Hot load leaves case in chamber

[JKilbreth]

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!

[reynolds357]

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.

[Ribcracker]

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.

[jepp2]

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.

[jeager106]

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!

[jimbob86]

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.

Ta-Dahhhhhhhhhhh!

As soon as I read

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.

[Sure Shot Mc Gee]

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.

[Clark]

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.

[JKilbreth]

What all is involved in order to "machine" it out?

[steve4102]

Originally Posted by jimbob86

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....

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

[243winxb]

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

Plated bullets seem to be involved a lot??

[JKilbreth]

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.

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.

[Brian Pfleuger]

Cerrosafe will get it out. Make a chamber cast, tap it out from the muzzle.

[steve4102]

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.

[jimbob86]

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.

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.

I'd like to add this:

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

[Sarge]

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

[Clark]

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.

[totaldla]

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.

[zxcvbob]

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.

[madmo44mag]

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.

[mikld]

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.

I would suggest you not be so quick to believe anyone is condemning your reloading methods. There is very little emotion/inflection seen in a forum post, so just read the black letters, leave out that not appearing in print. Your character? For all we know you could be either a Pastor or Pervert, not important here...

BTW; this emoticon means take this post lightly...

[jeager106]

No one is assulting your charcter.
EVERYONE is attempting to help you.
Listen: I blew TWO H&K USPs in .45 a.c.p. and I took a beating from my
"e" friends I didn't take anything as as assult on my character.
(even if it was) I control how I think & feel.
Enough of the psycho drama.
I learned a painful & expensive lesson NOT TO TRUST web sites
posted by Magnum Mike. Reloading for a .40 S&W for a Glock isn't a good thing to do.
I'm lucky the pistols I blew weren't hi pressure rounds as I would have
damaged more than a hand.
I'm much, much, more careful now; I load pratice ammo only.
I shoot the least expensive ammo I can find in my Glock 40's, not full power reloads.
I won't suggest how to get the stuck case out of your barrel as it's a moot point.
My blowups were a result of three factors.
1) dumb
2) dumber
3) stubborn dumbest

[zxcvbob]

Let's not talk about how much Blue Dot it takes to blow the head off a .30 Carbine cartridge...

[madmo44mag]

Let's not talk about how much Blue Dot it takes to blow the head off a .30 Carbine cartridge...

I can tell ya how much 2400 it takes -

[JKilbreth]

Very well. Most of you are quite right; it wasn't an assault on my character. That was a poor choice of words on my part.
It did seem like a bit of a sarcastic or at least satirical attack of my reloading methods, though (at least to me). I was most frustrated because I was trying to head off the "it's your fault", and "here's what you did wrong" comments.

I know that the issue was due to my reloading methods and my own mistake(s). I accept responsibility and I accept the blame.

My OP was only concerning how to get a case out of a chamber, nothing more. It was highly irritating to have someone spend so much time on a lengthy post to tell me what I already knew.

It's also not completely provable that a double charge was to blame. It's quite possible I had a light charge (or absent charge) that lodged a bullet in the barrel, causing dangerous pressures from a perfectly normal load that followed it to damage the firearm. But even if that were the cause, again, that's not the question I posted.

I appreciate those who truly were trying to help prevent a future mistake by educating (or re-educating) me on the risks of reloading, but again, that's not the question is posted. I only posted the reloading specifics so as to inform those that reply of as much information as may be necessary to help me dislodge a casing.

I'm not really butthurt about the comment, only irritated that it was posted and is detracting from the original intent of the thread. This is NOT a post on how to properly reload for .40S&W, or to necessarily discourage people from doing so. It is a repair issue caused by reloading that needs rectifying, not preventing. Believe me, I will take any and all steps I deem necessary to prevent the issue in the future, but those steps are ultimately for me to determine.

If anyone has any additional productive comments on how to dislodge a casing in this situation, I'm welcome them. Several good ones have been suggested and I plan to act on more than one of them. But at this point, I need reparations, not preventatives.