Blew Up an XDM40 Today

[MHicks]

So if any of you Fiine Folks happen to have a Springfield XDM40 frame laying around in your junk box, I just may have a slide and a magazine.   We could put them together and see what happens with a new batch of reloads.

Just Thinkin'..............

Glad you are unscathed, for the most part.  I have an XDM40 frame, not in a junk drawer, but I have it.  I am kind of curious as to the cause.  I guess we may never know. 

If you want to see if you can blow mine up also I'd be willing to meet you at ENGC and let you work your magic. 

[SemperFiGuy]

Now you have come up with a most interesting suggestion.

PM sent.

sfg

[DenmanShooter]

I think you are very lucky you weren't injured.   And I am very glad for that.  Weird things happen.

It reminded me of this video below...

[newfalguy101]

The new line on top of the barrel hood suggest an out of battery detonation, could have been as simple as a high primer or a stuck firing pin.

A few years back I blew up a Kahr K-9  with an out of battery detonation, scared the daylights out of me............course in MY case, with a steel gun, I put the pieces back in ( blew out the ejector ) and ran a few more rounds through it the following day.  I never really did find a satisfactory explanation for the failure ( most likely a bad handload, one of my own )

[SemperFiGuy]

DenmanShooter
Interesting video you posted about the S&W M&P.   Very closely parallels my own KA-BOOM! experience:

>Previous shooting was going along just fine.
>Got to/near end of magazine.
>KA-BOOM!
>Personal Shock and Awe  (What in the &^%^%$#$%^ just happened?)
>Am I OK?  Anything broken/busted/bleeding?
>Small amount of facial shrapnel, minor bleeding, small bit of hand trauma.
>Handgun now locked up.
>Handgun is bulged from inside out; various frame parts wrecked; slide appears to be less affected.
>High pucker factor results.

Biggest difference was that I was using own reloads; he claims factory ammo.   Mighta been factory reloads, based on inferences in following video.

And my appreciation goes out to you and all other Forum members who have expressed relief at my personal safety.   (Me, too.)

Finally:
How to get back into the game?    (And learn to Shoot-While-Flinching.)

newfalguy

( most likely a bad handload, one of my own )

I hate when that happens.

sfg

[RobertH]

im just happy you're ok.

[NE Bull]

I, personally, was hoping to see more blood and stuff.  But, whatever.  ( )

[GreyGeek]

First off Ken glad you're OK.
It's also possible that an under charge could do this foul deed.  Very glad you're okay

A friend of mine fired a reloaded .45 round in his Judge (the .410..45 pistol) and it blew up.  I determined from  the reloading data his dad used that the cartridge was under loaded and he didn't use wadding to fill the rest of the cartridge.

[SemperFiGuy]

I, personally, was hoping to see more blood and stuff.  But, whatever.

Bull:
Well frankly, under the circumstances at that time and all that, it wuz quite enough for me.   

We'll see what happens next if MHicks and I ever get our gun parts put together and try the results @ ENGC, as he generously suggested.

And....YOU are welcome to attend the proceedings.  Maybe fire the First Shot.   We'll watch from behind the tree.

sfg 

[jonm]

A friend of mine fired a reloaded .45 round in his Judge (the .410..45 pistol) and it blew up.  I determined from  the reloading data his dad used that the cartridge was under loaded and he didn't use wadding to fill the rest of the cartridge.

How does that blow up the gun?

[Lmbass14]

Glad your ok.  First I've seen a casing flip like that.  Learn something new everyday. 

Are you going to contact Springfield about it?  Maybe they can work a deal for ya.  It would be a good PR move.

[SemperFiGuy]

Are you going to contact Springfield about it?

Took the remains to Tim Casteel, gunsmith @ Carl Jarl [locks & gunsmithing] on I Street in Omaha.   

Tim is going to do a post-mortem on the gun, see what he finds, and then we'll review it together.  Perhaps in about a week or so.  It's quite possible that the actual reason for the blowup may never be determined.   [Some suggested causes include powder overload, powder underload, split case, unsupported case, bullet setback, and Zombie Revenge.]

What Tim finds and his recommendations based on his findings will determine the next steps.   Handgun manufacturers will generally not remedy any gun damage where reloads (this case) were used. Can't fault them at all for taking that stance.

MHicks of this Forum has offered a suggestion earlier in this post which has merit, if my XDM40's slide assembly survives the review.

When any information comes back, I'll post it here on the Forum.

Meanwhile, I'm gonna get a good, sturdy grinder shield and a coupla meat cutter's gloves in preparation for the next shooting session.

And--of course--continue to religiously wear safety glasses.

sfg

[Chris C]

LOL I'd be real interested to hear what he finds out since he didn't even know how to put my M&P back together correctly after his assistant smith put the whole pistol in a vice to change out the sights and bent internal parts.  The slide would still move back and forth when dry firing after he "fixed it".  Had to send it back to S&W so it functioned correctly.  I wouldn't let him touch any firearm! 

[newfalguy101]

Perhaps I missed it in an earlier post, but, do you still have and could you post a pic of the (remains?? ) the case from when the pistol failed??

[OnTheFly]

How does that blow up the gun?

I have jonm's thirst for knowledge.  From what I have read (which is very little), there is no known reason for this phenomenon.  Some say it only occurs with slow burning powders with a high case volume to powder volume ratio.  Though I've also read that ammunition manufacturers have not been able to reproduce it.  Seems to be somewhat debated, though I'm not saying it isn't possible.

Fly

[SemperFiGuy]

Perhaps I missed it in an earlier post, but, do you still have and could you post a pic of the (remains?? ) the case from when the pistol failed??

Pic of the handgun after the blow up is posted earlier in this thread.

Regarding the cartridge case:  Parts of it went in my face.  And then were picked out.  Other pieces were spread around the firing line by the blast.  I did find a remnant on the ground that could have been the culprit, but not sure.  Front part of the case was blown off at an angle.  The base appeared to have been scraped very hard across the slide face, scarfing off part of the metal off into a flashing.

Since I couldn't definitively identify that piece of case as the culprit, it was left at the range.  Shoulda done better, but I also lost my cool around there somewhere and wasn't all that lucid at the time.

sfg

[OnTheFly]

...but I also lost my cool around there somewhere and wasn't all that lucid at the time.

No doubt!  I would have been mentally out of the game.

Fly

[Gary]

Finally:
How to get back into the game?    (And learn to Shoot-While-Flinching.)[/size]

newfalguyI hate when that happens.

sfg

This exercise is good at removing flinching.

Again, glad my IW buddy is OK!

[Lmbass14]

Took the remains to Tim Casteel, gunsmith @ Carl Jarl [locks & gunsmithing] on I Street in Omaha.   

LOL I'd be real interested to hear what he finds out since he didn't even know how to put my M&P back together correctly after his assistant smith put the whole pistol in a vice to change out the sights and bent internal parts.  The slide would still move back and forth when dry firing after he "fixed it".  Had to send it back to S&W so it functioned correctly.  I wouldn't let him touch any firearm! 

+1  I was told by a very prominent member of this board who I trust and respect, that their isn't any worthwhile gunsmiths in the Omaha area.  None that he would take his firearms to anyway.

[NE Bull]

Gery, that's a ok drill, but you Know that second shot is a dead one.  I prefer to (have someone) random load a empty round (preferably a snap cap) in my mags.  That way you do not know which will be the dead round.  ALL the evil monsters WILL rear their ugly heads.  I've done this with a few 'good' shooters (as well as myself)