View Full Version : Glock 21 Pistol Explodes In Deputy's Hand
Ranger353
12-15-2009, 15:08
I had not heard anything on this story last week, a friend sent me the link to the local TV station in W.VA. Interesting story, I wonder if Glock will release the results of what went wrong to the public.
http://www.wtov9.com/news/21866969/detail.html
"The Glock 21 Marshall County Chief Deputy Kevin Cecil was handling looked like any other gun. But he pointed out there was no trigger, the gun was cracked and the small metal pins were missing. “The firearm that one of our officers was using exploded on him," Cecil said. Cecil said a Marshall County officer was shooting at the range Tuesday morning when his service weapon literally blew up in his hand during a round of fire. "The weapon went to the ground, the range officers were yelling for cease-fires," he said. Cecil says it was the first time the .45-caliber pistol had ever been used. "All that energy blew out on the top of his hand. And that's where his injuries are," Cecil said. The deputy is now recovering at home. He's still undergoing testing to find out the severity of his injuries. The chief believes bad ammunition caused this bizarre accident, but he's looking into it further. "We have talked to the pistol manufacturer, the distributor, the ammo manufacturer and distributor," he said. The chief has never seen a weapon malfunction this serious and he said he hopes to never see anything like this again."
Copyright 2009 by wtov9.com (steunews@wtov9.com). All rights reserved.
Haha, slow news day West Virgina?
Says it could've been the ammo... reloads or a 20 year factory stockpile?! lol. There are SO many Glocks out there that it's bound to happen sooner or later. I've heard of a few 1911 platforms having this sort of failure as well. I'm also interested in what the conclusions both the CLEO and Glock will come too. Hope my 21 never fails like that, lol.
That is why I don't own a glock. I hear about 10:1 blowup stories of glocks compared to other guns.
That is why I don't own a glock. I hear about 10:1 blowup stories of glocks compared to other guns.
Don't think it's cause there may be a 10:1 ratio of glocks versus other firearms on teh market?
I usually hear the same story just twenty times. I wonder if there are states for firearm malfunctions listings somewhere... Time for some googlfu.
iamhunter
12-15-2009, 15:48
That is why I don't own a glock. I hear about 10:1 blowup stories of glocks compared to other guns.
What you "Hear" is largely unfounded and the spread of misinformed, biased, and otherwise idiotic Glock haters.
The TRUTH is that glocks are some of the most street tested and reliable guns on the market. If you don't like them, you don't like them, but it don't say they're not reliable or they don't shoot well, because they do.
The number of glocks used and shot on a daily basis probably exceeds that of any other pistol by a factor of 10 or more.
People say "Oh I saw my friends glock jam" or "oh my friend this.." or whatever.
Until you have personally held a glock that has "blown up" or had a FTF or FTE in your hand, please stop saying "Oh i hear so many glock horror stories blah blah blah" because they are just that.
STORIES.
Accidents like this are bound to happen from time to time. They (and I) suspect bad ammo. but who knows, it could've been poor forging or a bad frame. It's bound to happen with the millions of guns you have on the market, and glocks tend to go under alot more stress and use than your typical handgun due to their widespread LEO application.
I don't own any glocks, and typically prefer other manufacturers for certain cosmetic and functional features, but I grew up shooting my Dad's glocks, and it upsets me to see people unwarrantedly bashing what truely is a great pistol.
I've had a Glock 17 FTE on me a bunch of times. It was just from limp wristing though, so it doesn't really count in my opinion. Even though my own gun wouldn't FTE under the same scenario. The owner of that same Glock said it best when I sent him some picture of an exploded Glock, "It's a man made machine, you can't really expect it to never break or malfunction." This goes for all guns in my opinion. When ever I see a thread about a gun blowing up, the brand never matters, because you can find a similar thread for a gun of literally every manufacturer out there. I do get a kick out of the closet haters that crawl out of the wood work and say silly things though like, "That right there is why I'll never own a Smith & Wesson. Every single model is a ticking time bomb!" <- I got that from the thread where the guy blew up that revolver on the second shot.
Lol... I have a G19, 21, 26, and 31... never had a single issue with any. My dad has had a glock 19 and 21 for who knows how long and he has yet to have ANY malfunction. I'm a Glock lover and supporter.
But as previously said, with teh sheer amount of them out there, it's bound to happen.
That is why I don't own a glock. I hear about 10:1 blowup stories of glocks compared to other guns.
you're missing out. glocks are awesome.
and you can buy two for what a nickle plated sissy pistol will cost ya.
Don't think it's cause there may be a 10:1 ratio of glocks versus other firearms on teh market?
I usually hear the same story just twenty times. I wonder if there are states for firearm malfunctions listings somewhere... Time for some googlfu.
There are more 1911's I am sure. you don't hear about them blowing up all the time.
It is usually a monthly thread on ar15.com about a glock blowing up.
What you "Hear" is largely unfounded and the spread of misinformed, biased, and otherwise idiotic Glock haters.
The TRUTH is that glocks are some of the most street tested and reliable guns on the market. If you don't like them, you don't like them, but it don't say they're not reliable or they don't shoot well, because they do.
The number of glocks used and shot on a daily basis probably exceeds that of any other pistol by a factor of 10 or more.
People say "Oh I saw my friends glock jam" or "oh my friend this.." or whatever.
Until you have personally held a glock that has "blown up" or had a FTF or FTE in your hand, please stop saying "Oh i hear so many glock horror stories blah blah blah" because they are just that.
STORIES.
Accidents like this are bound to happen from time to time. They (and I) suspect bad ammo. but who knows, it could've been poor forging or a bad frame. It's bound to happen with the millions of guns you have on the market, and glocks tend to go under alot more stress and use than your typical handgun due to their widespread LEO application.
I don't own any glocks, and typically prefer other manufacturers for certain cosmetic and functional features, but I grew up shooting my Dad's glocks, and it upsets me to see people unwarrantedly bashing what truely is a great pistol.
I have shot glocks, handled them and they functioned alright, but they are still working on old polymer technology. the new SA XD series are much better IMO from a shooters standpoint, a feel in the hand standpoint and overall reliability standpoint.
Even Rugers new line of pistols are better than a glock IMO.
that is just me though, it is my opinion and I am not out to bash glocks but you do hear a lot more stories of a glock blowing up, especially the .40 cal versions.
I've had a Glock 17 FTE on me a bunch of times. It was just from limp wristing though, so it doesn't really count in my opinion. Even though my own gun wouldn't FTE under the same scenario. The owner of that same Glock said it best when I sent him some picture of an exploded Glock, "It's a man made machine, you can't really expect it to never break or malfunction." This goes for all guns in my opinion. When ever I see a thread about a gun blowing up, the brand never matters, because you can find a similar thread for a gun of literally every manufacturer out there. I do get a kick out of the closet haters that crawl out of the wood work and say silly things though like, "That right there is why I'll never own a Smith & Wesson. Every single model is a ticking time bomb!" <- I got that from the thread where the guy blew up that revolver on the second shot.
I would still blame the gun in that situation. that means something is wrong. what if you are an injured cop and can only limp wrist your pistol to save your life. all of a sudden a FTE happens and you are toast.
Personally, I think that the reason there are so many threads about Glocks blowing up, is because there are even more nut swingers acting like Glock is the only pistol that even exists. Few incidences that are just highlighted by the community. Kind of like news reporting on rapes like it is a brand new crime and hasn't been happening every day for the last 5,000 years.
MichiganMilitia
12-15-2009, 17:26
Personally, I think that the reason there are so many threads about Glocks blowing up, is because there are even more nut swingers acting like Glock is the only pistol that even exists. Few incidences that are just highlighted by the community. Kind of like news reporting on rapes like it is a brand new crime and hasn't been happening every day for the last 5,000 years.
I absolutely agree with this. Fanboys are just annoying.
In this case, I don't think it was the gun. I belive it was the ammo. If you watch the video, one will see that the frame below the slide is blown out. I've noticed that Glocks have quite a bit of unsupported case area. This looks to me like a doubble charged round. It would have been nice to have recovered the case.
I'm not an expert, but this isn't the reason I won't own a Glock. Well maybe I would.
Any body have a doner Glock that we can send some "proof" rounds through? :)
Rob
iamhunter
12-15-2009, 17:35
I have shot glocks, handled them and they functioned alright, but they are still working on old polymer technology. the new SA XD series are much better IMO from a shooters standpoint, a feel in the hand standpoint and overall reliability standpoint.
Even Rugers new line of pistols are better than a glock IMO.
that is just me though, it is my opinion and I am not out to bash glocks but you do hear a lot more stories of a glock blowing up, especially the .40 cal versions.
I personally like XD better as well....
Like the above posters said there is a lot of Glock loving "nutswingers" but there is also alot of 1911 nuthugging Glock haters.
Whether you like Glocks or not, they are a very solid, highly functional and reliable pistol.
Whether you like 1911s or not, they are also a very solid, highly functional and reliable pistol.
Saying that one or the other sucks because you happen to not like it is ignorant.
(none of this is in any way referring to you sniper7, I'm just commenting on the handgun community as a whole)
Just a reminder,,into the waaay back machine, ;)
.
When in the Corps, we did the transition from the 1911A1 to the M9 Beretta,M92.
Well we had a few slides fly off,cracked frames. Hands scarred and even a few teeth extracted via flying slides.
All later was due to the fact the Corps got a great deal on IMI TZZ ammo.
Made for Uzis,kinda hot for those M9s.
Personally, I can't think of a factory gun I'd be afraid to own, let alone shoot.
BPTactical
12-15-2009, 17:45
When I went through the Armorers school for Glock Ka-booms were discussed. Prevailing cause was the fact of people shooting cast lead bullets from the polygonal rifled barrel. It will cause a pressure spike and can cause the barrel to fail...........
Bailey Guns
12-15-2009, 17:48
What you "Hear" is largely unfounded and the spread of misinformed, biased, and otherwise idiotic Glock haters.
The TRUTH is that glocks are some of the most street tested and reliable guns on the market. If you don't like them, you don't like them, but it don't say they're not reliable or they don't shoot well, because they do.
The number of glocks used and shot on a daily basis probably exceeds that of any other pistol by a factor of 10 or more.
People say "Oh I saw my friends glock jam" or "oh my friend this.." or whatever.
Until you have personally held a glock that has "blown up" or had a FTF or FTE in your hand, please stop saying "Oh i hear so many glock horror stories blah blah blah" because they are just that.
STORIES.
Accidents like this are bound to happen from time to time. They (and I) suspect bad ammo. but who knows, it could've been poor forging or a bad frame. It's bound to happen with the millions of guns you have on the market, and glocks tend to go under alot more stress and use than your typical handgun due to their widespread LEO application.
I don't own any glocks, and typically prefer other manufacturers for certain cosmetic and functional features, but I grew up shooting my Dad's glocks, and it upsets me to see people unwarrantedly bashing what truely is a great pistol.
I agree about unwarranted bashing of Glocks or any other brand of gun. But for you to simply pull numbers out of the air (or somewhere else) is just as bad. I doubt Glock numbers exceed "any other" pistol by a factor of 10 to 1. There are handguns out there that have been in continuous production for nearly a hundred years. Let's try to keep the issue in perspective
I own and frequently carry a Glock 17, I've owned several Glocks in the past and I've carried them on duty for a number of years. They are generally extremely reliable guns. But they've also got a history of problems. Granted, most firearms companies do. But some of Glocks issues are, as of yet, unresolved. Glock also tends to keep a pretty tight lid on issues with their guns. Many police agencies, some large, some small, have in the past transitioned to Glocks with bad results. It seems the biggest problems have been with the .40SW Model 22.
My personal experiences with Glock problems:
Got rid of a Model 21 carried on duty after a year because it wouldn't feed in cold weather. I tried various methods of lubrication, ammo etc... It was terrible when the temp got below freezing. Since it was a duty gun, it went bye-bye in favor of a Sig P220.
Had a Model 22 empty a magazine on a qualification day. First round fired on the qual course with 15 rounds loaded. Dumped the mag completely full-auto. We never could duplicate that. I just replaced the trigger w/trigger bar and never had any other issues.
I also owned a gun store for 8 years and experienced a few issues with Glock pistols...mostly minor.Here's a link to "The Gun Zone" and a page devoted almost entirely to Glock problems. And before anyone says Dean Spier is anti-Glock, he isn't. He just documents the problems and makes fun of the "Glocks are Perfection" zealots.
http://www.thegunzone.com/glock/gt2004.html
There's a lot of information there so it may take a while to work through everything. Don't ignore the sidebars, either....lotsa good stuff. And it's not Glock bashing. Spier generally just reports the facts and has plenty of documentation to back up what he says. When an issue arises and it's not the fault of the gun or design, he'll be the first to say so.
BPTactical
12-15-2009, 17:53
Had a Model 22 empty a magazine on a qualification day. First round fired on the qual course with 15 rounds loaded. Dumped the mag completely full-auto. We never could duplicate that. I just replaced the trigger w/trigger bar and never had any other issues.
That one raised some eyebrows eh?
[Beer]
I would have just set the pistol down and said, "I don't fuck around on qualification day. Who's next?"
lol
ryanek9freak
12-15-2009, 17:59
Yeah no shit, bet you had to check your pants after that one. I've shot a full auto Glock 18, but if you're not expecting it? fuck!!
I have a G19 and I experienced my first FTE last week at the range. I have two factory 15 round magazines and two aftermarket 15 round magazines. Guess which ones I left at home with the hollowpoints in and which ones I took to the range :rolleyes:
Bailey Guns
12-15-2009, 18:12
It happened so FAST that I didn't immediately realize what had happened. I just kinda stood there for a second after the target turned with a "Uh...WTF?" kind of expression. The guy next to me got hammered with brass!
Lol, I like how they say the gun "exploded". Really, which part of the gun exactly has explosives in it? The media never makes a distinction between the ammo and the weapon.
GreenScoutII
12-15-2009, 19:06
You know, I'm not a glock fan. Thats not because I think theres anything wrong with them, I just personally don't care for the ergonomics or trigger. Some guys like em' and shoot them well. Hell, I'll probably be buying one in 9mm for my wife soon. She shot my cousins and loved it.
I'm more of a Sig-Sauer guy myself, but hell, a fellow could almost buy two Glocks for the price of one Sig these days.
There are countless thousands of Glocks out there in use by police departments and civilians alike. Occasionally, theres going to be a bad one. Just like with automobiles. Even Mercedes Benz makes a lemon now and then.[LOL]
SA Friday
12-15-2009, 19:13
It happened so FAST that I didn't immediately realize what had happened. I just kinda stood there for a second after the target turned with a "Uh...WTF?" kind of expression. The guy next to me got hammered with brass!
That, more than likely, was a stuck firing pin stop. It jams the firing pin out and off-to-the-races you go. Ironically, after it stops shooting, the lack of chambering a round can pop the firing pin stop back in place and everything looks GTG. If you look at the striker, you will see it's worn from rubbing the firing pin stop and if replaced with a new striker and ensuring the stop is installed correctly, will work just fine.
I seen lots of 1911's and 2011's kaboom. I've seen one glock kaboom. I've seen one revolver kaboom. It's never the gun and almost always the ammo/reloader.
I'll kick all your asses with a Glock.
BTW, Bob Vogel and Dave Sevigny dominated two divisions in the last USPSA Nationals this year both shooting Glocks, so did the high lady in two divisions. Glock pistols win title after title every year in the hands of some of the best shooters in the world. They can't be all that bad.
Troublco
12-15-2009, 19:34
Just a reminder,,into the waaay back machine, ;)
.
When in the Corps, we did the transition from the 1911A1 to the M9 Beretta,M92.
Well we had a few slides fly off,cracked frames. Hands scarred and even a few teeth extracted via flying slides.
All later was due to the fact the Corps got a great deal on IMI TZZ ammo.
Made for Uzis,kinda hot for those M9s.
I've shot a LOT of TZZ .45 ACP Hardball....That stuff will cycle Thompsons with NO problem. I managed to shoot a tenon type front sight off my Springfield 1911 with about 250 rounds of it once. That stuff is HOT HOT HOT.
ryanek9freak
12-15-2009, 20:36
That, more than likely, was a stuck firing pin stop. It jams the firing pin out and off-to-the-races you go. Ironically, after it stops shooting, the lack of chambering a round can pop the firing pin stop back in place and everything looks GTG. If you look at the striker, you will see it's worn from rubbing the firing pin stop and if replaced with a new striker and ensuring the stop is installed correctly, will work just fine.
.
Main reason I don't care for striker fired pistols. I had a Luger do the same thing to me. I agree with greenscout, I'm more of a Sig guy, but hey, if Glocks are your thing, more power to you. They're not bad guns.
Just a reminder,,into the waaay back machine, ;)
.
When in the Corps, we did the transition from the 1911A1 to the M9 Beretta,M92.
Well we had a few slides fly off,cracked frames. Hands scarred and even a few teeth extracted via flying slides.
All later was due to the fact the Corps got a great deal on IMI TZZ ammo.
Made for Uzis,kinda hot for those M9s.
yes that was an ammo issue when the 92F was issued. the S came out with a safety slide stop that prevented the slide from blowing back in case the wrong ammo was issued.
the military soon after also changed the 9mm load since it was too hot.
Beretta ran 12 pistols 20,000 rounds with the correct ammo and didn't have any slides blow back or cracked frames.
still the 92FS came to be so they all have slide stops on them now.
When I went through the Armorers school for Glock Ka-booms were discussed. Prevailing cause was the fact of people shooting cast lead bullets from the polygonal rifled barrel. It will cause a pressure spike and can cause the barrel to fail...........
isn't there also excess room in the chamber where the case is slightly unsupported and weak spots within that chamber as well. particularly on the .40
GunTroll
12-15-2009, 21:25
All guns suck now and then! Get a sword!
probobly been around here before but just to enlighten glock haters on the reliability of Glock.
http://www.theprepared.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=90
It isn't an issue of people hating Glock. It is an issue of people getting tired of hearing how wonderful the pistols are when in reality they aren't significantly better than every other gun.
It isn't an issue of people hating Glock. It is an issue of people getting tired of hearing how wonderful the pistols are when in reality they aren't significantly better than every other gun.
That is also a very good point. thnxs
That is why I don't own a glock. I hear about 10:1 blowup stories of glocks compared to other guns.
And they are usually 10:1 BS.
I'l say it again, glocks are awesome.
I carry a G36, keep a G17 on hand at home.
I've got several makes of pistols, they're all great, but if I was heading for a for-real fight my glock would be my first choice.
MichiganMilitia
12-18-2009, 09:50
Hey! I like your new avatar Elhuero! :D
BPTactical
12-18-2009, 10:42
isn't there also excess room in the chamber where the case is slightly unsupported and weak spots within that chamber as well. particularly on the .40
Not sure on that one. Homework time.................
It isn't an issue of people hating Glock. It is an issue of people getting tired of hearing how wonderful the pistols are when in reality they aren't significantly better than every other gun.
This +1
Aloha_Shooter
12-19-2009, 01:31
isn't there also excess room in the chamber where the case is slightly unsupported and weak spots within that chamber as well. particularly on the .40
That's the analysis I seem to recall on TGZ. They had pictures of the casings and the unsupported area showing a strong correlation of the case failures to the unsupported spots.
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