Okay, since our PPB rep has declined to provide any further info, I dug up a copy of the lab report.  What I have is a photocopy that is not good enough quality to scan, so I'm just going to type in relevant sections.  There are actually three lab reports, mainly because PPB had decided that the guns were at fault and did not want to believe H.P. White labs when they said it was overpressure ammunition.  I'll omit the PPB officers' names from the report.  The report is lengthy, so I'll only type excerpts.

"H.P. White Laboratory, Inc.
address, telephone, yada yada.

Portland Police Training
1111 SW 2nd Ave
Portland, Oregon  
97204

Attention:  SGT **** ***

Dear Sgt. ***,

***** ****'s memo of May 5, 2004 accompanied a damaged Glock 21, caliber .45 ACP pistol, Serial Number EDN811US, received on May 14, 2004 via United Parcel Service.  Two boxes of Federal, 230 grain HiShock Jacketed Hollow Point ammunition accompanied it.  Lot Number 225T268 was identified as being the Lot from which the incident round came.  Lot Number 125T270 was identified as being the Lot from which another incident cartridge came.

(Description of pistol and condition)

There is no indication of a barrel obstruction, AND THE CARTRIDGE WAS FULLY SEATED WHEN IT FIRED AND DID NOT FIRE OUT OF BATTERY (OOB) (emphasis added).


The brass cartridge case is from Federal.  Examination of the incident cartridge case shows clear signs of extremely high pressure.  The primer is missing and the primer pocket has been expanded from a normal diameter of approximately 0.209" to approximately 0.222" and slightly ovoid.  The headstamping is flattened, and the entire 'bottom' of the case wall is missing.  Clearly, the cause of the damage to the pistol was firing a cartridge that produced catastrophically high pressure.


There can be no question that the pistol submitted (Serial Number EDN811US) was damaged by firing a single cartridge that produced extremely high pressures- well beyond any industry standards.  THERE IS NO EVIDENCE OF A SPECIFIC DEFECT OR MALFUNCTION IN THE PISTOL" (emphasis added).

And a pertinent section from another of the reports, in answer to a list of questions from PPB:

"4.  Q. Does the design of the barrel with its extraordinary amount of unsupported case contribute to case failures in this area?  A.  Any self-loading pistol needs a feed ramp to get the cartridges smoothly from the magazine into the chamber.  For all conventional pistols the feed ramp results in some portion of the cartridge case being unsupported.  The longer the feed ramp, the greater the unsupported area.  The Glock 21 probably has a somewhat longer feed ramp than other caliber .45 pistols, BUT THAT DID NOT CONTRIBUTE TO YOUR INCIDENT" (emphasis added).



So I guess someone definitely should have done some research before 'popping off at the mouth', huh?

Sparky315:  Very nice.  

Jeez...that's gotta screw the case a little.

One might have surmised that the cartridge was to blame from the classic overpressure indicators like the popped primer, flattened primer pocket not to mention the more extreme effects like flattening of the headstamping. I'm surprised that this wasn't more apparent to the house armourers....I guess they don't reload.

Simon

STILL no response from number1popper?  Guess it's hard to swallow when the 'company line' turns out to not be the truth, huh?

Quoted: STILL no response from number1popper?  Guess it's hard to swallow when the 'company line' turns out to not be the truth, huh?

snap