But does anyone have any idea on how I can get over this now? I think that months of rehab is again going to be called for. I guess the IDPA matches have to stop for a while. I'm afraid of my gun.

I think I'm going to buy another revolver next time.

[JSnover]

Sounds like it didn't go into battery. If it ran normal after that, it's probably ok but it still wouldn't be wrong to have someone look it over. Good luck.

[SuckLead]

I managed to get about 40 rounds through it after that before I ran out of ammo. I'm having the armorer look it over mostly for my own sanity. I haven't had the best luck with semi-autos and can get skittish.

[Mooseman684]

Remember, my previous post about catastrophic Failure of Glocks when you re-chamber a round several times, and it pushes the bullet back in the case, causing Higher pressures ???
I wonder if this is what happened...
Rich

[SuckLead]

Hm. I didn't even think of that. I guess that could be what happened. Would cause that kind of reaction in the gun? I have never lost control of my gun and had it fly out of my hands before. It was very unnerving.

[ouch]

SuckL
So what happened? You need to add some data.

What brand of ammo had you shot? Had you shot bullets from this box before today? What were the results? Were these lead bullets or jacketed. Did you shoot lead bullets last time?

Had you cleaned your weapon after you shot it last time.

When you chamber a round do you just bump the slide release and let the slide slam the round into the chamber or do you let your slide down by hand and let it close easy?

Quality time with a Glock is a good thing.

I never heard about the problems with your Sig. Do you have a reference to it?

Originally Posted by SuckLead

I can't believe I keep doing this to myself, but I went to the range today for a little quality time with my Glock and I almost left it there.

It isn't the gun's fault, I don't think, I think it was the ammo. Here's what happened. I got my first jam in the gun. I'm not sure what the heck happened, the round chambered, but the gun didn't appear to cock. It felt that way, anyway. It may not have fully chambered. So I dropped the magazine and ejected the round (it didn't eject right, it sort of plopped down the mag well instead). I inspected it, it looked fine, so I put it back in the mag and decided to try it again. That apparently wasn't a good idea. It fired that time but the explosion that came out of the gun threw the gun clear out of my hands and into the wall behind me and knocked me off balance. I picked it up, dropped the mag, cleared it, and walked off the range leaving the gun in the stall (with the rest of my belongings).

When I got out into the store, one employee and both owners were standing there looking at me. "What just happened?!" So I explained and the two owners went out to have a look at the gun.

They came back a few minutes later and didn't seem too concerned. I gave myself a few minutes to breath then went back and decided I had to shoot the gun again or I was in for the months and months of rehab like I had with my Sig. I didn't want to start over again. So I loaded it up, aimed, and stood there with the gun aimed for ten minutes because I was convinced if I pulled the trigger the gun would explode. So I finally squeezed the trigger, but shut my eyes when I did.

By the time I left I was shooting one handed and back in the game with an actual group. But now tonight I was cleaning it up and everything I looked at I couldn't remember from any other time I'd opened up a Glock, so I was thinking something is wrong. I think this whole event messed with my head pretty badly. I'm going to ask a Glock armorer tomorrow to inspect it so I can hear from someone who knows better that the gun is fine. But does anyone have any idea on how I can get over this now? I think that months of rehab is again going to be called for. I guess the IDPA matches have to stop for a while. I'm afraid of my gun.

I think I'm going to buy another revolver next time.

[Mooseman684]

Originally Posted by SuckLead

Hm. I didn't even think of that. I guess that could be what happened. Would cause that kind of reaction in the gun? I have never lost control of my gun and had it fly out of my hands before. It was very unnerving.

That is what caused 2 Glocks to blow up, and come apart...very unnerving, and can cause injuries to the shooter...Make sure the Armorer checks the barrel and chamber for a bulge, especially at the rear of the Chamber...One of Our State Troopers bulged one !
Rich

[SuckLead]

I will. Thanks! I didn't feel any bulges or anything when I was cleaning it tonight, the barrel looked uneffected. But I'll have him take a look, too.

Also, I got 40 rounds out after this happened (I cracked the gun open before continuing on, didn't see a barrel issue then, either). A bulge in the barrel would have caused problems, no? Or is something I could have worked around and could have issues with later?

[ArkansasHunter]

I would almost bet a 100 bucks that is what happened to your Glock. What Moose said. A.H

[SuckLead]

Originally Posted by ouch

SuckL
So what happened? You need to add some data.
What brand of ammo had you shot? Had you shot bullets from this box before today? What were the results? Were these lead bullets or jacketed. Did you shoot lead bullets last time?
Had you cleaned your weapon after you shot it last time.
When you chamber a round do you just bump the slide release and let the slide slam the round into the chamber or do you let your slide down by hand and let it close easy?
Quality time with a Glock is a good thing.
I never heard about the problems with your Sig. Do you have a reference to it?

The ammo was from Georgia Arms and I'd put 150 rounds of it through prior to today. I've even used it at IDPA matches. Haven't used that specific bag of ammo before, but they were all from the same batch. Factory loads, too. No problems at all. The rounds were jacketed. All I put through the gun is jacketed rounds.

I did clean it after the last time I used it.

I've been slamming the slide home by hand. I have trouble using the release on the gun, so I have taken to just grabbing the slide and letting it fly.

No, I never mentioned it, I don't think anyway. It wasn't so much an issue with what the Sig did, it was more of what the casing did after it bounced off the wall. It got behind my glasses and burned my eye and eyelid pretty good. It took months upon months before I was able to force my eyes to stay open when shooting it. I still occassionally close my eyes when I pull the trigger, but not as often. And I only do it with the Sig, not my Bersa or my Glock and certainly not my revolver.

[DWARREN123]

Sounds like you have a plan and everything in hand. I have never had a problem like that but it would cause me some concern.
Stay safe and have fun.

[toolman]

SL, I'd suggest sticking with actual factory ammo (Rem., Win., Fed., S&B, Mag-Tech, etc. To my knowledge, Georgia Arms is a small reloader who MAY be having production problems. This isn't certain, but ammo causes more gun probs. than the gun itself. If you want to gain real confidence, look into reloading your own ammo. You are in control of your ammo and, if you do your job, you KNOW it's right, . A common problem with the smaller reloaders is that demand for cheap ammo quickly outstrips a 1-2 man operation and inexperienced "help" gets hired and quality suffers. I'd guess that you ended up with a round that was overcharged or had a bullet seated way too deep, causing a pressure spike. As in riding horses, the only cure is to get back in the saddle. I'm not a Glock fan, but the issue you had is not the gun, it's an ammo issue.

[SuckLead]

Originally Posted by toolman

SL, I'd suggest sticking with actual factory ammo (Rem., Win., Fed., S&B, Mag-Tech, etc. To my knowledge, Georgia Arms is a small reloader who MAY be having production problems. This isn't certain, but ammo causes more gun probs. than the gun itself. If you want to gain real confidence, look into reloading your own ammo. You are in control of your ammo and, if you do your job, you KNOW it's right, . A common problem with the smaller reloaders is that demand for cheap ammo quickly outstrips a 1-2 man operation and inexperienced "help" gets hired and quality suffers. I'd guess that you ended up with a round that was overcharged or had a bullet seated way too deep, causing a pressure spike.

My first thought was that it was overcharged. I don't know why. I was always a little leary of Georgia Arms, but I never had any problems with them before. I even use their "cowboy loads" for SASS meets.

I'm going to be stocking up in the near future at Dick's, so I'll have "real" ammo from here out.

[Mooseman684]

If you have the casings you fired AFTER the incident, examine them Closely for a bulge just forward of the rim about 3/16 inch on 1 side...This is where it will most likely bulge the Barrel due to overpressure on the weakest part of the rear of the chamber...You are lucky that the slide didn't blow off if it was an overpressure round. And suggestion , use the shooters glasses that also cover back to your forehead for flying shell casings...Yikes,and cover the Cleavage !
Rich

[SuckLead]

Originally Posted by Mooseman684

If you have the casings you fired AFTER the incident, examine them Closely for a bulge just forward of the rim about 3/16 inch on 1 side...This is where it will most likely bulge the Barrel due to overpressure on the weakest part of the rear of the chamber...You are lucky that the slide didn't blow off if it was an overpressure round. And suggestion , use the shooters glasses that also cover back to your forehead for flying shell casings...Yikes,and cover the Cleavage !
Rich

Unfortunetly, I swept them up and disgarded them at the range. The ones I picked up by hand I don't remember seeing a bulge, but I didn't examine closely, either. I've had bulged rounds come out of my Sig before a few times, and I noticed them right away. I didn't see anything similar here. Not that I couldn't have missed something.

Oh, yeah, been cleavage burned. I nice scar from that. I tend to wear normal t-shirts to the range these days.

I'm heading over to dreamland, I'll let you all know what the Glock armorer has to say if he has a chance to look the gun over. Thanks for all the help!

[Mooseman684]

Let us know the Results, Nite nite for now !
Rich

[jerry]

Glad your ok. Have your weapon checked as recommended. Sorry to hear of your bad experience. Now, I'm not picking on ya, but heres a bit of humor

[toolman]

LOL, that's the best cartoon I've ever seen, Jer!

[Bravo]

Sorry to hear about your incident. How many rounds have you put through your glock thus far? This is your .45acp Glock, right?

I've got about 800 rounds in my S&W M&P, and thankfully nothing has ever happened (no FTF's or FTE's). If something like this happened though, I would probably be scared to death as well.

I hope the gun is fine, and I hope you become confident again in shooting it.

On a side note, Jerry, that comic is great.

[neophyte]

SuckLead: Ma'am do follow up.
Thankfully you weren't hurt. Any information about what the 'armorer' suggest would be good.
Thanks