Glock .40 Question

Handguns » Glock

Site Notices

Posted: 10/5/2012 12:22:59 AM EDT

I am sure this horse is really dead from all of the beating, but I have to ask....

I can say from real experience that I had a kaboom in a .40 caliber Glock, my G23. I was shooting Federal 185 grain, out of the box ammo. It caused a lot of damage, I was able to fix it and after that I sold all of my Glocks, I was done. This was 12 years ago.

Since then, I have purchased a 19 and 21SF and really enjoy shooting them, especially the 21SF.

I really would like to get a .40 again, G22, and was wondering was my experience unusual or was all of the chatter about the .40 kaboom, or all Glocks for that matter, real? Internet hype?

Any feedback will be great...

77

Posted: 10/5/2012 12:29:14 AM EDT

[#1]

If you look at the newest production gen 4 Glocks you'll see a lot of differences from the older ones. I'm sure that would probably put you at ease seeing how the design has evolved to be stronger.

Posted: 10/5/2012 12:56:01 AM EDT

[#2]

Quoted:
If you look at the newest production gen 4 Glocks you'll see a lot of differences from the older ones. I'm sure that would probably put you at ease seeing how the design has evolved to be stronger.

Thanks that is some of the feedback I have heard, but I would really like to stay with the Gen 3 models, like all of us, I have heard so many bad comments on the Gen 4....how did they change the barrel support in going with the Gen 4....there is a barrel difference in the Gen 3 to Gen 4?

77

Posted: 10/5/2012 2:03:04 AM EDT

[#3]

Was your old Glock a Gen2 or fairly early Gen3?

They've changed the barrel support in the .40s since then and the .40 chamber has more support than it used to. This is true of the current Gen3s and the Gen4s. I'm no expert, but I've seen it posted by members here seem to know what they're talking about that the amount of support in the new barrel design is roughly equal (not exactly sure how you measure this) to that of any other modern polymer framed gun out there (the competitors).

I switched to .40 about 3 years ago and I am approaching 20,000 rounds of .40 since the change. This is all through 8 different Gen3 Glocks (G35, G22, G23x4, G27x2), many different loads (non reloaded). I've not experienced one single issue with any of them. I was a .40 hater before my switch. It's all I shoot anymore.

Posted: 10/5/2012 3:24:20 AM EDT

[#4]

Quoted:

Quoted:

If you look at the newest production gen 4 Glocks you'll see a lot of differences from the older ones. I'm sure that would probably put you at ease seeing how the design has evolved to be stronger.

Thanks that is some of the feedback I have heard, but I would really like to stay with the Gen 3 models, like all of us, I have heard so many bad comments on the Gen 4....how did they change the barrel support in going with the Gen 4....there is a barrel difference in the Gen 3 to Gen 4?

77

The problems with the gen 4s have not been with the .40s, it was the 9mm and some .45s.

My thought is the gen 4 was more tailored to the 40 cal due to prior problems with them. Now, the guns work great with 40 and had some bugs to work out with the 9mm.

I've had 2nd, 3rd, and now 4th gen 40 cal guns. I've never had a problem with any of them (the 2nd gen had a bunch of slide peening and the accelerated wear), the 3rd gen less, and the 4th gen is the best out of all of them, IMO.

Posted: 10/5/2012 4:08:29 AM EDT

[#5]

I've been present for the shooting of well over 3 million rounds through more than 3000 Glock .40 caliber pistols over the past five years and have never seen a kaboom. I consider them to be extremely rare with factory ammunition.

Posted: 10/5/2012 4:09:36 AM EDT

[#6]

You were shooting 40 cal out of the box but prior to that had you ever shot any type of lead bullets in the 40?

Most of the stuff I see on glock kabooms referenced lead ball or reloaded brass as the most likely cause.

The one guy I know that had a kaboom was my bud who blew a 21. He was shooting his reloads.

My agency has been authorizing glocks since1999 and I have yet to hear of anyone going grenade with one at our range. All we shoot are factory rounds

Posted: 10/5/2012 4:12:11 AM EDT

[#7]

I have a Gen2 G22 and have many thousands of rounds through it. Winchester, Federal, Blazer, reloads. Never had a single issue.

Maybe what you had was just a fluke. Could have been the gun. Could have been the ammo. Really hard to say what was at fault.

Posted: 10/5/2012 4:15:48 AM EDT

[#8]

Gen 4 in .40 is awesome. 100% reliable and reduced recoil from earlier gens.

Posted: 10/5/2012 4:23:04 AM EDT

[#9]

Quoted:
I am sure this horse is really dead from all of the beating, but I have to ask....

I can say from real experience that I had a kaboom in a .40 caliber Glock, my G23. I was shooting Federal 185 grain, out of the box ammo. It caused a lot of damage, I was able to fix it and after that I sold all of my Glocks, I was done. This was 12 years ago.

Since then, I have purchased a 19 and 21SF and really enjoy shooting them, especially the 21SF.

I really would like to get a .40 again, G22, and was wondering was my experience unusual or was all of the chatter about the .40 kaboom, or all Glocks for that matter, real? Internet hype?

Any feedback will be great...

77

There was the cause of the kaboom. The early 40 brass had extremely thin walls and case web that contributed to case failures. Federal has since changed the brass so it is now GTG

Posted: 10/5/2012 6:07:14 AM EDT

[#10]

Someone else had mentioned before that is was possibly cause by bullet setback from rechambering the same round over and over again. May not be true but I'm careful not to do that just in case.

Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile

Posted: 10/5/2012 9:16:01 AM EDT

[#11]

To answer the questions above:

I purchased the pistol, it was second hand, from a local store..... It looked like new. I cleaned the pistol real well before use, especially the barrel. I have always shot factory ammo, no lead, never.

As far as the generation, like I said, it was used and I believe I purchased it in 1998, so what ever generation that is....now that I am thinking about it, the Kaboom occurred in October 2001. I just had surgery three weeks before this happened, hernia surgery, and I had 9 puncture marks on my belly from the laprascopic surgery....when the kaboom happened the RO ran over to me and when he saw the marks he freaked out, he thought I had shrapnel wounds....he counted the marks, I will never forget that

There is something about the Gen 4 that bothers me....when I see the removable grip panels, I just think that is something that will work loose....I may be too old school.

77

Posted: 10/5/2012 9:21:53 AM EDT

[#12]

KB's are caused by bad ammo. Any bad ammo. The ammo doesn't care what gun it's fired out of.

Posted: 10/5/2012 2:04:57 PM EDT

[#13]

Quoted:
There is something about the Gen 4 that bothers me....when I see the removable grip panels, I just think that is something that will work loose....I may be too old school.

77

You don't have to have a backstrap on there at all if you don't want to. If you don't, the grip will be slightly smaller than a gen 3 grip. If you do, the bottom locks in to the small gap at the bottom (behind the mag well) and the top is held in place by the rearmost pin that goes through the frame. I've never seen that pin wear loose on any gun I've ever seen.

Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile

Posted: 10/5/2012 2:12:16 PM EDT

[#14]

Quoted:
KB's are caused by bad ammo. Any bad ammo. The ammo doesn't care what gun it's fired out of.

Yet certain guns have more KBs than others. So do certain calibers.

Posted: 10/5/2012 3:40:53 PM EDT

[#15]

I just bought a 22 gen 4 and the kB issue does sit in the back of my mind, but there are tens of thousands of .40 Glocks in use by LE and military units so the problem must not be too much of a concern. I am enjoying shooting this pistol and the ejection is much better than the 9mm and .45 gen 4's I have owned.

Posted: 10/5/2012 6:35:56 PM EDT

[#16]

I have a Gen 2 .40 (22) & a recently purchased Gen 4 .40 (23).

The Gen 4 has more chamber support in the feedramp area.

I wouldn't call it "fully" supported like an M&P but it's an improvement.

Go for the Gen 4.

Posted: 10/6/2012 2:55:26 PM EDT

[#17]

Early .40 Federal ammo had thin case walls which could cause KB's. They fixed that problem long ago and you shouldn't have problems shooting factory new SAAMI spec FMJ ammo in a Glock.

Posted: 10/6/2012 3:07:44 PM EDT

[#18]

The ramp on my Gen 4 is a lot different on my Gen 4 as compared to my Gen 3

The newer designed G40's have better case support by design

Posted: 10/6/2012 3:29:52 PM EDT

[#19]

I'd be more worried about lightning strike or shark attack.

Posted: 10/6/2012 3:36:20 PM EDT

[#20]

Quoted:
The ramp on my Gen 4 is a lot different on my Gen 4 as compared to my Gen 3

The newer designed G40's have better case support by design

How old is your Gen3 .40 (serial prefix)?

Posted: 10/8/2012 5:46:23 AM EDT

[#21]

Quoted:

Quoted:
KB's are caused by bad ammo. Any bad ammo. The ammo doesn't care what gun it's fired out of.

Yet certain guns have more KBs than others. So do certain calibers.

Some are damaged more then others from said bad ammo. Depends on design. A KB is still a KB, It's not caused by the firearm.

Posted: 10/8/2012 6:23:17 PM EDT

[#22]

Quoted:

Quoted:
The ramp on my Gen 4 is a lot different on my Gen 4 as compared to my Gen 3

The newer designed G40's have better case support by design

How old is your Gen3 .40 (serial prefix)?

GTC666

Posted: 10/9/2012 12:39:22 AM EDT

[#23]

Quoted:

Quoted:

The ramp on my Gen 4 is a lot different on my Gen 4 as compared to my Gen 3

The newer designed G40's have better case support by design

How old is your Gen3 .40 (serial prefix)?

GTC666

I think the gen 3's went through some revisions on their own. I notice a difference between my gen 3 G22 (KBZ) and RTF (NMP).

Posted: 10/9/2012 6:45:33 AM EDT

[#24]

Gen4 .40s are good to go. As has been already said, Glock quietly increased the case support over the years.
The Gen4 modular back strap system works. I was a little skeptical when I first saw it, but it's solid.

If you don't like the Gen4 .40s or they make you uncomfortable for some reason, well, heck, buy something else. It's OK.