Hot load leaves case in chamber

J

JKilbreth

New member
So I had a blowout on my very favorite gun. I know people warn about shooting reloads in a Glock, but I don't think my problem is related to that necessarily.
Glock warnings aside, here's my issue:

I think I either had a hot load, or a light load followed by a hot load that resulted in my pistol firing itself right out of my hand. The magazine is destroyed, the extractor and magazine release are MIA, and there's a half a casing stuck in my chamber (the back/base of the casing ruptured from the rest of the case and left the straight wall portion of the case in the chamber of the barrel.

I reload .40S&W for my Glock 23. I use Berry's plated 180gr bullets, CCI 500 primers, and ~4.5grs of TITEGroup on my Dillon 550.

Question is, how do you get a stuck case out of a barrel? Is there a disolvent or acid that's made for this purpose? Should I try to scrape it out? And if so, what tool could I use that won't scratch or scar the barrel?

Thanks in advance, folks!
 
R

reynolds357

New member
You can drive it out with a small chisel if you are careful. I would probably re-barrel. I definitely would not shoot that one without x-raying it or magnafluxing it.
 
R

Ribcracker

New member
Sounds like your load was double charged. That sometimes happens with progressive presses when something hangs up and you have to fiddle with it. You can't look in the case mouth to verify powder levels when using a progressive.
When it happened to me with my RCBS Piggyback, the load cracked the frame of my Kahr P-40.
I was able to get the blown case out by forcing a thin awl between the case and chamber wall and then using needle nose pliers to pull it out.
Unfortunately, the P-40 was a goner. I hope that's not the case with your Glock.
 
J

jepp2

New member
Since the coefficient of thermal expansion is much greater for brass than steel, you might try putting the barrel in the freezer for a couple of hours and see if that helps removing what remains of the case.
 
J

jeager106

Moderator
I think maybe you sshould send the Glock back to an authorized repair service
& have it rebuilt & pay for a new barrel.
Do you really want to trust a barrel that's been through that?
I had an H&K USP .45 come unglued in my hand that was a catastrophic blow
up & was totaled.
OUCH!
 
J

jimbob86

Moderator
First, let me say that I am glad you were not hurt.

That said........

Carnac the Magnificent said: "The Envelope Please ........ (holds hermeticly sealed envelope to his ridiculous turban) ......

"How to blow up a Glock."

(opens envelope theatrically, reads: )



I reload .40S&W for my Glock 23. I use Berry's plated 180gr bullets, CCI 500 primers, and ~4.5grs of TITEGroup on my Dillon 550.
Click to expand...

Ta-Dahhhhhhhhhhh!

As soon as I read
I know people warn about shooting reloads in a Glock,
Click to expand...
my mind said to me, "It's a .40, and he's using Titegroup or Titewad, and either plated or lead bullets on a progressive press" ...... my mind is prescient, it is.....


Guys pick these fast, non-bulky powders for .40S&W because they think they can save some money because they get more charges to the pound of powder ..... it's penny wise and pound foolish when you add in the cost of the Kaboomed guns ...... you gotta shoot a whole lot of reloads to save enough to replace a gun....

As I've said before on this topic, I don't know a lot of shooters personally ...... but in this small group, two have blown up Glock handguns with reloads ..... both were .40 cal Glocks, fed Titegroup and el-cheapo bullets loaded on progressive equipment .....

In a year or so, someone will put a similar post (My Glock Blew Up!, maybe), and I'll try to think of a new and entertaining way to give the same answer: Don't do that ......

I'm not saying that Glocks are bad due to the polygonal rifling and semi-supported chambers, or that fast powders can't be used in big cases due to load density issues (both positional spiking and possibility of double charges), or that progressives mean more chances for errors to not get noticed when loading ..... but all these things add risks ....... do all them and ...... well ..... you can wonder all you want about which of the above was the last straw, but the camel's back will stay broken. I'm glad the beast in question was not mine.

The gun and barrel? I would save it as a reminder of an expensive lesson.
 
S

Sure Shot Mc Gee

New member
If you intend to drive it or try to hook it or however. Thick piece of Brass welding rod will do quite nicely. I've had a couple case separations in one particular rifle. (300 sav) Had good luck more than once with just a un- tipped cleaning rod shoved thru the barrel from its muzzle end. When I tried to dig them out from the breech end I had a terrible time removing the remaining brass from up against its chamber wall. For that purpose I used a long bladed very small (flat blade) screwdriver. And did score my barrel's chamber a little.
 
C

Clark

New member
When I started reloading I tried to work up every powder and every bullet in 9mm until it blew up.

I got real tired of replacing the extractor, extractor pin, extractor spring, hold open, magazine follower, magazine spring, magazine bottom plate, etc.

I learned that when I see a case bulge in a work up...whoa! stop! back off that load...it's getting too hot.

That saved a lot of time, and now I have a lot of extra parts in stock I never seem to need any more.

Sometimes a loaded round would get stuck in a gun. I put the slide in the bench vise and pushed hard on the grip.. and voila.. the action opened.

I have never had the brass weld to the bolt face nor the chamber, but I know other guys who have. They machined it off.
 
S

steve4102

New member
jimbob86 said:
Ta-Dahhhhhhhhhhh!

As soon as I read
Quote:
I know people warn about shooting reloads in a Glock,
my mind said to me, "It's a .40, and he's using Titegroup or Titewad, and either plated or lead bullets on a progressive press" ...... my mind is prescient, it is.....


Guys pick these fast, non-bulky powders for .40S&W because they think they can save some money because they get more charges to the pound of powder ..... it's penny wise and pound foolish when you add in the cost of the Kaboomed guns ...... you gotta shoot a whole lot of reloads to save enough to replace a gun....
Click to expand...

Yup, Titegroup strikes again. Just about every time we read about a KB in a Glock it's the 40 and it's Titegroup.
 
J

JKilbreth

New member
That said........

Carnac the Magnificent said: "The Envelope Please ........ (holds hermeticly sealed envelope to his ridiculous turban) ......

"How to blow up a Glock."

(opens envelope theatrically, reads: )



Quote:
I reload .40S&W for my Glock 23. I use Berry's plated 180gr bullets, CCI 500 primers, and ~4.5grs of TITEGroup on my Dillon 550.
Ta-Dahhhhhhhhhhh!

As soon as I read
Quote:
I know people warn about shooting reloads in a Glock,
my mind said to me, "It's a .40, and he's using Titegroup or Titewad, and either plated or lead bullets on a progressive press" ...... my mind is prescient, it is.....


Guys pick these fast, non-bulky powders for .40S&W because they think they can save some money because they get more charges to the pound of powder ..... it's penny wise and pound foolish when you add in the cost of the Kaboomed guns ...... you gotta shoot a whole lot of reloads to save enough to replace a gun....

As I've said before on this topic, I don't know a lot of shooters personally ...... but in this small group, two have blown up Glock handguns with reloads ..... both were .40 cal Glocks, fed Titegroup and el-cheapo bullets loaded on progressive equipment .....

In a year or so, someone will put a similar post (My Glock Blew Up!, maybe), and I'll try to think of a new and entertaining way to give the same answer: Don't do that ......

I'm not saying that Glocks are bad due to the polygonal rifling and semi-supported chambers, or that fast powders can't be used in big cases due to load density issues (both positional spiking and possibility of double charges), or that progressives mean more chances for errors to not get noticed when loading ..... but all these things add risks ....... do all them and ...... well ..... you can wonder all you want about which of the above was the last straw, but the camel's back will stay broken. I'm glad the beast in question was not mine.

The gun and barrel? I would save it as a reminder of an expensive lesson.
Click to expand...

Thank you for that entertaining assault on my character. However, if I had wanted advice on my reloading techniques, I would've asked for them.

What I'm asking for his advice on how to get brass out of the chamber. Perhaps my reloading techniques are in error, but that's my call to make. I take the risks when I undertake the task of reloading.

Thanks to all who've given helpful suggestions on the brass/barrel issue. I think I will try to freezer method.

Just for the record, I sent all the parts of the pistol to a Glock and they have assured me that while they do not warranty the repairs, the pistol will still be functional with a replaced magazine, extractor, and magazine release.

Every incident, good or bad serves as a lesson to be learned.
 
S

steve4102

New member
I don't think anyone assaulted you or your character, just trying to help you understand the risks involved with your particular loads. If you continue using the same powder/bullet/pistol combo, odds are you will be down this road again.

Carry on, it's your pistol and your body parts.
 
J

jimbob86

Moderator
Thank you for that entertaining assault on my character. However, if I had wanted advice on my reloading techniques, I would've asked for them.
Click to expand...

This was not an assault on your character(you may be a pillar of your communitiy for all I know), nor was it condemning how you choose to reload.

It was just an observation that Glocks chambered in .40S&W, fed handloads with a fast powder and lead/plated bullets going to Splodeyville is a recurring theme, and maybe if someone reads about it, they can avoid your current troubles. You said it yourself:

Every incident, good or bad serves as a lesson to be learned.
Click to expand...

I'd like to add this:

Not everybody needs to blow up their own gun to learn from this.
 
S

Sarge

New member
The portion of the case remaining in your chamber, should be easily removed with a dental pick or similar implement.
 
C

Clark

New member
The late gunsmith Randy Ketchum used to get stuck cases out with a hammer, a cleaning rod, and an oversized bronze brush that did not want to reverse direction.
 
T

totaldla

New member
If the freezer trick doesn't work, try putting the barrel in the oven and warming it up to 200 degrees or so and then spraying a little water on the just the brass. You can also just pound a bullet through from the muzzle, but that seems like more work.
 
Z

zxcvbob

New member
I had a stuck case after a head separation in a .30 Carbine revolver. Could not get it out with the bronze brush trick. Took it to a gunsmith and I think he used Cerrosafe -- it was wedged in too tight for anything else. I've since bought a broken case extractor, but I hope to never need it again.

If you can find the right size tap, you might can thread that into the case, then drift it out with a 3/8" brass rod from the muzzle.
 
M

madmo44mag

New member
Turn a tap into the broke brass case 3 - 4 turns and then clamp the tape in a vise and then take a bock of wood and tap the barrel off the broken case and tap.
 
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